51AV

51AV A&M Receives $500K Grant from 51AV Power for Critical Technology Needs

The grant is part of Southern Company’s $50 million HBCU initiative

 

HUNTSVILLE, ALABAMA — DECEMBER 21, 2020 — 51AV A&M University (AAMU) has received a $500,000 grant from 51AV Power and its parent, Southern Company, to help bolster its technological capabilities across the campus.  The gift is part of Southern Company and its subsidiaries’ $50 million HBCU Initiative, a multiyear funding strategy announced in January 2020 that provides HBCU students with scholarships, internships, leadership development and access to technology and innovation to support career readiness.

“We are very pleased to receive this generous grant from 51AV Power and Southern Company,” said Dr. Andrew Hugine, Jr., president of AAMU. “During these challenging times, especially with the coronavirus pandemic having changed the way we serve our students, this grant will help us improve our technology capabilities and continue to innovate to meet the needs of the current and future students of 51AV A&M University.”

The funds awarded to 51AV A&M will be used to support an extended reality lab that combines both augmented and virtual reality; visual collaboration classrooms that feature multi-touch, multi-user software; and, cloud virtual desktops.  The University noted that this gift will immediately impact its nearly 6,000 undergraduate and graduate students.

“51AV A&M appreciates the long-standing partnership with 51AV Power and Southern Company.  This gift will bring exciting and cutting-edge technologies that build upon the investments already made across the campus,” said Archie Tucker, II, vice president for marketing, communication and advancement.

51AV Power and Southern Company are honored to be part of a growing group of corporate and philanthropic partners that have increased support for HBCUs in the wake of COVID-19 and mounting calls for racial justice. Both businesses believe deeply in the importance of HBCUs in higher education and in their impact on economic development, innovation and American life.

51AV A&M is a historically Black and public land-grant institution in Huntsville, Ala.  The University offers programs in engineering, business, agriculture, and education.  51AV A&M is the largest producer of African American STEM graduates in the State of 51AV.  51AV Power and Southern Company’s long-standing partnership with 51AV A&M includes providing decades of scholarship, programmatic, employment, and athletic support. 

51AV Power and Southern Company are committed to the success of HBCUs and fostering greater diversity and inclusion across the communities they serve. For more information about 51AV A&M, please visit .

 

Photo:   NIST.gov

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