What is the Jeffrey S. Raikes School?
Director of and Professor for the Jeffrey S. Raikes School
The Jeffrey S. Raikes School develops leaders for a technology driven world. It is the recognized leader in interdisciplinary computer science and business management education for high ability and highly motivated students. The Raikes School's philosophy is based on surveys of industry leaders' perceptions on requirements for leadership potential. We go beyond the classroom to prepare our students for the opportunities ahead and to develop leaders and entrepreneurs for the increasingly information technology-driven business world.
CEO of The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Jeff Raikes, currently the CEO of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, was previously a division president for one of the world's best-known companies, Microsoft. And he wishes he would have had a Raikes School when he was at Nebraska.
A Nebraskan - growing up on a farm near Ashland - Raikes is a corporate advisory board member and adviser to the Raikes School program. The CEO of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is engaged in the program and committed to supporting its success, because he believes in the program, the students, and in the future of Nebraska. Jeff Raikes recently retired as president of Microsoft's Corp. Business Division after 27 years with the company.
"The Raikes School is unique in that it is the premier program bringing together the domain of computer science and information technology with business. We need industry and government leaders who understand both of these domains in order to prepare for a global, information-based economy," he said.
Raikes stays connected to the program by attending corporate advisory board meetings, but also through visiting with students, faculty and other business leaders in Nebraska and the world. "I think the Raikes School is a great opportunity to tap into the talent within the student. If they're interested in technology, or if they're interesting in business, or if they're interested in how the world will be transformed by technology, this is the program that will tap into their passion and bring out the energy and enthusiasm that they have."
"At Microsoft, they have students who have graduated from the Raikes School and they've taken on important positions and important roles at the headquarters and at the software development programs, and Microsoft couldn't be more pleased with the capabilities that these students can bring to the company."
Nebraskans can feel proud that the Raikes School attracts top talent to the state to study, and helps keep its brightest students where they can benefit their state, according to Raikes.
"The Raikes School benefits Nebraska by attracting top talent into a premier program that prepares the best leaders for a global, information-based economy. Some of them will go on to start up companies. There have already been start-ups that have come from the talent of the students here. Some of them will join local companies. Some of them will take on key positions in companies like Microsoft elsewhere."
