By Olivia London (DC’13)

Silicon Valley SceneNot too long ago, Bob Iannucci and his wife were trekking through the Costa Rican rain forest, scanning trees for the bright colors or flap of wings that would alert them to one of the many birds they hoped to see. Iannucci had his camera at the ready. Amid the serene surroundings, he contemplated combining his interest in birds with his research on sensory devices—perhaps using the ability to collect data on temperature, noise pollution, and weather to help enthusiasts both find and protect birds.

It’s this entrepreneurial, project-based mindset that Iannucci brought to Carnegie Mellon’s Silicon Valley campus (CMU-SV) when he became a faculty member in the summer of 2012. Over the course of his career, he had worked for several technology and software companies, in positions ranging from lead engineer at startups to chief technology officer of Nokia.

Having built his reputation as a top-tier professional, he says, he wanted to challenge himself not with another startup, but with passing along to students his research, entrepreneurship, and technological innovation expertise. CMU-SV—strategically located in the heart of Silicon Valley—was an ideal fit, offering MS programs in software engineering, software management, engineering and technology innovation management, and information technology as well as a PhD program in electrical and computer engineering.

Silicon Valley Scene 2.Iannucci says he has been delighted with his move to academia. He has helped to prepare students to begin their own startups, become sought-after candidates for prominent tech companies, or become faculty members at world-class schools.

His influence on CMU-SV has expanded; he took over as director of the campus last July while also being CMU’s Associate Dean of the College of Engineering. Obviously, there’s not a lot of free time on his calendar, so he says there are no immediate plans to pursue development of sensory devices in bird habitats. But, he adds, the concept behind it—using technology to change the world—is his overriding focus for CMU-SV.