|
Campus: Sonoma State University -- February 20, 2002
Agilent Technologies To Donate $1 Million In Photonics, Optics
And Communications Test Equipment To Sonoma State University
Agilent Technologies has announced it will donate electronic test
and measurement equipment valued at $1 million to establish a new engineering
science laboratory at Sonoma State University.
The Agilent Technologies Communications Laboratory will feature a variety
of industry-leading photonics, optics and communications test instruments
used by graduate students in the university's Masters program in Computer
and Engineering Science (MS-CES) as well as undergraduate students in
applied physics.
At the same time, Agilent Corporate-University Relations announced other
major donations to Stanford University, UC Davis, University of Arizona,
and several other highly-regarded universities. "We are delighted
to be included in this prestigious group," said Dr. Saeid Rahimi,
Dean of the School of Science and Technology, who drafted the proposal
for the laboratory and equipment.
"This donation program honors and rewards a professor who demonstrated
creativity and innovation in educating future engineers and scientists
in the field of photonics, optics and communication technologies,"
said Kay Gilles, Ph.D., director of Agilent's university-relations program.
"We were looking for programs that emphasize theory and hands-on,
collaborative learning experiences for scientists and engineers who will
invent tomorrow's communication technologies," Gilles said.
The MS-CES program and the new Agilent Technologies Communications Laboratory
will promote collaborative research and teaching opportunities between
Sonoma State University and Agilent Technologies, according to Rahimi.
The donated equipment will include optical spectrum analyzers, lightwave
component analyzers and digital communications analyzers from the Lightwave
Division, which is based in the Airport Corporate Center. Electronic test
and measurement equipment from other Agilent organizations in Sonoma County
will round out the $1 million local donation.
"Agilent has a long history of partnership with Sonoma State University,
dating back to when we were part of the Hewlett-Packard Company,"
said Dave Bass, vice president of the Lightwave Division. "We are
honored and excited to work with the university in establishing a state-of-the-art
instructional laboratory devoted to photonics, optics and communication
technologies."
Dr. Ruben Arminana, president of the university, said "public /private
partnerships between Sonoma State University and companies such as Agilent
benefit all parties. Agilent's donation is not only generous for our students,
but thoughtful toward a future where higher education and industry support
one another."
|