Mr. Charles R. Trimble (BS '63 ENG, MS '64 EE)

Mr. Charles R. Trimble (BS'63 ENG; MS'64 EE) TRUSTEE is chairman of Arbor Vita Corporation. Based in Freemont, California, Arbor Vita develops rapid diagnostic tests for cancer and infectious diseases. He is also the founder and former CEO of Trimble Navigation, LTD. The company is a leading developer of commercial equipment utilizing the Global Positioning System (GPS). He led the company from a startup in 1978 through its initial public offering in 1990. Trimble Navigation was largely responsible for the commercialization of GPS technology, and at the time of his departure in 1998, the company was the dominant worldwide supplier of GPS equipment. He holds four patents in signal processing and several in Global Positioning System (GPS) technology. Since leaving the company, he has mentored startups and served on small company boards of directors. Mr. Trimble is a member of the National Academy of Engineering and the Council on Foreign Relations. He served on the NASA Advisory Council, the National Electronics Manufacturing Initiative, the Silicon Valley Defense/Space Consortium, and as chair of the United States Global Positioning System Industry Council. He is the recipient of numerous awards and honors, including Inc. Magazine's Entrepreneur of the Year in 1991; the American Electronics Association Medal of Achievement in 2000; the NASA Public Service Medal in 2001 and 2004; and the Caltech Distinguished Alumni Award. Mr. Trimble earned his BS in engineering and applied science in 1963, and his MS in electrical engineering in 1964, both from Caltech.