Agilent Redirects Equipment Donations From Major Universities To Sonona State

Scientific equipment used at some of the world's top engineering universities is now available to students at Sonoma State University thanks to a recent donation by Agilent Technologies.

The company has donated $150,000 worth of photonics and test and measurement equipment that gives students an opportunity to track lasers and measure unknown light sources as part of its continued support of the School of Science and Technology. This gift is in addition to Agilent's original $1 million equipment donation in 2002.

The donated equipment is being used in the Agilent Technologies Communications Laboratory at SSU as part of the new Engineering Science Department, which includes both bachelor's and master's programs. The equipment consists of fiber optic and electronic test and measurement instruments.

Agilent also came to the rescue of the School of Science and Technology with the donation of 75 pallets of Herman Miller furniture valued at approximately $24,500 to help provide office space for faculty and staff during the renovation of the School's science building, Darwin Hall, over the next two years.

The cubicles and desks, which would have amounted to a nearly $150,000 expenditure if purchased new, is being used on the second floor of the Schultz Information Center and at other locations on the campus. Darwin Hall is being completely evacuated for a $29.5 million upgrade financed by the passage of state bond measures.

Agilent's donations are part of a program to benefit universities and colleges in geographical areas where the company has offices and plants. Jeff Weber, Agilent's Sonoma County public affairs manager, says the sophisticated instruments donated to SSU are similar to equipment given by the company to engineering programs at larger universities in the U.S. and around the world.

"Agilent is proud to have been involved in helping SSU establish its engineering degree programs, and our goal with the donations is to enable those programs to grow and flourish," Weber says. "We value the partnership with SSU and will be looking for additional ways to support the Engineering Sciences Department."

Agilent test and measurement equipment is used by international global communication and aerospace and defense companies in the design, development, manufacture, installation, deployment and operation of electronic equipment and systems and communications networks and services.

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