June 2008 Web Update
June 17, 2008

First Trimester
During the first trimester USTTI has offered training addressing a wide array of topics including, Spectrum Management, Internet Governance, Distance Learning and Telemedicine. Through these courses 105 women and men from 42 developing nations have been trained. To date we have received 7,336 course applications from 124 developing countries. As we conclude our very strong first trimester and prepare to begin our second courses are filling-up rapidly and sponsors have begun reviewing applications for the fall. Please submit your2008 course applications as soon as possible to increase you opportunity of attending training this year.


Internet Technology Training Sequence
Twenty USTTI scholars from ten developing nations participated in Cisco Systems popular training course Internet Service Provider Design Seminar and Backbone Routing Protocol Workshop. During the three week course conducted at CISCO’s corporate headquarters in San Jose, California scholars spent their time in a hands on environment learning the principles for designing, securing and operating an ISP infrastructure while using industry best practices from numerous industry experts who served as volunteer professors. Applications for our third trimester offering of this course are now being accepted and reviewed.



Hurricane Season
As many USTTI Alumni and applicants in the Caribbean know, June 1st marked the start of the Atlantic Ocean hurricane season. While the season officially ends on November 30, hurricanes can still occur outside of this six month window. A hurricane is a tropical cyclone with sustained winds of 74 miles (119 Kilometers) per hour or greater. Hurricanes are generally accompanied by heavy rain, thunder and lightning, and typically occur in the western Atlantic Ocean; in the South Pacific they are referred to as ‘typhoons’. One of the most devastating hurricanes to impact the United States was Hurricane Katrina, which made landfall along the coast of Louisiana and Mississippi on August 29, 2005. Hurricanes are often a strong test of a country’s emergency communications infrastructure. Hurricane forecasters in the United States with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) are predicting that this year’s hurricane season will be especially active. This October, USTTI offers an emergency communications sequence that deals with communications during disasters such as hurricanes. Further details, including information on each of the five courses that make up this sequence, can be found under the course tab on the USTTI web site. If you would like to participate in this valuable training opportunity, please apply as soon as possible.



Rural Connectivity Course Begins
Seventeen officials, representing the following countries: Argentina, Bulgaria, Kenya, Malawi, Nepal, Nigeria, Peru, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Uganda, Uzbekistan and Zambia were welcomed this morning by the USTTI staff. These officials will be attending USTTI’s “Applying 21st Century ICT in Emerging Markets” training course, which will be held at Intel Corporation’s worldwide headquarters in Santa Clara, CA. This training course will help these officials identify and capitalize on opportunities to advance their country’s communications infrastructure by utilizing a variety of different wireless communications technologies. This popular course will be held again this fall and is listed in the curriculum as course M8-370. If you are interested in participating in this fall’s offering, please complete your online application as soon as possible.


New Team Members
The USTTI is very pleased to announce the appointment of our newest Curriculum Coordinator Ms. Ann Shikany. Ann is a recent graduate of Kenyon College where she majored in Political Science. While attending Kenyon, Ann engaged herself by playing rugby and traveling frequently within the United States and Europe. Most recently she spent a semester studying in Siena, Italy before moving to Washington, DC. Ann's experience and work ethic make her a great addition to the USTTI team.
Additionally, USTTI is happy to welcome three interns to our team. Michael Beirne, Laura Donaldson and Justin Encarnacion have been added to the USTTI staff in time for our very busy summer months. Michael has just finished his junior year at the University of Richmond where he is preparing to earn a Bachelor of Arts in History and Spanish. Laura comes to the USTTI team from Georgetown University where she is majoring in economics and Justin Encarnacion has completed his third year of study at the University of Maryland.