In the largest gift to an academic program in the College's history, Dartmouth trustee William H. Neukom '64 has pledged $22 million toward creating an Institute of Computational Science, administration officials announced Monday.
The institute, slated to be fully operational in a few years, has been given an interdisciplinary mission that combines the study of computer science with areas ranging from life sciences to engineering, earth sciences and psychology.
College Provost Barry Scherr called computational science a "pivotal discipline" concerned with creating new tools for study across academic disciplines.
A new director for the institute may be found within the next year, Scherr said, adding that the College is also looking to hire four new faculty members as part of the institute. As part of the institute's interdisciplinary mission, two of these positions will be hires outside the computer science department.
According to Scherr, the new program will differ from other computational science centers because it will focus on making computational science accessible to undergraduate while enhancing the faculty's work.
The institute will also address student demand for computer science, which has seen enrollments double over the last decade.
Part of Neukom's contribution will also fund undergraduate research opportunities as well as graduate and post-doctoral fellowships.
The institute will also run an annual symposium on computational science to highlight innovative work in the field.
Neukom's gift, made in honor of his family, comes with a challenge to raise an additional $12 million for the new institute. The institute will aim to enrich the quality of undergraduate learning by offering courses at a leading computational science facility and to foster collaboration between faculty and students across disciplines, Scherr said.
College President James Wright said the new institute would continue Dartmouth's tradition of technological innovation.
"Dartmouth has a proud history of combining computing innovation and a commitment to undergraduate liberal arts education that prepares its graduates to play leadership roles in the careers they choose," Wright said. "Their success regularly affirms our success. This extraordinary generosity from a dedicated alumnus will assure our continued strength in this crucially important field."
The Computational Science Institute follows the creation of the Leslie Center for the Humanities in 1999 and the Dartmouth Center for the Advancement of Learning earlier this year.
Each institution stresses interdisciplinary studies and seeks to involve undergraduate and graduate students in its programs.
Neukom, whose philanthropy has supported multiple College programs in the past, is the chair of the Seattle law firm Preston, Gates and Ellis and the former executive vice president of law and corporate affairs at Microsoft.
"It seemed to me that this initiative can both enhance the learning experience and contribute to critical research in the arts and sciences," Neukom said. "I hope that through this institute Dartmouth will continue to have a leading role in pushing the frontiers of computation."
Reflecting on his philanthropy, Neukom said, "The College provided me a priceless liberal arts education, and as I continued to learn about the remarkable academic experience it provides for its diverse student body and faculty, I wanted to do something significant for Dartmouth. Investing some Microsoft equity in computational science seemed natural and appropriate."
