Agricultural and Industrial Sciences Gets $68,000 Lab from HP

The Department of Agricultural and Industrial Sciences at Sam Houston State University will have a new lab next fall thanks to a $68,000 HP Technology for Teaching grant from the HP technology company.

Michael Lau, assistant professor of agriculture and the project coordinator, said SHSU will receive 21 personal computers, a projector, printer, laptop cart, and digital camera for the lab. It will be named the HP Agricultural Technology Learning Laboratory and will be located in the Thomason Building.

"We are extremely pleased to be one of 42 two- and four-year colleges and Universities in the United States and Puerto Rico to receive one of these grants," said Lau. "It will greatly assist our students in their studies in engineering, math, science and computer science."

In addition to Lau, other agriculture faculty members involved include Doug Kingman, Dwayne Pavelock and Robert Lane.

“Our goal is to dispel the myth that agriculture is low-tech while enhancing learning in agriculture with up-to-date teaching methodologies so students are best prepared when entering the workforce,” said Kingman.

The Department of Agricultural and Industrial Sciences currently has 18 faculty members teaching in all disciplines. Approximately 10 will use the lab for advance courses. The department enrolls 950 undergraduate and 50 graduate students.

In 2007, HP is awarding 172 K-12 public schools and two- and four-year colleges and universities in the United States and Puerto Rico more than $7 million in mobile technology, cash and professional development. During the past 20 years, HP has contributed more than $1 billion in cash and equipment to schools, universities, community organizations and other nonprofit organizations around the world.

"HP empowers students and teachers to succeed through innovative uses of technology and training,” said Sidney Espinosa, director of the HP Philanthropy Program. “We invest in schools to increase educational attainment and contribute to the development of a skilled, diverse workforce in the future.”

More information about the 2007 HP Technology for Teaching program and grant recipients is available at http://www.hp.com/go/hpteach.

More information about Sam Houston State University and the Department of Agricultural and Industrial Sciences is available at http://www.shsu.edu/~agr_www/.
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SHSU Media Contact: Frank Krystyniak
May 9, 2007
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