BAckground ON the Author

Mike has acquired over 20 years of experience in experimental physics, system engineering, and cybersecurity.  For fun, he experiments with amateur radio and electronics. An entrepreneur at heart, Mike designed the Young Person’s Guide to Arduino to spark the love of engineering in young people. He has also taught engineering courses at the University of New Mexico for several years.

ENTREPRENEUR

Mike designed the Avocado Beginner Board and wrote the Young Person’s Guide to Arduino in 2013 after seeing how difficult it would be for his young children to learn computer programming with microcontrollers. More interactive than programming on the screen, he wanted them to see how computer programs can affect things in the real world, like make lights shine and buzzers sound. Filled with entrepreneurial spirit, Mike submitted the Young Person’s Guide to Arduino project twice before it was funded. He produced and shipped the first lot by Christmas 2013, as promised to his Kickstarter backers. Since then, Mike has continued to sell the Young Person’s Guide to Arduino and build other interesting devices.

RESEARCH PROGRAM & OPERATIONS MANAGER

Mike has worked in variety of technical environments. Most recently, he has managed research and development projects in the computer science and cybersecurity areas. Prior to this role, he focused on system engineering for technical product qualification. Before that, he ran the scientific, engineering, and operational activities of a world-class, high hazard research laboratory.