Cornell University gears up to build new computing and information sciences building

ITHACA, N.Y. — Cornell University held a ceremony on Oct. 14 to honor the gift it received from class of 1959 graduate Ann S. Bowers and celebrate the upcoming construction of a new building complex to house the university’s computing and information sciences programs.

“In the years ahead, Anna’s gift will help cement Cornell’s place as one of the very best centers of computing education and research in the world, paving the way for new achievements in the fields of computing, information science, statistics, and data science,” President Martha E. Pollock said in a news release on the Cornell Chronicle website.

Cornell held a virtual groundbreaking ceremony for the Cornell Ann S. Bowers College of Computing and Information Science, made possible by a nine-figure donation (at least $100 million) from Bowers in 2020. Construction of the building, located on the south side of Gates Hall, begins in early 2023. The structure is expected to open in the spring of 2025.

“We’re here to celebrate our future,” Dean of Cornell Bowers CIS Kavita Bala said at the ceremony. “We’re growing our faculty, who are shaping the future of technology. We’re expanding opportunities for our students for better experiential learning. We have exciting new research initiatives that will position us for continued leadership in tech. And we’re developing a culture where diversity and inclusion are built into the very fabric of our academic ecosystem.”

Cornell alumni Steve Conine (1995), Alexi Conine (1996), and Niraj Shah (1995), who joined Jill Shah to make a combined $10 million donation to support Cornell Bowers CIS, also participated in the weekend’s events which included a conversation with Bala, Conine, and Shah and an interdisciplinary showcase highlighting research from 18 student teams.

“One of our biggest opportunities to shape the future is through our students,” Bala said. “They are future leaders and innovators who will leave their own indelible mark on the world.”