Fiber Optic Co-inventor Joins CBN Connect Board

Peter C. Schultz, Ph.D., who received the National Medal of Technology from President Bill Clinton, will deliver presentations, titled "The Evolution of Fiber Optics and the Potential Benefits to Your Community." The first of these will be held on Thursday, Oct. 4 at 7 p.m. in the Pine Room of the Joan Weill Student Center at Paul Smith's College. Others will be scheduled in the future.

Schultz has already given two such talks in Willsboro and Essex. "Both of these lectures were very well attended," said CBN Connect Project Coordinator Julie West.

CBN Connect's goal is to build a 450-mile broadband fiber and wireless network within Clinton, Franklin and Essex Counties. The project is currently being facilitated on behalf of the community through SUNY Plattsburgh's Technical Assistance Center in conjunction with the SUNY's Research Foundation and a large advisory board. In the future, the plan is for CBN Connect to become an independent entity.

Schultz's presence on the board will help the organization fulfill its mission, according to CBN Connect Advisory Board Chair Andrew Abdullah. "I am truly pleased to have Peter Schultz as a supporter of CBN Connect and a member of the committee. Dr. Schultz's eminence in the field of telecommunications and experience lend a powerful air of credibility to the need for this vital infrastructure," said Abdullah.

"I love living in the Adirondacks and have been coming ever since I was 15 years old," said Schultz who has been a seasonal resident of Essex, N.Y., since 2001. "Now that I live here, I really appreciate the possibilities of using the technology that I invented 35 years ago to have a positive impact on the economy and welfare of the residents of this region. I would like to do anything I can personally to make that happen."

In addition to winning the highest technology award from the US government, Schultz is a member of the National Academy of Engineering. He holds 25 patents, has written over 20 research papers and is an expert in fused silica glasses. He is the recipient of numerous awards including the International Glass Science Award, the First American Innovators Award, Rutgers University Distinguished Alumni, and the Czech Gold Medal for Achievement. He has taught at Cornell University, George Washington University, and the University of Virginia.