Piecing IT Together: Making the Small Things Count
John Bucher, Director, Information Technology, Oberlin College
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Session Descriptions and Presenter Information

Peter M. Siegel is the first permanent Chief Information Officer at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, named to that position in August 2000. Peter, who is also associate provost, is responsible for leadership in identifying the role that information and learning technologies can play in supporting the campus mission. As CIO, Peter works with the campus community to understand their varied needs and directions, and to nurture innovative use of information technologies within the colleges and among central units. In the Spring of 2002, Peter reorganized the central computing, educational technologies, computer labs, and data and voice communications units into an integrated organization, Campus Information Technologies and Educational Services (CITES).
      In addition to his active community engagement and outreach, Peter is also involved in national and state professional organizations: He is a member of the EDUCAUSE 2005 National Conference Program Committee and currently serving on the EDUCAUSE Security Task Force Executive Committee, as well as the out-going editor of the EDUCAUSE Review column, New Horizons. Peter is actively involved in the Committee on Institutional Cooperation (Big 10 Plus) CIO group. He is also active in forums relating to the intersection between information technologies and physical security, including recent U.S. Secret Service and State of Illinois activities in Homeland Security. Peter is an invited speaker in the area of computer security and national IT policy issues, speaking before computing, telecommunications, policy, and law enforcement communities.

Most everything that IT support personnel are called on to do depends on a combination of technical and personal skills. The number of issues is constantly rising, the breadth of the technology is always widening, and the stress levels can easily go "through the roof."

As we work to meet the expectations of our constituents, it's often not the big things that really matter much – it's all of those little things! Without close attention to critical interpersonal issues, it doesn't matter at all how much we know about new technology and upcoming gadgetry. People want to know that we care, that we're doing our best. A proper handling of the little things can make a big difference in the big things, both for our user community and ourselves.

John E. Bucher is Director of Information Technology at Oberlin College in Oberlin, Ohio, a position that he has held since 1996. He was Director of Computing Services at the University of South Dakota from 1987 to 1993, and the Director of Computing and Network Services at Kansas State University from 1993 to 1996.
      John attended Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio for both his undergraduate (1972) and M.S. degrees (1975) in biological sciences. He received a Ph.D. in biology in 1984 from the University of Kansas, with an emphasis in avian ecology.
      He has been active in many regional and national associations, including board and committee memberships in EDUCAUSE, the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) and the Corporation for Research and Educational Networking (CREN). He is a frequent presenter at conferences and professional meetings and he offers motivational seminars on a variety of topics, including management, leadership, and customer service issues.

CITES is committed to deploying a campus-wide anti-spam and email anti-virus service in early 2005.

This presentation will detail the status of that project, as well as a review of the approaches considered and the lessons learned form our focus group evaluations.

Mike Corn became Director of Security Services and Information Privacy in the Office of the CIO mid-December, 2003.
      Mike's experience in Information Technology began in development, dating back to his days watching 1/2" tape spin on PDP-Lab 8's in the mid 1970s, and in working on atmospheric models of Mars at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (Cray 1 Serial # 2) in Boulder, Colorado.
      While at the University of Illinois, he has worked on a number of policy issues, including the University's policy on using Social Security numbers. He also helped formulate data marts in the original Information Warehouse, as well as database-driven web applications.
      Mike lives in Urbana with his aging Labrador, Shiva.

This discussion will review the evolution of the Software WebStore and other services provided by the Software Services department.

Andre Krabbe joined the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in June 2001 as Software Services Manager in CITES Departmental Services. Andre is a Champaign-Urbana native and graduate of the University of Illinois. Prior to his employment with CITES Departmental Services, he gained technology experience with ITT, NMHG, and most recently as Vice President of Information Technology at Roberson Transportation.

One of the issues confronting administrators working in highly decentralized networks is keeping track of what machines and devices are present on the network, and to whom they belong. In such an environment, information is often sketchy to begin with, and quickly becomes obsolete as machines and people come and go.

Problems like this affect the entire campus, and it makes sense to search for a solution that can be easily adapted to the needs of different units. Some solutions to this problem are discussed, along with an example of a solution that has worked for one department, and where it is headed.

Rich Williams, panel moderator, is the Director of CITES Departmental Services. For twenty-four years, he has been involved in information technology activities and services on the UIUC campus.

Jobertito Cuaresma graduated with a Computer Science degree from UIUC and has been a CITES Departmental Services consultant since 1999. He works with Ryan Thomas at the College of Education as the primary network and server administrator. He holds network security emphasized certifications from CompTIA, Cisco, and Microsoft.

Glen Embertson has been involved in information technology since the days when modems had couplers, you dialed up bulletin boards, and you could double the size of your storage with a paper puncher. For just as long, he has cultivated an interest in information security.
       Glen has been at the University of Illinois since 1995, and has worked for CITES for six years. He is a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), and holds the IAM certification from the National Security Agency. Glen has Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Mathematics.

Steve Hess worked as a consultant on large email systems and Windows networking before coming back to the University in 1996. He now works as the network administrator for the College of Business.

Ron Nimon was trained in 1971 in the Navy Advanced Electronics "A" school in Dam Neck, Virginia, followed by "C" school training for Navigational Computer Support of the Fleet Ballistic Missile (Polaris/Poseidon) Submarine Program. (The first computer system he trained on consisted of discrete germanium transistor logic and operated from a magnetic drum memory.)
      Ron spent four years supporting Navigational research for SUBLANTFLEET on the USS Compass Island where he worked with engineers from Sperry Rand, Rockwell International, and Honeywell to develop and test systems for national defense. This experience allowed him to see everything from pneumatic computers to gravity anomaly navigational systems.
      In 1979, Ron began working for Physics Electronics Services designing and fabricating digital interfaces and equipment for research. He gradually migrated to departmental computer and network support as personal computing evolved to its current state. Ron currently focuses on network security for the Department of Physics as he attempts to establish an administrative model that is as secure and accountable as possible, and that meets users' expectations for transparency and intuitiveness.

Ryan Thomas has served the College of Education since 1995. Originally, he was assigned to the college as a CITES Departmental Services consultant to perform database development and network administration. Now, as Associate Director of IT of the Office of Educational Technology, Ryan leads a team of IT professionals who provide a wide range of IT services to the college.
      Involved in various IT-related campus-wide committees over the years, both Ryan and members of his team contribute significant efforts to improve campus IT services and their articulation with colleges and departments.

This fall, CITES added a second authentication method for UIUCnet Wireless – a method which is not only easier to use than the CITES VPN client, but also client-free. At the same time, UIUCnet Walkup was upgraded to use this authentication source as well.

During this presentation, Mark will explain the new service, its features, and also discuss some of the possible solutions on the horizon for wireless and walk-up access.

Mark Notarus is a member of the Network Engineering group in CITES Communications Technologies. He has worked for CITES on and off since 1996.
      He holds a Cisco CCNP certification, and has been involved in developing and maintaining the software behind many UIUCnet components.

CITES NetFiles is a web-based application that allows UIUC students, staff, and faculty to store, share, and publish files, as well as enables collaboration with colleagues internal and external to the campus. The service was introduced in fall 2003 and has grown to include more than 18,000 subscribed users.

During an interactive discussion, the two presenters will share their units' experience using NetFiles. Christine Gressley Ruppel will describe how researchers at Beckman Institute have utilized NetFiles for collaboration on grants. Randy Cetin from CITES will highlight how members of CITES management have used NetFiles for day-to-day functions, as well as internal and external collaboration activities.

In addition to general Q&A, the presenters will encourage audience members to highlight their own uses of NetFiles or those of their units, discuss their experience using the service, share tips and tricks, and suggest additional features or functionality.

Randy Cetin joined CITES in 1986 as a research programmer in the "Graphics Group", and has since held numerous positions in the organization. Currently, Randy is the Director of CITES Systems and Technology Services.
       The division encompasses a wide range of service responsibilities that include the CITES computer labs, cost-recovery services for Unix workstations, CITES' two data centers and Operations Center, management of numerous production servers and services, and the development of integration tools and infrastructure services.
       An alumnus of the University of Illinois, Randy never received the memo indicating it was "OK" to leave campus after graduation, and has been here since.

Christine Gressley Ruppel is the Manager of Systems Services at the Beckman Institute, where she supports a diverse computing environment for the multi-disciplinary research of 90+ faculty from over 30 campus departments. From 1992 to 1997, she worked for CCSO's Communications Engineering group developing software tools to assist with the management of UIUCnet.

Stan Yagi will present the current status and plans for the campus network upgrade project. Drawing on the recent discussions with the Deans' Liaisons Networking Group, he will explain the scope of the network project and highlight some of the current thinking and concerns.

Following this presentation, Charley Kline will join Stan Yagi for a question and answer session.

Stan Yagi joined the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in August 2001, as Director of the Computing and Communications Services Office and Assistant Chief Information Officer. The 2002 reorganization resulted in a new organization name (CITES), and a new title for Stan: Assistant CIO for Information Technologies. Stan heads four divisions within CITES: Communications Technologies, directed by Beth Scheid; Customer Support and Information Services, directed by Mona Heath; Departmental Services, directed by Rich Williams; and Systems and Technology Services, directed by Randy Cetin.
      Prior to accepting his current position, Stan served as the Director of Information Technology Services at Queen's University, Kingston Ontario, Canada. Stan brought to the U of I an outstanding reputation as a leader and a partner to academic departments, the library, and other groups in support of teaching and research needs. He has a long and distinguished career in Information Technology and is active internationally in the computing and communications arenas.

Charley Kline has been the primary architect of UIUC's communications network for twelve years. He manages the Network Engineering group in CITES Communications Technologies. Current group projects include development of network accounting and information databases for hosts on UIUCnet, deployment of wireless and VPN technologies, continued re-engineering of the UIUCnet core to meet changing needs of the campus, and research in advanced technologies such as IP Telephony, IPv6, and very high speed network access.

CITES currently operates several directory services for the academic computing needs of campus, including ED (formerly ph), Novell eDirectory, iPlanet LDAP, and Microsoft Active Directory. These technologies provide service to many clients and applications at UIUC.

CITES realizes that these services are lacking much-needed features and is currently working to create the next generation of directory services to meet UIUC's academic computing needs. This presentation will provide an update on the CITES directory services project, present details of the project blueprints, and discuss what campus can expect in the future.

Keith Wessel works for the Production Applications group in CITES Systems and Technology Services. He serves as the project lead and service manager for the next generation of CITES' directory services.
       Although he has only been working full time for CITES since 2002, he is no stranger to the UIUC computing community. Keith began working for NCSA in 1992 as a software developer and system administrator. Later, while completing two degrees in computer science at UIUC's College of Engineering, he worked for CITES Workstation Services Group (WSG) and CITES Engineering WorkStations (EWS). His brief year and a half in the corporate world took him to Michigan where he obtained Six Sigma certification and project management experience with Ford Motor Company.
       When he's not working, Keith might be seen walking around campus accompanied by Apollo, his guide dog and faithful friend of 11 years – the only dog on campus with a Master's degree.

CITES is eager to hear your thoughts on the ways we can most efficiently and effectively communicate with you and your constituents.

Come to this panel session and help us identify the best ways to solicit your input and to communicate news and changes to you. Also, as we reconsider the purpose and content of the Status of Services page, we welcome your ideas and suggestions.

Mona Heath, panel moderator, became the Director of CITES Customer Support Services in 2002. She had held a similar position at Oak Ridge National Laboratory before moving to Champaign-Urbana in 1991. In the interim, she worked for IBM (AIX technical support), and then for CITES providing Solaris system administration support and managing various support groups from Workstation Services to Documentation.
       (Mona freely admits that Unix system administration and documentation constitute an unusual combination of interests.)

Randy Cetin joined CITES in 1986 as a research programmer in the "Graphics Group", and has since held numerous positions in the organization. Currently, Randy is the Director of CITES Systems and Technology Services.
       The division encompasses a wide range of service responsibilities that include the CITES computer labs, cost-recovery services for Unix workstations, CITES' two data centers and Operations Center, management of numerous production servers and services, and the development of integration tools and infrastructure services.
       An alumnus of the University of Illinois, Randy never received the memo indicating it was "OK" to leave campus after graduation, and has been here since.

Andrea Van Proyen has been Information Services Coordinator for CITES Customer Support Services since late 2003. She started with CITES in 2001 as a documentation specialist. As Coordinator, Andrea is responsible for the planning and development of CITES' outreach materials such as promotional pieces, handouts, and specialized web pages.
       Andrea has been a technical communicator for over 20 years. At the University of Illinois, she has worked for the College of Engineering, the Survey Research Laboratory, and NCSA doing both print and web-based publications. In her work in the computer industry, she has also worked on Unix documentation.
       Currently, she represents CITES in the IT Communications Group of the Committee on Institutional Cooperation (CIC), and is a member of the Campus Communications Council.

Terry Wilson has worked in some aspect of IT customer service for most of his career at the University of Illinois. After 20 years with AITS, Terry has spent the past two and a half years in the dual role of Help Desk Manager and Customer Relations Coordinator.

In our diverse campus IT environment, "security" has many different meanings to professionals, as well as to the end-users they serve. How important is security and does its value depend on the campus department or unit? How is the value of secure desktop systems dependent on unit policy and the level of support for IT management?

Panelists in this discussion will share their "best practices" and resources regarding security in campus units, both from technical and procedural standpoints. Participation and discussion from the audience is encouraged.

Ryan Thomas, panel moderator, has served the College of Education since 1995. Originally, he was assigned to the college as a CITES Departmental Services consultant to perform database development and network administration. Now, as Associate Director of IT of the Office of Educational Technology, Ryan leads a team of IT professionals who provide a wide range of IT services to the college.
      Involved in various IT-related campus-wide committees over the years, both Ryan and members of his team contribute significant efforts to improve campus IT services and their articulation with colleges and departments.

Mike Corn became Director of Security Services and Information Privacy in the Office of the CIO mid-December, 2003.
      Mike's experience in Information Technology began in development, dating back to his days watching 1/2" tape spin on PDP-Lab 8's in the mid 1970s, and in working on atmospheric models of Mars at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (Cray 1 serial # 2) in Boulder, Colorado.
      While at the University of Illinois, he has worked on a number of policy issues, including the University's policy on using Social Security numbers. He also helped formulate data marts in the original Information Warehouse, as well as database-driven web applications.
      Mike lives in Urbana with his aging Labrador, Shiva.

Steven Zydek was hired by CITES in 1999 as a Unix Systems Administrator and assigned to the Engineering Workstations (EWS) group in CITES Departmental Services. Shortly after being hired, Steve took on the role of EWS Manager with oversight responsibilities that have included planning, budgeting, implementing, securing, and supporting virtually every aspect of ten EWS labs located across the College of Engineering campus.
      The EWS labs offer approximately 10,000 users access to a broad collection of engineering applications on a mixture of computing platforms. EWS currently offers Solaris, Linux, and Windows XP in their lab environments. To learn more about EWS, please visit www.ews.uiuc.edu.
       Steve spends most of his free time with his wife and two daughters. Occasionally, he has time for composing, performing, and recording "indie-pop" music.