Rate My Professor John Oliver

John Y. Oliver is a Professor in the Electrical Engineering and Computer Engineering departments at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. He earned a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Boston University in 1998 and a Ph.D. in Computer Engineering from the University of California, Davis in 2007. His research background centers on computer architecture, including low-power embedded systems, data storage and management, computer forensics, embedded machine learning classifiers and their system and performance constraints, cybersecurity, and engineering education. Oliver coordinates the Embedded Systems Lab in the Electrical Engineering department and serves as faculty in the Cal Poly RFID Lab.

In teaching, Professor Oliver employs project-based flipped classroom models, such as in CPE 316, to emphasize hands-on learning and student engagement, aligning with his teaching philosophy that promotes active participation in academics. He specializes in engineering education, focusing on transfer student success, equitable teaching practices, and computer security education, while championing equity and student pathways into computing fields. Oliver received the Outstanding Faculty Advisor of the Year Award from Cal Poly in 2013-2014. Current senior project topics under his guidance include SaaS cloud decryption, computer forensics in the cloud, forensics image analytics using AI and ML, development of K-12 cybersecurity curricula to create career pathways, and various IoT projects for educational and practical applications. He contributes to committees such as the International Programs Committee (term 2025-2027) and has served as visiting faculty at Ashesi University.