Opinions

Driving Innovation and Student Success through Digital Transformation

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We all know technology is driving significant changes in the classroom and on campus. Colleges and universities are adapting to keep up with new methods, resources and tools to teach and instruct, while students are also transitioning to a digital-first learning approach, especially with the growth of online programs. We’re excited to further discuss these major transformations and advancements at the EDUCAUSE Annual Conference in Denver, where leading industry professionals, IT administrators and campus leaders come together to discuss topics facing the higher education IT industry.

This year, throughout our programming and demonstrations at the show, Dell EMC is focused on driving student success through digital transformation, specifically diving into immersive learning and student collaboration, while keeping data protected and simplifying campus operations. We’re hosting multiple sessions to explore these topics led by higher education institutions as they discuss their experiences and showcase how they are changing the face of the higher education sector.

Our panels at EDUCAUSE include:

  • Step Out of Your Head(set): Better Approaches for Collaborative Learning in Virtual Environments on October 31, 9:45am – 10:45am, Meeting Room 401/402 featuring:
    • Carolina Cruz-Neira, interim chair of the Department of Computer Science, executive director, Emerging Analytics Center, University of Arkansas at Little Rock
  • Legacy of Good and Digital Communities on November 1, 9:45am – 10:45am, Meeting Room 403 featuring:
    • Jeffrey Miner, assistant vice president, Information Services, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
    • Mike Nicks, director, IT Operations Office of Information Technology, University of Nevada, Reno
    • Jeanne Weber, sr. higher education strategist, Dell EMC
  • University of Massachusetts Lowell: Modern Learning Delights Students through Digital Transformation on November 1, 1:30pm – 2:15pm, Meeting Room 505/506 featuring:
    • Michael Cipriano, CIO, University of Massachusetts Lowell
    • Preston Winn, director education solutions and product marketing, VMware
    • Jeanne Weber, sr. higher education strategist, Dell EMC

At EDUCAUSE, we will be showcasing our solutions developed to support the needs of our higher education customers.  Attendees will have the opportunity to:

  • Get immersed in learning transformation with AR and VR experiences, including an AR CAVE experience.
  • Explore the capabilities of new mobile devices, including our augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) ready workstations.
  • Engage in our collaboration solutions featuring interactive displays, projectors and Intel Unite. Specifically, the new Dell 55 4K Conference Room Monitor – C5519Q, a 55-inch display is ideal for collaborative learning spaces. Available now, the monitor offers an outstanding viewing experience optimized for exceptionally sharp text with 4K resolution
  • Explore our data protection portfolio and how to protect data on and off campus, from core to edge to cloud.
  • Learn how we help transform campus IT environments through powerful data center and cloud technologies, as well as how we help simplify campus operations that improve agility, reliability and security.

Dell EMC is uniquely poised to help at every step of the transformation journey—delivering a tailored approach that leverages our extensive relationships with colleges and universities. Coupled with our comprehensive, end to end solutions that are rooted in the understanding of the missions, visions and strategies of higher education institutions we are ready to help advance your digital transformation journey.  If you’re attending the show, stop by the Dell EMC booth (#1003) on October 30 and November 1 to speak with our experts on how we can aid in your digital transformation journey.

You can also follow the conversation on Twitter @DellEMCEdu and #TransformEdu and #EDU18.

About the Author: Leslie Harlien

Leslie Harlien is Vice President of State and Local Government and Education strategy teams for North America at Dell EMC. With a career spanning 23 years at Dell, her experience includes numerous sales and leadership positions across the company. Joining Dell in 1995, she began her career in several account management roles until transitioning to a regional sales director position in 2006, where she was responsible for Dell’s large public customers in the Central United States region. In 2013, Leslie became the executive sales director for commercial customers located in the Central and Eastern half of the United States. From 2016 to May 2018 Leslie was vice president of sales serving education, healthcare and state and local government customers in the South Central United States. Leslie’s most recent position is responsible for the State and Local Government and Education Vertical Strategy teams for North America. Prior to joining Dell, Leslie commenced her career as an Area Director for Extend-A-Care in Austin, Texas. She serves on the Advisory Board for the Business School at the University of Incarnate Word and is involved in her community as a Wish Granter for the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Central Texas. She received a B.A. from the University of Texas in Austin. Leslie resides in Georgetown, Texas with her husband and two children and enjoys traveling, sports and spending time outdoors.