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(L-R) Dr. Ann Marie Maynard and
Mootaz Elnozahy |
On Monday, September 22, the University of Texas at Austin, College of Natural Sciences awarded its Trailblazer Award to Dr. Ann Marie Maynard and Mootaz Elnohazy for the relationships they have championed between UT and IBM.
The UT-IBM relationship provides tremendous benefits to both parties. UT Austin provides IBM with access to seminars, fresh ideas, and a new generation of talent each year. And IBM Austin provides UT students with industry-guided research and experienced mentors. In addition, the university has access to funding from IBM's university programs.
College of Natural Sciences Dean Mary Ann Rankin observed, "It's hard to overstate how instrumental Ann Marie and Mootaz have been in forging a deep connection between IBM and the UT College of Natural Sciences."
Mootaz Elnozahy summed up, "Observation demonstrates that successful research labs thrive on strong relationships with the local academia. What started simply as an observation, has evolved into millions of dollars worth of joint exploratory projects, with both IBM and UT leveraging their intellectual investment to bear very tangible fruits."
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| (L-R) J Strother Moore, Chair of Computer Science, Dr. Ann Marie Maynard, Mootaz Elnozahy, and Mary Ann Rankin, Dean, College of Natural Sciences |
Dean Rankin explained that Dr. Mootaz Elnozahy was honored for leading a substantial and visionary research agenda between IBM and the UT department of Computer Sciences, and Dr. Ann Marie Maynard was honored for her steadfast efforts to match partners and secure funding through the Austin Center for Advanced Studies program.
Dr. Ann Marie Maynard, IBM Austin Center for Advanced Studies program director, explained, "I saw the opportunity to package IBM programs and processes into new, creative "offerings" that would mutually benefit IBM and University."
IBM's extensive relationship with the College of Natural Sciences, reaches disciplines from chemistry to physics, geological sciences to mathematics, and from special research units to computer sciences. The IBM's connection with the Department of Computer Sciences enables an especially vital exchange between the two -- including mentoring, engaging students in real-world experiences, and joining with faculty and students to investigate complex research problems.
Dr. Maynard discussed future plans, saying she'd be reaching out to the UT Computer Science department to explore the business side of technology innovation. "We're interesting in collaborating with the UT Computer Science department to bring experience from the business world into the domain of technology research."
J. Strother Moore, Chair of Computer Science and Dean Rankin were very receptive and felt they might have the perfect match for this vision. Dean Rankin concluded, "Of the many good relationships UT has enjoyed with various corporations, few stand out as much as this one with IBM."
September 25, 2003
