Dynamic Link Conference

Dynamic Link 2011

THANK YOU TO ALL THOSE WHO PARTICIPATED THIS YEAR!

Another Dynamic Link: We are very grateful to those who donated their time to be part of Dynamic Link 2011, which was held on Saturday, April 11, 2011. The theme for the conference was A Christian Focus on Leadership in Information Technology and Software Development.This page describes the goal to Dynamic Link and recognizes this year’s keynote speakers and discussion group participants.

What is Dynamic Link: Dynamic Link invites working professionals in the information technology field to spend a day with students about to embark on their careers in an atmosphere that celebrates the Christian perspective. Each year, the conference focuses on a specific topic related to software development. The day starts with two keynote speakers, followed by discussion groups which will focus on current issues related to leadership and then closes with a summary of the day’s meeting.

The conference also has a complementary journal by the same name. In addition to articles about the integration of faith in our work, the journal also summarizes the conference discussions. Click here to see previous issues.

This Year’s Keynotes

Paul Jorgensen, PhD

Mr. William Noakes, JD

Dr. Jorgensen is a professor of computer science at Grand Valley State University. He is the author of text books in software testing and software behavior modeling. His book, “Software Testing – a Craftsman’s Approach,” is now in its third edition and is one of the primary references for software testing in the ACM and IEEE’s Software Engineering Body of Knowledge. Prior to an academic career, Dr. Jorgensen was a manager of software testing for some of GTE’s most significant projects.

Mr. Noakes is President of the Noakes Group, a private consulting company providing services and advice to “C” level executives. He also had the dual role of General Counsel and Chief Information Officer at Meijer. Prior to joining Meijer, Mr. Noakes’ career included service with the Security and Exchange Commission, membership in GM’s legal staff, appointments to positions of public service and an engagement as a commentator on Court TV.

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This Year’s Discussion Groups and Their Topics

The discussion groups met over lunch after the morning keynotes. The groups were hosted and co-facilitated by students and guests. The sessions, topics, the guest facilitators and a brief description of the related issues are listed below. Pictures of group participants are also shown.

Discussion Group A Facilitated by Melissa Bugai (guest) and Matt Bushouse (student) – Lost Opportunities: Is There a Corporate Responsibility to Attract Women to Computing Professions? In many college level computer science classrooms, it is very noticeable that women form a very small minority. This suggests an enormous pool of talent is not being nurtured to contribute to our growing computing needs. Are we intentionally ignoring a significant part of His creation? The discussion group will try to identify the root causes and form recommendations for educators, corporate executives, managers and the craftspeople in all facets of the industry.

Group A:

Discussion Group B Facilitated by Dr. Roger Ferguson (guest) and Nana Owusu-Achau (student) – The Call for Responsible Software Developers: Should Society Require Licensing for Software Engineers?Software is everywhere in our highly automated society. It controls critical systems to automobiles, medical equipment and other areas where safety would be a concern. Given such a ubiquity of software solutions, does society need to have some assurance that the people creating the software are competent? Is there a Christian question of stewardship involved? This group will determine if there should be a licensing requirement for software engineers similar to what is required in other engineering fields.

Group B : Nana Owusu-Achau (Student Leader),Brian Williamsn(G), Randy McCleary(G), Roger Ferguson, Ph.D. (Guest Co-Facilitator), William Noakes, JD (Keynote), Andrew Cooper (S),Robby Hoekstra(S), Brian Derks(S), Paul C. Jorgensen,PhD (Keynote), Sim Vanderbaan(S),Chris Brown(S), Joel Adams, PhD(Chair, Calvin Computer Science), Victor Norman, PhD (Calvin Computer Science)

Discussion Group C Facilitated by T.R. Knight (guest) and Ken Echtinaw (student) – It’s Still There: Do Chief Information Officers Have an Inherent Responsibility to Identify and Address the Digital Divide? There may very well be a digital divide within your work force. The digital divide is about the gap between people who have had the opportunity to leverage technology and those who have not. Does the digital divide exist in your work force? Does the digital divide exist among your customers (or potential customers)? What is the impact of the digital divide to society and business in general? What is our obligation as Christians to address the digital divide? The answers and recommendations to these questions will be the focus of this group.

Group C :Carissa Barents(S), Joe Girolamo(S), Nicole Veenkamp(S), Denise Mokma(G), Rick Devries(G), Brian VanderZee(G), Ben Van Drunen(S),T.R. Knight (Guest Co-Facilitator), Kari Witte(S), William Vriesema(G), Barbara Egeler-Bailey(G), Ken Echtinaw(Student Leader), Priscilla “Yosh” VanOmen(G)

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Our Sponsors

This event is made possible by the generous support of the organizations whose logos are listed here. Sponsorships are available for $150. In addition to recognition on this web page and at the conference, a business card size display ad will be placed on the back cover of the next Dynamic Link Journal (Click here to see a copy of the last issue.) Contact Professor Pat Bailey, Phone:616 526 7543, email:pmb4@calvin.edu

Technology professional talent scouts for West Michigan firms.
It’s not who you know, it’s who knows you… and you should know us!

Questions: If you have questions or comments, please send an email to Patrick Bailey (pmb4@calvin.edu)
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