Purdue News

August 2000 Purdue's new Lifetime University debuts with e-biz workshop WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue University has launched a Lifetime University to help alumni and friends keep up with today's rapidly changing technologies. The first program, set for Friday, Sept. 22, of Homecoming Weekend, will focus on e-business. "We have heard again and again from our alumni that they look to Purdue to help them stay current in today's fast-paced world," said Joann Chaney, director of the Lifetime University and Purdue's Center for Lifelong Learning. "What better way to start than by helping them weave their way through the Web of the Internet." The program also takes advantage of new technologies so companies and individuals can link in remotely via the Internet. "We will provide streaming video after the conference so individuals or companies can tap in whenever it fits into their schedule," Chaney said. "Some of our West Coast alumni asked for this feature, and we believe it will meet the needs of many others who can't make it to campus that day." The "All About E-Business" workshop will run from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and examine what it takes to live successfully in a dot.com world. Registration is $85 for participants who attend on campus, and includes continental breakfast, lunch and a closing reception. The fee is $50 for individuals participating online, $250 for corporations. The deadline for enrollment is Sept. 5. The workshop faculty will include nine Purdue professors and alumni who are national leaders in the field: • Julie Wainwright, chief executive officer of Pets.com, will deliver the keynote address titled "An Insider's View of an Internet Company." Wainwright, a Purdue alumna, will offer a personal perspective on what it takes to run a successful Internet company. • Bret Besecker, chief operating officer, ShopGenerosity.com, will present "E-Business Meets Philanthropy," which includes information on the trends in e-philanthropy and the significant relationships that are developing in the industry. He is a co-founder of e-Generosity.com, the first philanthropic Internet portal serving socially conscious consumers, schools, nonprofit organizations, national retailers and small business owners. • Jason Keller is the chief executive officer at extension11, an Internet professional service firm that builds "online venture" for startup and transitional companies. Keller's presentation, "The Future of e-Business – Creating Intelligent Online Environments," will focus on the company's real-time experience in transforming both itself and its clients into next-generation business models. • Roberto Mejias, a professor in Purdue's Krannert School of Management, will discuss some of the network infrastructure considerations that support e-commerce and the Internet environment in his presentation, "E-Commerce: How will it be supported?" • Shimon Nof, a professor of industrial engineering at Purdue, will present "To Do Good e-Business, Somebody Has to Do the e-Work." Nof, who specializes in computer-integrated manufacturing, applications of information technologies and industrial robotics, will discuss e-work and its critical role for e-business and other electronic domains. • Genno Senbetta, director of e-business practice for Arthur Andersen, an international accounting firm, will present "Building Relationships in the Virtual World." Senbetta, a Purdue alumnus, also serves as an adjunct professor at Loyola University in Chicago where he teaches electronic commerce in the graduate school of business administration. • Eugene Spafford, professor of computer science and director of the Purdue Center for Education and Research in Information Assurance and Security, will share the "Top Twelve Security Challenges" facing researchers and vendors in the years to come. • Karenann Terrell, director of e-Vehicles for General Motors Corp., is a Purdue alumna working to address the impact of the Internet on the automobile industry. Her presentation is called "E-GM: The World's Largest Startup Dot.com." • David Wortman, chief executive officer of Made2Manage, an Indianapolis computer software company, will talk on "Business to Business: The Manufacturer's Challenge." A Purdue alumnus, Wortman will address the changes demanded by the increasingly Internet-driven world of manufacturing. Chaney's office planned the workshop in conjunction with Purdue's Office of Development, Office of University Relations and the Purdue Alumni Association. Carolyn Gery, executive director of Purdue's President's Council representing the Office of Development, noted that the university is especially pleased with the topic choice for the inaugural workshop of the Lifetime University. "We have been looking for programming that would appeal to all ages of alumni," Gery said, "and this surely will appeal to everyone. Whether you're a recent graduate or a retiree, the world is changing so rapidly that everyone has a stake in keeping up with the technology." There are several options for registration: call the Center for Lifelong Learning, 800-359-2968, ext. 70; e-mail Julie Cruz at jacruz@cll.purdue.edu; or register online. Sources: Joann Chaney (765) 494-3894, jjchaney@cll.purdue.edu Carolyn Gery, (765) 494-2731, cgery@purdue.edu Writer: Jeanne Norberg, (765) 449-4986, jnorberg@purdue.edu Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu To the Purdue News and Photos Page