Title: Finding the Courage to Build a Better World
Biography: Travis E. Oliphant (BS ’95, MS ’96) is a luminary in the Python and AI communities. He started the SciPy project in 1999 as a student at the Mayo Clinic and built NumPy in 2005 while a professor in Electrical and Computer Engineering at BYU. These libraries have been adopted throughout the scientific and business world. His work enabled Python to become the number one computer language in the world and the foundation for modern AI.
Travis earned a BS in Math, BS in Electrical Engineering, and an MS Degree in Electrical Engineering—all from BYU. He then studied and earned a PhD in biomedical engineering at the Mayo Clinic in 2001. He founded Anaconda and Quansight, and co-founded OpenTeams. He’s passionate about the future of AI and technical computing, currently working for the startup Zyphra which is bringing advanced AI models, workflows, and capabilities to businesses.
Travis lives in Austin, TX with his wife, Amy. They have six children. Travis is also a (part-time) service missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints