$13.7M Gift Establishes Endowed Computer Science Chair Focused on AI

Thanks to a $13.7 million gift from Robert (C'62) and Allison Bertrand (Parents'05), Georgetown University will create the Robert W. Bertrand Endowed Chair in Computer Science to focus on research and teaching related to artificial intelligence (AI).

"I am grateful to the Bertrands for their vision and investment in advancing research and teaching that will enhance our shared understanding of AI's capabilities and help inform its ethical evolution and utilization. It is a privilege for Georgetown to lead the way in this effort," says Interim President Robert Groves.

The gift is one of the largest ever made to the Department of Computer Science, which is housed in the College of Arts & Sciences. A recruitment search for the chair is underway, with an aspirational start date in Fall 2026.

"The Robert W. Bertrand Endowed Chair in Computer Science will enable the Department of Computer Science in the College of Arts & Sciences to play a leadership role in understanding this technology and its impact upon society," says David Edelstein, dean of the College of Arts & Sciences. "We look forward to recruiting a world-class faculty member to fill this chair, someone who will bring both path-breaking research and innovative teaching to Georgetown."

Excellence across curriculums

As a graduate of the College of Arts & Sciences and a Georgetown parent, Bob Bertrand knows Georgetown is well-regarded in the humanities, international relations, and law. In making this gift, he and Allison want to further amplify the university's work in science and technology.

"Because of the ever-growing importance of technology-and AI, specifically-I believe the university will benefit greatly from this endowed chair," says Bob Bertrand.

"It is impossible to know how much AI will impact our lives going forward, but we do know it will be very significant," adds Bertrand. "I firmly believe graduates need to understand AI's role in every aspect of society-including business, military, health care, and government-and be prepared to deal with it."

Bertrand, now retired president and CEO of Concord Servicing Corporation, credits Georgetown's commitment to excellence as a contributing factor in his own career success.

"I believe that ethos was imbued in me and most of my fellow students, and was one of the most important benefits to me from my years at Georgetown," says Bertrand, whose philanthropy to Georgetown also includes an endowed scholarship and abequest in his estate for further scholarship support.

Guiding the future of ethical AI application

Founded in 2003, Georgetown's Department of Computer Science, led by Professor Lisa Singh, offers graduate and doctoral degrees as well as undergraduate programs and a postbaccalaureate certificate. The department is one of the first to offer a major in Computer Science and Ethics.

The department offers multiple courses in AI, inspiring students like Wisdom Obinna(G'29) who participated in the United Nations' Graduate Study Programme in Geneva this summer to examine AI ethics.

"I'm so excited that we are going to hire someone who is a brilliant AI researcher within the context of the Georgetown ethos: taking care of others, thinking about the world we live in more deeply, and finding ways to help our communities," says Singh, the Sonneborn Chair for Interdisciplinary Research, a professor in Computer Science and Public Policy, and director of the Massive Data Institute in the School of Public Policy. "It's that connection between AI research and people's lives that I hope the new chair will explore."

While mainstream conversations about AI are focused on generative AI like ChatGPT or Gemini, AI is an umbrella term that includes different branches including natural language processing and machine learning, Singh says.

She is hopeful that the Bertrand chair-working with the department's McDevitt chairs Yoshi Kohno, Kobbi Nissim, Matt Blaze, and other faculty-will find new directions for collaboration across campus.

"With this chair, Georgetown is not only expanding our Computer Science Department and the campus faculty, but also creating AI's future agenda," Singh says.