Former Microsoft Exec, Case Western Alumnus, Donates $1.5M For Engineering

The former chief operating officer of Microsoft has made a pledge to help local engineering students at his alma mater.

Bob Herbold, who was COO and Executive Vice President of Microsoft from 1994 to 2001, has made a $1.5 million pledge to Case Western Reserve University’s scholarship fund to help the school launch its new Institute for Smart, Secure and Connected Systems.

Herbold, who earned a master’s degree and doctorate in computer science at Case, previously committed $2.6 million to the school to endow an engineering professorship in informatics and analytics. The school also recently added five new faculty to serve the institute.

The donation expands on that and extends into keeping internet data secure. "Data is essential, but it’s part of a much larger equation,” Herbold said in a press release announcing the gift. “Just as important is knowing what information to collect, how best to collect it, and how to keep it safe. This new institute draws on Case Western Reserve’s unique strengths to provide leadership in the rapidly evolving realm of the Internet of Things.”

The Internet of Things (IoT) is the network of the many devices that consumers use to connect to the internet. From smartphones to tablets to watches to laptops, these electronics make up a significant chunk of people's daily functions. According to global management consulting firm McKinsey and Co., IoT will comprise 11 percent of the global economy in the coming years.

In addition, leading technology research and advisory firm Gartner forecasts that, by 2020, more than half of all business processes and systems will involve the Internet of Things. At the same time, Gartner reports, security for IoT will be about 20 percent of organizations’ total security costs—as compared to 1 percent in 2015.

“The potential of this institute comes both from Case Western Reserve’s historic areas of prominence as well as our longstanding record of interdisciplinary collaboration,” President Barbara R. Snyder said in a statement. “We are seizing a moment in time where we are uniquely positioned to pinpoint new opportunities and offer groundbreaking solutions.”

The school has identified, with the help of alumni groups located in Silicon Valley and Boston, four key areas in which the ISSACS will look to innovate: “Smart Building” Sensors and Networks; Advanced Manufacturing; Energy; and Cybersecurity.

“In an era where competition for the world’s most talented graduate students is more intense than ever, Case Western Reserve must be able to offer meaningful financial support,” Herbold said. “These awards will demonstrate the engineering school’s seriousness about the promise it sees in those candidates and, I hope, draw more of them to campus.”