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NC State IT Community

2024 Event Schedule

Join us on January 31st for this half-day event at the Talley Student Union to connect with IT professionals, and learn how the latest IT innovations are transforming campus.

Keynote (1pm – 2pm)

Maggie Woods, Digital Equity Manager, NC Office of Digital Equity and Literacy
The State of Digital Equity in NC (pdf)
Piedmont Mountains Ballroom

Breakout sessions (2pm – 4pm)

Breakout Session I (2:15 – 3pm)

Using Clifton Strengths to build a great IT team
Room: Talley 3222

The presentation will discuss leading teams through open communication and building a positive, collaborative environment. NCSU uses Clifton’s Strengths to help students, faculty, and staff understand how they can most successfully lean into their talents. Using positive, strengths-based approaches and creating a workplace that fosters belonging, the presentation will contain tips and tricks on creating an innovative and engaged team. This presentation will interest those interested in the craft of team management and getting to know how their strengths and knowing the strengths of others can make for a fantastic working environment and better, more capable teams.

Presenter: Chris Allen

Theme(s): Deliver world-class services and capabilities; Foster an environment of belonging, collaboration, and connectedness

View Presentation Slides 

NC State Esports Program Update
Room: Talley 3285

In early 2022 the North Carolina General Assembly appropriated $12M for NC State to construct an esports arena and $4M for an esports mobile platform, leading to a campus-wide effort to conceptualize a gaming and esports program that aligns with the university’s mission and demonstrates the university’s value as a statewide innovator in technology. NC State Esports has the potential to be among the premier collegiate esports programs in the nation, providing opportunities for teaching and career development, research, partnerships, and community engagement. 

The NC State Gaming and Esports Lab is opening in the Hunt Library in January 2024 in support of the new program.  A cross-campus team of IT staff representing multiple units, with a variety of IT expertise, has been working since spring 2023 to develop the hardware, software, networking, and AV infrastructure for the lab, building capacity for the future esports arena in Mann Hall. 

In this session we will discuss the developing vision for the program and review the current state of NC State Esports. We will highlight some of the technical challenges and successes we encountered as we opened the NC State Gaming and Esports Lab. And we will share plans for upcoming esports events, as well as updates on the NC State Esports Arena, planned to open in 2026 in Mann Hall. 

Theme: Deliver world-class services and capabilities

Panelists: Jill Sexton, Shawn Dunning, Brandy Briggs, Ryan Hunter, and Colin Nickels.

Read more 

Notification with IRIS/OnCall
Room: Talley 4280

We will discuss the use of the OnCall and IRIS systems to notify users of problems with their servers. IRIS and OnCall can be used independently of our monitoring system (Zabbix) and includes the ability to notify users via email, SMS or phone call with response through the phone keypad. There will be a presentation and a panel discussion.

Panelists: Joshua Snapp, Donald Waterman, Brian Boley

Theme: Deliver world-class services and capabilities

BREAKOUT Session II (3:15pm – 4pm)

Google Storage Panel Discussion
Room: Talley 3222

In this session, you’ll hear an update from Google Service Team members about the state of Google storage on campus. IT staff from various departments will also share their storage stories, including experience working with high capacity users and implementation plans to reduce their units’ storage.

Panelists: OIT,  DASA, Delta, College of Engineering

Theme(s): Foster an environment of belonging, collaboration, and connectedness; Leverage data across the university

View Presentation Slides 

Understanding Dark Web Operations
Room: Talley 3285

The dark web represents a hidden layer of the internet containing both legitimate and illicit activities. However, with a constantly growing database of content, it can be increasingly difficult and risky to navigate such a vast forest of information. This session provides a brief overview of the dark web, including how to securely access it via layers of anonymity, and navigate its unique culture. We will be highlighting a specific use case for monitoring unauthorized disclosure of sensitive data. It outlines techniques to verify data authenticity and safely handle files to prevent accidental malware execution as well as highlight the importance of discretion, ethics, and legal compliance when conducting dark web operations. Additionally, the session will cover the proper protocols for reporting discovered information to the relevant authorities, using anonymized examples to demonstrate the outcomes of following appropriate procedures. Whether you are new to the dark web or are a seasoned explorer, this session aims to expand your knowledge and skills to better protect future dark web explorations.

Presenters: Willie Harris and Ryan Mcphee

Theme: Cybersecurity

View Presentation Slides 

ServiceNow Service Portal & Workflow Automation
Room: Talley 4280

See how the College of Sciences is leveraging the ServiceNow Service Portal and Request Catalog capabilities to streamline and automate work and enhance the experiences of both customers and fulfillers. This demonstration will highlight how ServiceNow’s Service Portal provides an intuitive interface for users to access services and submit requests seamlessly. The Request Catalog functionality will be emphasized as a powerful tool for streamlining and automating various processes, leading to improved efficiency and customer satisfaction. Attendees gained insights into how the College of Sciences is leveraging ServiceNow to create a user-friendly environment that enhances communication, accelerates request fulfillment, and optimizes overall workflow management within the academic setting.

Presenter: Jennifer Domnick

Theme(s): Deliver world-class services and capabilities

View Presentation Slides 

Awards Ceremony (4pm)

Piedmont Mountains Ballroom

Join us as we recognize teams and individuals who have made a significant collaborative impact within the IT community. See award recipients

  • Operational Excellence Team Award
  • Extraordinary Team Impact Award
  • Team Player Award
  • Rising Star Award

Happy Hour (5pm – 7pm)

Piedmont Mountains Ballroom

Enjoy appetizers and beverages while socializing with your fellow IT colleagues.