In this energizing episode, we explore the journey of a mainframe professional who has embraced innovation while making advocacy and mentorship central to their mission. This story highlights the power of mainframes in the AI era and the support gained from trailblazing women mentors. It showcases themes of growth, inclusion, and the global connections within the mainframe community. The episode emphasizes that mainframes are not just relevant; they are essential. Whether you are new to enterprise tech or a long-time enthusiast, this episode will inspire you and illuminate what it means to be a mainframer today.

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Each month, we spotlight some of the world’s most innovative companies and how they’re driving success with IBM Z.

This episode features Geoffrey Decker, an instructor in Computer Science at the Northern Illinois University (NIU) and a firm believer in quality over quantity when teaching programming. Geoffrey encourages getting students “down and dirty into the programming” — not just teaching theory or showing pictures — so they truly “program and really test their skills.”

His goal?

Geoffrey wants students to learn so well that “they can teach themselves advanced techniques.”

Advice to educators:

His message is clear: “No teacher of programming should just be a droner. Don’t drone — bring your enthusiasm and a solid, positive attitude to teaching.” This mindset transformed his tough Assembler class into an engaging experience that sparked students’ interest to sign up for and continue with advanced Mainframe courses.

Don’t miss the rapid-fire questions at the end — you won’t believe how many vinyl LPs and CDs he owns! If you guess right, let me know!!

🎧 Don’t miss this motivating conversation with Geoffrey!

Resources

Visit the IBM Z Educator Hub User Group on the IBM Z and LinuxONE Community for IBM Z educators to find the latest communications, news and events, as well as collaborate and network. Check out technical lecture’s, blogs, events, videos, discussions, and more.

Join here

Subscribe to “The z/Education!” Podcast. Each month we talk to IBM Z Educators from around the world on their success stories, journeys and their best practices.

This episode features Scott Piersall, a lecturer at the University of North Florida’s School of Computing. Scott’s journey into academia is anything but traditional—after high school, he had no plans to attend college. But after years of experience in the industry, he discovered a passion for teaching and is now pursuing a Ph.D. with a focus on machine learning.

The lifelong learning takeaway? Keep your mind and options open—to new ideas, new directions, and new possibilities.

Scott encourages his students to be bold, reminding them: “The answer is always No until you ask.” His message to mainframe professionals thinking about moving into academia is just as clear: “Don’t hesitate! Go for it—it’s fun and deeply rewarding!”

🎧 Don’t miss this compelling conversation with Scott!

Resources

Visit the IBM Z Educator Hub User Group on the IBM Z and LinuxONE Community for IBM Z educators to find the latest communications, news and events, as well as collaborate and network. Check out technical lecture’s, blogs, events, videos, discussions, and more.

Join here

Subscribe to “The z/Education!” Podcast. Each month we talk to IBM Z Educators from around the world on their success stories, journeys and their best practices.

In today’s fast-paced digital landscape, businesses need platforms that don’t just keep up—they need ones that drive them forward. IBM Z and LinuxONE rise to this challenge by combining open-source flexibility with enterprise-grade performance, security, and resiliency. By leveraging open technology solutions, these platforms are empowering industries around the world to innovate at scale.

One of the most exciting developments in this space is the collaboration between Canonical—the company behind Ubuntu—and IBM. Together, they’re bringing the power of Ubuntu to IBM Z and LinuxONE, unlocking new opportunities from traditional strongholds like banking and finance to emerging sectors.

In this episode you will you'll gain fresh perspectives and real-world examples of how this partnership is driving success across industries, helping organizations modernize with agility and confidence by leveraging their current investment.

Stay Connected
Be part of the conversation! Join the ISV Ecosystem User Group to explore the latest blogs, events, videos, and more from IBM Z partners and innovators.

And don’t forget to subscribe to z/Action!
Each month, we spotlight some of the world’s most innovative companies and how they’re driving success with IBM Z.

About the Podcast
The road from junior professional to Subject Matter Expert (SME) is a long but rewarding journey, paved with learning, mentorship, and strategic career moves. This podcast serves as a guidepost for early-career professionals, tackling key challenges such as finding mentors, gaining visibility, and building expertise. Through engaging discussions and actionable strategies, we aim to help individuals stay on course and accelerate their journey on the road to becoming SMEs.

Join us on our first episode of the New to Z: Road to SME Podcast, where Joe shares his insights and expertise on the latest developments in mainframe innovation.
Joe Winchester is a Senior Technical Staff Manager and Master Inventor at IBM, known for his leadership in open-source mainframe innovation. A core contributor to Zowe since 2019, he serves on its Technical Steering Committee and helps guide the project’s evolution and community engagement. In 2024, he helped launch Zowe 3.0 and the IBMz AIOps Corner podcast, spotlighting voices across the mainframe industry. As an Open Mainframe Project Ambassador, Joe brings topics like quantum-safe encryption and resilience to global open-source and academic forums.

In this episode we talk to George Chudyk lecturer of Computer Science in Bergen Community College, New Jersey. His best advice is, “If you think of something you want to do, if you envision a solution to a problem, just do it! If you get 50 errors, fix the first two, run it again, fix the 2nd, 3rd, run it again and just try it out”!

Listen to a lecturer who disputes textbooks and will tell you why!

Resources

Lecture 6 - Discover IBM Z Xplore

Hear from Monica Siegel and George Chudyk a lecturer in Bergen Community College as they discuss the benefits of IBM Z Xplore and how to leverage this learning platform to teach about mainframes in the classroom. Listen to an educator with hands-on experience!

Visit the IBM Z Educator Hub User Group on the IBM Z and LinuxONE Community for IBM Z educators to find the latest communications, news and events, as well as collaborate and network. Check out technical lecture’s, blogs, events, videos, discussions, and more.

Join here

Subscribe to “The z/Education!” Podcast. Each month we talk to IBM Z Educators from around the world on their success stories, journeys and their best practices.

Interskill Learning is the most awarded, widely delivered, and IBM-credentialed mainframe workforce training solution in the industry. It addresses critical mainframe skills gaps and empowers teams with scalable, cost-effective, on-demand access to an extensive, multimodal training resource-all year round.

Join us as we explore how to build a strong skills pipeline and sustain the vitality of the mainframe workforce. Hear from the exceptional CEO of Interskill Learning- Darren Surch, as he reveals how targeted training can help leaders and developers overcome challenges and drive a new era of mainframe innovation. Whether you are a seasoned tech professional or simply curious, this episode is your roadmap to future-proofing your mainframe workforce!

Resources

To learn more about Interskill Learning, visit them on the web.

Visit the ISV Ecosystem User Group on the IBM Z and LinuxONE Community for more updates on how ISVs and partners are innovating the IBM Z platform: blogs, events, videos, discussions, and more. Join here.

Subscribe to z/Action! Each month we meet some of the world's most innovative companies as they share how they're expanding horizons and driving success with IBM Z.

Dr. David Woolbright Emeritus Professor of Computer Science talks about his passion for teaching programming languages and how he made learning assembler interesting and fun!!
His best advice “Be excited about what you're teaching and, if you're excited, the students will be excited!”. The biggest surprise reveal is that in his retirement he is a writer of mystery novels!

Listen to this fascinating episode about his journey as an educator and an author!

Resources

Dr. David Woolbright’s - The Punctilious Programmer

Visit the IBM Z Educator Hub User Group on the IBM Z and LinuxONE Community for IBM Z educators to find the latest communications, news and events, as well as collaborate and network. Check out technical lecture’s, blogs, events, videos, discussions, and more.

Join here

Subscribe to “The z/Education!” Podcast. Each month we talk to IBM Z Educators from around the world on their success stories, journeys and their best practices.