Greg Lavender BS ’83 He grew up in a technology-enabled home. His father taught him about computers at an early age. He learned about mainframe computers in elementary school through his father’s work. Inspired by great scientists as a child, he learned to program at age 14, and built the first microcomputer—all before graduating high school.
“I was interested in science from a young age and was good at math,” Lavender said. “I was always reading, and it was one of my favorite books. Club of mad scientistsHe said.
His curiosity and desire to understand how things work served Lavender well. After graduating from UGA with a degree in computer science, he earned a master’s and doctorate from Virginia Tech.
Lavender’s resume includes roles as a network software engineer after graduating from UGA, 14 years at the University of Texas-Austin, co-founder of two technology startups and senior roles at various Silicon Valley companies.
His current role is Chief Technology Officer and Senior Vice President and General Manager of the Software and Advanced Technology Group at Intel.
Lavender may not be a mad scientist, but he jokes that overseeing 20,000 employees around the world can get a little crazy at times. The global team’s work encompasses Intel’s world-class research laboratories, which include projects in quantum computing, artificial intelligence and security.
“I’ve always worked at the forefront of technology research and development,” says Lavender. “I encourage people to always be learning new things, developing new skills and working on something that’s bleeding edge. Things change quickly, so don’t stay in your comfort zone.”
Lavender gets as much satisfaction from mentoring his employees as he does from the technical aspects of his work.
“I enjoy being at a global company like Intel because of the breadth and depth of capabilities, diversity of people and ideas, and challenging technical problems. Innovation comes when people look to the future and create new technologies that make us more effective as individuals and as a global community,” he says. .
Lavender credits UGA professors Jeffrey W. Smith, associate professor emeritus in the computer science department, and BJ Ball, late professor of mathematics, as the two men who mentored him and helped set the stage for his career.
“I’ve been very fortunate in my life and career,” said Lavender, who responded with scholarships and fellowships from various institutions, including one named after Smith at UGA.
“My success in my career is due to having great mentors who took the time to encourage me,” he says.
