The annual meeting of the Higher Education Advisory Board for Juniper Networks had members engaging in thought leadership discussion with individuals from their executive team and subject matter experts on the hottest topics of advanced network technologies. Discussion surrounding Juniper Networks corporate strategy, Internet of Things (IoT), cybersecurity, advanced artificial intelligence & wireless, campus & data center architectures, operating a secure and automated multi-cloud environment, and other trends in the information technology industry fueled the two-day-long meeting. This meeting took place on March 28 and was the first time that this it was hosted at the University of Nevada.

The invitation-only 12-member national Advisory Board meets annually to discuss hot topics in information technology and to participate in peer to peer collaboration and case review. Juniper Networks is a sponsor of many of the University's Office of Information Technology (OIT) events including the recent Cyberinfrastructure Day, which was held on March 27.

Juniper Networks explained the origin of the board and the purpose behind it: "With a dedicated research and higher education focus, Juniper is committed to help Higher Education network and data center operations become more secure, effective and efficient in support of Higher Education business goals and objectives. Juniper's establishment in 2012 of the Juniper Higher Education Advisory Board derives from that commitment.

The Advisory Board offers members the opportunity to share experiences, ideas and perspectives on mission critical data security and networking issues unique to Research and Higher Education. Input from this board helps Juniper gain better insight into challenges faced by the research and education community."

University of Nevada faculty who met with this group included the Director of Cyberinfrastructure, Dr. Scotty Strachan, and the Director of the Nevada Seismological Laboratory, Dr. Graham Kent. They presented "The Internet of Wild Things &ALERTWildfire: science & hazards on Nevada's hybrid research WAN." This work not only saves time, money, and resources but most importantly, it saves lives. For further information, you can view the previous ALERTWildfire post on Nevada Today.

"The board members were impressed both by the campus and the research underway at the University," said Vice Provost Steve Smith, who has been on the board since 2013. Hosting the Juniper Networks Higher Education Advisory Board is part of our national relationship with leadership in Information Technology and helps to build the University of Nevada's presence and reputation. The insights gained during the meeting will continue to fuel the Office of Information Technology's dedication to be inclusive, innovative, and empowering.