The Jargon File (version 4.4.7, 29 Dec 2003):

knurd
 n.

    1. [RPI] Renssaleer Polytechnic Institute local slang roughly equivalent to
    the positive sense of geek, referring to people who prefer technical
    hobbies to socializing.

    2. In older usage at RPI, the term signified someone new to college life,
    fresh out of high school, and wet behind the ears.

    An IEEE Spectrum article (4/95, page 16) once derived ?nerd? in its variant
    form ?knurd? from the word ?drunk? backwards; this etymology was common at
    RPI. Though it is commonly confused with nerd, it appears these words
    have separate origins (compare the kluge/kludge pair).