معرفی
Branden Ghena is an Assistant Professor of Instruction in the Department of Computer Science at Northwestern University, part of the McCormick School of Engineering. His research focuses on embedded systems, networking protocols for IoT, and operating systems, particularly through the Tock project. He holds a PhD in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from UC Berkeley (2020), an MSE in Computer Science and Engineering from the University of Michigan (2017), and a BS in Computer Engineering and Electrical Engineering from Michigan Technological University (2013).
His research interests include resource-constrained embedded hardware/software, wireless protocols like Bluetooth Low Energy, LoRaWAN, and LTE-M, and energy-harvesting platforms such as Signpost and PowerBlade. He emphasizes open-source contributions and practical embedded systems education.
Teaching includes courses like CS211 (C/C++), CS213 (Computer Systems), CS343 (Operating Systems), CE346/CS346 (Microcontroller Design), and CS433 (Wireless IoT Protocols). He has received notable awards, including the 2022 Cole-Higgins Excellence in Teaching Award and the Instructor of the Year award. His teaching philosophy centers on bridging theory to real-world engineering challenges.
- Awards:
- Cole-Higgins Award for Excellence in Teaching (2022)
- Instructor of the Year (2022)
- Outstanding Graduate Student Instructor (UC Berkeley, 2018)
- NSF Graduate Research Fellowship (2014–2017)
- Labs/Teams:
- Principal contributor to Tock OS, an open-source embedded OS
- Signpost platform for city-scale sensing
- Design of PowerBlade energy meters and Buckler development boards
His advising includes supporting undergraduate research, with several students proceeding to PhD programs. He has also contributed to curriculum design, including redesigning labs for embedded systems courses using modern tools like Git, Make, and Rust. Branden actively participates in academic service roles, such as faculty search committees and workshop program committees.
