Each week, the College of Engineering highlights an outstanding member of our engineering community. This week, we are introducing Zaid Pitafi, electrical engineering lecturer.

What brought you to Cal Poly's College of Engineering?

Cal Poly's Learn by Doing philosophy directly mirrors how I approach engineering as a tool for solving real problems, not just a theoretical exercise. Having grown up in a challenging environment, I’m drawn to the university’s genuine commitment to diversity and inclusion. I see an opportunity to mentor students from underrepresented backgrounds and help them build devices and systems that matter and tangibly improve lives in their communities.  

What is your research topic, and what makes you passionate about it?

My research focuses on contactless physiological sensing. I work on developing low-cost, accessible devices that can monitor vital signs without requiring patients to wear sensors. This passion emerged from my dissertation work on health monitoring systems, but the driving force is the health equity problem: millions of people globally lack access to basic diagnostic tools. I’m passionate about closing that gap.

What is your favorite place in San Luis Obispo County and why?  

Pismo Beach and Bishop Peak. You get the ocean and mountains within minutes of each other. What really appeals to me is that San Luis Obispo itself feels like a place designed for balance: serious about education and innovation, but not at the expense of quality of life. With two kids, I want them to grow up somewhere that values both achievement and presence.

How do you like to spend your free time?  

Honestly, most of my free time revolves around my kids. Beyond that, I’m drawn to traveling because I think moving between different places and cultures is how you learn. And yes, I catch sports when I can. There’s something grounding about stepping back from engineering problems and just watching a good match.

What are you most looking forward to in the upcoming academic year?

This is my first year as a lecturer, and I’m genuinely excited about designing hands-on projects that matter. I want students to leave my lab course with working prototypes they’re proud of, with the potential to be deployed rather than simply graded. I’m also looking forward to finding students who share my passion for contactless sensing and health monitoring. I think there’s strong potential to build something significant together.

What is the most helpful advice you’ve received?  

A quote from Elbert Hubbard that I often return to is: “Do not take life too seriously. You will never get out of it alive.” This helps me look at the bigger picture whenever I’m feeling down. It reminds me to take a deep breath and reset.  

How do you encourage engineering students to make an impact on the community?  

I tell students the same thing I tell myself: start by listening to what communities need, not what you assume they need. As engineers, we have powerful tools, but they’re only tools. The responsibility is to direct them toward problems that matter. I push them to ask, “Who benefits from this? Who's excluded? Could this make someone's life measurably better?” That framework shifts engineering from a technical exercise to meaningful work.