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Topic Summary:

The Agile mindset exists in all organizations and all aspects of work, making it relevant to college students. With Agile's penetration into all facets of a company, hiring managers now screen their new hires on the principles needed to be successful early in their careers.  Following feedback from industry advisory boards at universities and partnership with hiring organizations, project management, and agile concepts now populate course competencies and specific benchmarks across all disciplines.

Through this presentation, you will understand how Grand Canyon University's College of Science, Engineering, and Technology (CSET) has embedded Agile tools and knowledge into deliverables, lessons, and projects. You will see examples of the Agile artifacts the students create and the lesson plans used within a full project management class. As part of GCU's marketing to high school students, there are even Agile lessons designed to initiate students before they begin college. The collaborative presentation will include an opportunity to share your ideas for what else is needed and ask questions about the information presented.

Speakers:

Robert Loy, Director Non-degree Technology Programs, Grand Canyon University

Since his first role in IT in 1999 and then as an IT manager and director, Robert understood the need to be agile in planning and implementation. While working full-time for companies including Pegasus Solution Henkel, Mobile Mini, and Avnet he polished his project management skills and passed his PMP for the first time in 2018. When asked to take over as an adjunct for a CIS class at Scottsdale Community College in 2003, he jumped at the chance to give back. Now at Grand Canyon University he is helping prepare the next generation of IT and project management team members.

Glenda Dilts, Full-time CSET Faculty member, Grand Canyon University

Glenda started in project management with the explosion of the cell phone industry, managing the construction of 40+ cell phone towers for a young cellular telephone company. She has managed projects including computerizing infraction processing for a small suburban police department and networking all public-facing AV equipment in a church. She has taught project management, both structured and agile, in multiple universities, and has taught at Grand Canyon University since 2016.