© 2026 WFSU Public Media
WFSU News · Tallahassee · Panama City · Thomasville
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Microsoft Chair, FAMU Alum Thompson Talks STEM, Future Of HBCU's

Florida A&M University alumnus John Thompson is a major player in the tech industry. He’s the former chairman of Microsoft, and previously led the software company Symantec, known for its Norton anti-virus software. Today, he leads a startup called Virtual Instruments.

Thompson was in Tallahassee today to speak to his alma mater, and fellow alumna and Florida Public Radio’s Lynn Hatter, sat down to speak with him.

Follow @HatterLynn

Lynn has been with WFSU since 2007 with education and health care issues as her key coverage areas.  She has worked with several news organizations, including Kaiser Health News.  Lynn has also partnered with USC-Annenberg's Center for Child Wellbeing on the nationally acclaimed series "Committed," which explored the prevalence of involuntary commitment use on children.

She has served on the boards of the First Amendment Foundation of Florida and the Radio, Television, Digital News Association, and is a current board member of the United Way of the Big Bend.

Lynn holds a bachelor's degree from  Florida A&M University and earned her master's at Florida State University.
Find complete bio, contact info, and more stories here.