Greetings, everyone!
I hope you are having a fantastic day! I enjoyed seeing so many of you at Hacks with Friends last month. At the event, it was clear that U-M has a fantastic community of information technology professionals. We have an unbelievable amount of talent and knowledge and, through collaboration, we can generate new, interesting ideas and innovations to support this amazing institution and our faculty, staff, students, patients, and guests. Congratulations to the winning teams and to everyone who participated! I am grateful to the planning committee and everyone who contributed to such a successful event. You are awesome! Thank you!
Innovation by IT staff members is critical to the university’s mission of creating new knowledge, sharing knowledge, and archiving knowledge.
Many of the projects at Hacks with Friends helped solve problems that are very real and important to our campus community — from advancing health and sustainability to improving security and accessibility. Individuals with unique skills and backgrounds came together to solve problems and learn from each other, building stronger connections with colleagues. What do you think of inviting new voices to innovate and learn alongside us next year? Perhaps faculty, students, or others from the technology industry?
Innovation by IT staff members is critical to the university’s mission of creating new knowledge, sharing knowledge, and archiving knowledge. This core mission—accomplished through teaching and learning, scientific publications, study of humanities, and more—is supported and enhanced by technology. Archiving this knowledge for future generations is likewise supported by the work of vital experts. We’re a stronger university because of the expertise each of you brings.
What are your thoughts for continuing the spirit of collaboration in technology across the university? What are our opportunities for working together to support our faculty in their mission? Where are the roadblocks and obstacles? What can we do together to create a cohesive digital experience for all technology at U-M? As always, I look forward to hearing your suggestions and ideas.
Best Regards,
Ravi
Ravi Pendse PhD
Vice President for Information Technology and Chief Information Officer
University of Michigan
rpendse@umich.edu