May 19, 2025
At the University of Pittsburgh, its schools pride themselves on not only providing their students with a high-quality education but also supporting them throughout their career journeys. Robert “Bob” Hoffman, Director of Operations at the School of Computing and Information (SCI), is celebrating more than 50 years at Pitt, starting as a student, and rising the ranks as an invaluable staff member. As his retirement approaches in spring 2025, Hoffman has reflected on his career at Pitt and experiences he will remember long after it comes to an end.
“When I first came to Pitt, I never suspected that I would spend my entire career here,” said Hoffman. “It’s been fun solving problems for people and building systems to make our work easier. The main reason that the job continues to be fun for me is that I have been allowed to work on a very wide variety of projects, including hardware design and repair, software design and debugging, network design and installation, audio and video production, and computer systems management.”
(Pictured above: A view of the Project Solo Lab in 701 Cathedral of Learning, 1974.)
Hoffman began as a student studying electrical engineering in the fall 1973. Originally planning to pursue a career in broadcast engineering, Hoffman worked at the student radio station, WPTS-FM, where he helped to wire a new production studio. In fall 1974, he received a phone call from an old friend who informed him of an opportunity to work with Tom Dwyer, then a professor in the Department of Computer Science. Hoffman worked with Dwyer on an NSF-funded Soloworks project until the research grant ended, after which he was hired by the Department of Psychiatry, where he began his career as a staff member.
“When I first went to visit Dr. Dwyer’s lab on the seventh floor of the Cathedral of Learning, I was quite surprised by the variety of things he had there,” recounted Hoffman. “The first thing I noticed was a pipe organ in the middle of the lab surrounded by a flight simulator, a lunar lander simulator, and a minicomputer. Dr. Dwyer showed me around the lab and explained that these devices would eventually be connected to the computer. In the back room, there was a workbench with all of the tools and parts one might need to build the interfaces to the computer. For someone who likes to tinker and build things, this was paradise! I expressed my interest in the job to Dr. Dwyer and shortly thereafter was informed that I had been hired as a student employee. When the research grant ended in December 1976, the job ended with it. A consultant to the Soloworks project was a full-time researcher in the Department of Psychiatry, and he invited me to apply for a position there. In January 1977, I was hired and began writing computer programs and building electronic devices.”
In 1980, Hoffman returned to the Department of Computer Science to work with Dwyer on a new NSF-funded project, Solo/Net/Works. Since then, Hoffman has made invaluable contributions to computing infrastructure and systems, both at the Department of Computer Science and throughout what is now known as SCI.
“As technology evolved, we added Ethernet networking within our buildings and eventually had those networks bridged together so that all of our systems could talk to one another,” explained Hoffman. “When the Sennott Square building was proposed, I was given the opportunity to contribute to the design of our facilities and build the databases that would automate the collection of the room data sheets that described specific needs for each room. The formation of SCI was probably the highlight of my career because it meant that our infrastructure would need to be enlarged to support an entire school. I got to work with and solve problems for a whole new group of colleagues.”
After a long career at Pitt, Hoffman plans to retire in the near future. As an integral member of the University throughout the decades, he has not only gained valuable skills and experience, but also formed connections, built relationships, and made strides in Pitt’s technology landscape and community that will last far beyond his retirement.
(Pictured below: Hoffman working with his supervisor, Gary Matthews in the Psychiatry Department's sleep lab computer room, circa 1978).
“Whether it was assisting with our faculty recruitment review system, recording colloquiums and special events, SCI’s unified digital signage project, renovations of SCI classrooms and spaces, and more, Bob’s valuable knowledge and skills have impacted our school and his colleagues in a positive way,” said Sharon Bindas, SCI’s Senior Director of Business Administration.
“I will always treasure the friendships that I’ve made here at Pitt, and I hope to be able to keep in touch with as many of them as possible,” said Hoffman. “While it would be nice to think that my technology contributions will last, it is more likely that they will be replaced by something much newer and more efficient and that will be better for everyone.”
Outside of Pitt, Hoffman is a technology consultant, volunteer, and has served as the president of the Fox Chapel Volunteer Fire Department and the Lower Allegheny Valley Fireman’s Association. His hobbies and interests include ham radio, photography, and video editing and production.
Join us in celebrating Bob Hoffman and his 50+ year-long career at Pitt!
--Alyssa Morales (A&S '25); Photos courtesy of Bob Hoffman.