Cal Poly Noyce School of Applied Computing Made Possible With $60 Million Gift from The Robert N. Noyce Trust
Thanks to a transformative $60 million gift from the Robert N. Noyce Trust, the College of Engineering has established the first interdisciplinary school of its kind at Cal Poly. This achievement stems from its innovative approach to education, strong industry collaboration and commitment to addressing the growing demand for skilled computing professionals.
The Noyce School of Applied Computing combines three departments — Electrical Engineering, Computer Science and Software Engineering, and Computer Engineering — with Statistics joining as an affiliate, paving the way for students and faculty using computer principles, concepts and technologies to address real-world problems.
Currently, the demand for graduates with an applied computing degree is far outpacing supply, with the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicting jobs in computing and information technology will climb 15% from 2021 to 2031 — much faster than the average for all occupations.
“Our students are going out into the leading-edge industrial companies,” said Amy Fleischer, dean of the College of Engineering. “They’re going to change the world and the education that we’re providing here in the Noyce School will help them do that.”
The $60 million gift was made in honor of Robert N. Noyce, a co-founder of Intel and inventor of the integrated circuit, which fueled the personal computer revolution and gave Silicon Valley its name.
Led by Founding Director Chris Lupo, the Noyce School of Applied Computing will have a transformational impact on the university, allowing for the establishment of an endowment that will fund the Noyce School’s operations in perpetuity and enable Cal Poly to offer state-of-the-art facilities, access to new interdisciplinary research projects and curricular and co-curricular opportunities for faculty and students.
“Dr. Noyce’s legacy will inspire students and faculty to grow and be the next industry trailblazers,” said Cal Poly President Jeffrey D. Armstrong. “Through this generous gift from the Robert N. Noyce Trust, Cal Poly will be able to educate more students to solve the challenges of tomorrow.”