Alumnus commits $10 million to support and expand opportunities in computer and data sciences
As AI and big data reshape entire industries almost overnight, ӰƵ alumnus Kevin Kranzusch (CWR ‘90) is seeking to keep his alma mater at the forefront—capitalizing on his past support of the university by committing an additional $10 million to further expand the computer and data sciences department in the university’s Case School of Engineering.
In 2019, when Kranzusch and his wife, Lynne Bosworth, made an initial $5 million gift to establish the department, Kranzusch envisioned it as a catalyst for positioning the university as a leader in the emerging sectors of big data and high-performance computing.
Two years later, the couple doubled down with an additional $5 million gift that supported two endowed professorships along with a fellowship to attract high-potential graduate students to the department. The results have been impressive.
“The biggest impact in our department has been in enrollment,” said Vipin Chaudhary, PhD, the department’s chair and the first of four Kevin J. Kranzusch Professors. Citing data from the end of spring semester, Chadhaury said enrollment has “more than doubled since 2020, and in the last two years, we have grown 60% in undergraduate enrollment and 65% overall. With the surge in enrollment, the timing of the additional support could not have been better.”
Through Kranzusch’s third investment phase, the department will benefit from a $3 million endowment fund to support faculty project startup funds, teaching needs and curriculum development; a $2 million increase in the Kranzusch Fellows Fund; $2 million to create a third endowed professorship; and $3 million to create an endowment for student success.
“Kevin shares our vision for the department, and his continued partnership is a key piece of its future,” said Venkataramanan “Ragu” Balakrishnan, PhD, the Charles H. Phipps Dean of the Case School of Engineering. “In 2019, he trusted us with a significant investment that has served as the launching pad for growth, including funds to support faculty hires and student experiences. Now, he’s seen the promise the department holds and is helping us take the next steps. Once again, we are extremely grateful.”
While Kranzusch is confident each of the four components of his latest commitment are vital to the department’s continued growth, it’s the student success piece that excites him most.
“Phase three is primarily about the students,” said Kranzusch, vice president at NVIDIA, the multinational technology company renowned for inventing the GPU (Graphics Processing Unit). “I want to ma