By Andy Bartlett

This July, information technology, computer science, business technology and engineering technology professionals from all over the world will descend on Bemidji for the Global Technology Management Conference.

The three-day gathering is one of many sponsored by the Society of Digital Information and Wireless Communications, which supports academics and professionals working with computers, networks and wireless communication. It sponsors conferences all over the world, in both industrialized and developing nations, with the goal of bringing positive change through technological innovation. While the society has hosted dozens of conferences in the United States, this summer marks the Global Technology Management Conference’s American debut. Previous conferences have been held in countries such as Malaysia, Taiwan, Lebanon and Tunisia.

The July 15-17 event is coming to Bemidji State University through the efforts of Dr. Mahmoud Al-Odeh, an assistant professor of technology, art and design in his third year at BSU. He has been working to bring this conference to Bemidji since he arrived on campus in 2012.

“This is part of the internationalization effort here at BSU,” Al-Odeh said. “The university is looking to make BSU distinguished, nationally and internationally, and this conference is one way we can do it.”

Al-Odeh sees the conference’s visit to Bemidji as a unique opportunity to showcase BSU’s emphasis on sustainability and illustrate sustainable practices in technology. The conference’s keynote speaker will be Dr. Marion Schafer, coordinator for the technology management doctoral program at a consortium of five schools that includes Indiana State University. The address will focus on Schafer’s work to research sustainable practices and the environmental impact of product packaging.

“Sustainability is what connects BSU with the conference,” Al-Odeh said. “We would like to know how technology has been used and managed in these areas.“

Al-Odeh came to the United States from his native Jordan to earn master’s and doctorate degrees at Indiana State, where Schafer was his advisor. He fell in love with Bemidji during his first job interview on campus in 2012, and that immediate connection to the community and its environment convinced him of the need to bring the conference to BSU.

“Instead of sending the conference to the Twin Cities, here’s a city with nice residents who can welcome these international people,” Al-Odeh said. “We can distinguish Bemidji from other cities around us.”

While Bemidji has provided Al-Odeh with inspiration for this conference, his immediate connections with the area are also being carried through to his family. Al-Odeh and his wife, Hadeel, came to Bemidji with one son, Ahmed — named for Al-Odeh’s father. Since arriving in Bemidji, the couple has welcomed a second son, 2-year old Ous, and a daughter, Sama, born this April. “Ous means ‘the wolf,’ which is related to Minnesota culture,” Al-Odeh said, “and Sama means ‘beautiful sky,’ which also has connections to Bemidji.”

While he is excited by the opportunity to share his deep love of place with perhaps 200 people from cultures spanning the entire world, he also recognizes the opportunity for people at the university and in the region to gain insight into other cultures, as well.

“You might see people with different traditional clothes, with long dresses or with scarves on their heads,” Al-Odeh said. “People in this city can see into other cultures, and we can share our Bemidji culture and values with these other people, person to person.”

To Attend:

For more information about the 2015 Global Technology Management Conference, July 15-17 at Bemidji State University, visit http://sdiwc.net/conferences/gtmc2015/.

The conference is accepting submissions for presentations until June 15.