IBM's Cloud Helps University Expand Research
IBM has found new ways to innovate in education with the power of cloud technology.
St. Thomas University (STU), a private Catholic school in Miami Gardens, Fla., is fostering new growth through a cloud-computing-enabled research facility. By partnering with IBM, STU is offering students access to cloud-based solutions in scientific research, mobile banking, sports administration and medical record keeping.
IBM is delivering six virtual servers to the university that will help to educate and train students about the advantages of cloud-based computing, according to a press release from the company. Specific projects include using analytics to study stadium operations at the city's Sun Life Stadium and how to provision servers.
“We want to invest dramatically in computer science,” says Dr. Wim Steelant, dean of science at STU. “The project with IBM is precisely the type of quality education we’re eager to offer our students; undergraduates at other universities don’t have opportunities like this.”
Students will get hands-on experience with how to apply this technology to industries with access to case studies and white papers.
STU's shift toward becoming a cloud research facility has already attracted the attention of students, driving enrollment in physical sciences up by 30 percent and keeping retention figures up by 30 percent as well, according to IBM.
