New York: A transformative gift from a Binghamton University alumnus and his wife will establish an endowed professorship focused on artificial intelligence at the Thomas J. Watson College of Engineering and Applied Science.
The Subhachandra and Nandita Chandra Endowed Professorship in Watson College will support an associate professor or professor in any discipline whose research uses AI in innovative ways.
“Challenges always create new opportunities,” said Subhachandra Chandra, MS ’95. “It’s not just using AI within the tech sector, however — it's also about how we apply AI to everything else. How do we best use AI for medicine, environmental sciences, manufacturing, or anything else that you can think of? We can use the power of AI to improve things across the world in many areas.”
The Chandras have generously funded a graduate student scholarship and other programs at Binghamton for more than 20 years, including the Watson College Scholars Program. The endowed professorship is just the latest way for them to give back to Subhachandra’s alma mater.
“Endowed professorships are a powerful way to support and retain faculty who are doing novel and valuable work, and I am incredibly grateful to the Chandras for their gift on behalf of Watson College,” said President Anne D’Alleva.
“In addition to the tangible benefits for our faculty and students, the endowed professorship also pays tribute to the broad successes of alumni like Subhachandra Chandra. Watson College has nurtured the development of many brilliant engineers, and I’m glad that an endowed professorship will inspire others to follow in the footsteps of those who came before them — in science, in leadership, and in philanthropy.”
Watson College Dean Atul Kelkar added: “We are deeply grateful for this professorship, which strengthens Watson College and honors the donor’s vision for innovation,” he said. “It empowers us to support the transformative fields of tomorrow, ensuring that our research remains at the cutting edge of global technological progress for decades to come.
“I cannot emphasize enough how important these gifts are to the future of Watson; they have a profound impact not only on advancing research but also on the academic experience of our students. We are extremely grateful to our alumni and friends who choose to partner with us in our mission of academic excellence.”
“With this professorship, Binghamton’s use of AI will amplify and accelerate the impact our work can have in the world,” Vice President for Advancement David K. Whitmore said. “The Chandra family’s generosity enables us to lead the way in AI advancements and breakthroughs, and we couldn’t be more thankful for their support.” (Text courtesy: binghamton.edu)
