By Madison Akers
Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, Maryland Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller, University of Maryland President Wallace D. Loh and co-founders of Oculus and UMD alumni Brendan Iribe and Michael Antonov were among the attendees at the April 27 grand opening of the new state-of-the-art Brendan Iribe Center for Computer Science and Engineering.
The building is a hub for technology, uniting the Department of Computer Science — ranked tenth in the nation by Computer Science Rankings — and the Institute for Advanced Computer Studies.
According to the center’s website, the six-story building assists with research for “virtual and augmented reality, artificial intelligence, robotics, computer vision, algorithms, programming languages and systems.”
The construction for the center began in April 2016, following a $30 million donation from Iribe and a $3.5 million donation from Antonov. Iribe also credited the state’s $104 million donation in support of the project.
Hogan said the center ensures that UMD will continue to be a national and global leader in “cutting-edge technology and innovation,” adding that he considers education a top priority as governor.
Iribe said that he decided to fund the center after touring the pre-existing facility, which he deemed “far from inspiring.”
“It was after that moment that I said, ‘I think we need a building,’” he said.
Loh said that the best part about the building was its wide-open work spaces.
“There is not a single building on this campus that has the openness that the Iribe Center has,” Loh said. “And it’s not just because it is aesthetically pleasing…what this openness symbolizes is that people of different backgrounds, [whether it be] computer science, engineering, the arts, business…can come together and make transformation happen.”
According to Loh, the second most important aspect of the building is its location, as it sits right on the edge of Baltimore Ave. Loh said that on the west side of the avenue is the campus and on the east side is the “Discovery District,” which includes The Hotel at the University of Maryland and other current and up-and-coming food and entertainment attractions. The Iribe Center, Loh said, serves as “the bridge between traditional academy and the technological future of economic development.”
In addition, Iribe said that one of the highlights of the building is the rooftop garden in honor of Oculus co-founder and UMD alumnus Andrew Reisse, who was involved in a fatal accident in 2013.
Antonov and Iribe, who were hallmates on the seventh floor of Denton Hall, met during their freshman year at UMD. Eventually, Antonov was relocated to another dorm on campus, where he roomed with Reisse.
“That was a friendship that I had no idea would last decades, span multiple companies and go on to create important projects, which started right here at the University of Maryland in the halls of the freshman dorms,” Iribe said.