We mourn the passing of Professor Emeritus at the College of Engineering Brian Butz, PhD. He was a visionary, a scholar, and a generous friend to many.
His dedication to his students as well as his colleagues and friends was unparalleled. Brian Butz was an early pioneer of artificial intelligence (AI) research and innovation, leading research projects and courses on AI in the 1990s, a time when few other institutions were doing the same. He helped found Temple's Intelligent Systems Application Center in the early 1990s, leading AI research projects funded by the National Science Foundation. He also collaborated with the Fox Chase Cancer Center on research using AI to develop treatments for prostate cancer.
In recognition of his exceptional teaching and mentorship, Butz was honored with the Lindback Award for distinguished teaching and with Temple University’s Great Teacher Award.
A first-generation student himself, Brian alongside his wife Susan had a personal mission to make a Temple education accessible to all students. In 2020, he and his wife created the Brian and Susan Butz Term Scholarship to support students pursuing an interest in software development, AI development systems, health education software, or similar academic fields. They also created the Butz Fund for Healthy Aging in the College of Public Health, where Susan is an alum. The fund provides financial support for interventions in gerontology that address and improve the health and well-being of older adults and aging populations, prioritizing underserved groups and under-resourced concerns such as Parkinson’s disease and loneliness and isolation.
In 2023, their philanthropic spirit enabled historic growth. They made a historic gift, valued around $2.5 million, to support AI research and establish an endowed chair — the largest in the College of Engineering’s history.
Above all, Brian Butz is remembered as a teacher, mentor, friend, and a pioneer who believed deeply in the power of higher education and the circle of kindness. His legacy will live on in those he impacted and all future Temple engineers who may follow in his footsteps.
Those who have been impacted by Brian Butz can continue his mission of accessible education by donating to the Butz Scholarship: https://giving.temple.edu/ButzEngineeringScholarship
Read more about the impact of Brian and his wife, Susan, on the College of Engineering:
The Cycle of Kindness: A Story of Philanthropy
https://engineering.temple.edu/news/2025/05/cycle-kindness-story-philanthropy
The largest gift in College of Engineering history
https://news.temple.edu/news/2024-04-16/college-engineering-receives-largest-gift-its-history
The impact of the Butz Scholarship
2024 Recipient: https://engineering.temple.edu/news/2024/10/2024-butz-scholarship-winner-timilehin-olofinyolemi
2023 Recipient: https://engineering.temple.edu/news/2023/10/2023-butz-scholarship-recipient-jared-levin
2022 Recipient: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1D1spYVs7R/