Leader Russo Announces Approval of More Than $2.9M for Renovations at The Ohio State University

COLUMBUS – House Minority Leader Allison Russo (D-Upper Arlington) today announced that the Controlling Board has approved the release of nearly $3M in capital funds for technology and safety projects at The Ohio State University. This funding will address the need for critical maintenance and upgrades for technology managed by The Ohio State University, some of which have not been updated since 1998.

“There is increasing demand for quick and accessible information,” said Leader Russo. “As an institution responsible for the finances, privacy, education, and safety of the next generation of leaders, The Ohio State University must take steps to improve its database technology and security systems to keep up with these demands. These funds will assist in meeting these demands.”

These capital appropriations will be split between four projects:

• $1.3M to upgrade the HEI system’s data accessibility and collaboration capabilities by utilizing Tableau as a data visualization tool. 
• $1M to improve data protection practices in the Higher Education Information (HEI) system by replacing the tape library system in Athens with Oracle’s Zero Data Recovery Appliance. This upgrade will create more secure data backups and better determine the presence of malware and ransomware attacks.
• $544K to support the expansion of the supercomputer center by upgrading the core Ethernet network switches and cables. These upgrades are needed to support newer generations of supercomputers and allow the network to be accessed statewide.
• $74K to improve the physical safety and security of the Columbus campus through the installation of improved security cameras.