At Thursday’s CMU Research Committee board meeting in the Center for Applied Research & Technology, Dow presented a $100,000 check in an effort to support the continuation of business intelligence and data mining research at CMU.

“We have been working hard with Dow. This is not a gift or a grant; it is an investment,” said Russ Davis, Applied Research and Technology Center business developer.

“When you see the students working, you see the synergy created. It’s a good fit. It’s amazing to see it go from concept to reality,” Davis said.

The data mining research and business intelligence techniques, in which the funding will be used, is a science that manages and analyzes company data more efficiently to maximize profitability.

The CMURC board of directors includes President and CEO Robert Berry, information technology assistant vice president; Interim Treasurer Jonas Cook, interim vice president of finance and administrative services; Secretary James Hageman, assistant vice president and dean of graduate studies, Chairman Michael Rao, university president and Directors Joe Kerbleski, Dow Chemical Co. information technology consultant; Roger Kesseler, trustee; Robert Kohrman, College of Science and Technology interim executive vice president and provost; Janis Landry-Lane, IBM Corp. executive and David Stevens, CME Mitsuba Corp. administrator.

All but Stevens were present at the meeting.

“We have been working several years with this research at CMU and believe that we are heading in the right direction,” Kerbleski said.

CMU has taken an innovative approach toward data mining and business intelligence research, providing Dow with an excellent opportunity to explore new techniques without the up-front costs typically encountered in conducting this type of research in-house, he said.

“Dow’s original investment in the research facility a year ago has already paid significant dividends,” Kerbleski said. “We thought it made sense to get involved with the SmartZone. We wanted to get it focused. There is a lot of industry interest in there and we are combining resources.”

Rao said the Dow investment is positive for the university.

“It will be used to help us further the opportunity to engage students and faculty members with the research with information technology and data mining,” Rao said.

The key is using the data, and not just storing it. This is basically the future of being able to market and inventory, he said.

“The data mining research is world leading, and Dow is interested,” Rao said.

The money will be used to further research, Berry said.

“We need to keep the resource moving, and this has its costs,” he said. “Companies, such as Dow, enjoy a low-risk, low-cost environment, while creating ambitious and effective business solutions to gain a competitive advantage.”

The Center for Applied Research and Technology was created by CMU and the City of Mount Pleasant on June 13.

The center is home to the Mount Pleasant SmartZone, which is part of a network of technology-oriented business centers throughout the state.

“The CMU Research Corp. was developed to foster collaboration between the corporate and academic sectors,” Rao said. “Dow’s support will enhance the faculty and student research experience and facilitate applied research activities that directly impact industry and business.”