CANDIDATE FOR DIRECTOR
Geoff Halprin
USENIX has been at the forefront of computing systems research for more than 25 years. Many major technologies were announced at USENIX conferences well before they became a part of the mainstream. This is an incredible legacy for any organisation.
In the past few years, USENIX, along with much of the computer industry, has fallen on harder times. With the downturn in the economy and the dotcom bubble bursting, USENIX saw a significant drop in conference attendance. Responses to this vary. Some would like us to maintain the status quo and wait for the economy to bounce back. I think that there is a greater shift, a generational shift, in how computing professionals and the organisations which employ them behave, and the perceived value of organisations such as ours.
USENIX is primarily a conference organisation. This is both our strength and our weakness. I believe USENIX must grow beyond our present focus on conferences and beyond our present membership base (whilst always continuing to support this most important part of our purpose). We must develop other revenue streams and think about how to continue to serve the computing community and this next generation of computing professionals.
As the current SAGE president, I don't believe I need to spend words here detailing my support of SAGE or its activities. I should, however, spend a moment explaining how vital I believe SAGE is to USENIX and vice versa. If USENIX represents the leading edge of research, then SAGE represents the translation of that research into practice. There is no more vital feedback loop to researchers than the reality of the application of that knowledge. LISA is USENIX's most successful conference, in both good and bad times. From the program committee to the attendees, this is the principal event on the SAGE calendar.
Biography: Geoff Halprin has been in the computer industry for more than a quarter of a century. He has worked in both the software development and system administration sides of the IT world, as an employee, a consultant, a senior executive, and company director. He has served on industry boards for over 24 years. Geoff is currently the president of SAGE, having been elected to the SAGE Executive Committee for three consecutive 2-year terms.
Need help? Use our Contacts page.
CANDIDATE FOR DIRECTOR