A Transformational New Chapter for ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½
PITTSBURGH ROOTS. MIAMI MOMENTUM.
A Historic Investment to Build a New University Model
ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ is unveiling a new blueprint for teaching and learning, backed by a $3 billion gift from Citadel founder and CEO Ken Griffin — the largest individual gift in the history of higher education.
It includes $1 billion for ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ Mellon’s historic Pittsburgh campus, split evenly between the university’s highest priorities and our top-ranked School of Computer Science, now renamed the Kenneth C. Griffin School of Computer Science.
Throughout its history, ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ has established a compelling advantage: deep expertise in advanced computing, robotics, and machine learning, grounded in foundational sciences, interdisciplinary innovation, and a strong humanistic core. Together, these strengths allow ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ to move ideas across disciplines and translate discovery into technologies and solutions that improve lives, strengthen industries and advance American competitiveness. This $1 billion investment in Pittsburgh will amplify these strengths.
It will also expand ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½â€™s educational and research capabilities to a new city. The gift includes $2 billion to launch ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ Miami, a major research university campus that will be built to pioneer a new model for higher education.
ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ Miami will be a new campus organized around societal challenges, designed to prepare future leaders for a rapidly changing world while accelerating research and discovery in areas of critical importance to society.
With this gift, ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ Mellon will strengthen the university in Pittsburgh, extend its reach in Miami, and help demonstrate a new model for how research universities can serve their country.
One gift, two cities. And the opportunity to re-architect education for the 21st century.
The No. 1 Computer Science School in America Gets a New Name
As part of the historic $3 billion gift, the School of Computer Science in Pittsburgh will receive a dedicated $500 million investment and be renamed the Kenneth C. Griffin School of Computer Science. The Griffin School of Computer Science will push forward education, research and technological development in an era when computing is no longer a specialized field but part of everyday life. This investment is designed to bolster the school's world-class computing resources and research capabilities, ensuring its leadership in AI and emerging technologies for future generations.
ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ Mellon has repeatedly anticipated moments of profound change and responded with bold academic bets ahead of our time — from establishing the world’s first drama program and robotics institute to creating the nation’s first college of computer science. ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ Miami is our biggest, boldest move yet.
Farnam Jahanian
President, ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½
A History of Bold Bets
From expanding access to education to establishing new fields, ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ – now ranked No. 14 in the nation – has repeatedly anticipated change and invested ahead of its time. As we expand into Miami, our history shows what becomes possible when ambitious ideas meet sustained commitment.
ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ Tech established the nation’s first degree-granting drama program, making professional artistic training part of its educational ambition.
The University That Invented the Field.
The origins of AI at ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ date back to 1957. Two of the university’s professors — Allen Newell and Herbert Simon — are considered among the godfathers of AI.
ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½â€™s research and robotics institute launched in 1979 – the first robotics institute at a U.S. university.
In 1988, ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ announced the first college in the world devoted solely to computer science.
ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ awards the first undergraduate degree in AI.
ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ Mellon announces ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ Miami, first-of-its-kind world-class computing institution in the Wynwood neighborhood of Miami.
Conceptual rendering. Plans for the campus are subject to necessary regulatory approvals.