SpeechEasy International gives $10,000 to ECU’s Walker Center
The L.T. Walker International Human Performance Center at East Carolina University received a $10,000 gift Jan. 10 from SpeechEasy International, a division of Janus Development Group of Greenville.
Glen Gilbert, dean of ECU’s College of Health and Human Performance, received the check on behalf of the Walker Center from Darwin Richards, of SpeechEasy International and Janus Development.
“ECU greatly appreciates the generous gift which will be used to support the activities of the Walker Center,” said Gilbert, who also serves as the Walker Center’s acting director. “ECU has a strong relationship with SpeechEasy International and the Janus Development Group.”
SpeechEasy International is a partnership between Janus Development Group and Micro-DSP Technology of Chengdu, China. Richards, who, along with Tao Jiang of Micro-DSP, stated the $10,000 gift would demonstrate the corporation’s appreciation of ECU and the Walker Center’s efforts to help Janus Development emerge as a successful technology company.
Richards noted that SpeechEasy International and ECU are working together to provide future financial support for the Walker Center.
“We felt it was appropriate, at this time, to express our appreciation through this gift,” Richards said. “We’ve done very well and we wanted to show thanks for what the university and the Walker Center have done for us.”
Janus Development was formed as a direct result of technology developed through the university. In addition to the widely marketed anti-stuttering device invented and patented by ECU researchers, Janus also assists with the patent and marketing for a wheelchair treadmill, offered as a gift to ECU by Leroy Walker and the Walker Center.
Gilbert said the center’s board of directors would determine at their annual meeting how the gift will be used.
The L.T. Walker International Human Performance Center, founded in 1997 by LeRoy T. Walker, provides athletes with state-of-the-art physiological and biomechanical testing in addition to human performance analysis.