Professor Minute
With EECS Professor Costas Spanos
Spanos received an electrical engineering diploma with honors from the National Technical University of Athens, Greece, in 1980 and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in electrical and computer engineering from Carnegie Mellon University in 1981 and 1985 respectively. From 1985 to 1988 he was with the advanced CAD development group of Digital Equipment Corporation in Hudson, Massachusetts. In 1988 he joined the EECS faculty, where he is now professor and associate dean of research for the College of Engineering.
What first inspired you to go into engineering?
It was my lifelong interest in all things mechanical. As a child I always liked taking things apart, and in most cases, I could even put them back together (more or less). Later I also realized that this interest can be put to good use in solving real problems and in making a difference in people’s lives.
What has been the most memorable moment in your career?
There have been many, but the most memorable was coming to Berkeley as faculty. It was the moment when I realized that I am now in an engineering “Nirvana.” There are lots of exciting problems to solve, terrific students and colleagues to work with, excellent labs and eager industrial collaborators. I knew all of this before coming here, of course, but it all “clicked” when I was finally here.
If you had a few extra hours, what would you do?
My hobbies always had some “technical” component: photography, flying small planes and, most recently, sailing. If I had a bit more time, I would invest it in learning something new along these lines. Scuba diving comes to mind! If I had a lot of time, I would try to commercialize some of our research ideas, however. I have done some of that in the past and it is extremely educational!
Other than having an excellent academic record, what should students do to ensure a successful career?
One should stay current as the technology is changing. Much more importantly, however, one must choose something that he or she really likes to do, and the rest will come.
What is one thing you would like to learn how to do?
There are so many useful and interesting things that I do not know how to do. If I had to choose something for fun, it would be building wooden boats.
If you would like us to feature your favorite professor, please email his or her name to engnews@coe.berkeley.edu.
