PMFORUM Breaking News

Alain Bensoussan, Ph.D., Distinguished Research Professor at the University of Texas at Dallas (UTD) and former Chair of the European Space Agency, will be the keynote speaker at the 1st UTD Project Management Symposium scheduled for August 6, 2007, in Plano, Texas. Dr. Bensoussan is the Director of the International Center for Decision and Risk Ananlysis (ICDRiA). Professor Bensoussan has an extensive research background in stochastic control, probability and stochastic processes and will speak on the subject of risks on technology programs and projects.

Alain Bensoussan is Professor Emeritus at the University of Paris Dauphine. He graduated from the Ecole Polytechnique in 1962, and obtained his Ph.D. degree from the University of Paris in 1969. Dr. Bensoussan is a member of the French Academy of Sciences, the French Academy of Technology, of the Academia Europae, and the International Academy of Astronautics. He is an IEEE Fellow, and has received the Von Humboldt award as well as the NASA public service medal.

Professor Alain Bensoussan has held important positions and responsibilities in the French research system. He was President of the French National Institute for Research in Computer Science and Control (INRIA) from 1984 to 1996, and President of the French space Agency CNES from 1996 to 2003. He was Chairman of the ESA (European Space Agency) Council from 1999 to 2002. He is Officer of Legion d’Honneur from France and Officer Bundes Verdienst Kreuz from Germany.

The 1st UTD Project Management Symposium will be held on Monday 6 August 2007 at the Plano Center in Plano, Texas, USA. The conference is being sponsored by the Graduate Program in Project Management in the School of Management’s Executive Education Center at the University of Texas at Dallas (UTD), in cooperation with the Dallas Chapter of the Project Management Institute (PMI®) and PMForum, Inc.

The 1 Day Project Management Symposium will focus on topics important to organizations, industries and the economy of North Texas. Keynote speeches, professional presentations and discussions in the following tracks are planned:

Track 1 – Program & Portfolio Management
Track 2 – Project Management: Critical Organization Success Factor
Track 3 – Software Development & Agile Project Management
Track 4 – PM for Product Development, including small projects
Track 5 – The Role of Project Management in Corporate Governance
Track 6 – Project Management in the Global Economy

Other Conference Features will include an Opening Ceremony with Keynote Speakers, vendor exhibition, book signings, breaks and lunch in the vendors’ exhibition area, and a closing keynote speech. Registration fees are $200 per person, $150 for PMI Dallas Chapter members and UTD students. Vendor participation and sponsorships are also available. Conference registration and information can be found at http://som.utdallas.edu/project/project-symp.htm or contact jxa051000@utdallas.edu.

Both the PMI Dallas Chapter and the UTD’s executive education program in the school of management are registered education providers with PMI, so up to 5 Professional Development Units (PDUs) will be available for attendees plus another five for presenters.

Founded in 1984, the Dallas Chapter of the Project Management Institute (PMI®) is one of the oldest PMI chapters in the world. With nearly 4,000 members, it is also one of the largest. Monthly dinner meetings feature a wide variety of project management experts and topics, and typically attract over 200 attendees. The chapter sponsors workshops, PMP development opportunities, an annual Vendor exhibition, a school outreach program, corporate interaction and other activities. The president of the Dallas Chapter in 2007 is Mr. Dwaraka Iyengar. For additional information, visit http://www.pmidallas.org/index.phtml.

UTD’s Project Management Program provides application-oriented education for professionals with significant project, program or general management responsibilities. Established in the Executive Education center in UTD’s School of Management, students have the option of earning a Certificate in Project Management, a Master of Science degree with an emphasis in project management, or a Master of Business Administration degree with project management emphasis. The UTD PM program, originally developed in 1997, is accredited by the Project Management Institute (PMI®) and is a PMI Registered Education Provider (PMI R.E.P.). The program is taught by world-class faculty with a blend of industrial project management, consulting and teaching experience. UTD’s PM Program in delivered both on campus and online, and attracts students from across the United States and around the world. For more information, visit http://som.utdallas.edu/project/.