Microsoft announces $10 million gift to University of Washington Computer Science & Engineering Department

The job market for those with computer science backgrounds, in Seattle and throughout the country, is booming. Yet, because of a lack of funding and space, University of Washington Computer Science & Engineering (CSE) turns away two out of three qualified applicants. Today, leaders at Microsoft stepped forward to help address the problem.

Microsoft General Counsel and Executive Vice President Brad Smith announced Friday that Microsoft will contribute $10 million to kick-start a campaign to build a second Computer Science & Engineering (CSE) building on the University of Washington campus. Microsoft is the first private contributor to a project that aims to double the size of one of the leading university computer science programs in the United States.

“This is an investment in students who will become the innovators and creators of tomorrow,” Smith said. “We hope this first corporate commitment to a new UW CSE building inspires others — individual donors, companies and those in state government — to support a project vital to the future of our state.”

Microsoft’s gift is one step toward expanding the number of UW computer science graduates from about 300 today, to over 600 when the new building is constructed. Learn more in the University of Washington news release.