Leading Developer of Electronic Design Automation Software To Deliver Next Sheffield Fellowship Lecture at Yale

Joseph B. Costello, vice chairman of Knowledge Universe Inc. and a leading developer of electronic design automation software, will present the next Faculty of Engineering Sheffield Fellowship Lecture at Yale University. Titled “The Golden Age of Electronics,” his talk will be Monday, Jan. 26, at 4:30 p.m. in the Presidents’ Room at Woolsey Hall, corner of College and Grove streets. Free and open to the public, the presentation will be followed by a reception at the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library.

Costello joined Knowledge Universe Inc., an education-software company, in October 1997. Previously, he served as president and chief executive officer of Cadence Design Systems Inc. dating back to the company’s inception in 1988. Under his guidance, Cadence grew to be the world’s leading supplier of electronic design automation (EDA) software and services, which are used in the development of products such as semiconductors, computers, networking equipment, telecommunications products and consumer electronics.

In 1996, the 3,500-person company eclipsed the $700-million mark in revenue, a first for an electronic design automation company, thus placing Cadence among the top 10 highest-grossing software vendors in the world. In May 1997, Costello was recognized as the top performing CEO in North America by Chief Executive magazine. Costello holds a B.S. degree in mathematics and physics from Harvey Mudd College, a M.S. degree in physics from Yale University, and a M.S. degree in physics from the University of California at Berkeley.

The Sheffield Fellowship was established in 1996 to honor the Sheffield Scientific School at Yale. Founded in 1852 to train engineers, the school produced some of the greatest inventors and industrial leaders of the 19th and 20th centuries before it was absorbed into the growing Yale Faculty of Arts and Sciences in the mid-1940’s.

The Sheffield Fellowship brings to Yale leaders and innovators in business, industry and government. In addition to presenting a lecture, fellows tour laboratories and classrooms and meet with faculty and students. Informal discussions with members of student organizations provide career perspectives in engineering and related fields, according to D. Allan Bromley, Dean of Engineering and sponsor of the fellowship program.