George Mason University received a gift with an impact of $36 million from the Kimmy Duong Foundation to name the Long Nguyen and Kimmy Duong School of Computing within the College of Engineering and Computing. The university’s Board of Visitors approved the name change on April 1, and it will become official pending approval from the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia this summer.
“We are so grateful to Long Nguyen and Kimmy Duong for their continued support of the College of Engineering and Computing, now culminating in this generous gift,” said Dean Ken Ball. “We are proud to steward this gift in support of our students and the commonwealth’s Tech Talent Investment Program. George Mason is honored to be part of their legacy in Northern Virginia.”
This is not the first significant gift to George Mason from Duong and her husband, who gave $5 million in 2009 for the state-of-the-art Nguyen Engineering Building, a facility providing cutting-edge research and education spaces for a new generation of engineering, computing, and information technology professionals.
“Kimmy Duong and Long Nguyen have been good friends to George Mason, recognizing the opportunity our university provides for students to succeed,” said George Mason University Gregory Washington. “Kimmy came to this country with very little and climbed her way to success, not unlike how many of our students who—whether they are first generation or come from difficult socioeconomic circumstances—overcome their own challenges. George Mason has been a leader in computing for many years, and this transformational gift will help ensure that remains the case for many more years to come.”
The naming of the Long Nguyen and Kimmy Duong School of Computing represents a significant milestone for Mason Now: Power the Possible, George Mason’s historic $1 billion comprehensive fundraising campaign. Designed to enhance the university’s capacity and broaden its impact, Mason Now focuses on expanding access to education, driving innovation, and deepening the university’s influence across the region and beyond.
“This transformational gift from the Kimmy Duong Foundation marks a pivotal moment in the Mason Now campaign,” said Trishana E. Bowden, vice president for advancement and alumni relations and president of the George Mason University Foundation. “The naming of the School of Computing stands as a powerful testament to their belief in George Mason’s mission and their commitment to expanding access—particularly in fields that shape innovation and prepare students for the future.”
Duong was born in Nha Trang, Vietnam, in 1945 and earned a bachelor of science in economics and law from the University of Saigon in 1966. She joined IBM in 1968, where she worked until she left the country in 1975, when she fled Vietnam and arrive in the United States with only $30.
From a refugee camp, she traveled back to the United States, moving to Northern Virginia and continued her work with IBM. In 1994, she joined Pragmatics, where she served as vice chairwoman and CFO. For 30 years, she has overseen their finance, legal, facilities management, and human resources departments, playing a key role in the company’s continued growth.
In 2015, she established the Kimmy Duong Foundation, which supports a range of health, education, and welfare initiatives in the United States and Vietnam. It has given more than $4 million toward scholarship programs with endowments to Washington, D.C.-area universities. According to the foundation website, “Influenced by her Buddhist background, Kimmy Duong has always been concerned about the poor and sick. Being raised in a poor family and coming to the U.S. as a refugee, Mrs. Duong knows the many challenges that poverty brings.”
She has been awarded the Mason Medal, George Mason’s highest honorary award for service to the community, state or nation, and the Glen Martin Medal from the University of Maryland.
“Education is the cornerstone of life,” Duong told a gathering of George Mason students, noting that many in her generation worked multiple jobs to send their children to college. “Now, we are giving back.”
The gift will establish three endowments: two within CEC to provide lasting support for scholarships and student success initiatives—both of which support the commonwealth’s Tech Talent Investment Program—and one for University Life to provide scholarships through the Long Nguyen and Kimmy Duong Scholarship Endowment especially with a preference for students majoring in nursing, education, or journalism
With some of the funds dedicated to computing-specific majors, a portion of the gift would be eligible for matching funds from the Tech Talent Investment Program, thereby amplifying the impact of the gift. The Tech Talent Investment Program of the commonwealth aims to increase the number of graduates with computing degrees and strengthen the workforce by providing financial incentives to colleges and universities that enroll and graduate more students with these skills.
George Mason’s School of Computing is known for its strengths in computer science, artificial intelligence (AI), and software engineering. It plays a key role in Northern Virginia’s thriving tech ecosystem, particularly due to its proximity to Washington, D.C., and partnerships with major government and industry partners. Among the strengths of the school:
- AI and machine learning, with strong research and academic programs in AI, robotics, and human-computer interaction.
- Designated National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Research by the National Security Agency and Department of Homeland Security.
- Its analytics faculty and students engage in cutting-edge big data research, particularly in health care.
- One of the most robust software engineering programs in the region.