Donation Develops E-Commerce Courses at Ohio University

Contact:  Mark A. Smith, (740) 593-0894

ATHENS, Ohio (January 22, 2001) -- Ohio University's Russ College of Engineering and Technology accepted a gift of $100,000 from EDS of Plano, Texas, to fund the design of four sequenced senior/graduate level e-commerce courses.

"These courses will produce engineering and business graduates who are proficient in the technologies and tools of electronic commerce," said Costas Vassiliadis, associate professor of electrical engineering and computer science, who designed the courses. 

The presentation was made following an EDS technology briefing at Ohio University's Irvine Hall Auditorium 199 at 3:15 p.m. Jan. 22. Brad Rucker, president of the EDS subsidiary Bluesphere, within EDS's E-Solutions division, presented the donation to Leonard Raley, vice president for university advancement.

"This support by EDS is an example to all companies that employ graduates of information technology programs," said Professor Dennis Irwin, chair of the School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. "EDS has influenced our curriculum in the best possible way  they have told us what they need to be changed and have provided the resources to effect that change."

The new curriculum track leads to a Certificate of Completion in E-Commerce Enabling Technologies. More information on the E-Commerce program can be found at www.ohiou.edu/ecommerce.

EDS, the world's second-largest computer services provider, is a leading pure-play global services company, providing strategy, implementation and hosting for clients managing the complexities of the digital economy. EDS serves the world's leading companies and governments in 55 countries globally. As the interactive integrator, Rucker's group creates custom Web sites that combine the talent of creative project management and technical knowledge with the integration expertise of EDS. Bluesphere teams with clients to build or enhance an interactive Internet presence and approaches each project by assessing a company's individual needs and mapping its expertise to suit those needs.