César A. Piña

César A. Piña is a dedicated alumnus and member of the Board of Visitors of the School of Mathematical Sciences at Claremont Graduate University.  A loyal and long-time supporter of CGU’s Math Clinics, Mr. Piña has sponsored numerous clinic projects, providing students opportunities to apply their mathematical skills to discover solutions to complex issues in business and industry.

Mr. Piña was born in Cuba and attended elementary school in Cuba and high school on the American Naval Base in Guantanamo Bay.  He studied mathematics at California State University, Long Beach, aeronautical engineering at the University of Michigan, and physics at the University of California, Los Angeles.  Mr. Piña earned a master of science degree in mathematics at CGU in 1987.

Mr. Piña has spent nearly five decades as a leader and innovator in the semiconductor industry.  He has held positions in engineering and manufacturing, and has been at the forefront of the design and manufacture of semiconductor devices ranging from solar cells and power rectifiers to sub-micrometer devices in the integrated circuit industry.

Between 1970 and 1975, Mr. Piña operated his own company in Orange County, manufacturing specialized semiconductor diodes.  In 1987, he joined the University of Southern California, managing the MOSIS Service, a self-sustaining division within the Information Sciences Institute with a world-wide customer base.  The numerous Math Clinic projects offered by Mr. Piña’s organization over the last 15 years have enabled generations of CGU mathematical sciences students to tackle cutting-edge problems in collaborative teams.