As we close out Apereo's 2025 Microconference Series, we’re ending with a timely and foundational conversation—one that sits at the intersection of open infrastructure, academic missions, and the future of research.
On August 8, Ithaka S+R and the Apereo Foundation—supported by the National Science Foundation, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, and the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative—hosted a national workshop exploring a critical question:
How do we sustain open source software created within the research enterprise—long term, equitably, and at scale?
In this microconference, presenters Dylan Ruediger and Chelsea McCracken will share key findings and recommendations from the workshop, including what surprised participants, the challenges that remain, and the practical paths forward that are emerging for higher education.
Key Themes You’ll Explore
- Harnessing the overlap between the academic mission and OSS - Including student workforce development and viewing software as scholarship.
- Funding OSS as infrastructure - Sustainability requires a long-term commitment, thorough planning, and substantial investment.
- Strengthening systems of coordination - From on-campus leadership and cross-institution collaboration to community standards and mapping the software ecosystem.
What You’ll Take Away
A clearer understanding of what OSS sustainability means in the research context
Workshop-informed approaches to today’s biggest sustainability challenges
Practical recommendations you can connect to your own role—whether technical, administrative, instructional, or strategic
This is our final microconference of 2025—and a crucial conversation for anyone working with, funding, or relying on open source tools in research.
Meet the Presenters
Dylan Ruediger, Principal, The Research Enterprise, Ithaka S+R
Dylan Ruediger is principal for the research enterprise at Ithaka S+R, where he leads projects designed to help universities, funders, lawmakers, and scholars develop evidence-based responses to the technological, cultural, and political changes that shape the production and circulation of scholarly knowledge. Prior to joining Ithaka S+R, Dylan coordinated a national initiative to better align doctoral education with changing professional opportunities within and beyond the academy at the American Historical Association. Dylan earned a bachelor’s degree in critical theory at Hampshire College and holds a PhD in history from Georgia State University.
Chelsea McCracken, Researcher, Ithaka S+R
Chelsea McCracken is a researcher on Ithaka S+R’s Libraries, Scholarly Communication, and Museums team, where she focuses on the research enterprise. Trained as a linguist, Chelsea has conducted and published social science research in the academic, nonprofit, and private sectors. She has a passion for using evidence-based findings to improve systems and benefit people. Chelsea’s prior work experience includes roles in academic libraries, healthcare market research, education, and child welfare policy, as well as serving as a tenure-track professor of interdisciplinary studies at Utah Tech University.