Laurie is a frequent presenter at SIGUCCS Conferences, Past Chair of the SIGUCCS Executive Committee (EC), and New SIG Advisor on the ACM SIG Governing Board. She is currently serving as Past Chair on the EC, Chair of the Marketing Committee, and liaison to the Awards Committee.

Kathy Fletcher and Tom Gerace are also ACM Senior Members. We are proud of their contributions!

After Zooming with fellow SIGUCCS emeritus members, Jennifer Fajman and Jane Caviness, Leila Lyons thought it would be nice to have a virtual get-together that included other SIGUCCS members. Leila, Jennifer, and Jane have a long volunteer history with SIGUCCS, including being past executive board chairs and Penny Crane award recipients. 

Because SIGUCCS had been hosting hangouts periodically since September, Lisa Brown (current executive committee chair) set that plan in action as part of the 2021 conference, and Christine Vucinich (past board and HOF) helped promote the “past” session to former members. The hangout was also promoted through the conference marketing.

The “past” hangout event attracted emeritus members, SIGUCCS attendees who had moved out of higher education, and many who didn’t have travel funds from their campus to attend in recent past years.  Attendees included some of our newest Hall of Fame recipients, Kelly Wainwright (our most recent Penny Crane winner), Irene Frawley (our ACM program manager for the past 20 yrs), and Alex Nagorski (past board and HOF from the great white north)! Also, a bunch of current members popped in to say hi. There was no formal agenda – attendees used the time to catch up, share some of their favorite SIGUCCS memories, and walk down memory lane while looking through photos on the SIGUCCS Shutterfly site (link here: https://siguccs.shutterfly.com/).

At the same time, the ”future” hangout session included members talking about the future of the conference and the “present” hangout included members sharing thoughts about the current pandemic situation, and how their institutions might be returning to campus.

Contribution by Christine Vucinich

All of our photographers are volunteer, and many of them share their talents online on Facebook or Instagram. Here are some of my favorites. (If I missed your feed, let me know and I will update this article!

• Parrish Nnambi (@sule2you) Parrish’s Instagram feed is a beautiful collection of wildlife and landscapes. I love the birds!
• Allen Chen (@romosoho) Allan truly captures nature’s beauty, and has travelled to some fantastic locations. As a bonus, you may catch a glimpse of his beautiful family!
• Kelly Wainwright (@kswainwright) lives in one of the most beautiful area of our country. She also frequently shares family pictures and cats.
• Melissa Bauer (@mbauer1002) At SIGUCCS conferences, Melissa and I can frequently be found taking pictures of desserts. She is also a talented photographer of flowers.
• Ella Tschopik (@ellatschopik) Ella finds beauty with her iPhone 12 Pro Max. Fortunately for us, she frequently turns the camera on herself and her daughters.
• If you’re on Facebook, make sure you are friends with Terris Wolff. I always look forward to “No Tie Tuesday” (his retired version of the Bow Tie event) as he shares locations and history near his home in California.

I am grateful that so many of my SIGUCCS colleagues are also my social media friends, and I appreciate being able to glimpse their lives through photography! Thanks to all SIGUCCS photographers for sharing your talent at our conferences!

The core idea isn’t anything new: record and share interviews. We needed something different. At the time, it seemed like the strangest, silliest thing imaginable: take guests about campus on a humble, often-seen golf cart; drive around at super-slow, laughable speed; and converse about pedagogy, technology, and often humanity. Since its launch in April 2019, the ride-along has become an episodic campus cult classic, inviting guests from all walks of college life to share their experiences in higher education.

As we continued to see its popularity grow on campus, we were looking for a way to share the idea on a grander scale. On the encouragement of a colleague, we entered the first episode of Golf Cart Pedagogy for a SIGUCCS Communication Award. Honestly, the thought of others seeing our work from around the country was very exciting, yet scary. With a deep breath and a high-five, we decided to submit our work to SIGUCCS for consideration.

Then word came: we won a communications award for long format video. Imbued with the newfound pride and acceptance of our oddity, we really leaned full tilt into the silliness. And a little secret for those of you that know, one of the perks to winning this award is that you are given a poster session slot at the annual meeting to promote your work. Insert maniacal laugh… Our plan work for worldwide media domination began.

As with most things we do, we find the most non-traditional way of going about it and commit fully. We turned our poster into the inside of a golf cart, and our session into a chance to interview our extended community of IT professionals. We even turned our session into an episode!

Reflecting back on our experience with SIGUCCS, we are left with fond memories, new friendships, and a wider view of higher ed. The real strength of a conference like the SIGUCCS annual conference is in the conversations and connections with a welcoming community of fellow professionals. We’re all able to come together, let our hair down (figuratively for some of us), and really dive deep into our institutional successes and opportunities. Furthermore, being an award winner allowed us to show off our inner rockstars for at least a few hours. This award now hangs with pride in our office and serves as a reminder that creativity and silliness do have a place in IT.

Anthony Dalton and Thomas Sciarrino
Muhlenberg College

That was in 2017 and I haven’t looked back as I’ve continued to present in various ways at SIGUCCS conferences. Looking back on that decision, and remembering the “First Timers Orientation” I attended during my first SIGUCCS, I recall wishing there was a “First Time Presenters Orientation” for those who aspire to present. If you find yourself wondering how to get started with presenting, look no further. Hopefully, you’ve already decided you want to present. If not, check out the article Why Present? from 2019.

What’s in store for you next?

The Call for Proposals (CFP) will be publicized via the mailing list, Facebook, Slack and elsewhere. Once that process starts you will take the following steps between now and your opportunity to shine in San Diego:

• Submit an abstract indicating what you would like to present during the CFP window (Approximately February-March)
• Have your amazing abstract accepted (Accepted author notifications mid-April)
• Write A Paper! Some formats of presentations for the ACM SIGUCCS Annual Conference require written papers in advance of the presentation. This requires submission of drafts, suggestions for revisions by volunteer members of the SIGUCCS community and formatting within ACM publishing guidelines. (Paper writing / revision process runs from May – August) – Learn more about the Paper Writing Process.
• Prepare your Presentation/Poster/Panel (From acceptance until you go on stage!)
• Present and Celebrate with colleagues in San Diego (November 7-10, 2020)
• Start planning your presentation for the next conference!

Looking for inspiration? Join our Slack channels or post on the community Facebook site (instructions: http://siguccs.hosting.acm.org/wp/?page_id=437). Start a conversation on the email list (join at http://siguccs.hosting.acm.org/wp/?page_id=435). You might get an idea for something you can present. Or you might find a colleague that will present with you!

~ Eric Handler, 2020 Conference Program Co-chair

Dan Herrick, IT Asset Manager at University of Colorado – Boulder, is the Executive Committee / SIGUCCS 2020 Conference Liaison.

How many SIGUCCS conferences have you attended?
10

Which previous SIGUCCS conference was your favorite, and why?
I have too many favorites! Some highlights: My first SIGUCCS conference (fall 2005), because I was introduced to this fabulous community and couldn’t wait to get back; my first SIGUCCS presentation at a conference (fall 2009), because it inspired me to challenge myself and share my experiences with my peers; my first conference as a conference committee member (fall 2017), because it gratified me to give back to the conference and elevated my level of participation. And, of course, the last one I attended (fall 2019), because it’s fresh in my mind and the experience just seems to get better each time!

How did you get involved as a volunteer in SIGUCCS?
I recognized that becoming part of the volunteer team helped me expand my networking reach, improve my organizational and planning skills, and gave me greater insight into what the SIGUCCS community values. Plus, I loved giving back a little something to the community that helps me grow!

What’s an accomplishment that you are especially proud of (personal or work-related)?
I’ll never forget the first major presentation I gave, which was at SIGUCCS 2009. It felt like I’d reached the next level to be accepted as a presenter. Before my presentation, I worried that I wouldn’t do it right, that no one would come, that it wouldn’t be interesting. As I walked into the room (late!), I saw that the room was full and even overflowing into the hallway. They’d all come to listen to ME. That was when I felt the flash of pride and humility at the same time: I was proud that they were there for my presentation, and humbled because I knew I was just one of them, doing my best to teach what I had learned.

You can always stop and talk to me about …
Personal productivity topics of all sorts, life hacks, science (especially cognition and eusocial superorganisms), and coffee.

For fun, I like to …
I love to explore new places, learn new things, and discover the depths in people. At conferences, you’ll find me doing all these things. I love tabletop gaming (all kinds, but not Monopoly). The art of coffee enjoyment. (I’ll happily demo a pourover coffee technique!)

SIGUCCS 2020 San Diego… what kind of hot sauce do you put on your tacos?
Depends on the taco; I go for complementary seasoning, not heat. Cholula and sriracha are among my faves.

Tom Wilk, PC Engineering Manager for Carnegie Mellon University School of Computer Science, is a SIGUCCS 2020 Program Co-Chair.

How many SIGUCCS conferences have you attended?
2

Which previous SIGUCCS conference was your favorite, and why?
2014, it was my first SIGUCCS conference, I met a lot of awesome people and was nicknamed Chia by keynote speaker Jeff Civillico.

How did you get involved as a volunteer in SIGUCCS?
I really liked this group and what they were up to so I volunteered to be a mentor for the program in 2015. The mentoring group was so awesome I just could not help becoming even more involved the following year.

What’s an accomplishment that you are especially proud of (personal or work-related)?
Ironically earlier the same year I attended my first SIGUCCS conference I also hiked 100 miles in New Mexico. We had less than ten days to hike the mountains of the Philmont Scout Ranch and we all made it without any problems.

You can always stop and talk to me about …
RVing. My wife and I love to take our RV all over the country to visit new places.

For fun, I like to …
Hike, bike, kayak, pretty much anything outdoors.

SIGUCCS 2020 San Diego… what kind of hot sauce do you put on your tacos?
Cholula

Eric Handler, Academic Information Associate at Macalester College, is a SIGUCCS 2020 Program Co-Chair.

How many SIGUCCS conferences have you attended?
5

Which previous SIGUCCS conference was your favorite, and why?
How can I choose? There have been so many great conferences in recent years. I presented (a poster) for the first time in Seattle, I got to have an amazing meal with Laurie Fox and others overlooking the bay and it was my second trip to Seattle that calendar year so it reminds me of all the different opportunities and experiences SIGUCCS has in store for me and everyone else. Similar experiences in Denver (let’s not talk about the Wednesday morning though) and New Orleans are also highlights.

How did you get involved as a volunteer in SIGUCCS?
At my first SIGUCCS I took advantage of the hospitality suite to meet new people and made enough suggestions of new games that I was asked if I’d like to be the suite host the next year.

What’s an accomplishment that you are especially proud of (personal or work-related)?
I’ve lost over one hundred pounds since October 2018. Now the hard part is being able to say I’ve kept it off for a year, 3 years, etc.

You can always stop and talk to me about …
Board and Card games. One of my favorite memories regarding games is when a fellow SIGUCCS attendee asked if I knew what game started with T and has hexagonal tiles. It only took a few extra clarifications before I identified Terra Mystica (and check out Gaia Project if you’d like to play the same game but IN SPACE!).

For fun, I like to …
Play board games, card games and tennis. I’ve been on a bit of an exercise kick the last year and a half so if I’m forced to sit still on an airplane I’ll read through a good sci-fi book in a flash!

SIGUCCS 2020 San Diego… what kind of hot sauce do you put on your tacos?
Something with citrus and vinegar, with a nice kick, but not overwhelming. I’m currently a big fan of Tia Lupita out of San Fransisco.

Melissa Doernte, Service Desk Manager of Learning Environments at Standford University, is the SIGUCCS 2020 Conference Treasurer.

How many SIGUCCS conferences have you attended?
8

Which previous SIGUCCS conference was your favorite, and why?
Salt Lake City – I still remember the plenary speakers and use some of the lessons learned from them today.

How did you get involved as a volunteer in SIGUCCS?
Since I lived in Chicago at the time and SIGUCCS was going to be there in 2013, I was roped in by Allan and Lisa to be the local arrangements chair.

What’s an accomplishment that you are especially proud of (personal or work-related)?
Proud of where I am in life, happy with a good job, friends around the country and family.

You can always stop and talk to me about …
Chicken wings and football. I love eating some good chicken wings and I grew up watching University of Michigan football – I could talk about it allllll day.

For fun, I like to …
I love traveling but if I can’t get away, hanging out with friends and going wine tasting is always high on my list.

SIGUCCS 2020 San Diego… what kind of hot sauce do you put on your tacos?
Tapatio

What is your volunteer position for 2019 and how would you explain it to someone new to SIGUCCS?
Webmaster. Keep our community informed and apprised year-round about the conference-related events.

How many SIGUCCS conferences have you attended?
13

How did you get involved as a volunteer in SIGUCCS?
I was voluntold (it was a good thing).

What’s an accomplishment that you are especially proud of?
I was indicted into the ACM SIGUCCS Hall of Fame in 2018.

What do you do for fun?
Cook, bicycle, read, taste wines, and attend conferences

SIGUCCS 2019 New Orleans … what is your favorite french food?
Brie de Meaux