Tech Lab Boost

ECU tech labs getting a half-million-dollar upgrade

Network and internet connectivity are part of everything, from how businesses succeed to even how you wash your clothes.

That’s just one reason labs and classrooms in the East Carolina University Department of Technology Systems are getting a $515,000 upgrade this summer.

From left, students Luke Brewington, Dylan Kelly and Mala’ Murray work on a rack that will eventually contain computer network equipment.

“It’s going through a 100% refresh,” said Dr. Tijjani “TJ” Mohammed, chair of the department. “All the networking appliances, routers, switches and firewalls are all being replaced. The computers and monitors that the students use are all being replaced. Essentially, they will be brand-spanking new labs.”

Eight labs in the Science and Technology Building are being upgraded this summer in time to welcome students for the fall semester. Students in design; distribution and logistics; industrial engineering technology; industrial technology; and information and cybersecurity technology will all benefit.

“Everything is connected these days. Even your refrigerators and your dishwashers and washing machines, they talk to a network,” Mohammed said. “Somebody has to design that network, make sure it works properly and make sure it’s secure. Students learn those fundamentals here.”

He said ECU’s technology graduates already have a great reputation in their respective fields, and the new equipment serves to only enhance it.

“This will make sure we’re giving our students an edge when they leave ECU,” Mohammed said. “CET students will be very, very marketable and very, very competitive in the job market upon graduation, and it maintains our reputation as an institution that produces high-quality graduates.

“In the past, we’ve had companies tell us that one of the best things they like about ECU graduates is when they hire them, they hit the ground running. They are ready to go to work, whereas when they hire students from other places, they have to train them. ECU students come to them ready to start working, and I think that’s the best compliment any institution can get from an employer.”

Mohammed said he appreciated the support of the university as well as Dr. Harry Ploehn, dean of the College of Engineering and Technology, to secure funding for the lab upgrades.

“The dean has been extremely supportive,” Mohammed said. “He understands the need for our students to learn the latest technology and be ready to join the workforce right after graduation. He gets it. And the support from the university has been instrumental. We’re very thankful for that.”

Not only will students benefit from the new equipment starting this fall, but others are also benefiting by working on the installation this summer.

Mala’ Murray works on a laptop surrounded by new servers in the networking lab.

“It’s cool to get a chance to actually build this,” said Luke Brewington, a rising senior from Greensboro majoring in information and cybersecurity technology (ICT). “Working in a project environment is neat. It’s cool to go through that whole process and follow through with certain tasks to get everything done. There is a lot more that goes into a project than I thought.”

Brewington is working with fellow ICT majors Mala‘ Murray, a senior from Jacksonville, and Dylan Kelly, a rising senior from Benson, in the networking and internet working lab in the Science and Technology Building.

“My focus is cybersecurity, so this side of networking, it’s a good perspective,” Murray said.

He said working efficiently on the installation is crucial.

“We have to manage ourselves, and make sure that we get everything done and stay on track so we don’t get behind. We have to meet our deadlines,” he said.

Under the supervision of Steve Baker, senior teaching instructor in the Department of Technology Systems, and John Vail, director of IT operations for the College of Engineering and Technology, the students designed a layout in the lab’s existing racks to support more servers and firewalls than the racks contained previously.

“We’ve had to figure out the layout because of the firewalls and how heavy they are,” Kelly said. “We found a good way to put them on, and in general, just the layout of the entire rack because we have so much more equipment, and we have to make it easier for the students to recognize their section. With them having more equipment to play with, that’s something we had to come up with. This should be a nice layout for them.”

Kelly said he enjoyed knowing that the hard work this summer will provide benefits to students coming to ECU this fall.

“This gives us the access to use more fiber optics, which allows us to do more and make it faster,” he said. “It’s a lot easier to transmit data and allows the students to also gain a better understanding of how this new equipment works. The upside is this new equipment is more up to date and keeps students in line with the industry. Technology keeps improving every day, whether we want it to or not.”