University officials, along with Michael and Susan Dell, announced Monday that the University will receive $50 million from the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation. The money will fund the creation of three new facilities that will house research on pediatric health and healthy living in childhood development, and a new home for the University's computer science department.

Dell launched his company, Dell Inc., from his University of Texas dorm room in 1984 and dropped out his freshman year.

The Dell Pediatric Research Institute will be located on the former Robert Mueller Airport site, and will be completed within three years. A $38 million portion of the gift will be directed towards the institute, to be matched in funding by the University through private donations. The Dell foundation will match the University's private donations with additional funding. The remaining cost will be raised through alternative funds, said Chancellor Mark Yudof.

The focus of the institution will be the research and advancement of pediatric health and biomedical research, and will change both UT and Austin's role in the field, said James R. Huffines, chairman of the Board of Regents.

"We fully expect the city of Austin to be a leader in pediatric care," Huffines said.

The Dell Computer Science Hall will be located on the main campus, and will receive $10 million from the Dell Foundation. Building will begin once the remaining $57 million is raised by the University from a combination of private and public sources, Yudof said.

The construction of the $67 million computer science hall will help UT's computer science department become one of the best in the nation, said President William Powers. Attracting top notch faculty will be a benefit of the hall's construction, Powers said.

"The students also will benefit because [the Dell Computer Science Hall] will help attract the very best faculty," Powers said.

The remaining $2 million will benefit the UT Health Science Center at Houston's School of Public Health. A center for public health research, education and service will be established in Austin, with plans to promote healthy living, first focusing on the issue of childhood obesity, Huffines said.

With members of the Dell family present, Michael and Susan expressed the necessity of promoting the advancement of science and math locally.

"We feel fortunate to be a part of these efforts," Susan Dell said.

The largest gift ever donated to the University was $272 million left to the School of Geosciences from the estate of alumnus John A. Jackson in 2003.