Ray Simar

Ray Simar is a Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Rice University, affiliated with the School of Engineering. He leads the Rice Vertically Integrated Projects (VIP) Program and the DISSECT team, focusing on embedded systems, TinyML, and microprocessor architecture. His roles include co-director of the Rice Center for Engineering Leadership and member of the Faculty Senate and OwlSpark board.

Education:

• M.S. Electrical and Computer Engineering, Rice University (1983)
• B.S. Bioengineering, Texas A&M University (1981)

Research Interests: Simar’s work spans RISC-V architectures, low-power machine learning (TinyML), embedded processor benchmarking (Embench), and dual-mode hardware design. He emphasizes hands-on education through VIP projects like the Hope-Simpson pandemic analysis initiative and autonomous motorcycle development.

Awards:

• ACM Distinguished Engineer (2013)
• IEEE Fellow (2011)
• Multiple Rice teaching excellence grants

Advising & Projects: Advises interdisciplinary VIP teams on TinyML, Embench DSP benchmarks, and motion sensor applications. Notable projects include the DISSECT golf putter feedback system and the Hope-Simpson global health analytics platform.