PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas (April 7, 2023) — In February, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), a subsidiary of the Department of Commerce, announced Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU), alongside 60 other colleges and universities, was awarded a collective $175 million on the Internet for All Initiative as part of the Connecting Minority Communities Pilot Program (CMC).
PVAMU is to receive $3 million for the Air Panther NextGen Network (APNN), a future-forward university initiative that connects teaching, research, and service to tangible outcomes for students, faculty, staff, and community stakeholders.
The proposal team includes:
- Rebecca L. Faison-Director, Office of Continuing Education (principal investigator),
- Tony Moore, Chief Information Officer (co-principal investigator),
- Charlene Stubblefield, Executive Director of Center for Instructional Innovation & Technology Services (co-principal investigator),
- Magesh Rajan, Vice President of Research (co-principal investigator)
“Support for significant aid to improve broadband and infrastructure is a boost for faculty, students, and the community surrounding our campus,” said PVAMU Vice President of
Research &Innovation Magesh Rajan, Ph.D., P.E., MBA. “The University is always working to engage with the economic development of Waller Country and Hempstead ISD. This grant assists our efforts to keep minority communities well-connected.”
Rebecca L. Faison, Ph.D., Director of Continuing Education, Principal Investigator
“As a land grant institution, PVAMU works to support education, research, extension and outreach that address critical challenges at many levels,” shared Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs, James M. Palmer. “This award helps to amplify that work on campus and in communities close to home, particularly supporting broadband upgrades, continuing education initiatives, and training programs in digital skills.”
The first phase of The University’s initiative will focus on shoring up the university’s internal infrastructure related to broadband and technology-mediated classroom connectivity. In the second phase of the APNN rollout, PVAMU will extend the benefits of this infrastructural upgrade to the greater local community. The project design will produce results that diminish the digital divide while simultaneously building bridges for the university and its anchor communities.
“The Air Panther NextGen Network seeks to elevate the socio-economic status of the communities we serve by supporting more equitable access to education, digital competencies, and relevant skills,” said Rebecca L. Faison, Ph.D., Director of Continuing Education. “This project will produce more positive people experiences by further building linkages between PVAMU and surrounding communities.”
The project’s outcomes include:
- PVAMU broadband infrastructure upgrades
- SMART Boards and HyFlex technologies for designated PVAMU classrooms
- Virtual reality augmented classroom training series for pre-service and in-service teachers
- Continuing education platform for non-traditional students
- Hempstead ISD technology assistance and improvements
- Digital skills training programs for PVAMU students and residents of Hempstead and Prairie View
The Biden-Harris Administration’s Internet for All Initiative seeks to connect everyone in America with affordable, reliable high-speed Internet service. According to the NTIA, this program explicitly directs $268 million from the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 for expanding high-speed Internet access and connectivity to eligible HBCUs, Tribal Colleges or Universities (TCUs), and other Minority-serving institutions (MSIs).
“Access to affordable, reliable, high-speed Internet service is necessary for minority students and local communities to fully access school, healthcare, and jobs,” said Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “The Department of Commerce has made significant investment into minority-serving colleges and universities, and I am proud to say that all funding from the Connecting Minority Communities program has been distributed to help make Internet connectivity a reality for tens of thousands of students at minority-serving colleges and universities across the country.”
By Jenna Craig