Dr. Robert W. Brodersen ('66, Electrical Engineering)

Dr. Robert W. Brodersen

Professor Emeritus, Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, UC Berkeley

BS Electrical Engineering, Cal Poly Pomona, 1966

MS Electrical Engineering, MIT, 1968

PhD, Electrical Engineering, MIT, 1972

National Academy of Engineering, 1988

Growing up, Dr. Robert W. Brodersen enjoyed figuring out how things worked. So it is no surprise that he gravitated to the field of engineering—and ultimately to Cal Poly Pomona. Inspired by the university’s hands-on electrical engineering program, he particularly enjoyed lab work, making measurements and building electrical devices.

After receiving his PhD from MIT, Bob joined Texas Instruments, and later became a world-class professor at UC Berkeley, where his research focused on low power design and wireless communications. He is a founder of the Berkeley Wireless Research Center, a member of the National Academy of Engineering and a fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers to name a few accolades.

“The Learn by Doing engineering teaching paradigm made me comfortable working in a laboratory, even though my PhD was in solid state physics theory and I spent most of my career in academia, I was always happiest being in the lab working with students.”

His advice to engineering students today is simple: Get as much education as possible, and don’t be afraid to venture into areas, projects and companies that are outside your experience. Stay outside your comfort zone.