The MIT Stephen A. Schwarzman College of Computing recently reached a big milestone when it held a dedication ceremony to rejoice the completion and dedication of its recent constructing on Vassar Street.
The ceremony, attended by members of the MIT community, distinguished guests, and supporters, provided a chance to reflect on the transformative gift that ushered in the best change in MIT's institutional structure in over 70 years. The gift from Stephen A. Schwarzman, chairman, CEO, and co-founder of Blackstone, one in all the world's largest alternative investment firms, was the inspiration for the founding of the school.
Inauguration of the Stephen A. Schwarzman College of Computing constructing at MIT
MIT President Sally Kornbluth told the audience that the “success of the MIT Stephen A. Schwarzman College of Computing is a testament to Steve's vision.” She noted that the brand new constructing — with space for 50 computing research groups — will foster a remarkable flow of information and cross-pollination of ideas. “The college will help MIT direct this expertise toward the best challenges facing humanity today,” she added, “from the health of our species and planet to the social, economic, and ethical implications of recent technologies.”
Schwarzman expressed his gratitude for the chance to hitch MIT, noting, “It's hardly ever in life that you simply get the chance to contribute in some small technique to changing the course of one in all the best technologies that can impact people.”
Schwarzman said his motivation to support the school stemmed partly from trips to China, where he witnessed increasing investment in artificial intelligence. He was concerned that he wasn't seeing the identical level of development within the U.S. and desired to make sure the country was on the forefront of AI. He also spoke concerning the importance of constant to develop AI, prioritizing ethical considerations to mitigate potential risks.
He described his involvement with the school as “the best adventure” and shared how much he enjoyed “attending to know the fascinating people at MIT and learning what you do here and the way you’re thinking that.” He added, “You are really making tremendous changes for the nice of society.”
MIT President Emeritus L. Rafael Reif looked back on the thought process that led to the school's conception during his tenure, recounting the conversations he had concerning the idea with Schwarzman, whom he called “an ideal partner.” He detailed their joint efforts to show the vision into tangible reality, emphasizing that Schwarzman “has an incredible ability to have a look at a seemingly hopelessly complex situation and quickly reduce it to its essentials.”
After nearly a yr of discussions with Schwarzman and members of MIT's leadership and school, the institute announced the creation of the MIT Stephen A. Schwarzman College of Computing in October 2018.
To honor Schwarzman's central role in the school's conception, Reif presented him with two gifts: a sketch of the architects' early constructing concept and a photograph of the constructing's lobby taken shortly after the opening in late January. “Thank you, Steve, for making this all possible,” Reif said.
Dan Huttenlocher, who was named the primary dean of the MIT Schwarzman College of Computing in 2019 and likewise holds the Henry Ellis Warren Chair in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, opened the celebration and spoke of the constructing as a physical manifestation of the school's threefold mission: to advance computing across all areas of MIT, to strengthen leadership in computing and artificial intelligence, and to advance the social, ethical, and political dimensions of computing.
He also expressed his due to all those that spent countless hours planning, designing and constructing. Building 45including key partners for the development and planning of the MIT campus; Skidmore, Owings & Merrill and Suffolk Construction.
“It gives me great satisfaction and pride to see the colourful activity of MIT students, researchers, faculty, and staff who spend time on this constructing,” Huttenlocher said. “It's truly amazing to see this constructing come to life and develop into a resource for therefore many individuals on the MIT campus and beyond.”
In addition, Huttenlocher thanked Anantha Chandrakasan, MIT's Chief Innovation and Strategy Officer, Dean of the School of Engineering, and Vannevar Bush Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, for his early involvement with the school, and Asu Ozdaglar, Associate Dean of the MIT Schwarzman College of Computing and Head of the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, for her leadership through the college's development.
