New executive committee members for 2014 represent broad cross-section of technology, networking pioneers

SEATTLE, Wash. (Jan. 27, 2014) – The Quilt, a national coalition of advanced regional networks for research and education (R&Es or RONs) representing 32 networks across the country, today announced the 2014 Quilt Executive Committee and named Merit Network President and CEO Don Welch as chairman.

The nine-member Executive Committee provides ongoing oversight of The Quilt affairs as delegated by the full Board.

The following have been named to this year’s committee:

Don Welch, President and CEO, Merit Network (Chairman)
Mike Phillips, Executive Director, Lonestar Education and Research Network (Vice Chairman)
Amy Philipson, Executive Director, Pacific Northwest GigaPoP (Treasurer)
Ron Hutchins, President, Southern Crossroads (Secretary)
Jeff Custard, Network Engineering Manager, UCAR/Front Range GigaPoP
Claude Garelik, Chief System IT Security and Networking Officer, State Board of Regents System Office and Chairman of the Board, Great Plains Network
Tim Lance, President and CEO, New York State Education and Research Network
Dave Reese, Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, CENIC
Paul Schopis, Chief Technology Officer, OARnet
The Quilt facilitates collaboration among regional networks across the country by furthering collaboration among the organizations, leveraging expertise and advocating on their behalf. Representatives from participating organizations comprise The Quilt Board of Directors. Officers of The Quilt Executive Committee are elected from the Board of Directors after receiving nomination from their peers.

“As a member-powered organization, we are excited and fortunate to have these outstanding individuals join our executive committee,” said The Quilt President and CEO Jen Leasure. “Each person brings a unique and necessary set of skills and experiences to the role, and we look forward to continuing our work together for another highly-productive year for the organization.”

These individuals will join the other leaders of our country’s research and education networks at The Quilt 2014 Winter Member Meeting scheduled Feb. 4-7 at the La Jolla Shores Hotel in California. The Quilt and Internet2 also will be holding the InCommon Federation Workshop immediately following the main member meeting (separate registration required to participate) starting on Thursday, Feb. 6.

COLLEGE PARK, MD (December 17, 2013) – Mid-Atlantic Crossroads (MAX) announces the addition of a second point of presence (PoP) under the Double HELIX (Health, Education, Life Sciences, and Internet eXchange) family, located at the Johns Hopkins University Montgomery County Campus in Rockville, Maryland. Like its predecessor at the Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research, the new PoP offers high-speed big data transfer services through a 100 Gbps-capable networking infrastructure to the surrounding life sciences research community.

This new addition to Double HELIX offers genomics and life sciences researchers yet another channel to MAX’s advanced research network services, enabling direct and efficient communication and collaboration across the region. The PoP, which enables the high-speed transfer of large data sets, is also highly scalable. The flexible infrastructure is able to support multiple 100 Gbps networking connections to meet varied scientist and researcher requirements.

“The two Double HELIX PoPs together provide unique flexibility when bringing high-performance cyber services to MAX participants,” said Tripti Sinha, Executive Director of MAX. “This innovative and robust infrastructure supports critical genomics and life sciences research across the mid-Atlantic region, facilitating studies that could eventually lead to scientific breakthroughs.”

The new Double HELIX PoP uses Fujitsu technologies to run multiple 100 Gbps services that support the MAX dense wavelength division multiplexing regional footprint. MAX relies on these advanced optical technologies as the base for its network footprint in Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia.

In the past, scientists relied on traditional mail services to deliver discs containing large data sets. However, the new Double HELIX PoPs offer orders of magnitude greater levels of service and efficiency, enabling the timely transfer of big data and access to high-performance MAX networking, compute, and storage services.

“The launch of the second Double HELIX PoP at Johns Hopkins Montgomery County Campus is consistent with our institution’s commitment to research and discovery and its quest to remain on the cutting edge of data transfer,” said Leslie Ford Weber, Interim Executive Director of Johns Hopkins University Montgomery County Campus. “The PoP provides access to advanced resources, which will help scientists on our campus and the research community as a whole. As research evolves, the need for advanced infrastructure evolves. The Double HELIX PoP certainly puts us at the forefront of technological change.”

The second PoP also provides a unique opportunity for collaboration between MAX and Johns Hopkins University Montgomery County Campus to effectively and efficiently advance research through innovative networking technologies.

“Johns Hopkins has a rich history in the promotion and advancement of high-speed networking for research activities,” said Dean Zarriello, Chief Network Officer for Johns Hopkins University and Hospital. “MAX and JHU are long-time partners and working together to leverage common resources to advance scientific research makes perfect sense.”

For more information about MAX services, please visit www.maxgigapop.net.

About the Mid-Atlantic Crossroads (MAX)

Mid-Atlantic Crossroads (MAX) is a multi-state regional network led by the University of Maryland. MAX owns and operates an all-optical, Layer 1 core network that is the foundation for a high-performance infrastructure providing state-of-the-art 100 Gbps network technology and services. MAX participants include universities, federal research labs, and other research-focused organizations in the Washington and Baltimore metropolitan areas. MAX serves as a connector and traffic aggregator to the Internet2 national backbone and peers with other major networks. Its mission is to provide cutting-edge network connectivity for its participants, tailored and generic data-transport solutions, and advanced services to accommodate and optimize large data flows, and to facilitate network and application research.

About Johns Hopkins University Montgomery County Campus

The Johns Hopkins University is a global leader in discovery, education, and professional practice, dedicated since 1876 to putting knowledge to work for humanity. Johns Hopkins University Montgomery County Campus offers part-time, graduate education, with course selections from the Carey Business School; the Krieger School of Arts & Sciences; the School of Education; and the Whiting School of Engineering.

Media Contacts: Phyllis Dickerson Johnson, Director of Communications and Marketing, Division of Information Technology, University of Maryland, 301.405.4491, phyllis@umd.edu.

Ellen Poltilove, Communications and Media Relations Manager, Johns Hopkins University Montgomery County Campus, 301.315.2896, ellenp@jhu.edu.

Digital Reality: What is it? is the theme of this year’s NJEDge.net 2013 Conference at the Crowne Plaza Princeton in Plainsboro on Nov. 20-22. The event will bring together innovators in higher education, K-20 education and other technology support staff

NJEDge.Net supports its members in their institutional missions by providing collaborative resources and networked information services in support of teaching and learning; research and development; outreach and public service; as well as economic development throughout the state of New Jersey. In providing a broadband statewide network, NJEDge.Net establishes standards for interoperability, achieves economies of scale and supports new and emerging technologies to foster and support productive use of technology across the academic enterprise.NJEDge.Net ensures that its objectives and goals align with the missions of the membership and the overall NJ educational enterprise

Online registration is available.

North Carolina

Quilt member MCNC will host NCREN Community Day 2013 on Thursday and Friday (Nov. 21-22) at the James B. Hunt Jr. Library on the campus of NC State University in Raleigh. This year’s theme of “The Connected State” will highlight the continued growth of their user community and the leadership shaping broadband connectivity in North Carolina.

MCNC is a technology non-profit that builds, owns, and operates the North Carolina Research and Education Network (NCREN). MCNC annually recognizes and celebrates the progress and achievements from all over the NCREN community with this event.

It also is a very special one for MCNC this year as they celebrate the completion of theGolden LEAF Rural Broadband Initiative through the Broadband Technologies Opportunities Program (BTOP).

Event highlights will include a training session on values-based leadership featuring Don Welch, president and CEO of Quilt member Merit Network. Other presentations on the agenda include the growth rate of NCREN heading into 2014 as well as active discussions on Gig.U and the N.C. Next Generation Network, innovation through network connectivity, digital learning in North Carolina featuring former North Carolina Gov. Bev Perdue, the state of rural broadband, bandwidth and public safety, and an update on the health of the network by MCNC staff. View the full program agenda.

More than 200 top government, education, and technology industry leaders in North Carolina and throughout the country are expected to attend. The event will be held at both the Institute for Emerging Issues and at the James B. Hunt Jr. Library.

Day-of registration remains available. Online registration will close Nov. 15.