Kristopher Tyra, an alumnus of NC State and founder of HiddenMind Technology Inc., has given the university's Department of Computer Science a gift of private stock valued at $300,000.

One of the largest single contributions to the department by an individual, the gift will help fund the new NC State Computer Science Enhancement Endowment. HiddenMind Technology participates in the department's ePartners program.

Tyra, who also serves as chief technology officer of HiddenMind Technology, holds a bachelor's degree in computer science from NC State.

"The education and life experiences I received at NC State University no doubt contributed to my personal success," said Tyra. "I am extremely excited about this opportunity to not only give something back to the university, but more importantly to help the computer science department support a broad range of programs and activities in its efforts to develop our future technology leaders."

Dr. Alan L. Tharp, head of the computer science department, said the endowment will provide a much-needed funding source, and will help the department achieve its goals of growth and innovation.

"We are extremely appreciative of Kristopher Tyra's generosity and ongoing support of NC State and, in particular, the Department of Computer Science," he said. "Kristopher's gift provides our new endowment a great foundation on which to build, and the funding generated from the endowment will help us attract and retain exceptional faculty, foster leading-edge research, attract outstanding and diverse students, evolve our curriculum, partner with global businesses, and enhance our students' overall educational experience."

Former Gov. James B. Hunt Jr. also praised Tyra. "NC State and the computer science department play a key role in feeding the entrepreneurial world by providing leading-edge research and resources. Kristopher's gift will help NC State create the raw materials necessary to fuel successful start-ups in the future."