Media Advisory

TO                         NEWS EDITORS, BUSINESS AND EDUCATION REPORTERS

FROM                     UAF Computer Science Department

SUBJECT                Largest Computer Donation in UAF History

LOCATION              Visualization Lab, 205 Chapman Building, UAF Campus

DATE & TIME          Sept. 28, 2 – 3 p.m.

UAF’s computer science department will receive a new IBM AS/400 server, including a complete database, Java Virtual Machine, Internet server and data mining capabilities. IBM is teaming up with MAPCO Alaska to provide the largest, single donation of computer hardware, software and services in UAF’s history.

The IBM AS/400 computer and operating system will be presented to UAF Chancellor Joan Wadlow in 205 Chapman Building, Monday, Sept 28 at 2 p.m. Todd Kelsey of IBM’s Rochester, Minn. office along with Jeff Cook, MAPCO Alaska vice president, will participate.

Cook and Kelsey will also discuss placement of UAF computer science students after graduation, and their practice of hiring UAF computer science interns. Kelsey is also expected to discuss IBM’s new diversity program that identifies the nation’s top minority students. UAF participated in the program for the first time this year.

Last September, IBM donated an earlier version of the AS/400, valued at about $300,000. Since then, IBM has provided a $135,000 RS/6000 UNIX system to the UAF electrical engineering department, seven IBM Thinkpad Laptop computers worth around $6,000 to Rural Student Services and the UAF chapter of the American Indian Science and Engineering Society, and four "as is'" IBM Netstations worth approximately $10,000. The total estimated value of IBM’s donation over the past year, including the new AS/400 next week, is close to $1 million.

CONTACT: UAF Public Information Officer Debra Damron, (907) 474-7122.

DPD/9-22-98/99-016ma