Benjamin Dobbins Email & Phone Number

Hanover, New Hampshire, United States

I taught Digital Electronics, a project-based Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) design course. My course placed an emphasis on top-down design, bottom-up implementation strategies and clear, readable, and well-documented VHDL code. My 24 curated lectures enabled students to explore digital electronics from the transistors that form the most fundamental building blocks to more complex elements like communication protocols and memory. These design, documentation, and implementation themes were reinforced through daily exercises, problem sets, hands-on laboratory sessions, and a culminating 3-week design project that I wrote, taught, and managed. Projects ranged from hardware implementations of Wordle and MIDI synthesizers to calculators and old VGA videogames. I mentored the incoming electronics laboratory instructor, to whom I was passing the baton.

Hanover, New Hampshire, United States

I managed and instructed the project laboratory component of 7 courses in linear circuits,control theory, digital electronics, and embedded systems.In collaboration with professors, I streamlined lab curriculum using take-aways from teaching during the pandemic in Digital Electronics, Embedded Systems, and Control Theory, as we transitioned back to in-person learning.One of the joys of this job was working with students on projects that they were excited about. Few experiences are as cool as having a student plug their phone into a custom PCB speaker driver circuit they built and have it play music, or seeing their faces light up as they tune their PID controller to balance an inverted pendulum. In addition to the 7 courses I managed, I advised project groups in 9 classes working on a variety of topics.

Hanover, New Hampshire, United States

I designed, optimized, built, and tested DC-DC and DC-AC power converters, focusing on switched-capacitor topologies. These topologies can yield smaller volumetric footprints by levering capacitors' higher energy density and better scaling to small size.My research spanned 7 publications, concentrated in 3 areas:1. My thesis focused on the operation of multi-switch power converters with FPGAs. 2. Driving micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) actuators with switched-capacitor power converters built on custom integrated circuits.3. Detecting and preventing voltage imbalance in the flying capacitor multi-level (FCML) converter family, a member of the hybrid switched-capacitor topologies.Selected Publications:1. Thesis: "A Programmable Switching Waveform Generator for Switched Capacitor Networks in Power Converters." Defended at Dartmouth College, December 3rd, 2020.2. "33.8 A Decentralized Daisy-Chain-Controlled Switched-Capacitor Driver for Microrobotic Actuators with 10× Power-Reduction Factor and Over 300V Drive Voltage" 2nd author (ISSCC'21).3. "Natural Balancing of Flying Capacitor Multilevel Converters at Nominal Conversion Ratios." 2nd author (COMPEL'19).

Hanover, New Hampshire, United States

I created >125 take-home laboratory kits and modified curriculum for online classes during the pandemic to offer full teaching laboratories despite having students scattered across the world and in lockdown. I implemented new teaching methods for circuits courses that enabled students to build and test their own circuits at home. I collaborated with course lecturers and other laboratory instructors to develop best practices and share resources.I taught the remote laboratory component of 6 engineering course offerings, including Electronics: Introduction to Linear and Digital Circuits, Control Theory, Digital Electronics, and Embedded Systems. I supported the electronics project component of another 4 project-based course offerings, including Introduction to Engineering and Engineering Design Methodology.

Hanover, New Hampshire, United States

I supported engineering faculty by facilitating teaching laboratory, problem set recitation, and design reviews in 7 courses including Power Electronics, Distributed Systems and Fields, and Intermediate Electrical Circuits.I was awarded 3 citations for excellence supporting Systems and Distributed Systems and Fields.

Hanover, New Hampshire, United States

I developed laboratory and project curriculum for a new interdisciplinary embedded systems course to teach mixed signal circuit design and embedded programming. I collaborated with computer science and digital electronics professors to integrate the laboratory exercises in a flipped-classroom and supported the course in its inaugural offering--assisting with lecture and holding recitation sessions.

Hanover, New Hampshire, United States

I developed programming for undergraduate students within my residential community (>500 students) focused student wellness and enrichment. I collaborated with the house professor, my co-fellows, and the student lead house executive board to deliver smaller weekly programs (10-20 attendees) and larger quarterly events (>100 attendees).

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States

Trained in database security, ethical penetration testing, and cybersecurity policy by CMU-CERT personnel.

Master Of Science - Ms, Power And Integrated Electronics Research Group, 3.67/4.00

Activities and Societies: Power Management and Integration Center (PMIC)

Bachelors Of Engineering Sciences, Electrical Engineering (Analog Electronics), 3.70/4.00

Activities and Societies: Tau Beta Pi Engineering Society (Top 15% of engineering class)

Bachelor Of Arts - Ba, Engineering Sciences, 3.72/4.00, Cum Laude (Top 35% Of Dartmouth Class)