Today we take the Internet pretty much for granted. Expertise in web application development has become the staple of any good business enterprise. Finding people who really “get” web development can be challenging.
Professor Bebo White is someone who really “gets” the web. A physicist by occupation, White became engaged in web work in 1989. While he was on sabbatical from CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research and the world’s largest particle physics center, White was a member of the team that developed the first web site in the Western Hemisphere for the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center. Since that time, White has published five books and numerous technical articles on both physics and computing topics. He’s been a member of the International World Wide Web Conference Committee since 1996 and has been recognized by many organizations for his web work and is a sought after speaker on web technology. By all accounts, he’s an extraordinary figure in web development. And he’s coming to Peoria March 31 and April 1.
White will conduct a two-day web application development workshop at Illinois Central College in conjunction with the World Organization of Webmasters (WOW). This seminar will offer information technology professionals a unique opportunity to learn at the feet of one of the web’s true masters. The seminar is packed with “killer content” and is offered only in three places: Honolulu, Philadelphia, and Peoria.
How did Peoria get in that mix? The answer is a case study on how people in Peoria have global ties that can make truly remarkable things happen and bring national and international attention to our area. One of ICC’s professors, Mark DuBois, is very active in WOW. He and his colleagues in the Business and Information Systems Department at ICC recognized the significance of holding such a prestigious seminar in Peoria. Mark and his colleagues, Shari Tripp and Paulette Sibrel, worked diligently with WOW to land the conference in central Illinois. ICC was happy to co-sponsor an event that brings such global expertise to our community.
Although this seminar may appeal to a sort of esoteric market, it gives Peoria the opportunity to play in the major leagues of technology. If ICC and the greater Peoria area can provide an outstanding experience for this highly technical group of visitors, we can build our reputation as a technologically savvy metropolitan area. In the next few weeks, WOW and ICC will begin formally promoting the event, but in the meantime, we wanted to share the exciting news that one of the web’s original innovators is slated to include Peoria in his national tour. Maybe it’s only a small step in helping to develop the kind of environment that will make efforts like Peoria NEXT succeed, but we’re certain it’s a step in the right direction. For more information, visit www.webprofessionals.org. IBI