University of Washington

In the 1970s, high schoolers Paul Allen and Bill Gates would sneak into a University of Washington (UW) computer science lab to use the most cutting-edge technology accessible at the time. The future cofounders of Microsoft experimented with the hardware, including a mainframe computer, until a strongly worded letter informed them that they were barred from the lab.  

This somewhat rocky beginning has since flourished into a “trusting synergy of mission and culture,” says Joanna Glickler, Assistant Vice President for Corporate & Foundation Relations at the University of Washington. As part of a decades-long partnership with the UW, Microsoft has contributed grants and gifts, collaborated with faculty and students in research, advocated for higher education in Olympia, and served as a trusted thought partner to university leadership. 

The two institutions are reimagining the possibilities for education, corporate citizenship, innovation, and the public good. “Microsoft is defined by its civic DNA,” says Ed Lazowska, Professor and the Bill & Melinda Gates Chair Emeritus at the University of Washington’s Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering.

Making higher education possible for more people

“Higher education is the greatest poverty-prevention program ever developed,” says Randy Hodgins, Vice President of the Office of External Affairs at the University of Washington. People with a bachelor’s degree earn 67% more than those with only a high school diploma, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. By making higher education more attainable and affordable, the UW-Microsoft partnership is bringing these opportunities within reach for more people.

“Over the years, Microsoft has been a tremendously effective partner for the University of Washington and the people we serve,” UW President Ana Mari Cauce says. “Their advocacy for higher education is transformative and our students and state are seeing the benefits of that advocacy every day.”

Advocacy for higher education paired with engaged philanthropic giving have been part of Microsoft’s DNA for decades. To the UW alone, Microsoft has given in excess of $165 million over the years. Many other colleges and universities are also among the 23,400 organizations that have benefited from the company’s historical giving, totaling $2 billion altogether.

Stabilizing funding for the state’s four-year universities has long been a priority for Microsoft. In 2010, company Vice Chair and President Brad Smith chaired Washington Governor Chris Gregoire’s Higher Education Funding Task Force with the goal of providing steady and predictable funding for the state’s four-year universities. The task force created the Washington State Opportunity Scholarship (WSOS) program, a public-private partnership that has provided hundreds of millions of dollars in scholarships to low- and middle-income students majoring in high-demand fields, including science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) as well as health care and trade professions. Year after year, the UW boasts the highest WSOS scholar enrollment of all colleges and universities in the state.

In 2019, Microsoft championed the drafting and passage of the Workforce Education Investment Act. The innovative funding mechanism taxes advanced technology companies, including Microsoft, and other organizations that hire highly skilled workers. The dollars it yields fund scholarships and high-demand college and university programs, including the UW's computer science and engineering school. “These successes would not have gotten over the finish line without the help of several leaders and companies including Brad Smith, Microsoft, and their entire government affairs team,” Hodgins says.

These efforts dovetail with targeted and deep investment into the university's Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering. Paul Allen and Microsoft contributed a combined $50 million in the program, which consistently ranks among the country’s top computer science programs. A Microsoft endowed scholarship has supported Allen School students since 1993.

This ongoing support has boosted the program's international standing, sparked donations, and increased capacity. “We want to grow our program, so we turn away fewer students, and Microsoft has supported that goal in every imaginable way,” Lazowska says. Last year, the school’s graduates landed jobs in 138 different companies in Washington, not only pursuing their career goals but also fueling the region’s innovation.

Microsoft employee gifts, matched by the company, extend support far beyond computer science, explains Glickler. “In addition to core investments in the computer science space, the generosity of Microsoft and its employees touches every single school and all three campuses. No other company has done that.”

Such expansive investment creates a ripple effect of generosity, Glicker adds. “This example inspires philanthropy among other individuals and organizations, creating a regional culture of giving. You can trace such a lot of generosity in this area back to Microsoft and its people, beginning with the extraordinary philanthropy of Bill Gates, Paul Allen and their families.”

Innovating for a thriving community

“Microsoft and the UW share an ethos that we’re all in this together,” says Cauce. “For years, we have partnered on initiatives that focus on education, innovation and care for the community and that’s a reflection of our shared belief in supporting the public good.” 

With foundational support from Microsoft, the UW launched the Global Innovation Exchange (GIX), which develops leaders in technology, design, and entrepreneurship. “Brad Smith recognized a program like GIX was precisely what our region needed,” Lazowska says. GIX now runs a graduate program with project-based curriculum, offers professional development, curates global experiences to build international relationships, and drives economic development. 

The UW also established the Center for Research and Education on Accessible Technology and Experiences (CREATE) with a $2.5 million inaugural investment from Microsoft. The company and Smith’s family donated a combined $7 million to renovating and restoring the UW’s historic ASUW Shell House, a landmark from the 1936 Olympics rowing team. And Microsoft contributed to the university’s Haring Center for Inclusive Education as part of its broad commitment to empowering all people.  

Microsoft continues to fund research, collaborate with students and faculty on innovative applications of technology, and provide internships for UW students. Projects with faculty and students range from developing technology to detect eye disease to using AI to design proteins that could lead to more potent vaccines. 

As the technology industry has thrived in the Puget Sound, the companies and organizations that have benefited have a responsibility to extend that prosperity more widely, Lazowska says. “Our job is building a successful community in which everybody can benefit. We’re doing that with Microsoft.”