Gates to speak on technology

Microsoft chairman Bill Gates will speak at Richardson Auditorium on Oct. 14 about the ever-changing role of computer technology in today's world, the University announced Wednesday.

Gates was also named the recipient of the 2005 Crystal Tiger Award, which was founded two years ago to honor an individual who has improved society and impacted the lives of undergraduates.

Gates' address — scheduled for 11:30 a.m. — is part of his nationwide college tour intended to ignite interest in the computer sciences and highlight technology's potential to improve the way people work, communicate and live. The talk will be followed by a question and answer session with students in attendance.

Seating for the event is limited to the campus community with priority given to students, according to the University. Tickets will be available to students, faculty and staff with PUIDs through an online lottery.

The lottery will open at 9 a.m. Monday and close at 6 p.m. Thursday. Gates' lecture will also be simulcast in McCosh 10.

Members of the Crystal Tiger committee said Gates' record of service was particularly important in their decision to honor him.

"In light of the many community service projects we engage in as undergraduates, we feel it is particularly important to recognize a public figure who has made a sustained commitment to serving others," committee member Cindy Chou '07 said.

Former Secretary of State Colin Powell received the inaugural award in February 2004 during a trip to campus to honor the centennial birthday of diplomat George Kennan '25.

Chou said Gates was not planning to speak on campus before being notified of the award nomination. "The letter of invitation the Crystal Tiger Award selection committee sent was the first and only invitation extended," she said.

Students were invited to submit nominations for the award by suggesting individuals to the selection committee — comprised of Chou, Harrison Frist '06, Thomas Voute '06 and Russell Barnes '07.

When no award was given during the 2004-05 academic year, some students questioned the legitimacy of the honor. Chou said, though, that the committee must work around the hectic lives of those it wishes to recognize.

"Invitations are extended in advance to nominees," Chou said. "However, due to both the demanding schedules of the nominees and the challenges of coordinating that availability with our own academic calendar, our goal is to present one award each calendar year."

Get the best of the ‘Prince’ delivered straight to your inbox. Subscribe now »

In their invitation to Gates, the committee commended the Seattle native and co-founder of Microsoft for his ingenuity and compassion.

"You have succeeded, not simply as an innovator and a businessman, but also as a transformative leader in the global community," the students wrote. "You have been a driving force in some of the most important issues in the last quarter century, from changing the way that we communicate, to enhancing the way we tackle AIDS in the developing world."

President Tilghman echoed the award committee's praise for Gates by highlighting the multi-billionaire's commitment to enhancing life for millions of people worldwide.

"Bill Gates' entrepreneurial skills have made his name a household word," she said in a statement Wednesday. "But the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and its precursors have also made enormous contributions to the fields of health and education, extended vital help to public libraries and improved the lives of disadvantaged families."

In April, Tilghman joined Gates in a panel at the Library of Congress to discuss the effects of increasing global competition in higher education and scientific research on the United States.