PSU Magazine Fall 1999

It's here: Intemet2 Geologist Sherry Cady will soon bring the outer space-like shapes of hot spring-born microorganisms into focus on her computer. She is manipulating the electron microscopy image using a multimillion dollar machine in the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico-all from her desk at Portland State. It's called remote scanning and transmiss ion. Cady is getting set up to perform the procedure through Portland State's new Internet2 connection. The University was connected to the ultrahigh -speed system spring term. Remote use of high-tech equipment in laboratories around the country represents one of Internet2's unprecedented advanced networking capabilities. Portland State joins fewer than 200 other universities that have access to the system. The brainchild of public– and private-sector scientists, Internet2 is a way of circumventing the conges– tion and speed bumps of today's Internet. This members-only fast lane is at least several hundred times faster than the sy tern Internet users are accustomed to today. The network-reserved for only legitimate and certified research purposes-provides access to remote scientific instrumentation, numeric intensive supercomputers, real-time IP video applications, and national data– bases such as those of the Department of Defense, U.S. Geological Services, and NASA. Internet2 also provides a link to private research companies. The network was built through a public and private partnership. The private companies hope to ride on the success of this next generation of Internet development. Portland State is connected to Internet2 on Oregon Wide-Area Education Network (OWEN) through University of Oregon. Two additional projects should secure for PSU even faster access. A new Portland Metropolitan Area Network (PMAN) 2 PSU MAGAZINE FALL 1999 is in the works to link PSU, Oregon Graduate Institute of Science and Technology, Oregon Health Sciences University, and Univers ity of Washington. In addition, WC I Cable of Hillsboro, is setting up a fiber infra– structure linking PMAN to the Internet2 hub-Pacific Northwest Gigapop-in Seattle. This link is capable of operating at 622 million bits per second, which is 20,000 times faster than a typical modem. The connection, va lued at $480,000 annu– ally, would be free to the universities for the first two years. "What it all boil down to is Portland State now has the same state-of-the-art network capabilities as any Research -I university in America," say Bruce Taggart, PSU Information Technologies executive director. Become good citizens-you now have what it takes. This was the message Donna Shalala, U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, gave to graduates at commencement ceremonies June 13. Shalala, a personal friend of PSU President Dan Bernstine (pictured here adjusting her hood), was sched– uled to speak last year until she found someone whom she thought was a good replacement, President Bill Clinton. This year, as the 1,700 PSU students received degrees, Shalala was awarded an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters. J