​Taufik grew up in Indonesia and migrated to the U.S. to study electrical engineering. He joined Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in 1999 where he is currently Professor of Electrical Engineering and the Director of Electric Power Institute. Having the experience living without electricity, Taufik has been focusing his research, called the DC House Project, to develop the technology utilizing renewable energy sources which provides access to electricity for people living in rural and geographically hard-to-reach areas. Another research Taufik has been actively involved is power electronics where he delves into ways to reduce energy consumption in appliances and consumer electronics. Beyond academia, Taufik’s passion is in martial arts. He is currently an instructor for both Taekwondo and Indonesian Silat.