SIGUCCS 2016

Lightning Talks: This is a form of group presentation where each member of a small group (approximately 5) is allocated 7 minutes each to make a concise presentation on a specific, yet unrelated, topic. Two minutes of Q&A follows each presenter with an additional 15 minutes for questions directed to any presenters in the group at the end of the session. This is an opportunity for new attendees to take the first step to participate in a professional conference and gain valuable experience presenting as well as an option for seasoned attendees presenting at the conference to share quick tips and useful information without compiling a second paper.

Talks during this session:

Following the Direct Path: Effective Short Presentation Tips
Mo Nishiyama, Oregon Health & Science University
Abstract: 
The SIGUCCS conference is hosting a Lightning Talks session for the third straight year. These series of brief, seven minute presentations have gained popularity over time, as it allows opportunity for more presenters to share their ideas and stories during a single session.

It is vital to understand that short presentation formats do not give presenters a license to unleash half-baked ideas; rather the opposite is true. With a strict time limit, care must go into crafting presentations that captures key ideas without being cluttered with fluff. The scope of the presentation may require condensing key points or narrowing the scope. What to leave out is just as important as what to include in short presentations.

Visual accompaniments, should they be used for a presentation, must also be appropriate for a short talk format. Unlike in full-length presentations, there is very little time for forcing the audience to read a wall of text in a short timeframe. A challenge for short presentations is to build continuity for audience to remember presentation’s contents while balancing time constraints.

The talk will cover these important aspects of giving effective short presentations.

The Life and Times of Travis Milton
R. Kevin Chapman and Travis Milton, Carleton College
Abstract: 
Story time. Take a short break from the learning to listen to the Tale of Travis Milton, a tech guy's alter ego, created in order to let him explore the world of social media in quiet anonymity. At least at first.

How did Mr Milton fare? What happened when the world met him? What happened when he met The Real Travis? How did he survive a systems upgrade when his very existence was called into question? Would the local Sysadmin be his demise?

Join me... him... us! to find out.


I’m Just Making It Up As I Go Along: The Art of Improvisation in IT Support
Travis Freudenberg, Carleton College
Abstract: The challenge (and allure) of working in IT lies in the unexpected; in what new and exciting ways will things break today? The standard approach to troubleshooting is a tree or script based approach, which, while effective (and straightforward to introduce to new employees), can become stale and repetitious to both the client and support staff. In this lightning talk, I’ll discuss how my music background has given me an unexpected skill set to use in my IT career, and how using improvisation can create happier clients and support staff.

Just apply for the $&#?! job!
Kristen Dietiker, Menlo College
Abstract: Maybe you think you need a new challenge. Or you've changed and your job hasn't. Or it has, and not in a good way. Maybe you want to be a manager. Director. CIO. Or switch to a whole new field within IT. So why haven't you applied? Not sure about moving? Or whether the salary would be "worth it"? Or if your experience measures up? So what? Just apply for the $&#?! job! Here's why.

The End Product is You
Dan R. Herrick, University of Colorado Boulder
Abstract: Most people think that the object of working is to produce work. Yet, the reverse is actually true: The point of producing work is to become a good worker. Let me tell you why that's so, and why this makes sense for IT workers, writers, baseball players, and swashbucklers alike.