Nashville, Tenn. — National Instruments of Austin, Texas, has announced plans to donate its LabVIEW™ graphical development software to Vanderbilt engineering students. Each fall the company will provide copies of its software with an estimated annual market value of $750,000 to incoming freshmen.
Vanderbilt School of Engineering Dean Kenneth F. Galloway said that the National Instrument (NI) software will perform a vital role in training engineering students to use computer-based analytical techniques in measuring and controlling a variety of systems and processes.
LabVIEW’s graphical development environment uses icons and diagrams instead of conventional text-based code. The software configures and runs test, measurement, control, automation and other high-performance science and engineering processes using intuitive graphical displays.
“LabVIEW will be part of the package of software tools we will provide students through TransIT, the school’s new mobile-access computing system,” Galloway said. “NI’s software will equip our students with the state-of-the-art tools they will need to be successful as professional engineers.”
According to NI Academic Program Manager Ravi Marawar, the professional growth of future engineers and scientists has always been a core focus for the company. “NI actually has its roots in an academic environment as we were founded by a trio of engineers working collaboratively at the University of Texas, Austin. Since that time, NI has been strongly committed to supporting educational efforts and the professional growth of students at academic institutions worldwide.”
Two years ago, NI became the School of Engineering’s first industrial partner in its National Science Foundation-sponsored bioengineering research center. The center is the first in the nation dedicated to bioengineering education and NI provides software for use in the center’s educational products.
About NI
NI leverages commercial technologies, such as industry-standard computers and the Internet, to deliver customer-defined measurement and automation solutions. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, NI has more than 2,900 employees and direct operations in 37 countries. NI increases the productivity of engineers and scientists worldwide by delivering easy-to-integrate software and modular hardware. In 2001, the company sold products to more than 24,000 different companies in more than 60 countries around the world. For the past three consecutive years, FORTUNE magazine has named NI one of the 100 best companies to work for in America.
Contact: David F. Salisbury (615) 343-6803
David.F.Salisbury@Vanderbilt.edu