Harris Corporation Donates $250,000 to Purdue University's College of Electrical and Computer Engineering

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. and MELBOURNE, Fla., Aug. 25 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Harris Corporation (NYSE: HRS), an international communications and information technology company, has pledged $250,000 to support a specialized engineering instructional laboratory at Purdue University in Indiana.

An initial check for $75,000 was presented recently to school representatives during a daylong event that included meetings with Harris representatives, demonstrations and discussions of Harris and Purdue technologies, tours of Harris facilities and a luncheon with some of the 109 employees who are Purdue graduates.  The remaining amount will be provided in increments during the next four years.

The gift will establish the Harris Corporation Embedded Systems Instructional Laboratory, with 20 computer stations dedicated to students pursuing the study of embedded computing systems.  Embedded systems are computer systems designed to perform dedicated functions.  They are embedded as part of a complete device and control many devices in common use today.  Embedded systems account for more than 98 percent of computers manufactured today, yet studies show that most embedded system developers have minimal or no formal training in how to program these devices.

"Individuals around the world are increasingly incorporating devices with 'computer brains' into their daily lives," said Jim Clamons, vice president of engineering, Harris Government Communications Systems.  "Programs such as this are essential to educating the next generation of engineers about how to program these devices, keeping the U.S. workforce competitive in the global technology market.  Purdue's School of Electrical and Computer Engineering is consistently ranked among the top 10 nationally and is among the largest of all programs in the nation, so this is an ideal setting in which to lay the foundation of a formal program of embedded systems studies."

"We are very excited to receive this donation from Harris, which will enable us to develop a strong curriculum for embedded systems studies so that our graduates will not have to rely solely on on-the-job experience and self-training in this important area," said Venkataramanan "Ragu" Balakrishnan, head of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Purdue.  "This gift will help us transform part of the Electrical Engineering Building into space that not only serves our students, but also creates a significant impact on our nation and world."

"The joint lab – between Computer Science and Electrical and Computer Engineering – will allow students in embedded systems classes from both departments to further their understanding of this important area," added Aditya Mathur, professor and head of the Computer Science Department.

About Harris Corporation

Harris is an international communications and information technology company serving government and commercial markets in more than 150 countries.  Headquartered in Melbourne, Florida, the company has approximately $5 billion of annual revenue and more than 16,000 employees — including nearly 7,000 engineers and scientists.  Harris is dedicated to developing best-in-class assured communications® products, systems, and services.  Additional information about Harris Corporation is available at www.harris.com.

SOURCE Harris Corporation