Congress appropriates $2.5 million for Rutgers' computer network
Archived article from Oct 30, 1998
By Amy Vames
Congress has appropriated $2.5 million for RUNet 2000, Rutgers' comprehensive, advanced data, video and voice communications infrastructure. The funds will strengthen the university's outreach efforts to K-12 students in New Jersey.
The funds were appropriated by Congress through the Technology Innovation Challenge Grant Program, part of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act.
RUNet 2000, expected to cost nearly $100 million, will support and enhance the university's teaching, research and public-service capabilities. Believed to be the largest single project of its kind at any American university, RUNet 2000 will complete, upgrade and expand the existing Rutgers network.
"I would like to thank the New Jersey congressional delegation for its support of the RUNet 2000 project and for the members' collaboration on this bill," said President Francis L. Lawrence. "The appropriation would not have been possible without the work of the entire delegation, but we are particularly grateful for the efforts of several members.
"Our special thanks go to Sen. Frank Lautenberg and Sen. Robert Torricelli. Sen. Torricelli made this issue his top priority and provided extraordinary support for the measure, and Sen. Lautenberg made a strong personal commitment to this program in its early stages and has represented us ably as the only New Jersey member of the Senate Appropriations Committee.
"We also want to thank Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen and Frank Pallone. Mr. Frelinghuysen, the sole New Jersey member on the House Appropriations Committee, took the lead in garnering support for the bill from that committee. Rep. Pallone organized support from the state's entire House delegation.
"This appropriation is a classic example of the New Jersey delegation working together on behalf of the state and Rutgers," Lawrence continued.
"The delegation recognizes that the successful modern university uses computers and the Internet to improve its delivery of services to students and other constituents, to enhance interaction between faculty and students both on and off campus, and to enable researchers to communicate and collaborate with colleagues around the world. Through its support of RUNet 2000, the delegation is helping New Jersey's state university achieve its goal of becoming one of the nation's very top public research universities."
RUNet 2000 will strengthen the university's outreach efforts and collaborative work with New Jersey's primary and secondary schools, with other colleges and universities, and with the state's businesses and government. Once it is fully deployed, RUNet 2000 will make the university's resources available to virtually all of New Jersey's citizens.
RUNet 2000 will also facilitate the high bandwidth connections the university requires as a leading member of Internet2, the national initiative to accelerate the next generation of the Internet. The project is focused on the development of new advanced applications to meet academic requirements in teaching, learning and research.
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