UB 'Next Generation Scientists' Project Receives $50,000 Grant from Verizon

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- To help today's high school students become tomorrow's scientists and technologists, Verizon is supporting with a $50,000 grant a project offering students at three area high schools the opportunity to build small computer clusters.

The project, which may be the first of its kind in the nation, is being conducted by the Center for Computational Research at the University at Buffalo.

Verizon representatives and UB staff met today (April 2, 2003) at CCR with teachers and students from the schools -- City Honors High School, Mt. St. Mary Academy and Orchard Park High School -- to announce the grant. The students and faculty visited CCR, viewing several projects on the center's high-end visualization systems and the large Dell computer clusters that are the model for the mini-clusters that will be built at each high school.

E. Bruce Pitman, UB vice provost for educational technology, addressed the group, giving them a brief overview of bioinformatics and the role of the supercomputing clusters in supporting the work of the UB Center of Excellence in Bioinformatics.

The new project, "Next Generation Scientists: Training for Students and Teachers," will provide students with a solid base of knowledge in science and technology, particularly in the areas of computing, bioinformatics and computational biology. Western New York high school teachers, with support from UB scientists, will develop materials to educate students in these disciplines.

The students themselves will participate in extra-curricular courses at their schools, learning the essentials of networking, and building and programming small Linux-based cluster computers that have the same fundamental technology as the much larger supercomputers in CCR. HP-Compaq donated the computers that will be used in the project.

"UB has shown itself to be a real leader in informational technology," said Maureen Rasp-Glose, community affairs director for Verizon Foundation, "and we are eager to support those activities that enrich the community by engaging high school students in extraordinary educational experiences."

Rasp-Glose said that because of its commitment to the community, the Verizon Foundation invests in projects that target literacy, workforce development and neighborhood technology programs.

Thanking Verizon for the grant, Pitman said CCR and the UB Center of Excellence in Bioinformatics offer students "unparalleled opportunities to learn about bioinformatics and computational biology." Because of CCR's capabilities, UB is listed on http://www.gapcon.com as the eighth largest supercomputing center in the world.

Robert Farwell, Jr., principal of Orchard Park High School, praised the project and past CCR student workshops that, he said, encourage students to pursue further study in science and technology. "Our world can only benefit from intelligent, caring and knowledgeable students and educators working together to improve the quality of life for others," he added.

The $50,000 grant from Verizon is part of the "The Campaign for UB: Generation to Generation," which is in its final phase and has a goal of $250 million.

For information on how you can support the University at Buffalo, go to http://www.buffalo.edu/giving.