[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”25px” image_repeat=”no-repeat”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row row_type=”row” use_row_as_full_screen_section=”no” type=”grid” text_align=”left” css_animation=”” box_shadow_on_row=”no”][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”25px” image_repeat=”no-repeat”][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n
![\"Danny](\"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/adv\/alumni-news-media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Danny-Sabbah-cropped-300x300.webp\")
Daniel Sabbah \u201974, \u201978 (MS), \u201982 (PhD)<\/p><\/div>\n
Daniel Sabbah \u201974, \u201978 (MS), \u201982 (PhD), former chief technology officer and general manager of IBM Cloud and Next Gen Computing, has committed $2 million to establish the 50th Anniversary Distinguished Professorship in Computer Science. This endowed gift will help the Hajim School\u2019s Department of Computer Science<\/a> recognize, attract, and advance faculty excellence in teaching and research.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are incredibly grateful to Danny for his vision, partnership, and history of generosity,\u201d says Wendi Heinzelman, dean of the Hajim School<\/a>. \u201cThis gift honors the computer science department\u2019s 50 year legacy of excellence, creates a vital pathway to support our faculty, and aligns with the University\u2019s Boundless Possibility 2030 Strategic Plan<\/a>. Its impact will certainly be felt for generations, building on the department\u2019s strengths in artificial intelligence, systems, theory, and human-computer interaction.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMy career depended on the skills and knowledge I gained at Rochester and, now, I am in a position where I can help facilitate opportunities for others, especially those who have or will build careers in computer science,\u201d says Sabbah. \u201cI\u2019m honored to play a role in the development of the department and the people within it.\u201d<\/p>\n This is the third endowed gift from Sabbah, a mathematics major who also earned his master\u2019s degree and a PhD in computer science from Rochester. In 2019, he established the Sabbah Family Endowment Award, a bequest that will provide seed funding to faculty conducting the most promising research across the School of Arts & Sciences. In 2015, he created the Endowed Fund for Data Science. Additionally, he has provided vital current-use funding to support the strategic initiatives and immediate needs of the Hajim School.<\/p>\n Adds Michael Scott, the Arthur Gould Yates Professor of Engineering and chair of the computer science department, \u201cDanny\u2019s gift will significantly enhance our already strong undergraduate and graduate programs and will empower our faculty scholars and researchers. Their expertise and dedication have been the driving force behind our department\u2019s 50 years of innovation and achievements.\u201d[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row row_type=”row” use_row_as_full_screen_section=”no” type=”grid” text_align=”left” css_animation=”” box_shadow_on_row=”no”][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”25px” image_repeat=”no-repeat”][vc_row_inner row_type=”row” type=”full_width” use_row_as_full_screen_section_slide=”no” text_align=”left” background_color=”#e7e7e7″ css_animation=”” box_shadow_on_row=”no”][vc_column_inner][vc_empty_space image_repeat=”no-repeat”][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n After graduating from Rochester, Sabbah followed the footsteps of his father, a longtime engineer at IBM. Sabbah retired from IBM in 2014, after more than 40 years of service, having risen from researcher and software developer to chief technology officer and general manager of various divisions within the company. During his career, Sabbah was responsible for creating IBM\u2019s cloud platform and pioneering its move into open source in the late 1990s and early 2000s, well before it was commercially popular. Sabbah also played a key role in driving the company\u2019s successful expansion into internet software. Today, Sabbah consults with private equity and venture capital firms around the world. He serves as a senior advisor for Bridge Growth LLC and was previously on the board of directors for Finalsite LLC. In 2023, Sabbah coauthored his first book, The Heart of Innovation: A Field Guide for Navigating Authentic Demand<\/a><\/em>.<\/p>\n In addition to his three Rochester degrees, Sabbah also earned an executive education business degree from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. He is a member of the Association for Computing Machinery and former member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. Sabbah is an active member of the Hajim School\u2019s Dean\u2019s Advisory Council, Arts, Sciences & Engineering\u2019s National Council, and the University\u2019s Campaign Planning Committee. He also volunteers with Rochester\u2019s admissions and career services offices, on The Meliora Collective<\/a>, and as a guest lecturer. Since 2008, he and his wife, Karen Dana Carlson, have been benefactor-level members of the George Eastman Circle, the University\u2019s leadership annual giving society. He and Carlson have two children, Emily Sabbah-Taggart and Zachary Sabbah.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space image_repeat=”no-repeat”][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row row_type=”row” use_row_as_full_screen_section=”no” type=”grid” text_align=”left” css_animation=”” box_shadow_on_row=”no”][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”25px” image_repeat=”no-repeat”][vc_row_inner row_type=”row” type=”full_width” use_row_as_full_screen_section_slide=”no” text_align=”left” background_color=”#e9e5d7″ css_animation=”” box_shadow_on_row=”no”][vc_column_inner][vc_empty_space image_repeat=”no-repeat”][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n In 1974, the Ä¢¹½´«Ã½ established the Department of Computer Science<\/a> within the Hylan Building. Today, it is housed within Wegmans Hall. The department\u2019s faculty are accomplished and have earned honors from prominent national and global organizations such as the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence; the Association for Computational Linguistics; and SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics.<\/p>\n Computer science is second only to biology as an undergraduate major, with approximately 150 students graduating each year. Additionally, on average, 70 PhD and 60 master\u2019s students are enrolled on campus annually. Graduates gain a deep understanding of cutting-edge concepts and the benefits of taking an interdisciplinary approach with a quantitative focus. This equips them to solve complex problems and emerge as leaders in a fast-growing field.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space image_repeat=”no-repeat”][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row row_type=”row” use_row_as_full_screen_section=”no” type=”grid” text_align=”left” css_animation=”” box_shadow_on_row=”no”][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”25px” image_repeat=”no-repeat”][vc_row_inner row_type=”row” type=”full_width” use_row_as_full_screen_section_slide=”no” text_align=”left” background_color=”#00205b” css_animation=”” box_shadow_on_row=”no”][vc_column_inner][vc_empty_space image_repeat=”no-repeat”][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n Contact Derek Swanson<\/a>, executive director of Hajim Advancement, to learn how you can support faculty, students, and academic excellence at the Hajim School. Find out more about the University\u2019s Boundless Possibilities 2030 Strategic Plan<\/a>, too, and steps being taken to help our faculty, students, and staff achieve success. <\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space image_repeat=”no-repeat”][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row row_type=”row” use_row_as_full_screen_section=”no” type=”grid” text_align=”left” css_animation=”” box_shadow_on_row=”no”][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”25px” image_repeat=”no-repeat”][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1715020373903{border-top-width: 1px !important;padding-top: 10px !important;border-top-color: #999999 !important;border-top-style: solid !important;}”]<\/p>\n \u2014 Kristine Kappel Thompson, May 2024<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n [\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”25px” image_repeat=”no-repeat”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Daniel Sabbah \u201974, \u201978 (MS), \u201982 (PhD), former chief technology officer and general manager of IBM Cloud and Next Gen Computing, has committed $2 million to establish the 50th Anniversary Distinguished Professorship in Computer Science. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":52,"featured_media":83992,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[152,22,142],"tags":[272,332,172,1292],"class_list":["post-83692","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","category-profiles","category-stories","tag-alumni","tag-engineering","tag-entrepreneurship","tag-hajim"],"yoast_head":"\nÄ¢¹½´«Ã½ Danny Sabbah<\/h3>\n
Computer science at Rochester<\/h3>\n
Support academic excellence<\/h3>\n