Knight Foundation Invests Millions in IDSC, FIU, and Baptist…
Covering the February 24, 2021, Knight Foundation announcement of grants to grow Miami’s tech community (“Knight Foundation Invests $15M in FIU, UM, Baptist Health to Expand Miami’s Tech Talent, Accelerate Innovation“), Miami Herald Reporter Rob Wile looked at the funding awarded to UM IDSC:
At the University of Miami, Knight is investing $4.3 million to endow six new faculty chair positions at its Institute of Data Science and Computing (IDSC); until last year, it was known as the Center for Computational Science.
“Think of this as high-test fuel,” said Jeffrey Duerk, executive vice president for academic affairs and provost at the Institute, in a statement. “The Knight Foundation’s gift supporting IDSC’s growth will top off our tank and allow us to go further and go faster.”
In a follow-up interview, Duerk said the Knight investment will help create another “win” that is needed to make—and keep—Miami an attractive destination.
“There is great talent here, there is a great university ecosystem here, and now there’s a venture capital buzz and an angel network buzz. All of that creates the hum that will support this (tech) revolution,” he said.