Tech Giant Ralph Gootee Credits CSM for Setting the Foundation for His Success

The College of Southern Maryland (CSM) is a “pathway to possibility” for local students on the way to achieving their dreams – as proven true by former student Ralph Gootee, who credits CSM for launching his spectacular educational and professional career after graduating from Lackey High School in 2001.  

“I enrolled at CSM directly after high school to help me decide on a major for my four-year degree,” he shared. “I took as many classes as possible and participated in numerous study sessions with professors. These experiences provided a solid foundation and prepared me for future academic and professional success.”  

Today, the Charles County native's resume is impressive. After earning a bachelor’s degree in Theoretical Mathematics from Salisbury University in 2005 and continuing on to earn his master’s degree in Applied Mathematics from Johns Hopkins University, he moved to California and began making career choices that launched him into technical-related fame. He is currently the co-founder and CTO at TigerEye – an emerging company set to drive innovation and security. And prior to that, he co-founded and served as CTO of PlanGrid, which was acquired by Autodesk for $875 million in 2018. He has also been a visiting partner at Y Combinator (Winter 2020) and worked at household-name companies such as Pixar Animation Studios and Sony Ericsson.  

Gootee said that it was his experiences at CSM that helped shape his future and his CSM math professors helped him to “get his bearings” before committing to a career decision. He also said that his CSM history classes instilled a lifelong love of literature; and working with his fellow students in the CSM computer lab taught him the importance of collaboration.

“The CSM professors have professional experience and really care,” he added 

He remains a strong believer that community colleges are ideal places for motivated students like him to get started, especially in the STEM fields.  

“I often talk about how much I love community college,” he said. “In the engineering field, many don’t follow traditional college paths, and some may not even graduate. [Students should] take as many STEM classes as [they] can at CSM before moving to a four-year degree,” Gootee advised.  

Gootee’s passion for CSM was evident when, while in Maryland earlier this summer, he shared his story in a speech to the Rotary Club of Charles County.  

“Ralph really hit home when he spoke so highly of CSM and explained in detail how the college was the perfect steppingstone for him between high school and Salisbury University,” said Rotary Vice President and fellow CSM alumni Lisa Case.  

CSM is a leader in supporting students as they pursue STEM careers, providing them with the resources to pursue their education through programs such as The Patuxent Partnership’s Pathways Scholarship and the National Science Foundation (NSF) S-STEM scholars program; innovative opportunities for hands-on research, like the NSF’s Democratizing Research and Experiential Education for Microelectronics grant; and a wide range of transfer agreements that guarantee admission into competitive programs in STEM fields, such as the Southern Maryland Electrical and Mechanical Engineering Partnership, which provides a seamless pathway to the University of Maryland. 

Although his career has taken him across the country, Gootee said that he never forgets where he started.  

“CSM will always hold a special place in me because it laid down the foundation for my future career.”