Inventor, quad-core variable symmetric processing architecture

Philip J. Carmack, 2012 Alumni Achievement Award winner, Ira A. Fulton College of Engineering and Techonology

Engineering and Technology (BS '87) 
Santa Clara, Calif.

Y nostalgia: "Being with a bunch of people . . . who are all trying to do good things and all trying to further themselves and their knowledge is a magical experience. I think I've never been in an environment like that since leaving BYU."

Why engineering: "I love math. I remember back in fifth grade my teacher saying, 'Phil, I think you're going to be an engineer.' At the time I remember thinking she was saying I was going to be a train conductor."

Success secret: "Having the perspective where I can look at things from the outside in, instead of the inside out."

Professional rewards: "I just love it when I build something that everybody wants—or as many people as possible want—and they really think it's cool."

Secret skill: "We call it 'wallaby,' but it's actually just pretending you're not doing anything. . . . [My kids] always say I'm the best at it. I can do nothing for the longest."

Speaker notes: "Technology is changing. Progress is through the roof. Sometimes you have to start over with a whole new perspective."