Nvidia Board Member Mark Stevens Gives USC $200 Million for AI Expansion

USC announced Tuesday that venture capitalist and Nvidia board member Mark Stevens and his wife, Mary, have donated $200 million to expand artificial intelligence research and innovation across the university. The university described the gift as one of the largest in its history.

The Details

The donation will fund a university-wide initiative to recruit artificial intelligence researchers and embed AI capabilities across multiple academic disciplines. USC said the funding will support applications of artificial intelligence in health sciences, security, business and the arts. The university said it plans to apply AI research to these fields in ways that connect computing with existing academic programs.

As part of the initiative, the USC School of Advanced Computing will be renamed the USC Mark and Mary Stevens School of Computing and Artificial Intelligence. The renamed school is expected to serve as the primary academic and research hub for the expanded effort.

USC president Beong-Soo Kim said the gift arrives at a pivotal moment for the technology. "As AI becomes ever more powerful, it creates enormous opportunities to improve lives and solve some of our greatest challenges, if used the right way," Kim said in a statement released by the university.

The gift adds to a growing roster of major donations to American universities seeking to build computing and artificial intelligence capacity. Schools across the country have been racing to expand their AI infrastructure and faculty in response to surging student and industry demand. Multiple news outlets, including Bloomberg, corroborated the $200 million figure and the initiative's scope.

Stevens is a USC alumnus and university trustee whose personal wealth is closely tied to Nvidia, the semiconductor company where he serves as a board member and where he previously worked as a venture capitalist with Sequoia Capital. His background in venture capital and chipmaking has placed him at the center of the current AI investment boom. USC said the gift reflects Stevens' conviction that universities must build computing strength to remain competitive.

Context

The donation arrives amid a wave of major AI-focused gifts at universities. Institutions nationwide are competing to expand their computing faculties and research programs as artificial intelligence transforms fields from medicine to finance. The surge in funding reflects a broader recognition among donors and administrators that universities must develop AI expertise to remain competitive in research and workforce preparation.

USC has been positioning itself to capture that momentum. The university already offers more than 30 AI- and computing-related majors, minors and graduate degree programs, according to its public announcement. A new Bachelor of Science in Artificial Intelligence is scheduled to launch in fall 2026, adding a dedicated undergraduate pathway to the existing portfolio of computing programs.

Stevens said the investment reflects his belief that computing will define the future of higher education. "We know the next great universities will be those that invest in computing," Stevens said in the university's announcement.

Kim tied the gift to USC's broader academic strengths and its history of interdisciplinary research. "It's that intersection between AI and these other fields that we think is a perfect fit for USC," Kim told the Los Angeles Times. The university highlighted health sciences, security, business and the arts as specific areas where the new initiative will seek to apply artificial intelligence research.

The university said the gift will enable it to recruit additional faculty who specialize in artificial intelligence across multiple disciplines. USC will use the funding to connect AI research with existing programs in medicine, national security, entrepreneurship and creative industries.

What's Next

USC said the Stevens-funded initiative will recruit additional AI researchers and apply artificial intelligence across health sciences, security, business and the arts. The university is preparing to launch a new Bachelor of Science in Artificial Intelligence degree program in fall 2026, adding to the more than 30 AI- and computing-related majors, minors and graduate programs it already offers.

The renamed USC Mark and Mary Stevens School of Computing and Artificial Intelligence is expected to serve as the central academic hub for the expanded research and teaching effort. USC did not provide a specific timeline for completing the faculty recruitment or launching all of the initiative's programs. The university said it would release additional details about the initiative's research priorities and faculty hiring plans in subsequent announcements.