About Press Event:

• View Governor's address (RealVideo format) • View pictures from event and installation • View Press Release • View 1-pg backgrounder (Word) • View press coverage

In September 2004, the H. N. and Frances C. Berger Foundation made a $3.4million grant to the Corporation for Education Network Initiatives in California to extend the optical fiber backbone of their California Research & Education Network (CalREN) through the Coachella Valley. With this grant, the CalREN backbone was extended with over 400 miles of new optical fiber, establishing new backbone hub sites at UC Riverside, CSU San Bernardino's Palm Desert Campus, and El Centro.

On October 23, 2006, CENIC hosted a major press event at the CSU San Bernardino's Palm Desert campus to celebrate this achievement, and to enable the institutions that have benefited from the new connectivity to speak about what they hope to achieve. Speakers included:

CENIC:

Jim Dolgonas, President and CEO of CENIC

State and Local Government:

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger via satellite

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell via satellite

State Assembly Member Bill Emmerson, 63rd Assembly District

State Assembly Member Russ Bogh, 65th Assembly District

Mayor of Palm Desert Jim Ferguson

Bill Lohr, representing State Senator Jim Battin, 37th Senate District

Debra Beck, representing State Assembly Member John Benoit, 64th Assembly district

Palm Desert Educational Institutions:

Jerry Patton, Asst. Superintendent/Pres, College of the Desert

Carolyn Stark, Executive Director, UC Riverside Palm Desert Graduate Center

Fred Jandt, Dean, CSU San Bernardino Palm Desert Campus

The H. N. and Frances C. Berger Foundation:

Ronald Auen, President

With the new extremely high-bandwidth connection, UC Riverside's Palm Desert Graduate Center is completely transparently connected to the main UCR Campus 65 miles away. CSU San Bernardino's Palm Desert campus uses their high-bandwidth connection to facilitate its nursing program, addressing a critical healthcare shortage in California in the process. College of the Desert plans to use their high-bandwidth connection to blanket their campus with wireless connectivity for faculty, students, and staff, to webcast campus events, and to integrate cutting-edge technology with their educational programs via podcasting and Video on Demand.

Images from "Connecting Coachella Valley to the World"

Installation of new CalREN hubsite at CSU San Bernardino Palm Desert Campus.	[ Med Res ]
CENIC President and CEO Jim Dolgonas welcomes attendees and speakers.	[ High Res | Medium Res ]
	[ High Res | Medium Res ]
Palm Desert Mayor Jim Ferguson speaks on the importance of the new connectivity for his community and constituents.	[ High Res | Medium Res ]
CA State Assembly Member Russ Bogh (D63) speaks of his support for CalREN and education initiatives in California.	[ High Res | Medium Res ]
CA State Assembly Member Bill Emmerson (D65) expresses his support for education initiatives in California as well.	[ High Res | Medium Res ]
Debra Beck, representing CA State Assembly Member John Benoit (D64), presents a certificate recognizing CENIC for its achievement.	[ High Res | Medium Res ]
Bill Lohr, representing CA State Senator Jim Battin (D37), reads from a certificate also presented to CENIC to mark its achievement.	[ High Res | Medium Res ]
CENIC President/CEO Jim Dolgonas, flanked by Russ Bogh, Jim Ferguson, former State Senator Jim Brulte (D37), and Jerry Patton, Asst. Superintendent and President, College of the Desert.	[ High Res | Medium Res ]
Chairman of the College of the Desert Board of Trustees Charles Hayden discusses the benefit to that institution, the largest in the area with an enrollment exceeding 10,000 students.	[ High Res | Medium Res ]
Former State Senator Jim Brulte (D37) introduces State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell, participating live via satellite.	[ High Res | Medium Res ]
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell speaks of the vital importance of high-tech initiatives to keep California's educational system vibrant and competitive in the new century.	[ High Res | Medium Res ]

Press Coverage of "Connecting Coachella Valley to the World"

CBS 2, October 23, 2006 • New Broadband Connection To Help Distance Learning

The Riverside Press-Enterprise, October 23, 2006 • Internet education network spreads to desert area

The Desert Sun, October 23, 2006 • Valley campuses plug into faster Net

The Desert Sun, October 23, 2006 • Three Palm Desert colleges linked to the fastest Internet pipe around