Thanks to a generous gift from UC San Diego computer science alumnus Taner Halicioglu, the university was able to create a new endowed chair for a teaching professor. It’s the first of its kind at UC San Diego, and named after Professor Paul R. Kube. Creating the Paul R. Kube Chair of Computer Science is part of a $2 million dollar gift from this UC San Diego alumnus who is passionate about undergraduate computer science education at the Jacobs School of Engineering.
Read more about the gift here
“Paul Kube was often the first face of computer science to our entering students,” said Rajesh Gupta, former chair of the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at UC San Diego. “Paul encouraged and inspired all students to do well, setting up transition classes when necessary. I cannot think of anyone more deserving to name our first teaching professor endowed chair after.”
As a newly appointed member of the Jacobs School of Engineering faculty in 1988, Kube conducted research in areas such as artificial intelligence and computer vision. Kube, however, said his deepest interests always lay in teaching.
“As a teacher, I am tasked with passing down the eternal truths of computer science—the fundamentals that every computer scientist needs to know— to new generations,” said Kube. “I am forever grateful to the CSE department at UC San Diego for their support as I transitioned into a full-time teaching role.”
Kube remained in that role for 25 years, until he retired in 2013.
Kube said he was speechless when Gupta, who holds the Qualcomm Endowed Chair in Embedded Microsystems, told him that an endowed chair would be named in his honor.
“I couldn’t imagine anything that would make me happier,” said Kube. “I am grateful for Rajesh’s support over the years, but most of all for his vision and efforts to further computer science and engineering education.”
The Jacobs School of Engineering offers a variety of ways to support the Department of Computer Science and Engineering.
Please consider giving online to grow the Paul R. Kube Chair of Computer Science or strengthen the CSE Engineering Tutor Program.
Honor your favorite teacher when you donate to the CSE Teaching Endowment Fund.