President Martha E. Pollack issued the following statement Dec. 17:

Today marks a historic day for Cornell University, as we announce the creation of the Cornell Ann S. Bowers College of Computing and Information Science, made possible by a generous gift from Ann S. Bowers ’59, an early leader in Silicon Valley, philanthropist and longtime Cornell supporter. 

This is a transformational gift that will ensure capacity for CIS to continue its exceptional growth, and to further build its preeminence in the fields of computing, information science, statistics and data science. The gift will also provide support for the construction of a new building that will create much needed space for current and future faculty and students.

As is the case today, students who pursue majors in the Cornell Ann S. Bowers College of Computing and Information Science will apply to Cornell through other colleges.

Ann led human resources at Intel Corporation in the 1970s and was one of Apple’s first vice presidents in the 1980s. She spent her career developing and fostering an environment where technologists could thrive. As such, it is only fitting that the new college bear her name, as her support will foster generations of technologists to come.

Ann is no stranger to making an impact on Cornell. As one of our most generous donors, her decades-long support has helped to build Gates Hall, endow faculty positions, support student scholarship and much more. She has also contributed through volunteer efforts, serving as a university trustee and member of the President’s Council of Cornell Women, as chair of the Cornell Silicon Valley Advisors and in many other capacities.

When CIS was created 21 years ago, it was one of the nation’s first programs to combine computer science, with its emphasis on technology, and information science, with its focus on the ways that technology impacts humanity. Since then, CIS has continued to evolve and grow at a rapid pace. As a scholar of computer science, I am especially proud of CIS’s ongoing evolution and grateful to Ann, whose gift will further elevate CIS’s reputation as a leader in these disciplines.

I look forward to further celebrating this momentous occasion with our entire Cornell community in the coming year.

I encourage you to read more about Ann and this gift in the Cornell Chronicle.