Illinois Tech Hosts Global Business Leaders at Virtual Ribbon Cutting for New College of Computing
Ceremony, Co-Hosted by Chris Gladwin and Dean Lance Fortnow, Set to Feature Faculty and Notable Alumni, including Amazon’s Rohit Prasad and Linksys Co-Founder Victor Tsao
CHICAGO—February 9, 2021—On Friday, February 12, Illinois Institute of Technology (Illinois Tech) will host a virtual ribbon-cutting ceremony for its new College of Computing, a first-of-its-kind endeavor designed to infuse computation and data science across all university disciplines. This horizontal approach, which was the first among any major university in the country, is a part of the university’s efforts to help further Chicago’s tech rise by empowering a diverse workforce with rigorous training in data and computation.
The virtual ribbon cutting will take place from 1–1:30 p.m. CST. The dean of Illinois Tech’s College of Computing, Lance Fortnow, will co-host the event alongside Chris Gladwin, Ocient chief executive officer, P33 vice chair, Illinois Tech trustee, and chair of the College of Computing’s Board of Advisors. The event will feature distinguished alumni and faculty, including Rohit Prasad (M.S. EE ’99), vice president and head scientist for Alexa Artificial Intelligence at Amazon, Inc. and Illinois Tech trustee; Victor Y. Tsao (M.S. CS ’81), co-founder of Linksys; and Sonja Petrović, associate professor of applied mathematics and leader of the Illinois Tech Socially Responsible Modeling, Computation, and Design Initiative.
“Chicago’s cutting-edge tech scene has quickly become a national leader in innovation, investment, and growth thanks to schools like Illinois Tech,” said Samir Mayekar, Chicago deputy mayor for economic and neighborhood development. “The new College of Computing will serve as another step forward for our city’s innovation ecosystem, attracting talent from across the world, and developing the potential we have right here at home.”
The new college officially opened to students in the fall 2020 semester. The College of Computing houses Illinois Tech’s computer science, data science, artificial intelligence, applied mathematics, cybersecurity, industrial technology and management, and information technology and management programs.
“In order for our city to achieve truly inclusive growth, we must start with a strong educational foundation,” said Brad Henderson, chief executive officer of P33. “Thanks to the innovative and nimble programs coming out of schools like Illinois Tech and their new College of Computing, we are well positioned to meet both the present and future needs of the global business community from right here in Chicago.”
“As the Chicago business community continues to invest in public/private partnerships like P33, having the skilled and diverse talent pool provided by the College of Computing will be critical to our success in putting Chicago on the map as a premier global tech hub,” said Gladwin.
The College of Computing aims to bring a dynamic and nimble approach to educating students by responding to the rapidly changing needs of today’s computing field.
“Data analytics and computation-based critical thinking are no longer niche skills within the business community,” said Tsao. “As we move forward, data will be key across science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and including the arts—so this forward-thinking horizontal model will help equip all students to succeed in their careers across all STEAM disciplines.”
“Through this agile framework, we will be able to adjust our academic programs quickly to better address the emerging needs of tomorrow’s industry,” said Fortnow. “Our goal is not only to show all students how to apply computational thinking to their own disciplines, but to utilize this thinking in a responsible and ethical way so that they can be a part of the solution to global data security and privacy going forward.”
The College of Computing’s ribbon-cutting event will continue as Moshe Y. Vardi, University Professor and Karen Ostrum George Distinguished Service Professor in Computational Engineering at Rice University, will lead a computing ethics discussion following the ribbon cutting at 2 p.m.
ABOUT ILLINOIS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
Illinois Institute of Technology, also known as Illinois Tech, is a private, technology-focused research university. Illinois Tech is the only university of its kind in Chicago, and its Chicago location offers students access to the world-class resources of a great global metropolis. It offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in engineering, computing, architecture, business, design, science and human sciences, and law. One of 22 institutions that comprise the Association of Independent Technological Universities, Illinois Tech provides an exceptional education centered on active learning, and its graduates lead the state and much of the nation in economic prosperity. Illinois Tech uniquely prepares students to succeed in professions that require technological sophistication, an innovative mindset, and an entrepreneurial spirit. Visit www.iit.edu.
