Purdue News
Purdue News
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July 10, 2001 CyberStar top educator builds education-business partnershipsWEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – When it comes to the subject of information technology, Purdue University Professor James E. Goldman means business – for his students, the university and Indiana's economy. Goldman, a professor in Purdue's Department of Computer Technology, received the Outstanding Information Technology Educator Award at the second annual Indiana Information Technology Association's CyberStar Awards. During a May ceremony in Indianapolis, Goldman and other individuals and companies were recognized for contributing to the state's efforts to become a leader in information technology. "This association plays a pivotal role in promoting the desirability of Indiana as a place for the information technology industry and infrastructure enterprises to start, locate, grow and prosper," Goldman said. "As a proven leader in information technology research and education, Purdue University is a crucial partner in this endeavor." To that end, Goldman was responsible for creating the Telecommunications and Networking Technology Program, a telecommunications-specific undergraduate curriculum. This accomplishment was cited in his award nomination and was a reason Goldman was honored. "The work Jim Goldman and his colleagues do is one of the reasons Purdue's School of Technology is without peer," said President Martin C. Jischke, a presenter at this year's CyberStar Awards ceremony. "In cooperation with the Indiana Information Technology Association, using a Lilly Endowment grant, we are bringing our graduates together with Indiana businesses. All of us at Purdue congratulate Jim and the Indiana Information Technology Association for working together to provide top educational opportunities for students and putting Indiana companies at the head of the line to employ these bright, young people." In building the curriculum, Goldman sought and secured partnerships with Oracle and Tivoli Systems, the software management system providers, as well as telecommunications equipment vendors such as Tellabs Inc., Cisco Systems Inc., ADTRAN Inc. and Nortel Networks, to raise funds for laboratories and equipment. The curriculum and facilities were designed to provide students with real-world networking experience and to supply an information technology industry in need of workers with qualified, experienced graduates. The business-education partnership worked, said Jeffrey L. Whitten, professor and head of the Department of Computer Technology. "The Telecommunications and Networking Technology Program was recently cited by Purdue's Center for Career Opportunities for producing graduates with the highest starting salary of any four-year program at Purdue," Whitten said in nominating Goldman for the education award. The 1999-2000 average yearly salary for Purdue graduates with computer information systems technology degrees was $51,574. Last year, the department's 93 graduates enjoyed 100 percent job placement. The 2001 figures will be released in September. Goldman's industry ties have extended into applied technology research, technology transfer and consulting. In 1998 he acquired space and funding for applied technology research and technology transfer outside of the classroom setting. With university support and encouragement, Goldman established a faculty-owned consulting firm in the Purdue Research Park. By bringing applied research opportunities from Fortune 100 companies and government agencies to West Lafayette, students and faculty were afforded the opportunity to work with cutting-edge technology, Whitten said. "Jim's success in the classroom and with the consulting firm is consistent with state initiatives to keep top students in the state and to attract more high-tech businesses to Indiana," Whitten said. Goldman also has developed partnerships with other companies that have helped build labs with more than $5 million in equipment for student use. Other partnership activities with businesses have led to faculty and student internships, scholarships and research sponsorship. "To be recognized for my efforts in the development of information technology education at Purdue, beyond being a personal honor, is confirmation of Indiana's potential to become a center of information technology research and development," Goldman said. Sources: James E. Goldman, (765) 494-9525; jegoldman@tech.purdue.edu Martin C. Jischke, (765) 494-9708 Writer: Grant Flora, (765) 494-2073; gflora@purdue.edu Sources: James E. Goldman, (765) 494-9525; jegoldman@tech.purdue.edu Martin C. Jischke, (765) 494-9708 Other source: Jeffrey L. Whitten, (765) 494-4545; jlwhitten@tech.purdue.edu Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu
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