Singularity University Names Rob Nail CEO

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Singularity University (SU), a private non-profit educational venture located at NASA AMES Research Park in Silicon Valley, has announced the appointment of Rob Nail as Chief Executive Officer. Nail, a successful Silicon Valley entrepreneur and an associate founder of SU, succeeds Neil Jacobstein, who will continue to co-chair SU’s Artificial Intelligence and Robotics education track and take on the role of Director of Executive Academics.

“At the same time, we thank and applaud Neil Jacobstein for his leadership during the last year, and are pleased that he will continue to benefit SU through his faculty expertise”

“We are thrilled to have Rob as CEO of Singularity University. He embodies the intellectual talent and entrepreneurial spirit that uniquely mirrors our faculty, staff, students and alumni,” said Dr. Peter H. Diamandis, co-founder and executive chairman of Singularity University.

“At the same time, we thank and applaud Neil Jacobstein for his leadership during the last year, and are pleased that he will continue to benefit SU through his faculty expertise,” said Ray Kurzweil, co-founder and chancellor.

Singularity University offers both graduate and executive programs focused uniquely on the impact and incubation of exponentially growing technologies in six key areas: medicine and neuroscience, networks and computing, artificial intelligence and robotics, biotechnology/bioinformatics, molecular manufacturing, and energy and environmental systems.

“I am excited to lead a University that is spinning out transformational companies that are using exponential technologies to solve the world’s grand challenges,” said Nail. “Additionally, SU alumni from our executive program include top executives from some of the world’s most impressive companies and a major priority will be to support and continue to build that amazing network.”

Rob Nail is the co-founder and former CEO of Velocity 11, a biotechnology firm that was later acquired by Agilent Technologies in 2007. He has also served as a surfer at The Big Blue, and was the Co-Founder of Alite Designs, where he continues to serve on the Board of Directors. Nail earned a BS in Mechanical and Materials Sciences from University California, Davis, and a MS in Engineering from Stanford University.

About Singularity University

Singularity University is a unique interdisciplinary, international and intercultural experience that challenges students to use transformative, exponential technologies to address grand challenges. SU educates and inspires students to discover and design sustainable organizations to positively impact humanity.

The mission of SU’s 10-week summer Graduate Studies Program is to lead students into team projects and eventually companies to affect a “10 to the 9th plus” impact, improving the lives of a billion people within a decade. SU’s Executive Program looks at the trends of these exponential technologies as they enter the market, and the resulting impact on companies, industries, and world markets. The university also provides customized corporate executive programs and a FutureMed program, focused on technology’s impact on medicine and healthcare.

For more information, and to register for SU programs, please visit www.singularityu.org and follow SU on www.twitter.com/singularityu.

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