Computer Engineering Graduate Student | Embedded/Firmware Programming

Colin S.

Hello! I’m currently a Master’s student in Computer Engineering at UC Irvine, focusing on computer architecture and GPU systems. I earned my B.S. in Computer Engineering from Cal Poly Pomona, where I specialized in embedded systems. My background is in low-level programming, firmware development, and digital hardware design, and I enjoy working on both software and the hardware it runs on.

Before starting graduate school, I worked as a Firmware Engineer at an aerospace and defense contractor, developing embedded software for safety-critical systems. I gained hands-on experience writing C for microcontrollers, interfacing with hardware through I2C, SPI, and UART, and debugging systems down to the register level. Alongside my firmware work, I have experience in digital design and hardware description languages, building FPGA-based systems in SystemVerilog such as custom CPU pipelines, real-time hardware accelerators, and a VGA-based game console. These projects involved board-level debugging, simulation, and verification.

As a tutor, I focus on helping students truly understand how computers work at their core, not just how to write code, but how that code executes on real hardware. I like to teach concepts through a clear, practical, and application-driven approach, focusing on connecting abstract technical concepts to how they appear in real systems. Whether we’re discussing how memory maps are configured on a microcontroller or how an FPGA implements parallel logic, I ensure every topic ties back to real engineering examples.

I tailor each session to the student’s pace and background, using visual diagrams, code walkthroughs, and step-by-step reasoning. My goal is for students to develop true understanding of low-level concepts rather than just memorizing definitions or syntax.