Rate My Professor Lynne Slivovsky

Lynne A. Slivovsky is Professor and Chair of the Computer Engineering Department at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, serving as the department's inaugural chair since its establishment in 2022. She joined the Cal Poly faculty in 2003, initially as a professor in Electrical Engineering and later directing the Computer Engineering Program before its elevation to full departmental status. Slivovsky holds a B.S. in 1992, M.S. in 1993, and Ph.D. in 2001, all from Purdue University in electrical and computer engineering fields. Her academic career emphasizes hands-on, Learn by Doing pedagogy characteristic of Cal Poly, with a focus on integrating engineering with broader societal impacts.

Slivovsky's research specializations encompass embedded systems, hardware design, engineering education, design learning through engagement, and the interplay between technology and society. She has made significant contributions to service learning in engineering, earning the Frontiers in Education New Faculty Fellow Award in 2003, the California Campus Compact-Carnegie Foundation Faculty Fellow for Service-Learning for Political Engagement in 2007, and the Cal Poly President’s Community Service Award for Significant Faculty Contribution in 2010. As a leader in departmental transformation, she is principal investigator on a $2 million National Science Foundation grant for the "Breaking the Binary" project, launched in 2023 under the Revolutionizing Engineering Departments program. This five-year initiative addresses implicit bias through workshops, mentoring, and cultural shifts to enhance inclusivity across races, genders, sexual orientations, abilities, and identities, positioning the department as a model for engineering education reform. Additionally, Slivovsky serves as a Faculty Fellow at Cal Poly's Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship and co-leads the "Dive Beneath the Surface" outreach program with the Biology Department, delivering live-streamed underwater marine science lessons to middle school students from the Cal Poly pier. Her leadership has supported the department's growth to approximately 500 students and maintained its strong national ranking.