FAQ on UC Tech Awards ceremony and dinner: join us in-person or online July 18

By Laurel Skurko. On Tuesday, July 18, the UC CIO Council is proud to be hosting the UC Tech Awards ceremony and dinner. This prestigious event, a cornerstone of the UC Tech Conference, provides an opportunity to celebrate achievements of specific individuals and teams in using technology and advanced critical thinking to contribute in areas of strategic importance to the university. Join UC Tech colleagues, including senior leaders, to be among the first to learn who was selected as the top in seven award categories this year, and celebrate their significant achievements either in-person or online.

During the short 30-minute awards ceremony (7-7:30 pm), which is part of a larger UC Tech Awards Program dinner celebration (6-9 p.m.), the community will gather with Van Williams, VP of IT and Chief Information Officer (CIO) of the University of California, to learn about the seven award categories and the 14 individuals/teams selected among over 90 applicants for the UC Tech Awards Program this year. Each awardee will receive either a gold or silver award.

Event details

When and where

	In-person conference guests	On-line conference guests
Tuesday July 18, 2023	6-9 p.m. awards standup dinner event, 7-7:30 p.m. awards ceremony	7-7:30 p.m. awards ceremony via live stream
Location	The Bayview Ballroom (1st floor with a view of the bay) at the Doubletree Boat House, 200 Marina Blvd, Berkeley. Parking at the venue is available for $30. Free shuttle runs continuously between Residence Inn, Hotel Shattuck Plaza and event venue at Doubletree Boathouse from 5-9:30 pm.	Online guests will receive a live stream link to watch the 7-7:30 awards ceremony online.

Dress code

Business attire optional. The event will be professionally photographed. For photography, it is best to avoid stripes, black and bright, solid colors.

Timeline

FAQ’s


Can I still register for the UC Tech Conference? (in-person or online)		The event is sold out.
Is there an option for those who would attend only the UC Tech Awards Dinner event in-person (and not attend the rest of the conference)?		This is not possible.
Can I register to see the awards ceremony online? What is the awards ceremony live stream link?		Attendees registered for the online conference will receive a live-stream link. Winning teams received a live-stream link via a confidential “What To Expect Guide” sent to their team leader.
When does online registration for the conference close? Can I see recordings after-the-fact?		Registration for in-peron and on-line attendence is closed. However, awards ceremony and other conference sessions will be recorded and elements will be shared publically after the conference.
When will the awards be announced publicly?		– 7/18/2023: Starting at 7 pm at the UC Tech Awards Ceremony (in-person and via livestream). The winners will also be revealed live via UC IT news on Twitter. The next morning, a press release will be issued to all UC locations, with publication in the UC IT blog newsletter, and UC Net News. The press release will be released as follows: – July 19 via UC IT blog news – July 19 via the UCnet website – July 25 via UC Office of the President Link News – August 16 via the UCNetwork Newsletter
When can winners receive copies of the photos/videos?		The UC Tech Awards program director will send photos and certificates digitally to all team leads once they are available and as soon as possible. This is estimated to be about 2-3 weeks after the ceremony. Please feel free to take photos with your cell phone while you are there as well.
Will winners receive a certificate?		Winners who attend in -person will receive their certificate from Van Williams. All winning teams will receive print and/or digital copies of their certificates via their team lead.
Will winners be giving a presentation or speech?		Not at this event.
Who were the UC Tech 2023 Awards Program judges?		Josh Bright, UCSB, Josh Glandorf, UCSD Health, Lucy Avetisyan, UCLA, Adam Stone, LBNL, Van Williams, University of California
UC Tech Conference Awards Program Information		UC Tech 2023 Conference Landing Page
UC Tech Awards – Background on the categories, application and judging process		UC Tech Awards Program 2023: Background & Application Form
Parking/Transportation?		The awards ceremony will take place at the Bayview Ballroom and Doubletree Boat House, 200 Marina Blvd, Berkeley and will be live streamed. Parking at the venue is available for $30. A free shuttle will run continuously between Residence Inn, Hotel Shattuck Plaza and the event venue at Doubletree Boathouse. There will be a standup dinner reception on an outdoor patio, outside the Bayview Ballroom.
Other Questions?		Email UC Tech Awards program director: Laurel.Skurko@ucop.edu
Hashtag for social media		#UCTech2023

IT leaders planning to attend the awards ceremony in-person

Joe Bengfort (CIO, UCSF)
Josh Bright (CIO, UC Santa Barbara) (UC Tech Awards 2023 judge)
Atul Butte (Chief Data Scientist, University of California Health)
Nick Dugan (CIO, UC Merced)
Gabriel Gonzalez (Interim CIO at UC Berkeley)
Matt Gunkel (CIO, UC Riverside)
Ellen Pollack (CIO, UCLA Health)
Van Williams (VP IT and CIO, University of California) (UC Tech Awards 2023 judge)
Sree Mada (CIO, UC ANR)
Adam Stone (CIO, Lawrence Berkeley National Lab)

About the 2023 UC Tech Awards Program

The IT Leadership Council will award a gold and silver winner for each seven awards categories (listed below). Winners are chosen based on the complexity, impact and mission alignment of the work completed by individuals or teams.

Larry L. Sautter Award for Innovation in Information Technology
DEI Leadership Award (For individuals only) – NEW AWARD IN 2023
IT Security Award
Yvonne Tevis UC Collaboration Award
Mojgan A. Amini Operational Excellence Award
Design Award
Sustained Impact Award (For individuals only)

UC Tech Awards Program: Background information

The UC Tech Awards Program celebrates individuals and teams in the UC tech community who have contributed in areas of strategic importance to the university. The UC IT Leadership Council created the program 22 years ago when an award for innovation was named after Larry L. Sautter. Today, the program has grown to seven awards (listed below). Learn more about the 2022 UC Tech Awards Program winners.

Winners of the 2023 UC Tech Awards Program will be announced at the UC Tech Conference at UC Berkeley on Tuesday, July 18.

The UC Tech Awards Program celebrates the achievements of UC employees in designing, implementing or managing high-impact technology initiatives that drive digital transformation. It promotes increased engagement in the UC Tech community by recognizing the technology contributions of university faculty and staff across a range of roles, including IT, research, academia, and business.

The UC Information Technology Leadership Council sponsors the program each year and selects awardees based on the complexity, impact and mission alignment of their work affecting digital transformation. The awards provide university-wide recognition for technology efforts of strategic importance that advance the university’s mission of teaching, research, public service, and patient care; and/or improve the effectiveness of business operations.

The UC Tech Awards program has been an integral part of the UC Tech Conference since 2001, when it created the Larry L. Sautter Award for Innovation in Information Technology (IT). Since then, the program has grown to seven awards.

The individuals and teams who are selected each year receive community-wide recognition and visibility, thanks to an awards ceremony, a press release, social media outreach and more.

About the author

Laurel Skurko, Marketing & Communications, IT Services, UC Office of the President — Laurel Skurko
Marketing & Communications
IT Services, UC Office of the President