Noyce School of Applied Computing Names New Founding Director

Chris Lupo, one of the College of Engineering’s very own, was named the founding director of the Noyce School of Applied Computing. Chris Lupo, Ph.D., was named the new director in March.

Lupo, a faculty member at Cal Poly since 2008, most recently served as chair of the Computer Science and Software Engineering Department. His efforts there have been a guiding force on integrating the college’s strategic priorities, and he has been a leader in increasing justice, equity, diversity and inclusion.

The Noyce School of Applied Computing is a new interdisciplinary school (the first of its kind at Cal Poly) combining three departments — Electrical Engineering, Computer Science and Software Engineering, and Computer Engineering — to create interdisciplinary collaboration opportunities for departments and faculty doing applied computing across the university in fields such as statistics.

The school is made possible by donations from the Robert N. Noyce Trust — with its intention to make an eight-figure bequest to Cal Poly’s College of Engineering. Robert N. Noyce was a co-founder of Intel and inventor of the integrated circuit, which fueled the personal computer revolution and gave Silicon Valley its name.

“By combining these three departments into one endowed school, we’ll be able to create new resources for students and faculty in the application of computing, develop unique educational student experiences and support interdisciplinary and collaborative research, teaching and learning within this field,” said Amy Fleischer, dean of the College of Engineering.

As the founding director, Lupo will work in partnership with the faculty, Fleischer and the entire university community to establish and execute a broad and inspirational vision for the school, and to foster interdisciplinary collaboration opportunities for faculty and departments involved in applied computing across the university.

Lupo earned his doctorate and master’s degrees in computer engineering from the University of California, Davis, and his bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from California State University, Fresno. ■

Cal Poly Amateur Radio Club Celebrates 75th Anniversary

Great things are happening in Cal Poly’s Ameteur Radio Club! Students and alumni came together to honor the Cal Poly Amateur Radio Club’s 75th anniversary in the fall, and in the spring, the club celebrated a big milestone, achieving their 2000th license as a student run team. The 2000th licensee was Cal Poly alumnus and iFixit CEO Kyle Wiens. The weekend-long celebration incorporated activities ranging from barbecues and hikes to learning the club’s history and testing radio devices.

CPARC President Mathew Shaham (Electrical Engineering) shared his enthusiasm for the club and the significance of celebrating its milestone year.

“CPARC is one of the oldest clubs on campus with records as far back as 1947,” Shaham said. “The club supports the classic Learn by Doing approach by involving members in projects that have significance to the overall community.”■