The Information Technology Program, at UMass Amherst, is holding its annual ICT Summit on March 22 & 23, 2018. With ‘Technology for All’ as our theme, we will focus on tech in our lives, reuse/repurpose of devices, creativity and social impact. Events will be held in the Student Union at UMass Amherst.

On March 23rd, the Summit will include a showcase of a wide variety of technologies being used and explored by members of our academic community. The Summit will also include presentations and panel discussions on information technology across the disciplines

On the evening of March 22nd, there will be a Professional/Career Networking session with representatives and alumni present to meet with and provide information to students and interested faculty and advisors.

View the ICT Summit 2018 Program 

About the 2018 Summit

Since 2010, the ICT Summit at UMass Amherst has presented a forum for ideas, research, projects, speakers, panels and workshops highlighting various aspects of technology in education and our lives.

This year, we are once again picking up the theme of “Technology for All” but adding a question mark after it.

While we, at the IT Program, are examining (posing/ presenting/ making) a lot of questions, we need you and your participation at the ICT Summit to come up with the answers.

Is Technology for All? Does it provide and allow equal representation? What are the issues affecting current gender inequality within its workforce? How has this changed from the early days of tech companies and research? How has the technology industry changed and developed in the past 40-50 years?

NOTE: As we started planning this year’s event, something unexpected happened. The person originally selected as the Keynote Speaker, Nolan Bushnell, had a Pioneer Award rescinded by the Game Developers Conference. The issue it brought up was related to workplace environment.  Some questioned whether it was appropriate to have Mr. Bushnell speak at the ICT Summit. We had to make a decision. Do we cancel his participation and talk? How do we respond to social media posts and ambiguities brought forth by diverging social media voices? Many other questions came up.

As the main issue brought up by the original posts on the internet, had to do with work environment in technology during the late 1970s and ‘80s, the decision was taken to use this opportunity to open up points of discussion related to this topic. This decision is not something I take lightly.  Yes, the ‘70s and ‘80s, particularly in the San Francisco Bay Area, were different than now. Different norms, different times. But…is it different now? Are women better off or worse off in the industry? What is the state of minorities in today’s technology workforce?

So…the focus changed. Sometimes, unexpected events can lead to better outcomes. What can we do and act upon to create a positive and meaningful result? Through our discussions and presentations, I anticipate that a clearer path will be before us as to how to advance in two areas:

What is needed to truly make Technology be for All?

How do we best seek an enhanced understanding of the issue(s) before us? How do we best respond to short bursts of true/untrue media and come to find truth & understanding?

It is important that we have a thoughtful, respectful and lively discussion on the status and participation of women and minorities in technical fields. This is the topic that the panel “Is Technology for All?” will be addressing.

Some other questions we will be considering through the various panels, workshops and presentations:

  • Is there a lack of diversity when it comes to who is actually developing technology?
  • And for whom is it being developed?
  • How do designed software algorithms affect social outcomes? Are they inherently biased?
  • Can an auto-emotional response to social media be mediated by discussion and understanding?
  • How do we get beyond consumerism and adopt the reuse/repurpose of technology for the good of the community?
  • How do we referee, or join in arguments that are taking place in the mosh pit of social media and
  • How do we take an idea and make it reality? (New product, new use, new purpose)

About the Information Technology Program

The Information Technology Program is a campus-wide academic program that administers the IT Minor which is available to students from any major in any college. The IT Program collaborates with 32 different departments across the UMass campus. Further, we provide support for the development of new courses that serve the engagement of technology within the different disciplines; as well as, collaborating with various initiatives of the campus and the 5 Colleges such as the Open Education Initiative, Blended Learning and the Computer Competency Certification project.

 

Contact

413-545-6242

itprogram@provost.umass.edu

Fine Arts Center, Rm. 454
UMass Amherst
151 Presidents Dr.,
Amherst, Massachusetts 01003

IT Program Office Hours:

8:30am - 1:30pm
Tuesday - Friday

IT Program

The Information Technology Program at UMass Amherst seeks to educate a broad spectrum of students to be the leading IT practitioners and thinkers. Campus-wide courses, offered by eight schools and colleges, contribute to our curriculum.