Dominican University Secures $1.98 Million Federal Grant for Enhanced Technology

Russell Diaz, Chief Information Officer, works with student intern Romauld Alexander in the IT skills lab.

Dominican University New York has been awarded a $1.98 million federal grant to provide the campus community with enhanced technology, increased broadband access, and additional IT training and support.  The grant is part of the Biden Administration’s Internet for All initiative and comes from the Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA).

The NTIA announced that 61 minority-serving colleges and universities across the country received grants through the Connecting Minority Communities Pilot Program.  Dominican University New York was the only institution of higher education in New York State to receive a grant.    

“We are so grateful to have secured this grant which will enable us to fund technological improvements on campus and will greatly enhance the educational experience of our students,” said Sr. Mary Eileen O’Brien, O.P., Ph.D., President, Dominican University New York.    

The project entitled “DU Connections: Building Broadband and IT Capacity” has a number of components. 

  • Wireless access on the Dominican University campus will be improved with the addition of wireless access points.  
  • The University will purchase hotspot access equipment, Wi-Fi extenders, and headphones to be lent to students for long-term use.
  • Additional IT staff members will be hired to offer technological training and support to students, faculty, and staff on internal systems such as Jenzabar, Blackboard, the DUNY app, and other software packages that support the educational mission.
  • Video cameras and podcasting equipment will be purchased to facilitate experiential learning with technology on campus and enhance remote learning. 
  • Additional student interns will be hired in the IT office to offer additional assistance to the DU community and to strengthen their skills. 

These activities will be developed and administered by a project leadership team that will be led by Russell Diaz, Chief Information Officer.