To create a vibrant, mutually beneficial link between Georgia Tech and industry, the School of Computational Science & Engineering launched a new Strategic Partnership Program (SPP) with an inaugural class of leading corporations:  Accenture, Cray Inc., LexisNexis, Northup Grumman, NVIDIA and Yahoo – together providing $150,000 in foundational support to the school.

Partners will visit campus several times a year to intersect with students and faculty, and will come together April 27 for a first-of-its-kind workshop which will result in a Blue Ribbon Report about the future of data science.

Membership is intentionally limited to a small group of corporations so they can work intimately with the school -- having access to emerging computational scientists and engineers from a Top 10 nationally ranked computing program and offering curriculum advice. 

“Already these partners have forged the kind of private-public connections that are essential to tackling modern, complex problems through scientific research,” said David A. Bader, chair of the School of Computer Science & Engineering. Bader, who conceived the program, said “SPP partners are perfectly positioned to provide the type of feedback needed to keep our work application-focused and help shape the highly skilled workers of tomorrow. They are our closest advisers.”

Financial support from partners is paid to the Georgia Tech Foundation, Inc., providing the school chair with the flexibility to build and fashion the school to benefit industry needs via curriculum or research and to benefit students by developing the skills most needed by industry, added John Hannan, director of development for the College of Computing, who led the SPP’s development and recruitment.