New Gift Endows Morgan Chair to Operations Research Professor
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Pictured: Howard Morgan, PhD ’68.
By Adam Conner-Simons, Cornell Tech
Earlier this month, Cornell Tech Dean Greg Morrisett announced that a gift from Howard Morgan PhD ’68 and his wife Eleanor, will be used to endow a new faculty chair awarded to professor Huseyin Topaloglu, an expert in operations research whose work focuses on dynamic programming and applications in supply chain logistics.
“Eleanor and I are thrilled that endowing this chair allows us to support the scholarship of brilliant faculty like Huseyin who have had such an important impact in the field of operations research,” Morgan said. “It’s very meaningful to help make this kind of work possible and invest in the future of Cornell Tech during this critically important campaign for the campus and the university.”
Morgan has had strong ties with Cornell for many decades, going back to his time as a PhD student and, briefly, as a professor. He was a member of Cornell’s College of Engineering Advisory Council from 2012 to 2019, and has been a member of the Cornell University Board of Trustees since 2019. Later this month he will also be joining the Cornell Tech Council, formerly the Board of Overseers. (He was even in the room in 2011 when New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg announced that Cornell and Technion had won the competition to build what’s now Cornell Tech.)
His background makes him especially well-suited to endow a chair to Topaglu, as his PhD in the 1960s was also in operations research. Morgan later taught at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, where his research on networks and user interfaces led to his bringing the ARPAnet to Philadelphia in 1974.
“Howard has been a long-time supporter of Cornell Tech, from mentoring postdocs in the Runway Program to serving as a member of the Cornell Tech Visiting Committee,” said Cornell Tech Dean Greg Morrisett. “We’re so very grateful for the support of individuals like Howard and Eleanor in being able to grow our faculty and expand our research footprint.”
Cornell Tech is raising $500 million as part of a larger university-wide campaign that aims to raise $5 billion by 2026. The funds Cornell Tech is raising will support important needs across campus, ranging from financial aid and academic programs to research and endowed professorships. Learn more on our Giving page.
