AT&T Gives Grant To New UB School Of Information Studies

BUFFALO, N.Y. - AT&T has awarded UB's new School of Information Studies (SIS) a $50,000 grant to plan a curriculum to address New York State's information-technology needs.

Representatives of AT&T today (Sept. 23, 1999) presented a check to fund the project to UB President William R. Greiner and David J. Triggle, UB provost.

"Information-technology skills are crucial to today's workforce, yet relatively few colleges and universities offer advanced degree-granting programs in information technology," Greiner said.

"This generous grant from AT&T will enable our new School of Information Studies to become a leader in the field, preparing the school's graduates for exciting careers designing and managing information systems in a wide array of settings, from research facilities to libraries. We are grateful to AT&T for its support and the expertise of its personnel as we assess the curriculum needs of our School of Information Studies during this crucial formative stage."

Earl Quenzel, vice president of education markets for AT&T, noted that "as one of the world's leading providers of voice and data communications, AT&T is pleased to be able to help the University at Buffalo develop new programs that will educate and train students for the information-technology industry -- an area widely acknowledged as one in which educational and training programs are sorely needed."

Quenzel added: "The new School of Information Studies will build on UB's well-known strengths in the areas of communication and library science to focus on the use of computer and network applications in a wide range of organizational settings."

Robert V. Berger, client business manager with AT&T for New York State and New York City government, said: "The new curriculum will also meet some of the state's need for trained information-technology workers, while serving as a resource for AT&T and other industries in the state, and as a magnet for attracting scholars, industry leaders, and students interested in information studies."

Triggle said UB will serve the community well by leading the way in information technology. "The scientific and social aspects of information gathering, transmission, reception and analysis are of increasing importance in this knowledge-based world," Triggle added. "Our ability to communicate effectively in the future will depend even more on the effective use of information."

To plan the curriculum, faculty members from the school's Department of Library and Information Studies and the Department of Communication will work with AT&T representatives to conduct interviews and focus groups to identify industry needs and available resources within New York State. They will use the information to design a survey used to query public- and private-sector organizations to determine their technology and communication needs. With an understanding of these needs, they will be able to develop a leading-edge curriculum that addresses them.

The School of Information and Library Studies and the university's Department of Communication, part of the College of Arts and Sciences, merged on July 1 to create the School of Information Studies.

The school will offer bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees in communication; a master's degree in library and information science, and a post-master's degree certificate and a cooperative doctoral program in higher education/academic librarianship in conjunction with UB's Graduate School of Education.

The school also plans to offer two new degree programs: a doctorate in library and information science, and an interdisciplinary master's degree in information and communication that will focus on the use of computer and network applications as employed in a wide range of organizations and jobs.

AT&T is the world's premier provider of voice and data communications, with more than 80 million customers, including business, government and consumers. AT&T runs the world's largest, most powerful long-distance network and the largest wireless network in North America. The company is a leading supplier of data and Internet services for businesses and the nation's largest direct Internet service provider to consumers. AT&T also provides local telephone service to a growing number of businesses.

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