Intelās 30th anniversary billed āfamily reunion extraordinaireā
āIāll be there!ā āWouldnāt miss it!ā āCount me in!ā
The RSVPs keep rolling in as the °µĶų³Ō¹Ļ University Department of Intelligence Studies prepares to celebrate its 30-year anniversary beginning Homecoming Weekend Sept. 29-Oct. 1. The department is under the auspices of the Tom Ridge College of Intelligence Studies & Applied Sciences.
Former and current faculty and staff members, alumni, studentsāeven the pioneering programās founder Bob Heibel and next-level leader Jim Breckenridgeāwill be on hand for the festivities.
Barely on campus four months as Intelās new executive director, Lindy Smart ā11 is pulling out all the stops to host what she calls āa family reunion extraordinaire.ā There will be opportunities to engage in exciting panel discussions, share best practices, and enjoy fireside chats, a meet-and-greet with prospective students, an old-fashioned tailgate, and lots more opportunities to reconnect with your favorite Intel people.
For some, that might be retired faculty member Dave Grabelski, who taught for 12 years at °µĶų³Ō¹Ļ following a career in law enforcement, including 21 years with the Los Angeles Police Department both as a senior homicide detective and as supervisor of the Investigative Gang Unit.
Grabelski, who will be making the trip to Erie from his home in Tucson, Arizona, said, āMy time at °µĶų³Ō¹Ļ from 2005 to 2017 was pivotal in that we developed and grew the program into one of national and international recognition. It will be great to see many of my former colleagues and talk about the old days while sharing ideas on the programās continued success under Lindyās leadership.ā
Smart said other former Intel staff and faculty members who have indicated they will return for the festivities include Shelly Freyn, Art Mills, Bill Welch, and Linda Bremmer.
āThere definitely is a buzz of excitement knowing the best minds of Intel are coming together to reconnect over this significant moment in the Intelligence programās history,ā Smart said. āWhat makes me even more excitedāand proudāis how alumni, faculty, previous faculty, the program founder, students, all departments across °µĶų³Ō¹Ļ, friends and partners of the program, and especially Dean (John) Olszowka have come together to make this a celebration worth attending.ā
Smart will kick off the festivities on Thursday, Sept. 29, at 7 p.m. in Walker Recital Hall when she welcomes āKeynote Speakersā Jacquie Tye ā01, head of research for Facebook App Connections, and Jason Collins ā02, FBI supervisory intelligence analyst serving as the chief of governance for the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. The event will be . An āAlumni Gatheringā in The Roost follows at 8:30 p.m.
Meanwhile, making her way from London to her alma mater is Suki Fuller ā05, whose 16-year career with strategic intelligence and technology has taken her from the U.S. Department of Defense to teaching students in China. An intrinsic part of Londonās tech community, she was named by the Financial Times as one of the Top 100 Black/Asian/Minority/Ethnic (BAME) Leaders in UK Tech. Additionally, she was named by Computer Weekly as one of the Most Influential Women in UK IT 2018.
Fuller will moderate an āInternational Alumni Panelā on Friday, Sept. 30, at 11 a.m. in the Center for Academic Engagement (CAE) 300. Among the panelists will be Nimalan Paul ā11, Danielle Aloshen ā03, Tim Krysiek ā05, Tebogo Mohaswa ā16, and Mike Finnegan ā10.
Finnegan will be calling in from London, where he is chief of staff, International, The Vanguard Group. āThrough our prep sessions, itās been great to connect with like-minded colleagues and build on the foundational ideas we learned in the program by adding in all the different experiences weāve now had in practical situations,ā he said.
At 1 p.m., Fuller will cohost a āFireside Chatā in Walker Reading Room with author and competitive intelligence expert John J. McGonagle. McGonagle is a friend of °µĶų³Ō¹Ļās Intelligence Studies program and recently contributed his library of intelligence books and 11 of his own titles to the program, along with a financial gift. The university intends to honor him during the weekend festivities by dedicating a new library space in Intelās home on the third floor of the CAE that will take the name of his late wife: Carolyn Vella. The event will be .
At 7 p.m., the long-awaited reunion of Intelligence Studiesā three visionary leaders, Bob Heibel, Jim Breckenridge, and Lindy Smart, will take the form of a āLeaders Panel Discussionā in Walker Recital Hall and be followed by a reception in the atrium of the CAE. The event will be
A highlight of the reunion is the presentation of Challenge Coins. A Challenge Coin is a circular metal piece about the size of a half dollar that features a special design, motto, or insignia, and is given to confirm membership in an organization or group or to recognize special achievement. In this case, a 30th anniversary coin has been specially designed and will be distributed after the panel discussion.
Another distinguished participant on deck for the weekend is Craig S. Fleisher, chief analytics officer and director of Learning & Development for Aurora WDC, one of the worldās leading professional service firms designed to help enterprises develop and leverage intelligence. A founder and former vice president of the Council of CI Fellows, Fleisher will conduct an āIntelligence Workshopā at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 1, in Sullivan Hall.
Also Saturday in Mercy Heritage Room, prospective students will be welcomed at an āOpen Houseā at 9 a.m., followed at 9:45 a.m. by āStudent Briefingsā highlighting the intelligence work of students at the universityās Center for Intelligence Research Analysis and Training (CIRAT) and the Innovation Entente Lab (EIL). At 10:15 a.m., a āStudent-Recent Alumni Panelā is planned, featuring current students Briana Kurutz and Brentyn Muir and alums Jamilyn Goggin ā21, Marina Boyle ā21, and Kevin Hough ā22.
To register for the main events, visit the Homecoming 2022 webpage.