A ceremony marking the dedication of the A.J. and Poonam Khubani Room will he held today, Monday, Nov. 17, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. in Partridge Hall, Room 113. The room is being dedicated in the name of alumnus A.J. Khubani, '84, and his wife, Poonam, who gifted money for the renovation of the room in the School of Business.

With their generous donation, the computer-mediated classroom will center on a computerized teaching station complete with a data projector and Smart Board. In addition, tiered seating will accommodate 45 students at fixed, semi-circular desks equipped for high-speed wireless Internet access.

"This classroom now offers the School of Business and its students a significantly enhanced teaching and learning environment," said Dean Alan Oppenheim.

During his senior year, Khubani, who is a member of the School's Advisory Council, launched a direct marketing business and by the time he was 26, he was at the helm of his company, TeleBrands Corporation, a name that has been made famous through magazine and television ads that sell products such as AmberVision sunglasses and StaticDusters. Today, TeleBrands products, with their prominent "As Seen on TV" logo, also are featured in retail stores.

Khubani said the University's vision for the School of Business inspired him to support the classroom. "This was clearly something Dean Oppenheim thought was important to the School and I became convinced that he was right."

Oppenheim said the gift will help the way in which business students learn. "We need to continue to bring our infrastructure up to the same high standards we've already achieved in academic programming," said Oppenheim. "With a first rate education and environment, we will be able to help our students achieve levels of success second to none."

The new room will allow more than 1,000 additional students each year to study in an environment that stimulates creative thought and communication, connecting them to limitless resources for learning and exploration.