Thought leaders in industry, government, and academia will convene at the annual meeting of the Penn State Center for Enterprise Architecture (CEA) on Sept. 27 to 28 in University Park, Pennsylvania. The conference is free and open to the public, though attendees are asked to register online and registration is limited.
The keynote will be delivered by Scott A. Bernard, chief enterprise architect in the Office of Management and Budget for the federal government. Bernard has more than 30 years of experience in IT management within the public, private, military, and academic sectors. He also authored the first textbook on enterprise architecture – An Introduction to Enterprise Architecture. His presentation will explore how to create an agile architecture, which enables large, complex organizations like the U.S. government to quickly adapt to its changing needs.
Other sessions will discuss how the Internet of Things (IoT) presents new challenges to businesses, and methods that organizations can use to safeguard their sensitive data. There will also be a panel for undergraduate students to expose them to the EA program and potential career opportunities.
The CEA was founded to serve as a catalyst for the growth and understanding of enterprise architecture, and the role it can play in helping organizations leverage technology to survive and thrive in the digital age.
“Enterprise architecture, like other technology-related fields, moves very quickly,” said Rosalie Ocker, associate teaching professor in the College of Information Sciences and Technology (IST) and the director of the CEA. “Our engagement with industry and government is essential to keeping our research and education programs cutting-edge.”
The annual conference builds upon the center’s goal of fusing academic exploration with real world applications. And now, with an impending partnership with the Smeal College of Business, the program is better equipped to bridge the gap between those technology and business demands.
“We are a leader in this industry, as the College of IST is the only school in North America with a dedicated graduate degree in enterprise architecture,” added Ocker. “This meeting will serve as a think tank, sharing our work with people in industry and getting feedback.”
Penn State was singled out last summer as one of “Ten Leading Colleges and Universities Preparing Tomorrow’s Enterprise Architects” in A&G Magazine.
Its position in the industry is unquestioned, according to Jeff Ellerbee, Solutions Marketing Manager for Enterprise Architecture at Planview.
“The CEA deserves a lot of credit for starting this annual event and maintaining a level of quality that keeps enterprise architects coming back year after year,” said Ellerbee.
More information on the CEA can be found at ea.ist.psu.edu.
