A man with a boyish demeanor and a brown suit takes the podium. A wave of applause greets him as he smiles, somewhat sheepishly, and gestures with his hands for the crowd to settle down. The audience, most standing, responds by clapping louder. The speaker thanks them several more times hoping they will quiet so he can begin his speech. Perhaps the raucous welcome isn't so surprising, considering that he was introduced by Jared Cohon, president of Carnegie Mellon University, as "truly a rock star." As proof, Cohon mentions that all 1,200 tickets for the Wiegand Gymnasium event were snapped up in less than a day.
The rock star is Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft. Many in the audience—made up of students, politicians, faculty, and guests—raise their cell phones to capture a personal photo of the computer pioneer. Once the audience is back in their seats, Gates begins his keynote address at the official dedication of the Gates Center for Computer Science and the Hillman Center for Future-Generation Technologies. The centers were made possible by a $20 million gift from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and a $10 million gift from the Henry L. Hillman Foundation.
Gates lauds the centers for providing a place where innovative academic hybrids can grow and thrive. Computer whizzes housed there will be able to visit with future Oscar, Emmy, Tony, and Grammy winners by walking directly into the Purnell Center for the Arts, thanks to a footbridge that is named after the late, beloved professor Randy Pausch. Gates says he looks forward to the interdisciplinary mixture leading to breakthroughs in fields ranging from medicine to entertainment.
"I am inspired by the great minds that are here and the ones that will come here," he tells the audience. He adds that the opportunities to pursue endeavors that are "both fun and interesting ... [will] make a big difference, not just to the United States, but to the world as a whole."
By the time the ribbon-cutting ceremony takes place on stage, Gates is surrounded by students. He fits right in.
—Elizabeth O'Brien
