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The Patrick Henry Winston (1965) Memorial Fund

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Established within the MIT Schwarzman College of Computing, the Patrick Henry Winston (1965) Memorial Fund provides MIT students with opportunities to showcase their ideas and research to wider audiences at cognitive AI conferences, meetings, and similar collaborations at MIT and beyond.

Open to undergraduate and graduate students at MIT, the fund provides travel support to computer science and AI conferences, including but not limited to, coverage of conference fees, transportation costs, and accommodations.

The fund honors Patrick Henry Winston SB ’65, SM ’67, PhD ’70, professor of artificial intelligence and computer science for nearly 50 years and director of the MIT Artificial Intelligence Laboratory from 1972 to 1997. With a dream to develop a computational explanation of human intelligence, Professor Winston believed that insights and breakthroughs could often arise through the process of explaining ideas to those unfamiliar with the work.

Inspired by his supportive mentors, as well as the invaluable education and tools offered at MIT, Professor Winston wanted to pass along similar opportunities to students. This fund honors his passionate dedication to learning, discussion, and collaboration.

During the fund’s inaugural year, it supported Haichen Hu, a PhD student in the Center for Computational Science and Engineering, and Rui Ai, a PhD student in the Laboratory for Information and Decision Systems, to attend NeurIPS, a machine learning and computational neuroscience conference held in Vancouver, Canada.

Hu shared that he was able to engage with the community and broaden [his] horizons at the conference. Ai heard more from others researching computational neuroscience, working towards his goal of applying theoretical knowledge to real-world problems.

Through the generosity of the Patrick Henry Winston (1965) Memorial Fund, more students will have the opportunity to engage with the broader research community and continue in the research that Professor Winston cared for so deeply.

If you are interested, support this fund or contact Yumi Yasutake, assistant dean of development for the MIT Schwarzman College of Computing.