You may have heard about the Allen Hall “digital bridge,” the whiteboard walls and the shiny classroom spaces that define the newly renovated UO School of Journalism and Communication building after its recent $15 million facelift.
But do you know what’s in the basement?
Rows and rows of humming servers.
The Allen Hall Data Center provides a place to house a massive amount of new computing power on the UO campus. Located in the southeast corner of Allen Hall’s basement, the 3,730-square-foot data center will provide much-needed digital storage to departments far and wide.
To govern the use of the high-demand center, UO Information Services has formed the Allen Hall Data Center Steering Committee. Its members include:
- Melissa Woo, vice provost and CIO
- Jerry Tindal, professor of educational methodology, policy and leadership
- Cathleen Leue, director, College of Arts and Sciences Information Technology Support Services
- Ken Doxsee, associate vice provost
- Sue Eveland, registrar
- Patrick Phillips, associate vice president for research
- Brett Rogers, director of facilities services, campus operations
“UO researchers continue to find new means of accessing, capturing and using digital data,” says Kimberly Andrews Espy, vice president for research and innovation, and dean of the graduate school. “The steering committee will help assure that we are productively managing the information to capitalize on new research opportunities and accelerate progress in computing, humanities, communications, marketing, art, education and physical, social and natural sciences.”
The center will help meet a growing need for more data storage, particularly among faculty members conducting research, says Patrick Chinn, interim communications manager for UO Information Services. In the past, researchers in need of digital storage space have concocted some creative solutions, such as building makeshift data centers out of old coat closets or cramming servers under their desks.
“These aren’t the best places to be storing important research data,” Chinn says. “The Allen Hall Data Center gives them a much more secure and professional means of operating.”
Data storage is more than a peace of mind issue. Having access to high-quality digital storage can help researchers meet the terms of grants and assist them in securing future funding. It may also lead to projects down the road that would not have been possible without the promise of such large-scale computing power.
In addition to creating general rules and regulations, the Allen Hall Data Center Steering Committee will ensure that the service provided by the facility remains aligned with the mission and goals of the UO.
- by Lewis Taylor, UO Office of Research, Innovation and Graduate Education