FROM THE PRESIDENT
BY: JOE FREDDOSO, PRESIDENT & CEO

Joe Freddoso President & CEO

Thanks to all of you, some great beginnings: A person often begins a new role with great anticipation and expectations. It was no different for me when I began work at MCNC on July 1st. Although I had known many of the staff, MCNC Board of Directors, MCNC Advisory Committee and members of the NCREN community for significant amounts of time, I had no idea the outpouring of support, guidance and great advice would have as much positive impact as it has. The sense of welcoming, hospitality and enthusiasm as I have traveled the state has been overwhelming. I want to thank all of you for

The MCNC/NCREN team is working diligently on becoming an integral part of North Carolina’s planned K-20 Education Backbone.  We have made significant progress in the last quarter toward this goal.  Major milestones include:  the General Assembly approving a FY08-09 budget that includes connectivity funding for the North Carolina Community College System and for the 115 North Carolina Local Education Agencies to attach to a common backbone network; the North Carolina State Board of Education approving a K12 connectivity plan that names NCREN as part of the education backbone network; and finally, the MCNC Board of Directors confirming their willingness to invest in the next upgrade of NCREN should MCNC be called upon to provide core network services and engineering oversight for the K20 Education Backbone. 

There is still a significant path to travel to ensure all students in North Carolina receive the full benefits of high speed, low latency connectivity.  If we work with partners like the Friday Institute at North Carolina State University; North Carolina Information Technology Services; the BETA commission; e-NC; the E-Learning Commission; the North Carolina General Assembly; the Education Cabinet; the office of the Lieutenant Governor and the Governor’s office, we will surely accomplish great things.

There are a couple of major themes around this fall’s newsletter. The first theme is focused on some of the many activities in which MCNC’s Advanced Initiatives team is engaged.  Stories about:

1. Adding Transit Rail peering capability to NCREN
2. Demonstration activities related to the recently held Global Lambda Integrated Facility (GLIF) 7th Annual Global Lambda Grid conference
3. Through a partnership with Centennial Campus Middle School (CCMS) at North Carolina State University (NCSU), MCNC helped display the power of live video conferencing in K12 education collaboration.  At the Tampa, Florida, Museum of Science and Industry, Dr. Louis A. Martin-Vega, Dean of the College of Engineering at NCSU and the 2007 Hispanic Scientist of the Year spoke to over 1000 underprivileged students about the importance of science and math and moderated a demonstration by the CCMS and Stewart Middle Magnet School in Tampa allowing them to share their virtual collaboration project on water testing.

The third Advanced Initiatives (AI) story on Dean Martin-Vega’s presentation gives insight into how MCNC’s AI team is working to use emerging and advanced technologies to open new horizons in education.  Distance learning is now common place, but the quality and robustness of state and national research networks allows real time collaboration between students all over the world.  This goes well beyond taking an online course.  Expect more of this type of focus from the AI team in the future.

The second major theme of the MCNC Fall Newsletter is the NCREN Community’s innovative use of the network and technology in education.  Two stories highlight this.  You will read about Rhonda Moses, the Tech Advisor for Northampton County Schools and her strategies for working with teachers to integrate technology into teaching and learning.  The second story outlines the many ways Western Carolina University, under the leadership of MCNC Board of Director’s member and Chancellor John Bardo are leveraging technology to extend the reach of the Computer Networking; Advanced Manufacturing; Theater and Visual Arts and Audio and Video Production concentrations of study.

In early August, I had the opportunity to visit Western Carolina University and spend most of a morning with Chancellor Bardo.   The campus in Cullowhee is absolutely gorgeous nestled in the beautiful mountains.  Beyond the scenery however is a hotbed of innovation.  I was extraordinarily impressed with the intelligent investments that have translated into areas of