July 25, 2000
BIRMINGHAM, AL — The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics has been selected by the National Science Foundation as one of 13 universities across the country to receive special commercial equipment for a new Internet Teaching Laboratory. The project is sponsored by the Cooperative Association for Internet Data Analysis and is made possible through donations of equipment and engineering expertise from computer companies Cisco Systems, Cable & Wireless and MCI.
“Although we have been offering our students ‘hands-on’ Internet working experience for several years, the equipment we are getting from this grant will have a significant impact on our program,” said Anthony Barnard, Ph.D., professor of computer and information science. “Our students will now have the opportunity to work with commercial grade equipment that was until recently part of the Internet backbone.”
Specifically, the Department of Computer and Information Science is receiving three commercial routers that were previously used by Cisco. The equipment would have cost $60,000 a piece if purchased new. According to Barnard, the equipment allows for a new computer lab which in turn means more hands-on experience for students.
The Internet Technology Lab program is an extension of the San Diego Supercomputer Center’s CAIDA Internet Engineering Curriculum project that includes a repository for teaching materials from university courses, vendor training materials and tutorials. The IEC provides university faculty with current resources for updating and designing their networking courses.
Other universities receiving the equipment are: The University of California, San Diego; Grand Valley State University; Humboldt State University; Kent State University; North Carolina State University; Syracuse University; The University of California, Los Angeles; The University of New Hampshire; The University of Southern California; The University of Texas, Austin; Ohio University; and Florida State University.