UC Berkeley professor Satish Rao is trading computer science for politics as he officially launches his bid for governor of California.

Rao, who teaches discrete mathematics, probability and pedagogy in the electrical engineering and computer sciences department, said his decision to run stems from growing frustration working in public education and public service.

“My research is optimization, to work on these problems, but those problems are really how the systems work to serve the people they’re supposed to serve,” Rao said.

Rao’s platform mainly centers on education reform and administrative efficiency.

He is bringing his internal fight with the UC Berkeley administration to the state level. He claims that administrative costs have ballooned while academic spending remains flat in his 10 years analyzing university spending.

According to Rao’s analysis, UC Berkeley’s administrative spending increased by $50 million between 2021 and 2024.

“As a professor, I don’t think he is best equipped to understand, even from an educational perspective, how UC Berkeley administration works,” said Arnav Gupta, Rao’s former student who is a senior majoring in computer science.

Addressing the controversy surrounding People’s Park, Rao expressed skepticism regarding the costs associated with the project. He argued that the “noisy environment” of a student-heavy area may not be the most effective location for supportive housing for the “mentally ill.”

Rao’s platforms also focus significantly on K-12 education. Drawing from his four years researching Berkeley High School, Rao criticized the state’s current curriculum, such as the 1,000-page California math framework.

Rao argues that the state’s focus on “magical” pedagogical theories has led to poor outcomes, noting that even students in states with fewer resources are currently outperforming California’s disadvantaged youth in reading.

For Rao, the campaign is less about political ambition and more about injecting “the truth” into public dialogue.

“Just because you’re an expert in one domain doesn’t mean you could be an expert in another,” said Michael Ofengenden, a fifth-year undergraduate student studying computer science and applied mathematics who took Rao’s CS70 course.

Rao is currently on sabbatical, allowing him to work on his gubernatorial campaign. The primary election will be held June 2.