CIT Extension (CITx)

Join your colleagues for facilitated discussions on the topics of the day. Redbirds of a Feather sessions are interactive - please choose your favorite topic and come prepared to share your thoughts and experiences!

ServiceNow:  Ask Us Anything

Facilitated by Tony Brook, Justin Brutlag, Elizabeth Giller, Ballard McCleskey, Stephen Moore, Andy Nelson, and Tyler Piper

No slide decks, no fluff—just answers. Whether you’re interested in using ServiceNow, stuck on a process bottleneck, have an idea for improvement, or just want to know "what does this button do?", we are here to discuss and help you get the most out of the platform.

When Plans Fall Apart: Resilience and Empathy in Leadership

Facilitated by Joey Brown and Jeff Grabb

Leading even in good times can be challenging...but what about leading in difficult times?  This will be a guided discussion about leading when decisions can be tough and more critical than ever.

Building Trust with AI: What IT Staff Need to Know for Their Own Work—and for Guiding Others

Facilitated by David Giovagnoli, Nathan Stien, and Othniel Tucker (Microsoft)

This informal gathering is framed around the session’s purpose: creating a space for IT staff to talk openly about how AI is impacting their daily work. The conversation will naturally begin with participants sharing the kinds of tasks they handle—desktop support, classroom technology, security operations, application development, help desk workflows—and exploring how AI tools might meaningfully assist with troubleshooting, documentation, ticket triage, coding, or user support. From there, the discussion will shift toward the second major theme: how IT professionals can serve as thoughtful consultants to faculty and staff who are curious about AI but may feel uncertain about risks, ethics, or where to start. Together, the group will reflect on strategies for building trust, having constructive conversations about responsible use, and helping campus partners match real needs with appropriate AI tools. The session will close with practical takeaways that attendees can bring back to their teams, ensuring that AI becomes a helpful, well‑understood resource rather than a source of confusion or concern.

Support Life Hacks

Facilitated by Jason Ross and Richie Szaflarski 

Every team that supports users and devices has a never-ending list of issues to resolve, maintenance tasks to complete, and processes with which to comply. Let's talk through the list and see where we have shortcuts and hacks to share, things that have worked for your team and could help others. Bring your list from both ends of the spectrum - things you feel your team has solved, and things your team struggles with - and we'll match solutions to problems. 

Responsible Use of AI in Higher Ed: Leading with Trust (and Not Hype)

Artificial intelligence has rapidly become one of the most talked‑about technologies of our time—yet much of the public discourse is dominated by hype, fear, and misconceptions. This noise often obscures the very real, practical value AI can bring to learning environments, campus operations, and student success. At the same time, institutions of higher education face legitimate concerns: how to uphold academic integrity, how to protect student learning, how to mitigate environmental impact, and how to ensure equitable access to emerging technologies.

In this keynote, Othniel Tucker will cut through the clutter and offer a clear, grounded look at the current state of AI in higher education. He will explore how universities like Illinois State can responsibly integrate AI—balancing innovation with stewardship—while preserving the core mission of preparing students for meaningful, future‑ready careers.

The session will demonstrate how faculty, staff, and students can use AI tools effectively and ethically to support academic outcomes, streamline campus operations, and enhance the student experience. Central to this discussion is the importance of trust: trust in the technology, trust in institutional guardrails, and trust in the shared values guiding its adoption. By building a foundation of trust, institutions can move beyond anxiety and toward strategic goal‑setting—allowing AI to become a partner in academic excellence, workforce readiness, and sustainable campus management.

This keynote will equip attendees with a realistic understanding of what AI can (and cannot) do today, and how to channel its capabilities to strengthen the mission of higher education.

• Othniel Tucker

  Othniel Tucker is a seasoned technology leader and strategist with more than two decades of experience driving digital transformation, fostering innovation, and accelerating organizational growth across the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. He currently serves as ISU's Account Executive at Microsoft, where he partners with enterprise organizations to advance their modernization journeys and unlock the full value of cloud, data, and AI solutions.

  Before joining Microsoft, Othniel spent over 13 years as the Principal and Founder of Mintaka Solutions, a boutique business technology consultancy in the Greater Chicago area. There, he built and led a high‑performing team of consultants specializing in strategic technology advisement, solutions integration, and executive‑level IT leadership. His work spanned the globe—including Southeast Asia, West Africa, and the Middle East—as he helped organizations craft technology roadmaps, strengthen operations, and deliver impactful digital transformations. His leadership centered on aligning innovation with organizational goals, improving productivity, and advancing long‑term customer success and retention. He also served as Chief Technology Officer for Fathers, Families & Healthy Communities, a nonprofit committed to strengthening support systems for fathers in underserved communities. 

  Othniel holds an MBA from Pepperdine’s Graziadio Business School, an Associate of Arts from South Suburban College, and studied Mathematics and Computer Science at Tennessee State University. Across every role, he has built a reputation as a visionary, a connector, and a champion for technology’s potential to transform organizations and the communities they serve.

Get the latest IT news straight from campus technology leaders. The 2026 CIT Student MVP Award winner and nominees will also be recognized during this session.

Join your colleagues for an informal social lunch at Hacienda Leon in Uptown Normal.