Last week, Microsoft and MIT announced a $25 million five-year plan to work together to develop computer science technology for universities, which caused some to question why Ballmer didn't direct the money to his alma mater.

But Ballmer said he remains committed to aiding the development of the Harvard computer science program. He told The Crimson that he expects that Microsoft and Harvard will collaborate on computer science research in the future, though he does not foresee any immediate joint projects.

"I hope the building and the new Faculty help make Harvard as much a center of computer science as MIT is a center of computer science," Ballmer said.

The building that Ballmer and Gates made possible, Maxwell Dworkin, will allow undergraduates, graduates and Faculty in the Division of Engineering and Applied Sciences to work together under the same roof for the first time. Small lecture halls with microphones at every seat will facilitate interaction between students and Faculty.

Before his speech, Ballmer ate lunch with Harvard undergraduates. In addition to speaking about his own life and the Microsoft Corp., Ballmer questioned students about Microsoft's image and how it could be improved among young people.

Zubin M. Teja '02, a computer science concentrator who attended the luncheon, said he was very interested to hear what Ballmer had to say about the future of computer science. He also said he was impressed by how easy it was to speak with Ballmer.

"Because he was a Harvard undergraduate himself, he was able to relate well to us--there was a lot of common ground," Teja said.