St. John’s University Honored for Its Innovative Use of Technology

June 19, 2006

IDG’s Computerworld recently awarded dual honors to St. John’s University for its design and implementation of a unique, integrated combination of digital video-surveillance, access control and incident management to redesign security at its three New York City campuses. 

The University was first honored by Computerworld’s Mobile & Wireless World “Best Practices in Mobile & Wireless” awards program in the category “Transforming the ‘Brick and Mortar’ Enterprise.” Accepting for the University in May at the Mobile & Wireless World conference in Orlando, FL, were Manager of Network Initiatives Stanley Jurgielewicz and Director of Network Services Roger So. St. John’s was among 10 honorees in five categories to be recognized.

Ron Milton, executive vice president of Computerworld, noted that, “Companies recognized here at Mobile & Wireless World can be proud of the accomplishments of these talented IT professionals. Their hard work and dedication to the best practices in the mobile and wireless industry benefit their companies, employees, and customers alike. This year’s honorees and finalists are at the forefront in using enterprise mobile and wireless technologies to benefit their organizations technologically, competitively and financially.”

Two weeks later, the setting was the magnificent and historic Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium in Washington, DC, where St. John’s Vice President of Public Safety Thomas Lawrence accepted a Laureate Medal for the University at the Computerworld Honors Program’s 18th Annual Laureates Medal Ceremony. He was accompanied by Chief Information Officer Joseph Tufano.

Originally nominated by IBM for the Computerworld Honors Program, St. John’s was then identified by a Computerworld committee as “an organization whose use of information technology has been especially noteworthy for the originality of its conception, the breadth of its vision and the significance of its benefit to society” and invited to submit a Case Study in the category, “Education and Academia.”

The submitted Case Study(pdf) was judged on 10 criteria and consequently awarded Laureate status. This is the second time St. John’s University has been so honored, having received its first Laureates Medal for its Academic Computing Initiative (ACI) in 2004.

CIO Tufano believes that St. John’s repeated success in the Computerworld Honors Program can be attributed directly to the University’s Administration: “We are blessed at St. John’s to have an Administration with great vision, that has great respect for and appreciation of technology and its role in the world today. They have repeatedly endorsed and supported these technology projects which benefit all in the University community, but most importantly, enhance and support the quality of life and learning experiences of our students.”