Dr. Eric Tao is a full professor of innovation and technology at the California State University Monterey Bay since 1998. He founded and currently directs of the Institute for Innovation and Economic Development at the university since 2009. Dr. Tao also founded and directed the School of Computing and Design between 2003 and 2015.

Under his leadership, the School grows to have over a thousand students, 50 faculty, staff and researchers, receiving multi-million dollars of funding annually from public and private sources, including a $43 million dollars funding to construct the BIT building on campus.

Dr. Tao teaches and conducts research in computer engineering, innovation, e-learning and globalization. He has published numerous papers and articles in innovation, high-tech entrepreneurship, educational technology, globalization, medical image processing and higher education. He often speaks at international conferences on global technology, innovation and education issues.

Dr. Eric Tao has served as a board member of many government, non-profit and corporations, including Bristol Investment, Leadership Monterey Peninsula, Zeuss Group Inc, Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC), National Health Research Institute of the Republic of China, Hartnell College, and University Corporation. Between 1987 and 1992, he worked for RMO Inc as Chief Software Engineer. Between 1992 and 1997, he co-founded and worked as CEO of WingTech Corporation, a firm that specialized in industrial and medical image-based inspection systems and later acquired by Aerosino Corp.

Eric Tao received his Ph.D. in Computer Engineering from the University of California, Irvine, M.S. in Computer and Information Science from the New Jersey Institute of Technology. Bachelor's degree is in Electrical Engineering is from National Sun Yat Sen University. He received multiple UC Regents Scholarship at UC Irvine; graduated with a perfect GPA from NJIT; served as president of student government while at NSYSU.

Dr. Tao is fluent in Chinese and familiar with Chinese culture and business. He enjoys tennis, playing cello, skiing, cycling, classical music, and sea food. He currently resides in Carmel, California.