Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Bill Gates Dedicates Cornell University's New Gates Hall

  • 10/06/14

ITHACA, NY — Bill Gates visited Cornell University on October 1 to dedicate the university’s new Computing and Information Science (CIS) building and help celebrate 50 years of computer science at the institution.

Bill & Melinda Gates Hall is designed to help foster Cornell faculty research collaboration and to strengthen students’ educational experience by bringing together two CIS academic departments — Computer Science and Information Science — in one facility. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation donated $25 million toward the $60 million total cost of the project.

Cornell University President David J. Skorton and Cornell CIS Dean Haym Hirsh joined Bill Gates in a ceremony to officially open the new building.

President Skorton calls the building “a stunning addition to the Cornell campus” and says it will “facilitate collaboration and the free exchange of ideas, and inspire our students, faculty and staff through elegant design and state-of-the-art sustainability.”

Cornell CIS Dean Haym Hirsh says, “Cornell University has helped shape the face of computing for 50 years, since the creation of our Computer Science department. Through the generosity of the Gates Foundation and our other donors, Gates Hall will help us continue to be a world-leader in computing and information science — and an education and research model in the information economy — for the next 50 years and beyond.”

Designed by award-winning architect Thom Mayne and the Morphosis architecture firm, Gates Hall features human-computer interaction, networking and systems, robotics, vision and graphics and artificial intelligence labs; a 150-seat lecture hall; distance-collaboration technology; and space for faculty, researchers, graduate students and support services. Ninety-five percent of the building has natural light, and LEED Gold certification is pending. Construction on the 101,455 gross-square-foot facility began in 2012, and it was completed earlier this year.

About Cornell CIS
Cornell Computing and Information Science (cis.cornell.edu) was established in 1999 to respond to the educational and scientific challenges of the information age. Composed of the Computer Science, Information Science and Statistical Science departments, this college-level unit’s mission is to integrate computing and information science into every academic field. Cornell CIS programs reach thousands of Cornell students across multiple colleges.

Featured

  • URI Cuts Underwater Ribbon on New Ocean Robotics Laboratory

    The University of Rhode Island recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new Ocean Robotics Laboratory at its Narragansett Bay Campus, according to a news release. Two students used a remotely operated vehicle to cut an underwater ribbon in a 30-by-20-foot test tank.

  • Rowan University, HPE Partner on New Learning Initiative

    Rowan University in Glassboro, N.J., recently announced that it has expanded its partnership with enterprise technology provider HPE to improve research capabilities and hands-on learning opportunities, according to a news release.

  • Can AI Help Build Stronger Communities in Student Housing?

    Student housing success is shifting from operational performance to student experience, with belonging now at the center. A recent 2025 report underscores a growing emphasis on student well-being, community, and engagement, signaling that expectations now extend beyond logistics to ensure students feel supported in their living environments. AI is enabling that shift by reducing administrative workload and giving teams more time to focus on meaningful student engagement.

  • Arizona District Breaks Ground on Community Training, Learning Center

    The Tolleson Union High School District (TUHSD) in Tolleson, Ariz., recently broke ground on a new Training & Learning Center (TLC) for both district professionals and the community at large, according to a news release. The 90,000-square-foot facility has an estimated completion date of spring 2027.