John E. Kelly III

"Not surprisingly, most of what I read these days are scientific articles and books. I have become particularly interested in the future of “Cognitive Computing,” or what some may call Artificial Intelligence (AI). While we will never be able to replicate the amazing human brain, I firmly believe that we can build machines to supplement our human intelligence. Think of what this could mean to such fields as healthcare, where doctors are being swamped with more discoveries and data (such as genomic data) than they can possibly make sense of, much less act on. This technology will help transform healthcare, providing better outcomes at lower cost."

"The human brain is a marvel. A mere 20 watts of energy are required to power the 22 billion neurons in a brain that’s roughly the size of a grapefruit. To field a conventional computer with comparable cognitive capacity would require gigawatts of electricity and a machine the size of a football field."

"As chair, my top priority is to work with the entire Board of Trustees and the president and administration of the College to ensure the long-term strength of Union."

"Union has many strengths, including our outstanding faculty, administration and staff, our beautiful campus, and many supporters. In the end though, it comes down to the quality and diversity of our students, and the differentiated education that we provide."

"In order to do this, we must ensure that we attract and invest the necessary human and financial resources to be a leader in a highly competitive higher education market.Thanks to all the stakeholders in Union, we have an excellent base upon which to build."

"The president, working with our board, has laid out a set of project priorities that support our strategic plan. These projects require substantial financial investment and time to complete. We are discussing several aging facilities such as dining, housing, the arts, and Science and Engineering."