Internet2 Technology Exchange is being held December 8-12, 2025 at the Sheraton Denver Downtown, in Denver, CO, and ERN will be participating with a Birds of a Feather.

Presentation

Tuesday, December 9th

Strengthening AI and Quantum Ecosystems Through Federated Access and Workforce Development

Speakers:

• Barr von Oehsen, Ph.D., Director, Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center
• Forough Ghahramani, Ed. D., Vice President for Research & Innovation NJedge
• Maureen Dougherty, Ecosystem for Research Networking

12:10 PM – 1:40 PM Director’s Row H

The BOF will present findings and strategic insights from the Ecosystem for Research Networking (ERN) Summit 2025, a national convening that explored the intersection of AI, Quantum, and workforce development across the research cyberinfrastructure community. The Summit emphasized the urgency of democratizing access to advanced technologies and infrastructure, particularly for non-R1 institutions, and featured perspectives from over 100 participants representing 92 institutions across academia, industry, and government.

Key themes included the role of shared infrastructure, inclusive workforce pipelines, and regional innovation models in shaping AI and Quantum research capacity and collaborations. The BOF will highlight actionable recommendations for institutions, funders, and regional networks, with a focus on supporting smaller campuses through federated access, modular training, and policy engagement.