Keith Vertanen, Computer Science, was named the inaugural Dave House Associate Professor of Computing on April 4, 2022, at the kick-off event for the Computing[MTU] Showcase. The endowed professorship recognizes Vertanen’s commitment to his research and to Michigan Tech students.
“I’m excited and honored to be the first Dave House Associate Professor of Computing,” says Vertanen. “The opportunity will further my group’s mission of advancing the future of computer interfaces, especially for users with diverse abilities.”
“Keith is one of the College of Computing’s leading researchers, both in terms of the quality of his work and research expenditures,” says Dennis Livesay, Dave House Dean of Computing. “His work expanding the opportunities for how humans interact with computers has garnered significant national exposure and funding from the NSF and Google.”
Vertanen was awarded a National Science Foundation CAREER grant in 2018, the NSF’s premier recognition for early-career scientists. Read an article about this research. He also received a Google Faculty Award in recognition of his research.
Vertanen has also received University recognition for his exceptional teaching performance.
Dave House ’65 has been a steadfast supporter of Michigan Tech for decades. His influence, vision, and support were key to the formation of the College. He funded the first-ever endowed deanship at Michigan Tech—the Dave House Dean of Computing—as well as multiple endowed professorships. Dave’s many career accolades include his work at Intel Corp., where he grew the company’s microprocessor unit from $40 million to $4 billion a year and managed the team that developed the familiar and successful “Intel Inside” marketing campaign.
Within the College of Computing, there are currently three professorships endowed by House. In addition to Livesay’s and Vertanen’s positions, Dan Fuhrmann, chair of the Applied Computing department, is the Dave House Professor of Computing.