Duke University Announces Landmark Gift Naming the Pierre R. Lamond Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

A landmark gift from David Lamond ’97, J.D.’06 and Kelsey Lamond ’06, Pierre and Christine Lamond, and the Lamond Family Foundation has named the Pierre R. Lamond Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the Pratt School of Engineering. The gift also establishes the Pierre R. Lamond Presidential Distinguished Chair in Electrical and Computer Engineering, a professorship focused on advancing research in semiconductors, nanoelectronics, and computer engineering.

Together with donor challenges that will endow seven new faculty chairs and seven Ph.D. fellowships, this commitment represents $57 million in total investment, $30 million of which comes from the Lamond Family. The gift strengthens Duke’s ability to shape the next era of computing technologies and fuels the department’s rapid rise in research and academic distinction. The funding is part of the Duke Science and Technology pillar in MADE FOR THIS: The Duke Campaign, the university’s most ambitious fundraising and engagement effort to date.

“I am thrilled that the Lamond family has chosen to make this extraordinary investment in the Pratt School of Engineering,” said Duke University President Vincent E. Price. “Their visionary gift will enable current and future generations of Duke scholars to advance technologies that are vital to society while also supporting excellence in computing across the entire university.”

A Decade of Powerful Momentum

The department’s namesake, Pierre R. Lamond, helped pioneer the semiconductor industry and later invested in semiconductor, systems, and software companies as a venture capitalist in Silicon Valley.

This moment marks a milestone for the university. ECE becomes just the second named department at Duke, joining Pratt’s Thomas Lord Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science. The newly established Presidential Distinguished Chair – Duke’s highest endowed professorship – is only the sixth such chair in the university and the first housed fully within Pratt.

“The Lamond family’s vision and generosity will elevate Duke among its peers and make it a destination for the most sought-after talent in electrical and computer engineering,” said Provost Alec D. Gallimore. “We are especially grateful for the combination of new endowed faculty chairs with fully endowed graduate fellowships, which will create a significant and enduring advantage for the Pratt School as it seeks to recruit and retain world-class investigators.”

Duke ECE has built a decade of powerful momentum, with rising student demand, expanding research programs, and significant increases in national visibility. Today, the department is ranked among the top 20 in the country, with a trajectory toward even greater distinction.

A Legend in the Semiconductor Industry

Pierre Lamond started his career in 1957 as an engineer at Transitron Electronics before joining Dr. Gordon Moore’s team at Fairchild Semiconductor. While at Fairchild, Pierre oversaw the development of advanced high-frequency transistors and the first generation of digital integrated circuits. Pierre left Fairchild in 1967 to co-found the National Semiconductor Corporation. In 1981, Pierre joined Sequoia Capital as a General Partner where he stayed until 2009. He invested in and served on numerous boards of successful high-tech start-ups. Pierre finished his career as a venture capitalist with Eclipse Ventures.

“We could not be prouder to celebrate Pierre’s legacy in the electronics and computing fields by having his name on our Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering,” said Jerome Lynch, Vinik Dean of Engineering at Pratt. “Having such a monumental investment from one of the earliest pioneers of microelectronics in Silicon Valley provides Duke with tremendous momentum toward our goal of competing for a top-five national ranking in electrical and computer engineering.”

In addition to faculty and graduate support, the gift establishes an operational excellence endowment for the department. These funds will strengthen undergraduate programs, expand hands-on learning opportunities, bring distinguished speakers to campus, and support student-driven initiatives.

“We’re proud to partner with Pratt to recruit the very best global talent,” said David Lamond, a member of the Pratt Board of Visitors. “Fueling Pratt’s innovation engine while honoring my father is an extraordinary privilege for my family. We believe that this investment will enable the ECE department to lead the nation in engineering education.”

“Engineering education is more important and relevant than ever,” said Pierre Lamond. “I’m proud to support a dynamic university that is equipping engineers with the problem-solving and technological skill to be leaders addressing the major opportunities and challenges of our time.”