Microsoft Research New England Opening

Thank you for joining us today to inaugurate Microsoft Corp.’s newest research lab, bringing the total to six labs Microsoft Research operates worldwide. I am so excited to be joining the research community in the New England area, which I think is one of the most vibrant areas in the world, and to be working hand-in-hand with so many of you to help advance the frontiers of research and learning.

Microsoft has a long-standing and deep commitment to collaborate with the broader research community and advance the state of the art across many areas of computing research. The establishment of the New England lab opens up a new chapter for Microsoft to work with you to pursue new interdisciplinary areas of research that bring together core computer scientists and social scientists to better understand, model, and enable computing and online experiences of the future.

When Microsoft first announced its plans to establish a research lab in the New England area, I said we wanted to create new opportunities for some of the world’s leading researchers and students to pursue their passions, and we wanted to collaborate with some of the premier academic institutions in the area. With your support, we’ve made a great start. I am happy to announce that we now have in place a core team of distinguished researchers, postdocs, visiting researchers and interns, which gives us the critical mass needed to begin our work in earnest. This team has begun to make important connections within some of the great research institutions in the area

I am excited about the opportunity today’s event provides for our new team to meet so many of you in what I hope will be the first of many interactions to come.

I want to extend a special thanks to Massachusetts Institute of Technology for graciously hosting our opening symposium. I appreciate your generosity today, as well as the support you’ve shown for us since Microsoft first announced its plans to open a lab in your neighborhood.

Thanks to all of you for participating in today’s symposium. We are honored to be joining your ranks in the New England area, and we look forward to partnering with you and your colleagues in the Eastern United States as well as around the globe to continue to foster innovative research, advance education, and promote science and engineering.

Sincerely,

Jennifer Chayes, Managing Director, Microsoft Research New England