HONORED ALUMNUS: FARZAD NAZEM

“Cal Poly has always been very dear to my life because it’s where I picked up the true skills that I have and my love for computer science.”

When Farzad (Zod) Nazem (Computer Science, ’81) graduated at age 19, he became a pioneer in software and web infrastructure — truly carrying the Learn by Doing determination he found as a student. To honor his work, as both a professional and a philanthropist, he was named the 2019 College of Engineering Honored Alumnus.

“Cal Poly has always been very dear to my life because it’s where I picked up the true skills that I have and my love for computer science,” Nazem said. “Learn by Doing is basically my life motto, and that’s why I picked Cal Poly.”

Nazem, who immigrated to the United States from Iran, graduated with high honors and quickly began his career as a software engineer in the Rolm Corp. before holding software development and executive management positions at Oracle Corp.

From 1996 to 2007, Nazem was the executive vice president of engineering and chief technology officer of Yahoo. During his tenure, he expanded the engineering department from six to 6,000 engineers (encompassing half of the company’s employee base) and helped acquire and integrate more than 50 companies. Nazem, who also holds several patents, retired from Yahoo! in 2007 and has since been a prolific angel investor and advisor to more than 100 early-stage tech startup companies. In 2003, Nazem and his wife, Noosheen Hashemi, co-founded the HAND Foundation, an advisory and grant-making organization focused on the advancement of individuals and communities.

“Together they advocate, advise and invest in areas including education, entrepreneurship, prevention of child abuse, advancement of women and girls, and crisis management and rebuilding,” College of Engineering Dean Amy S. Fleischer said. “They truly are advocates for those who often go overlooked, and their shared passion for strengthening communities by strengthening individuals is making global impacts that continue to expand.”

Nazem serves on the board of trustees of The Nueva School, an institution for gifted learners, which incorporates the philosophy of Learn by Doing, Learn by Caring, into the curriculum.

“I had the best time at Cal Poly because I was, I imagine, a very thirsty individual that had a buffet of classes available for me. I was like a kid in the candy store,” Nazem said. “It is such an honor to be recognized as an Honored Alumnus by

the university that taught me so much.” n

C A L POLY ENGINEERING: FOCUS ON DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION

Diversity Statements

Promoting the development and adoption of inclusion, diversity and equity statements by departments, individual faculty, student clubs and Instructionally Related Activities.

Equity Action Seed Grants

Created quarterly Inclusion, Diversity and Equity Action Seed Grants (IDEAS) for faculty, staff and student projects.

Inclusive Hiring Guidelines

Implemented inclusive faculty hiring guidelines, beginning in the fall of 2019.

Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Mission Statement

The Cal Poly College of Engineering fosters an environment based in love, empathy and respect where all are supported, energized and empowered. Opportunities to contribute exist for all and a broad range of voices and experiences are necessary as we co-create our future. We are developing an inclusive community where everyone can be their own unique selves.

COLLEGE INITIATIVES

Cal Poly’s College of Engineering initiatives to encourage inclusivity and diversity:

Organizations, such as the Multicultural Engineering Program and the Women’s Engineering Program, that build communities and provide the necessary support for each student’s academic, personal and professional success.

Clubs with specific underrepresented student missions, such as Women Involved in Software and Hardware, Color Coded, the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, the Society of Women Engineers and the National Society of Black Engineers, that help students connect with peers while providing graduates, faculty and industry representatives as role models and supporters.

Pipeline programs to recruit future underrepresented students, including Engineering Possibilities in College (EPIC), a summer camp designed to get middle and high school students interested in engineering, and Cal Poly ENGAGE, a pipeline scholarship program targeting regional community colleges.

Recruiting and retaining high-achieving, low-income students from California high schools while providing financial, academic and community support through the Cal Poly Scholars program.

98

ASEE Bronze award Recognized by the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) as a national leader in inclusive excellence after launching several initiatives to encourage diversity and inclusiveness. Number of College of Engineering faculty who attended Implicit Bias training.

$40,000

Average amount of annual awards received by Society of Women Engineers members.

The college has more than DOUBLED its percentage of female students since 2006.

From 2013 to 2018, the total percentage of federally underrepresented students INCREASED from 16 percent to 18 percent.