Research

Center for Enterprise Architecture to host conference for industry, academia

Credit: Penn StateCreative Commons

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – 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, at the Nittany Lion Inn 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 over 30 years of experience in IT management within the public, private, militar, and academic sectors, and authored the first textbook on 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 innovate the approach to enterprise architecture, which explores how an organization’s structure and operation can advance its mission. The concept of EA is integral regardless of size or field, as organizations attempt to figure out how to adopt technology to survive in the digital age. The research being conducted at Penn State’s CEA aims to address those questions.

“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.”

More information on the Enterprise Architecture program can be found at ea.ist.psu.edu.

Last Updated August 23, 2017