Joe Steinmeyer
Senior Lecturer Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyMIT Building 38-583
77 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02139
(734)-945-4926
jodalyst@mit.edu
Starters
I am a senior lecturer in Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.Teaching
In the last few years at MIT, I've:- Been teaching Introduction to Low-level Programming in C and Assembly (6.1903/4)
- Taught a new class with Professor Joel VoldmanEngineering for Impact: 6.900
- Been teaching Digital Systems Laboratory: 6.205
- Been doing an IAP class on vacuum tube electronics
- Developed and taught Interconnected Embedded Systems Class: 6.08, though that class is taking a nap right now....it might come back in a bit.
- Circuits (6.002) on and off for a number of years
- Recitation Instructor for 6.UAT 2015 - 2016
- Lecturer for 6.302 (Feedback and Control) 2015 - 2018 with Prof. Jacob White
- Instructor for 6.01, Fall 2014 - Fall 2015, Fall 2017
- Graduate Instructor for 6.01, Spring 2013 - Spring 2014
- Graduate Instructor for 6.021J/6.521J, Fall 2012
- Teaching Assistant for 6.01, Spring 2012
- Teaching Assistant for 6.021J/6.521J,Fall 2011
- Instructional Assistant for EECS 215 (Introduction to Circuits) at the University of Michigan 2007-2008
I've also been heavily involved with teaching and course development with the Office of Engineering Outreach Programs here at MIT where I've taught courses and seminars for:
- MITES (2009-2023)
- E2@MIT (2011-2017)
- MOSTEC (2011-2022)
- SEED Academy (2011-2020)
In the summers I've also taught calculus at the high school level through the Noonan Scholars Program (now the Thrive Scholars Program).
Research
A lot of my past work/research involved the intersection of biology/neuroscience with EECS, with a focus on automation and control. My PhD thesis was focused on building equipment to quickly interface with neurons while in tissue environemtns. More recently, I've focused on just the instrumentation side as well as digital design/signal processing on FPGAs. I also do a lot of teaching at the high school and college level and approach that as a research project as well (since the state of education is far from perfect) so do a lot of development/research into novel ways to improve student learning (particularly in STEM topics) for this age group.
Projects
I'm currently working on a number of projects in the FPGA/SoC/embedded space. I find that area really exciting. I've been lucky to get to advise some really neat projects in the last few years including ones by talented students Fischer Moseley (Manta: An In-Situ Debugging Tool for Programmable Hardware), Jay Lang (Lab-bc: A Serverless Computing Platform for MIT Educators), and Grace Quaratiello (An Introductory Low-level Programming Course for Students with a Python Background).
If you're interested in research projects along these lines, get in contact with me. There may be openings depending on time.
Some of my past projects:
- Low-Cost Automated Micromanpulator: Born out of my interactions with really expensive micromanipulators with often meh control software for neuroscience work in grad school, this is an attempt to make a several-hundred-dollar range (as opposed to several-thousand-dollar range) micromanipulator for applications in the life-sciences and expanding field of rapid-prototyping/3D-printing
- Web-Friendly Lab Automation Platform: An open-source LabView-like instrumentation and control framework meant for use with common microcontrollers like Arduino, TI's Launchpad, the ESP32, etc. Built with Python and HTML/Javascript. Originally intended for 6.302 (see courses above/below)/for educational settings, but developing for lab/research settings as well. While it will never replace LabView (or MATLAB), I'm hoping that some of the design decisions made early on will enable it to live more effectively in Python-based/networked/distributed/IOT settings which I've had a reason to deploy several times now. This project is gradually coming together from some disconnected work.
- Smart Breadboard: Current UROP project with Tuan Phan to develop inexpensive "smart-breadboard" which can analyze circuits built by students and provide meaningful feedback. Based on ideas by a few people from the past decade, but driven by issues encountered in running remote hardward-based lab coureses like MOSTEC EECS and 6.302.0x and 6.302.1x.
- Javascript-based State-Space Environment: An ongoing project focused on developing a Javascript framework for controls simulation, based primarily on numeric.js
- ESP32 Development: I really like this SOC by Espressif. I feel like they found something really special with the ESP8266, and made tons of improvements with this next iteration.
- Random FPGA/digital design/circuit stuff.
Selected Publications and Papers:
- J.D. Steinmeyer "Designing and Deploying EECS Hardware Grading in Online Automated Teaching Platforms", Integrated Stem Education Conference (ISEC), 2017
- J.D. Steinmeyer "Project-Based Learning with Single-Board Computers", American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference, Seattle 2015.
- J.D.Steinmeyer "Online EECS Curriculum for EECS Students", Integrated Stem Education Conference (ISEC), 2015.
- T.Y Chang, P. Shi, J.D. Steinmeyer, I. Chatnuntawech, P. Tillberg, K. Love, P. Eimon, D.G. Anderson, M.F. Yanik, "Organ-targeted high-throughput in vivo biologics screen identifies materials for RNA delivery", Integrative Biology, 6 (10), 926-934, 2014.
- Z.D. Wissner-Gross, M.A. Scott, J.D. Steinmeyer, and M.F. Yanik, "Synchronous Symmetry Breaking in Neurons with Different Neurite Counts," PLoS One, 2013
- J.D. Steinmeyer and M.F. Yanik, "High-Throughput Single-Cell Manipulation in Brain Tissue," PLoS One, 2012.
- J.D. Steinmeyer "Accelerated Project-Based Introduction to EECS for High School Students," Integrated STEM Education Conference (ISEC), 2012
- J.D. Steinmeyer*, C.L. Gilleland*, C. Pardo-Martin, M. Angel, C. Rohde, M.A. Scott, M.F. Yanik, "Construction of a Femtosecond Laser Microsurgery System," Nature Protocols, vol. 5 pp. 395-407, 2010.
- R.T. Borno, J.D. Steinmeyer, M.M. Maharbiz, "Charge-pumping in a synthetic leaf for harvesting energy from evaporation-driven flows," Applied Physics Letters, vol. 95, 2009
- J.D. Steinmeyer, "A Brief Introduction to Multisim," Supplemental chapters in Circuits by Fawwaz Ulaby and Michel Maharbiz, published 4/08/2009.
- R.T. Borno, J.D. Steinmeyer, and M.M. Maharbiz, "Energy scavenging from transpiration," Eleventh International Conference on Miniaturized Systems for Chemistry and Life Sciences (MicroTAS), Paris, France, Oct. 2007.
- R.T. Borno, J.D. Steinmeyer , and M.M. Maharbiz, "Evaporation-driven Charge Redistribution and Current Generation for Energy Harvesting Applications" 26th Army Science Conference, Dec. 1-4, 2008.
- R.T. Borno, J.D. Steinmeyer,M.M. Maharbiz, "Transpiration Actuation: The design, fabrication and characterization of biomimetic microactuators driven by the surface tension of water," J. Micromechanics and Microengineering, vol. 16, no. 11, pp 2375-2383, Nov. 2006.
- R.T. Borno, J.D. Steinmeyer,M.M. Maharbiz,"Scalable Biomimetic Self-Assembling Actuators Powered By Surface Tension," Foundations of Nanoscience: Self-Assembled Architectures and Devices (FNANO06), Snowbird, Utah, April 2006.
Background and Things
I grew up south of Pittsburgh in a town called South Park, and then attended the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor for my undergrad (EECS) from 2004 to 2008. I then moved to Cambridge, MA for my Masters and PhD in EECS from MIT, which I got in 2010 and 2014, respectively.
I really like vintage electronics (vacuum tubes, early transistors, early computing/programming, radio) and pursue a lot of that stuff in my spare time. My current amateur radio callsign is KC1RHK. I like woodworking and books and try to travel when I can.
Not that it was beautiful, but that, in the end, there was a certain sense of order there; something worth learning in that narrow diary of my mind.