Cornell’s Chief Global Information Officer Curtis Cole joined Ithaca and Cornell Tech Chief Information Officer Ben Maddox and two other keynote speakers to discuss strategies for navigating change. Each of the keynote speakers shared different perspectives of change and how it impacts individuals. The people-focused aspect of a transition is often referred to as Organizational Change Management, and people are at the center of the Cornell Experience Modernization Initiative, CEMI, discussed by Cole in his address.

His talk included the first mention of a vehicle analogy that resonated with the audience and has been repeated in other talks. “If you happen to be comparing a Honda Accord and a Toyota Camry, it’s not that hard. They do basically the same thing. But in CALS, they might be using a tractor. And at Bowers, they might be flying a drone. And a Honda Accord is not going to cut it,” said Cole.

The keynotes following Cole’s were given by Andrew Karolyi, Ithaca’s Charles Field Knight Dean of the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business, and Lisa Niishi, Ithaca’s Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education and Vice Provost for Enrollment.

Read about the event in the November 7, 2024 news article.