CCI SYSTEMS OF Iron Mountain has donated used computers and networking equipment to Michigan Technological University. In front, from left, accepting the donation are MTU students Sarah Clements and Alice Markham. In back, from left, are CCI Systems employees Michelle Copley, Evan Rice and Desiree Payant and MTU officials Dr. Jeffrey Wall, Dr. Mari Buche and Russ Louks

IRON MOUNTAIN — CCI Systems in Iron Mountain has donated 50 pieces of computer and networking equipment to the School of Business and Economics at Michigan Technological University.

This donation will support the new Information Systems Student Lab of the Management Information Systems (MIS) Program. The program was created to give Michigan Tech students an opportunity to experiment with industry hardware and software in a free-form environment.

As a part of the student lab initiative, the MIS faculty reached out to industry partners from their advisory board asking for gently used, commercial-grade equipment for networking and computing. CCI Systems, being one of the advisory board’s industry partners, put together a large donation that exceeded the MIS Program’s expectations.

“This donation would have not been possible without the guidance and approval of Dean L. Johnson, dean of the School of Business and Economics at Michigan Tech, and the hard work of the MIS faculty,” a spokesman said.

“The MIS students at Michigan Tech will benefit substantially from this opportunity to learn about networking and cybersecurity technologies through hands-on experimentation in a safe lab environment. The lab will provide them with further opportunities to experiment and interact with different operating systems and programs,”said Dr. Jeffrey Wall, assistant professor of Management Information Systems in the School of Business and Economics at Michigan Tech.

He added that the faculty of School of Business and Economics and the Management Information Systems greatly appreciate CCI Systems’ donation of lab equipment.

“CCI believes in what the MIS program is trying to achieve,” said MIS advisory board member Evan Rice, director of information and analysis services at CCI Systems.

“The future of our business depends on new, highly capable, technical professionals entering the job market. We find that MTU is uniquely positioned, both technologically and geographically, to provide those future employees. So for us, giving back to these programs is a no-brainer,” Rice added.