Zillow Group has pledged $5 million to support the construction of a second computer science building on the UW’s Seattle campus. The gift is the first-ever corporate donation made by the company and will provide the space needed for UW CSE to double annual degree production in response to growing student and employer demand. Zillow Group COO Amy Bohutinsky highlighted UW CSE’s vital role in the region’s technology ecosystem and its leadership in education and diversity in announcing the gift.
“Having founded our company in Seattle, we have long benefited from this wealth of talent and are proud to be able to support the expansion of such an extraordinary program,” Bohutinsky said in a press release. “As Zillow Group’s first corporate donation, our hope is that this gift will help expand the education opportunities in our state and ensure more young people have access to high quality STEM education.”
In recognition of Zillow Group’s generous support, UW CSE will name the 3,000-square-foot event space in the new building the “Zillow Commons.” The Zillow Commons, which will be located on the fourth floor and have sweeping views of Lake Washington and the Cascade Mountains, will provide a flexible venue for hosting workshops, research demo days, career fairs, and a variety of other community-focused events.
UW CSE has now received commitments totaling more than $90 million toward the $110 million project.
Read the media release announcing Zillow Group’s gift, and check out coverage by GeekWire, the Seattle Times, Xconomy, the Puget Sound Business Journal, KIRO 7 News, KING 5 News, and Inside Philanthropy. Learn more about the campaign for CSE2 here.
Many thanks to Zillow Group for its generous support and ongoing partnership with UW CSE!