By Brian Shicoff

Edward Botwinick, the founder of Timeplex, Inc., an engineering alumnus (class of 1958) and University Trustee Emeritus recently contributed $1 million to the state-of-the-art, multimedia laboratory located on the 12th floor of the Mudd building. Because of this, the School of Engineering and Applied Science, on October 7th, dedicated

Edward Botwinick

the Gateway Lab in honor of Mr. Botwinick. The lab will no longer be known as strictly Gateway, as it has been renamed the Botwinick Gateway Laboratory.

The presentation on the 7th began at about 2pm. A certain amount of mingling took place before Dean Zvi Galil called the assembly to order. In reference to the Botwinick Gateway Lab which Dean Galil called the "jewel of the school", he stated, "[the lab] moves engineering education to first-year students and gets them excited about their stay here." Speaking later, President of the University, George Rupp would state, "this lab is crucial for engineering education for first year students."

Not only does the Botwinick Gateway lab serve first-year students, it also provides use for mechanical engineering, general chemistry, and civil engineering classes. This lab, as President Rupp stated, puts the Engineering School on the level of "the artsy kinds of parts of the University [including] arts, architecture, and teachers college."

This lab is in fact "state-of-the-art" as mentioned before. It includes a digital studio and classroom equipped with 40 Silicon Graphics Indy

President George Rupp

workstations, each with 64 megs of RAM, and ethernet and ISDN connections. The workstations are networked to an SG Onyx Reality Engine supercomputer, which itself is connected to a high-resolution projector for class instruction and demonstrations.

With the money Mr. Botwinick donated, the lab has the option of purchasing new equipment, such as digital cameras and items to turn the lab into a full Digital Media lab...scanners, new workstations, etc. Whatever the use of the funds, it seems evident that the true beneficiaries of Mr. Botwinick's donation will be the students.

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The Botwinick-Gateway Lab

The SEAS Web Page

Watch Dean Galil unveil the dedication plaque for the New Botwinick - Gateway Laboratory (741k MPEG)

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