Gordon Moore and Paul Gray. Photo courtesy the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.
The Moores endowed the Paul R. Gray Distinguished Chair in the College of Engineering to acknowledge Gray’s contributions to engineering and thank him for the leadership he provided to the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation as a longtime board member and as interim president, a post he held for one year.
The Palo Alto-based foundation, established by the Moores in 2000, develops outcome-based projects to improve quality of life, focusing on environmental conservation, patient care and science, around the world and at home in the San Francisco Bay Area. Gordon Moore is chairman of the foundation’s board of trustees.
“Betty and I are happy to endow this chair in Paul Gray’s honor,” said Moore. “This endowment acknowledges Paul’s considerable accomplishments in the field of engineering. In addition, it provides us with an opportunity to express our gratitude for his leadership on the board and as interim president of the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.”
Paul Gray joined the foundation’s board of trustees in 2008. A year ago, he agreed to serve as the foundation’s chief executive during an extensive, international search, culminating in the appointment of Harvey V. Fineberg, who began his term as president in January 2015. Gray remains on the board as vice chairman.
“I’m extraordinarily honored and touched that Gordon and Betty have established this chair,” said Gray, “both because of the role Gordon has played as a founder of the semiconductor industry and indeed the modern Internet era, but also because of the standard of integrity, thoughtfulness and leadership he sets, which has been and continues to be so inspirational to those of us fortunate enough to work with him.”
Paul Gray, known throughout the semiconductor sector for his work in the design of analog and integrated circuits, joined Berkeley’s department of electrical engineering and computer sciences (EECS) in 1971. He chaired the EECS department from 1988–90, led the College of Engineering as dean from 1996–2000, and served as Berkeley’s chief academic officer as executive vice chancellor and provost from 2000–06. He is now professor emeritus.
“This is a wonderful tribute to one of Berkeley’s most esteemed educators and innovators,” said Nicholas B. Dirks, Berkeley’s chancellor. “It recognizes Paul Gray’s legacy as an engineer, a teacher and a leader. All of us are honored and delighted by Gordon and Betty Moore’s generosity, which will have an enduring impact on our research, faculty and students.”
Over the course of his four-decade career, Gray led advancements in teaching and research across STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) fields. He took part in founding several successful high-technology companies and served as an adviser to governments, educational institutions and industry organizations around the world.
“Paul Gray exemplifies the engineer as engaged citizen,” said S. Shankar Sastry, Berkeley’s dean of engineering. “He never hesitates to offer his expertise and insight to important questions in education, industry policy and philanthropy, always seeking to benefit people and communities.”
The distinguished faculty chair bearing Paul Gray’s name will provide supplemental funding to support the research and teaching of an eminent College of Engineering faculty member, thus helping to preserve Berkeley’s excellence as the nation’s top public university.
