KEYNOTES
Opening Keynote
Lev Gonick
VP for Information Technology Services and CIO
Case Western Reserve University
Lev Gonick is Vice President for Information Technology Services and Chief Information Officer at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, an institution known for its advanced technology infrastructure and cutting-edge applications. He is also the founder and now Board Chair Emeritus of OneCommunity, the award-winning project to create a connected community throughout Northeast Ohio through ultra broadband wired and wireless network connectivity.
Gonick is recognized as a leader in innovative networking initiatives that impact education and community. In 2010, he and his colleagues at Case Western Reserve launched the nation’s first gigabit fiber-to-the-home research program called the Case Connection Zone. In 2011, Government Technology awarded Gonick one of their “Top 25 Doers, Dreamers & Drivers in Public-Sector Innovation.” In the same year Crain’s Business Cleveland named him one of its “10 Difference Makers” in Northeast Ohio and Broadband Properties honored him with their Cornerstone Award for “using fiber to build an inclusive society and empower individuals.” In 2010, he was named “Visionary of the Year” by the National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors. Gonick is active in professional organizations nationally and internationally, and through board service, speaking, writing, and consulting on education technology integration.
Wednesday Keynote
Tony Wagner
Innovation Education Fellow at the Technology & Entrepreneurship Center
Harvard University
Prior to accepting the position as the first Innovation Education Fellow at the Technology & Entrepreneurship Center at Harvard, he was the founder and co-director of the Change Leadership Group at the Harvard Graduate School of Education for more than a decade. Tony consults widely to schools, districts, and foundations around the country and internationally. His previous work experience includes twelve years as a high school teacher, K-8 principal, university professor in teacher education, and founding executive director of Educators for Social Responsibility.
Tony is also a frequent speaker at national and international conferences and a widely published author. His work includes numerous articles and five books. Tony’s latest, Creating Innovators: The Making of Young People Who Will Change The World, has just been published by Simon & Schuster to rave reviews and will soon be available in Spanish and Chinese translations. His 2008 book, The Global Achievement Gap has been an international best seller and has also been translated into Chinese. Tony has also recently collaborated with noted filmmaker Robert Compton to create a 60 minute documentary, “The Finland Phenomenon: Inside The World’s Most Surprising School System.”
Tony earned an M.A.T. and an Ed.D. at the Harvard University Graduate School of Education.