Academics

Dell gift provides $300K in learning resources for aspiring computer engineers

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- A recent gift from Dell will provide Penn State computer science and computer engineering students with the educational tools they need to succeed in the classroom.

The in-kind donation, worth more than $300,000, was provided as part of a Dell Seed Program and includes equipment, software and software licenses.

Raj Acharya, head of the computer science and engineering (CSE) department in Penn State's College of Engineering, said, "Students in the CSE department study and experiment with algorithms and procedures that might bring the computers and the network down. Thanks to this gift from Dell, students can explore different technical concepts and if they make a mistake, it won't affect other systems at the University. Every student in the department will use this equipment and will benefit from Dell's generosity."

He added that the equipment, including Dell's SonicWALL and Force10 technology, is being deployed in a manner that prioritizes stewardship of University assets while at the same time fosters experimentalism. "With the combination of Force10 intelligent switching and routing equipment, and SonicWALL advanced firewalls, the CSE department will be able to fulfill both of these seemingly incompatible objectives."

Rich Hansen, regional sales director at Dell, said Penn State is one of Dell's top accounts in the country. "We have a very strong partnership with the University. This contribution seemed like a good fit for Penn State's computer science program."

He noted that Dell's gift ultimately benefits both entities. "Penn State students will have access to critical classroom learning resources and Dell will continue to be a trusted partner of the University."

Penn State's alumni and friends are invaluable partners in fulfilling the University's land-grant mission of education, research and service. Private gifts from alumni and friends enrich the experiences of students both in and out of the classroom; expand the research and teaching capacity of our faculty; enhance the University's ability to recruit and retain top students and faculty; and help to ensure that students from every economic background have access to a Penn State education. The University's colleges and campuses are now enlisting the support of alumni and friends to advance a range of unit-specific initiatives.

Last Updated March 24, 2015