Today I'll be talking to Matthew Stevenson, a former astronomy graduate student at Caltech. Matthew defended his PhD thesis last summer and will be receiving his degree this June. He now works for Synaptics, as discussed below. While at Caltech he worked on the C-Band All-Sky Survey (C-BASS) which is mapping the entire polarized sky at 5 GHz. He also worked on anomalous microwave emission in the Galaxy's ISM. Where do you currently work and what do you do? I work for Synaptics. We are a leading company in capacitive-touch interface products for computers, smartphones, and tablets. My job title is "Senior Algorithm Architect," and my job is to develop next-generation algorithms and circuits for our chips to improve our performance. This requires coming up with new inventions, evaluating their efficacy, and writing specifications for their implementation. What does your typical day entail? My work has a great deal of variety, which is really nice.
Updates on astronomy and parenting in paradise...er, Pasadena. Wait, make that Cambridge, MA.