Penn College IT students attend IBM conference

Six Pennsylvania College of Technology information technology students and their instructor, Rick Crossen, attended the recent IBM TechXchange in Atlanta. The event is IBM’s annual technical learning conference and community platform for developers, engineers, data experts, infrastructure specialists and tech practitioners.

The Penn College contingent received free all-access passes to the conference through Common, the world’s largest association of IBM Power System users.

“It was the most interesting conference that I have attended to date,” Crossen said. “It provided me with a view into the many different technical industries that IBM plays a role in, from areas such as server management and software development to bleeding-edge technical areas like agentic AI and quantum computing.”

The following students accompanied Crossen: Jonathan W. Dunkle, of Danville; James A. Fuerlinger, of Seven Valleys; and Tobias O. Hayward, of Williamsport (all majoring in software development & information management); Corey J. Fowler II, of Windsor; and Jackson D. Small, of Harrisburg (both majoring in information assurance & cyber security); and Kyle A. Boonie, of Middleburg (network administration & engineering technology).

“The students had the opportunity to sit in on information sessions, but more importantly, they had the opportunity to use many of the new technologies themselves in sandboxed learning environments,” Crossen said. “They also gained extremely valuable networking opportunities. They were able to have one-on-one discussions with technology leads from different Fortune 500 companies.”

General session topics included the future of software development in the age of generative AI and reinvention in the age of AI. The conference floor featured areas devoted to hybrid cloud management, infrastructure, security and governance, data management, and AI applications. Over 10,000 individuals attended the conference.

“It was an amazing experience! I got to participate in hands-on labs, see the history of computing with my own eyes and have fun with fellow students,” Boonie said. “It felt good to know that I was getting our college’s name out there to industry professionals, and I was proud while on the trip to be a Penn College student.”

“It’s a great place to network, learn what companies and professionals are working on, and get a realistic sense of what to expect when you enter the workforce,” Fowler added.