Ameritech Presents #1 Million Grant to Ohio State

AMERITECH PRESENTS $1 MILLION GRANT TO OHIO STATE

     COLUMBUS -- The Ameritech Foundation has awarded The Ohio
State University a $1 million grant to support research in how
telecommunications can be used to improve education, health care,
and international trade.

     The award to the Graduate School will fund the continuance
of the Ameritech Fellowship Program which was established in 1987
to foster research in telecommunications.

     "This is an outstanding example of Ameritech's on-going
commitment to excellence in higher education and yet another sign
of its dedication to health and economic prosperity," said Dr. E.
Gordon Gee, president of Ohio State.  "This grant will help our
Graduate School continue the kind of research that is vital for
our future.  And it furthers our goal of support for student and
research excellence."

     To be paid over a 5-year period, the grant will allow Ohio
State faculty and graduate students to work on education-related
projects, including distance learning research, i.e., using
telecommunications to improve education of teachers and students.
Health care projects will include applications involving Ohio
State's College of Medicine and the Ohio Medical Education
Network.

     Researchers also will study how telecommunications links
between rural hospital emergency departments and major urban
medical centers can be used to improve diagnostic capabilities
and reduce administrative costs.

     "Ameritech is proud to support this important major field of
study," said Richard H. Brown, Ameritech Foundation president and
Ameritech Corporation vice chairman.  "We are confident this
research will yield tangible results that will help our nation
understand and harness the tremendous potential
telecommunications technology has toward improving the quality of
life in the emerging Information Age."

     "The Ohio State University is renowned for academic
excellence and dedication to research," said Jacqueline F. Woods,
Ohio Bell president.  "As part of the Ameritech family, Ohio Bell
is pleased to have played a part in securing this grant for Ohio
State, and we are looking forward to learning from the insights
that are gained through this important work," she said.

     Another component of the program involves projects in
international telecommunications.  Ohio State faculty and
students will pursue the feasibility and effectiveness of
international communications links to provide education curricula
on democracy and free enterprise systems.

     Last August, Columbus was chosen by the United Nations as
one of only 16 trade points in the world to develop Information
Age technologies and procedures that improve both the efficiency
and volume of international trade.  Researchers also hope to gain
insight from work conducted in association with the Columbus
"Info-Port" on developing paperless trading alternatives for
international trade.

     The Ameritech Foundation grant also will fund the Ameritech
Excellence Fund at Ohio State which supports visiting professors
and experts from business, government, and other universities who
come to Ohio State to work with faculty and to conduct outreach
programs.

     "We are very pleased that the Ameritech Foundation is
continuing its support of research and educational programs in
the area of telecommunications," said Roy A. Koenigsknecht, dean
of the Graduate School at Ohio State.  "This award reflects the
confidence of the foundation in Ohio State's faculty to continue
to produce important work in the field of telecommunications."

     Based in Chicago, Ameritech is a leader in providing
communications and information services to 12 million customers
in the Midwest.  Parent company of Ohio Bell, Ameritech also has
operations in Poland, New Zealand, Norway and other countries.
Its 1992 revenues were $11.2 billion.

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Contact:  Roy Koenigsknecht, dean of Ohio State's Graduate
School, (614) 292-6031; David Kandel, Ohio Bell, (614) 223-6226.


[Submitted by: REIDV  (reidv@ccgate.ucomm.ohio-state.edu)
               
Mon, 13 Sep 93 08:25:05 EST]
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