October 6, 2026
Nysernet's membership in THE QUILT connects us with research and education networks (RENs) across the country that are working through many of the same technology, security and infrastructure questions our members face here in New York.
We brought home several ideas worth carrying forward, especially around cybersecurity, AI, research resources and how Nysernet can help members navigate what comes next.
“THE QUILT’s Fall Member Meeting was outstanding this year. Bringing RENs from across the country together creates a mix of different organizational models, priorities and perspectives. What stands out are the common threads that emerge and turn into catalytic conversations. I left brimming with ideas about what Nysernet should be paying attention to and advancing for our members.”
Jeanne Casares, president and CEO, Nysernet
THE QUILT makes it so Nysernet is not limited to the experience inside our own organization. We can learn from peers who have already tested an idea, built a service or worked through a challenge similar to one our members are facing.
Several themes came up repeatedly at THE QUILT, but the most useful conversations were the ones that helped us think more clearly about how Nysernet can support members in practical ways.
Research and education networks are supporting their members with services that include network protections, managed firewalls, penetration testing, vulnerability scanning and asset visibility. More advanced managed security models are also part of the conversation.
As Nysernet continues developing its Regional Security Operations Center, or RSOC, initiative, it was helpful to learn how others are designing similar solutions.
We were reminded that organizations need clarity around who monitors the environment, who responds, what remains the institution’s responsibility and what staffing and processes are already in place.
Beyond simple technology selection, we will continue to evaluate the operating models, responsibilities and readiness requirements that make cybersecurity services useful in the real world.
That same thinking applies to the cybersecurity support Nysernet provides today. Our goal is to help members understand risk, strengthen defenses and make informed decisions about where additional support will have the greatest impact.
One of the clearest ideas we brought home was about access to research resources.
A session highlighted research services and resources available to institutions of different sizes, bringing information together in a way that made it easier to understand what was available and how organizations could connect to it.
That raised an immediate question for Nysernet:
Could we make it easier for our members to find and navigate research resources that already exist?
For institutions without large research computing teams, simply knowing what is available, who to contact and what is required to connect can be a barrier.
That is an area we want to explore further.
Nysernet can bring value not only through infrastructure, but also by helping members understand the landscape, connect with the right resources and find practical paths into research computing and other advanced capabilities.
Much of the attention around AI in higher education has focused on research, computing infrastructure and capacity.
During THE QUILT meeting, one participant raised another concern: what about teaching and learning?
That question stayed with Jeanne and several other REN leaders throughout the meeting. It led to a longer conversation about whether regional networks could play a role in helping institutions think through AI in the classroom and across the broader academic experience.
The conversation is still developing, but it is a good example of why THE QUILT matters.
A question surfaced in one session. Several peers recognized the same issue. The discussion continued outside the session and created a reason to keep talking.
Quantum networking also appeared throughout the meeting.
For Nysernet, the near-term opportunity is less about presenting quantum as a ready-made service and more about supporting the research environment around it.
That can include connectivity, fiber, colocation, engineering support and bringing the right institutions and researchers together.
The same principle applies here as it does with AI and research computing: our role is to help members understand what is developing, what is relevant to them and how to connect to the expertise and infrastructure already taking shape.
Some of the most valuable things we brought home from THE QUILT were not product or technology innovations.
They were relationships.
Our peers shared details about how they are structuring cybersecurity services, supporting research, working with members and testing new approaches.
Those conversations give Nysernet people to call when a similar question comes up here.
That matters because it can help us move faster and make better-informed decisions. We can ask what worked, what did not and what another organization would do differently if it were starting again.
It can also help us recognize when collaboration makes more sense than building something independently.
“The real value of being part of The Quilt is being able to learn from organizations that are already working through the same questions our members are asking. We can bring those lessons back to New York, build on what has worked elsewhere and make better-informed decisions about where Nysernet can help.”
Rebecca Werner, director, membership, Nysernet
That exchange works both ways. Nysernet brings its own experience in networking, cybersecurity, member engagement and service development into THE QUILT community.
The result is a broader pool of expertise that our members can benefit from.
The value of THE QUILT is not the meeting itself.
It is what Nysernet does with what we learned.
We came home with new questions to ask, peer models to study and several conversations we want to continue.
For members, that means we will keep doing three things:
That work starts with your input.
What technology, cybersecurity, connectivity, research or infrastructure challenge is your organization working through right now?
Nysernet members: Reach out to us at membership@nysernet.org. You do not need to come to us with a solution. Understanding the challenge is where the conversation starts.
Not yet a member? Learn more about the expertise, connections and community available through Nysernet at nysernet.org/membership.