Jeannine Antypas

Jeannine Antypas lovingly created this scholarship in her husband, George Antpas’ memory.

George Antypas was born in Thessaloniki, Greece. He received a Fulbright Scholarship which enabled him to attend Anatolia College, an American high school in Thessaloniki. At the age of 19 he traveled to America aboard the Queen Mary to pursue a college education at Washington State University where he earned a B.S., and M.S. in Electrical Engineering and a Ph.D. in Materials Science. After graduating, he relocated to the Bay Area where he started his career at Varian Associates in Palo Alto. In 1980, George founded CrystaComm, which became an international leader in indium phosphide technologies which are used in high power and high frequency electronics, and for nearly two decades was the only American manufacturer. George’s contributions in early Silicon Valley include 60 published papers and nine patents, including patents for the photocathode used in 3rd generation night vision goggles and breakthroughs in fiber optic communications. In 1992, George was elected a Fellow of the Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), an honor given to only 2% of members for their significant technical contributions.

George was a long-time Los Altos resident and along with his wife Jeannine, a retired teacher, was an advocate for education because of how it transformed his life. Jeannine created this scholarship in George’s memory, with the intention to support determined students who are passionate about their education but need financial support.