Speaker: Bryan Alexander

Bryan Alexander is a futurist, researcher, writer, speaker, consultant, and teacher, working in the field of how technology transforms education. He completed his English language and literature PhD at the University of Michigan in 1997, with a dissertation on doppelgangers in Romantic-era fiction and poetry.

Teaching at Centenary College, Bryan taught literature, writing, multimedia, and information technology studies at Centenary College of Louisiana. There he also pioneered multi-campus interdisciplinary classes, while organizing an information literacy initiative.

From 2002 to 2014 Bryan worked with the National Institute for Technology in Liberal Education (NITLE), a non-profit working to help small colleges and universities best integrate digital technologies. With NITLE he held several roles, including co-director of a regional education and technology center, director of emerging technologies, and senior fellow. Over those years Bryan helped develop and support the nonprofit, grew peer networks, consulted, and conducted a sustained research agenda.

In 2013 Bryan launched a business, Bryan Alexander Consulting, LLC. Through BAC he consults throughout higher education in the United States and abroad. Bryan also speaks widely and publishes frequently."


Speaker: John Eberhart

John Eberhart’s research focuses on parametric modeling and digital fabrication technologies as well as building information modeling (BIM). John maintains an architectural firm in Woodbridge, Connecticut, specializing in residential and light commercial work. In addition, the firm operates a fabrication shop designing and fabricating building components as well as custom cabinetry. Mr. Eberhart is also a design collaborator for C Studio located in New Haven, designing large-scale office and residential buildings across Latin America. He has worked at a number of design firms, including the offices of Hammond Beeby Rupert Ainge Architects in Chicago and Pickard-Chilton Architects in New Haven.


Speaker: Ian Roy

Ian Roy is the Research Technology Project Lead in the Desktop Computing group in Brandeis University's Library and Technology Services organization. He works with researchers to overcome the technological hurdles they encounter in their workflows, top to bottom, and is constantly running local pilots in new technologies to address their needs. His work touches on desktop/laptop/server break-fix, digital forensics and security tools, institutional storage of Big Data, Cloud collaboration and backup in a Big Data context, and many of the new toolsets in the Maker community, including support of touch and gesture inputs, multiple displays, VR headsets, 3D printing, 3D scanning, and embedded systems (Raspberry Pi, Arduino, and Electronic IMP). Ian was the project lead in developing both the Research Technology department and the MakerLab at Brandeis.

Ian is descended from samurai and has studied Japanese sword for over 10 years. He is also a Brandeis alumnus, graduating in 2005 with dual majors in Philosophy and Economics and a concentration in Film Studies. From 2005 to 2010, he worked for a high end jeweler in downtown Los Angeles as the in-house photographer. He has a strong background in digital photography, digital fabrication, and new media marketing. He has also read and pitched around 1000 screenplays as a professional reader at a small boutique Los Angeles-based production company. He coached the Brandeis Ski Team for 2 seasons, a team on which he was a 2 year captain during his undergraduate career. He is also the staff advisor to Deis3D.org, the Brandeis 3D printing club.