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Villanova
University awarder $1.8 million grant to fund Inaugural Technology Project
of Center of Excellence
Partners with
local IT Company, Gestalt, LLC to boost regional competitiveness in hig-growth
area of enterprise technology
By Barbara
K. Clement
On Oct. 26 in the Software Engineering Projects Laboratory of the
Mendel Science Center, an overflow crowd of students, faculty and guests
were on hand to witness the presentation to Dr. John Lewis of a $1.8 million
government grant. Obtained by U.S. Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA) to fund the
inaugural project of the Center of Excellence in Enterprise Technology, the
event drew a significant number of academic administrators including vice
president for Academic Affairs, Dr. John R. Johannes who acted as master of
ceremonies; Dr. Milton Cole, assistant vice president for Research and
Sponsored Projects; Mario D’Ignazio, assistant dean of the College of
Liberal Arts and Sciences; and Dr. Robert Beck, chair of the computing
sciences department.
Dr. John Lewis in his opening remarks focused on the partnership created by
this project with a regional IT firm, Gestalt, LLC and its president and
CEO, William “Bill” Loftus, a Villanova alumnus.
The Federal grant will be used over the next two years to help advance
the University’s position in the field of enterprise technology, one of the
nation’s hottest economic growth areas.
It was noted that demand for computing science and
enterprise technology workers will increase three times faster than all job
categories this decade – according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Eighty-six percent of those jobs - 2.2 million - will be in the computer
field. The grant obtained by Senator Specter will help improve the design of
software to facilitate better use of highly distributed heterogeneous
resources. The project will result in new technologies that will lead to
improved communication, decreased waste, and higher efficiency. |
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