Old Dominion funds software lab improvements

Published Mar 15, 2012 by
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ECU students studying industrial distribution and logistics are trained in this lab on SAP software – a workflow management tool used at major corporations across the U.S. An endowment from Old Dominion Freight Lines will go toward purchasing more computers and other materials for this lab. (Contributed photo)

A gift from a national shipping corporation will ensure that more East Carolina University students studying industrial distribution and logistics enter the workforce with experience using a common software package.

Old Dominion Freight Line Inc., based in Thomasville, provided the one-time endowment to enhance an existing lab in the College of Technology and Computer Science. Administrators and faculty will use the funding to purchase computers and other equipment needed to train more students in SAP.

Leslie Pagliari, associate dean for Academic Affairs in the College of Technology and Computer Science, described SAP as the software most often used at Fortune 500 companies to manage everything from human resource allocation to purchasing to the supply chain and transportation.

Dr. David White

“Old Dominion’s thoughtful donation will give students a hands-on opportunity to learn software that is vital to the transportation and logistics industries,” said David White, dean of the College of Technology and Computer Science. “Ultimately, this experience will better prepare our students to become leaders in the software business.”

“Old Dominion and East Carolina University have a longstanding partnership,” said Ken Erdner, Old Dominion’s vice president of information system and technology. “The talented students studying technology and computer science at East Carolina University today are the next generation of stars in our industry, and we welcome the opportunity to help them excel in their studies.”

ECU’s Industrial Distribution and Logistics program is the only one of its kind that offers SAP training to graduates. Within a year, program administrators plan to offer a SAP Certificate of Completion.