A Letter from Dean Vivek Sarkar
Rich DeMillo has shaped this College in ways that are still unfolding. The programs he built, the students he inspired, and the faculty he mentored have left a mark on Georgia Tech — and on the field of computing — that will endure long after his retirement this October. It is a privilege to write to you in support of an effort to honor that legacy in a meaningful and lasting way.
We are establishing the Richard A. DeMillo Endowment at the College of Computing . The endowment will support faculty in cybersecurity, privacy, and the broader field of computing, with particular emphasis on the kind of early-career appointments that Rich championed throughout his tenure. In a field moving as quickly as ours, the ability to recruit and retain outstanding scholars at this critical stage of their careers is not simply a competitive advantage. It is how great institutions sustain themselves.
Rich has always believed that the next generation of ideas comes from people who are given the freedom and support to pursue them. This fund makes that belief permanent. The dean will have flexibility in directing distributions toward whatever combination of professorships, chairs, or early-career appointments best meets the College's needs at the time — ensuring that the fund remains a living, competitive resource. Every faculty member supported through this endowment will carry the Richard A. DeMillo name. The structure of the fund ensures that distributions will continue to serve outstanding faculty in computing at Georgia Tech — fully consistent with the intent of every donor who helped build it.
I hope you will consider being part of ithis initiative at the leadership level.
Because of your partnership and generosity, we are able to do the work that matters most. Thank you for considering this.
With gratitude,
Vivek Sarkar, John P. Imlay, Jr. Dean
College of Computing,
Georgia Institute of Technology