Jun 24, 2021

CENIC Recognizes The Quilt as Outstanding Partner in Research and Education Networking

La Mirada, Calif., and Berkeley, Calif. — June 28, 2021 — In recognition of leadership and collaboration throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, The Quilt, a consortium of United States research and education networks, and key members of the organization's team are being awarded the CENIC 2021 Innovations in Networking Award for R&E Network Partner.

Team members at The Quilt being recognized are Jennifer Leasure, Jennifer Griffin, and Tracey Norris.

The Quilt is the national coalition of non-profit U.S. research and education networks representing 43 networks across the country. Members of The Quilt provide advanced network services and applications to over 900 universities and thousands of other educational and community anchor institutions. Through The Quilt’s collaborative forum, member organizations have access to a broader set of expertise and knowledge than any single organization working on its own.

While the collaboration between CENIC and The Quilt has spanned many years, the work has deepened and broadened under the leadership of Leasure, president and CEO. Leasure has worked with The Quilt since 2005 and has played an integral role in programs that support community preparation for disaster recovery, succession planning, grant-writing, federal advocacy and outreach, future technology solutions, and strong partnerships with other nationwide networking groups.

Pankaj Shah, chair of The Quilt Board of Directors and executive director of the Ohio Academic Resources Network (OARnet), said The Quilt’s successful programs are made possible by Leasure’s leadership, her hardworking and innovative team, and strong human networking amongst Quilt members.

Ryan Kocsondy, secretary and chair of The Quilt’s CEO Round Table and director of the Connecticut Education Network, said Leasure displayed exemplary and humble leadership during the pandemic through very thoughtful interaction and communication. “Jen provided timely updates on issues and solutions impacting the R&E community and our member institutions, early, during, and what may be the tail end of the crisis,” Kocsondy said. “She was very helpful in disseminating quality information about supporting our institutions and funding opportunities, especially when the signal to noise ratio on information was quite low, and rate of change at an all-time high.”

Today’s Research and Education Networks (RENs) serve as the backbone of access, collaboration, and innovation in the U.S. by providing advanced network services and applications for colleges, universities, K-12 educational systems, public libraries, healthcare institutions, museums, cultural institutions, state and local government, and indigenous communities. Additionally, today’s RENs are at the center of successful public-private partnerships to extend their middle-mile networks into unserved and underserved areas nationwide.

“Working together through The Quilt, CENIC and its partner RENs empower their member institutions and support their public-service missions, which have all been critical during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said CENIC President and CEO Louis Fox, who also serves on The Quilt’s Board of Directors.

The CENIC Innovations in Networking Awards are presented each year to highlight exemplary people, projects, and organizations that leverage high-bandwidth networking. This year, the awards emphasize remarkable adaptations in response to the COVID-19 pandemic that in some ways has transformed how research and education are conducted.

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