A New Home for Computer, Information,
and Intelligence Sciences
It was the perfect excuse for giving, says Steve
Kirsch, '78 EE, of his $2.5 million gift to the new center for computer, information, and
intelligence sciences at MIT. Although he'll have an 300-seat auditorium named after him
in the new center, Kirsch says he's more interested in the big picture.
"In essence, I'm not donating an auditorium," he says. "I'm just one of a group of alumni contributing toward better facilities at MIT. Our faculty and students are first-rate, and they really deserve first-rate facilities."
Kirsch says although it's tough to quantify the value of his gift, he knows well the value of an MIT education. "When I was there, I didn't have a clue as to what would happen to me later on," says this founder of three successful start-ups, including Infoseek, an Internet service firm. "I know great things will come from the enhanced opportunities for collaboration in the new facility, but I can't predict the value of that."
"I give back to MIT in appreciation," says Kirsch. "Not necessarily for what MIT gave me, but for MIT's potential in terms of educating future generations. I view it as a gift to society at large."
See also Kirsch makes $2.5M pledge in Tech Talk.