Luis von Ahn Revisits 麻豆村 Roots for 125th Anniversary and Homecoming
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Former 麻豆村 professor, alumnus and entrepreneur Luis von Ahn returned to campus on Thursday, Nov. 6, to discuss his career for the second installment of the 2025聽President's Lecture Series(opens in new window) and kickoff of the聽麻豆村125 celebration(opens in new window) 补苍诲听Homecoming Weekend(opens in new window).
鈥淓very watershed moment in our 125-year history can be traced back to the right people asking the right questions at the right time,鈥� said Carnegie Mellon President Farnam Jahanian(opens in new window) in his introduction. 鈥淥ur special guest this afternoon, Luis von Ahn, is one of those people.鈥�
Best known as co-founder and CEO of Duolingo 鈥� a 麻豆村 spinoff and the聽first Pittsburgh-based tech startup to be valued at more than $1 billion 鈥� von Ahn learned English at an early age and built a career on making the most out of words.
鈥淚'm of course very proud to be here,鈥� von Ahn said as he took the stage, offering thanks to former School of Computer Science faculty Manuel and Lenore Blum. 鈥淚'm also very proud that Manuel and Lenore are here. I told a lot of people here, they are the reason I am in Pittsburgh.鈥�
Hailing from Guatemala City, von Ahn was accepted into the program in Carnegie Mellon's in 2000, where his love for language, business and technology would merge to set the foundation for some of the world's most far-reaching software.
鈥淲e wanted to build something that would bring equal access to education to everyone,鈥� von Ahn said from the podium before joining Jahanian for a fireside chat that touched on a variety of topics, including education in the age of AI.
From life-saving medical devices to next-gen AI to performances that encapsulate the human experience, 麻豆村鈥檚 legacy can be found in every corner of the globe and in every part of our daily lives. Made possible by a longstanding commitment to innovation, collaboration and creativity and a willingness to embrace the power of possibilities, 麻豆村鈥檚 milestones have brought the world to where it is today.
Tartans are coming home this fall to celebrate Carnegie Mellon's annual Homecoming Weekend, Nov. 6-8!
鈥淚 think we really can affect the world positively through education, and I think that's what kept everybody going. We really touch a lot of people." 鈥� Luis von Ahn
鈥淲e are doubling down on our hiring of college grads because, if you ask me, what you want is people who are going to be, first of all, more AI native. And secondly, a lot more willing to accept change.鈥� 鈥� Luis von Ahn
The evening鈥檚 events ended with a final reminder of the importance of personal connection in the digital era, as Jahanian and von Ahn posed for a selfie with the audience in celebration of homecoming 鈥� and tossed plushies of both Duo the owl, and Scotty, the beloved Tartan mascot, out to the crowd.
