The AIM Institute Speakers Bureau features our staff members with expertise in information technology, e-commerce, workforce recruitment, and career exploration.  Please contact Dee Studt at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it to arrange a speaker:

There is an impending workforce shortage on the horizon and working through the options left to business and other entities will not be easy.  What best practices are being used in the area and the nation to deal with those challenges?  Consider the alternatives in an interesting and open presentation of the problem of workforce crisis, what may be causing it, the effects it may have on your business, and what solutions are available and tested for business.  Learn from the best practices noticed around the state and nation as well as new solutions that may not have been considered. 

As the Business Development Director for the AIM Institute, Tim Erickson's responsibilities include research of public policy and business development issues as well as assistance with strategic partnerships including business, government, education, and communities, especially in Nebraska and the surrounding area.  He is also responsible for coordinating development of Business tools for outstate areas and assists with project management in several of our grants.  Erickson is a graduate of the University of Nebraska and has a law degree from Creighton Law School.  He has 15 years of experience in government and business and has worked for Governors and the Legislature as well as his background in information technology businesses. 

Additional Topics: Entrepreneurship, IT & Education, Legal Issues in IT, Government and IT, IT Implementation in Business, Communities and IT. 

Open Source software has been part of the IT landscape for many years. But have you explored the benefits of using open source in your organization? Learn from Adam Haeder's experience in implementing and using software that's free or low-cost but most importantly open to modification. Haeder will identify open source software designed to handle basic business functions common to every organization.  

As the Vice President of Information Technology for AIM, Haeder's responsibilities include management of the IT department and all related technology ventures. He has been the lead instructor in AIM's Cisco Regional Networking Academy and is the Vice President of the Omaha Linux Users Group. Haeder has written books about the IT job market and Linux certification. He serves on the technology advisory councils of Omaha Public Schools, Millard Public Schools, the University of Nebraska Lincoln and Omaha campuses, and the Linux Professional Institute. Haeder has a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science from the University of South Dakota. 

Additional Topics: Networking, Linux, and Cyber Security 

Marie Hiykel

Educational Grants Manager

Presentation: Using an Online Career Center

Learn how jobseekers and students use the Virtual Career Center to discover exciting career fields, assess their individual strengths, determine their salary potential, and learn about job-search strategies, techniques, and resume writing. The Virtual Career Center also provides access to information about universities and organizations that helps jobseekers and students acquire the education they need in order to qualify for the career of their choice.

Marie Hiykel has served at the AIM Institute since 1999 as a TRiO Grant Manager for Educational Talent Search. Hiykel is responsible for staff supervision, curriculum development and budget management with emphasis on coordination of student academic programming and staff development. She enjoys the opportunity of bringing curriculum, technology and research together for 21st-century teaching and learning. Hiykel received both her Master of Science (2003) and Bachelor of Science (2000) degrees in Elementary Education from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. She received an endorsement in Instructional Technology at UNO in 2008.

Dr. Robert Sweeney

AIM President & CEO Emeritus

Presentation: Trends in IT Management Functions and Strategies 

Anyone associated with information technology over the last few decades has witnessed incredible changes both in technology and in the structure of the IT organization. The last decade has brought an explosion of web-based technologies leading to previously unimagined strategic opportunities but accompanied by major IT management issues. AIM's latest research explores how Nebraska IT departments are responding to this challenge through their technology platforms and the role and breadth of their responsibilities.

Robert Sweeney, Ph.D., is President & CEO Emeritus for the AIM Institute. Sweeney began with AIM as the Executive Director in April 1992 and retired as President & CEO in October 2006. He has more than 30 years of professional experience as an educator, manager and economist. Sweeney has been a catalyst for growth within AIM and has provided leadership for the information technology community. Sweeney holds a Ph.D. in Economics from Georgia State University, an M.S. in Agricultural Economics from Louisiana State University and a B.S. in Farm Operations from Iowa State University.