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U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson
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(JACKSON, Miss.) - U.S. Representative Bennie Thompson of Mississippi visited the Mississippi e-Center@ JSU on Sept. 3 to announce the awarding of $636,136 in economic development funds to the high-tech center.
The award will be used to purchase an uninterrupted power system for the Jackson, Miss.-based information technology hub, which supports 13 research centers, 26 small businesses and houses Jackson State's TV station and mass communications department.
"The e-Center is the technology mecca for central Mississippi," Thompson said. "We want to make sure it not just survives, but strives."
The Mississippi e-Center@ JSU houses the Mississippi Business Innovation Center, a technology incubator for business development. The innovative center currently includes 26 small businesses that employ more than 100 people.
The uninterrupted power system will protect the center's high-performance computers and other equipment from interruptions caused by weather or other factors, said William McHenry, executive director of the e-Center.
"It will allow us to operate without a blink in the signal," he said.
The award, which has been granted by the U.S. Department of Commerce, stems from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.
"Stimulus money is here to stabilize jobs," Thompson said. "This is a good example of that."
- JSU -
About Jackson State University: Challenging Minds, Changing Lives
Jackson State University, founded in 1877, is a historically black, high research activity university located in Jackson, the capital city of the state of Mississippi. Jackson State's nurturing academic environment challenges individuals to change lives through teaching, research and service. Officially designated as Mississippi's Urban University, Jackson State continues to enhance the state, nation and world through comprehensive economic development, health-care, technological and educational initiatives. The only university in the Jackson metropolitan area, Jackson State is located near downtown, with three satellite campuses throughout the city. For more information, visit www.jsums.edu.
