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Keynote - Dr Lev Gonick

The Role of Universities in a Smart City Broadband Strategy: Perspectives from Case Western Reserve University

How do 21st century cities gain a strategic bandwidth advantage? What role can Universities play in developing a sustainable smart city strategy? Lev Gonick, CIO at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio founded OneCommunity in 2003. A non-profit co-op for regional aggregation of Internet bandwidth, OneCommunity has become an international model of university engagement with the city. In 2010, Case Western Reserve launched America's first research program on symmetrical gigabit fibre to the home, in partnership with a range of healthcare, government, museums, and libraries. That program, the Case Connection Zone, has contributed to both GIg.U and US Ignite, national efforts focused on innovation, new applications and services. In his presentation, our keynote will provide QUESTnet with an orientation tour of this bold initiative and explore whether such models have relevance in Australia.

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Dr Lev Gonick's Biography
Lev Gonick is vice president for information technology services and chief information officer at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. He is also the founder and now Board Chair Emeritus of OneCommunity, the award winning project to create a connected community throughout Northeast Ohio through ultra broadband wired and wireless network connectivity. In 2010, Gonick and his colleagues at Case Western Reserve launched the nation's first gigabit fiber to the home research program called the Case Connection Zone.

In 2011, Government Technology awarded Lev one of their "Top 25 Doers, Dreamers & Drivers in Public-Sector Innovation." In the same year Crain's Business Cleveland named Gonick one of its "10 Difference Makers" in Northeast Ohio and Broadband Properties honored him with their Cornerstone Award for "using fiber to build an inclusive society and empower individuals." In 2010, he received recognition as "Visionary of the Year" from NATOA.