Established in 1995 with $500,000 of a gift of $1,000,000 from Microsoft
For many decades Microsoft has been the strongest corporate supporter of Computer Science & Engineering at the University of Washington.
As the capstone gift of the Campaign for Washington - the University of Washington's fundraising campaign of the late 1980s and early 1990s - Microsoft committed $1,000,000 to Computer Science & Engineering. These funds were used to establish the Microsoft Professorship, the Microsoft Graduate Fellowship, the Microsoft Undergraduate Scholarship, and the Microsoft Endowed Fund.
At the time of the gift, the gift agreement stated:
Microsoft is the worldwide leader in software. The Company develops, markets and supports a wide range of systems and applications software for personal computers. By making it easier to use personal computers for an increasing number of purposes, Microsoft products have contributed to the "PC revolution" during the last 15 years. The growth of Microsoft has paralleled the increase in the number of people who use personal computers in this country, from one million in 1980 to more than 100 million today.
Microsoft's $1 million commitment to the University of Washington is the largest ever made by the Company to date. By designating the gift to the Department of Computer Science & Engineering, the Company has made an important investment in the future of the software industry. According to Microsoft Chairman and CEO, Bill Gates III, "Institutions such as the University of Washington provide the software industry with the research and development talent we will need to continue our success."
Holders of the Microsoft Professorship
Hank Levy, 1999 until he was awarded the Wissner-Slivka Chair in 2004
Susan Eggers, 2004-2009
Anna Karlin, 2009 until she was awarded the Bill & Melinda Gates Chair in 2021
Dan Suciu, 2021-present