rheffern

Location: Boulder / Denver, CO

Remote: Yes

Willing to relocate: Yes, USA

Technologies: Time series based ML/AI, AR/VR, GraphQL, MySQL, C++ , Matlab, Mathematica, Python, Java, LateX, Atmega micro-controllers, Solidworks, Labview, NI Circuit Design Suite, PTC Vuforia, gas/liquid chromatography (LCs and GCs), Lathes, Mills, MIG/TIG welding, Pneumatic Tools, Micro Soldering, Nano-Optics, Spanish, Italian

Résumé/CV: http://heffern.net/rob/

Email: robert.heffern@gmail.com

AI/ML on extremely high precision and accuracy instrument signals for failure prediction, resolution, and monitoring (can tell when your machine fails before it fails)

MS in Bioengineering with a thesis in nanoscopic bio - optics (put nanoscopes on gerbils to watch inside brain cells)

With my background in engineering and experience developing novel tools and designs, I am excited to help you on the bleeding edge to improve the world. My 13+ years of experience in bioengineering, applied physics, and research makes me a good fit for you, and I look forward to discussing the future.

Location: Boulder / Denver, CO

Remote: Yes

Willing to relocate: Yes, USA

Technologies: AR/VR, Vuforia, GraphQL, MySQL, C++ , Matlab, Mathematica, Python, Java, LateX, Atmega micro-controllers, Solidworks, Labview, NI Circuit Design Suite, PTC Vuforia, gas/liquid chromatography, Lathes, Mills, MIG/TIG welding, Pneumatic Tools, Micro Soldering, Nano-Optics, Spanish, Italian

Résumé/CV: http://heffern.net/rob/

Email: robert.heffern (at) gmail

MS in Bioengineering with an emphasis on nanoscopic bio - optics. AI/Ml on high precision instrument signals for failure mode prediction and resolution. With my background in engineering and experience developing novel tools and designs, I am excited to help you on the bleeding edge to improve the world. My 12+ years of experience in bioengineering, applied physics, and research makes me a good fit for your company, and I look forward to discussing the future with you.

Location: Boulder / Denver, CO

Remote: Yes

Willing to relocate: Yes, USA

Technologies: AR/VR, Vuforia, GraphQL, MySQL, C++ , Matlab, Mathematica, Python, Java, LateX, Atmega micro-controllers, Solidworks, Labview, NI Circuit Design Suite, PTC Vuforia, gas/liquid chromatography, Lathes, Mills, MIG/TIG welding, Pneumatic Tools, Micro Soldering, Nano-Optics, Spanish, Italian

Résumé/CV: http://heffern.net/rob/

Email: robert.heffern (at) gmail

MS in Bioengineering with an emphasis on nanoscopic bio - optics. AI/Ml on high precision instrument signals for failure mode prediction and resolution. With my background in engineering and experience developing novel tools and designs, I am excited to help you on the bleeding edge to improve the world. My 12+ years of experience in bioengineering, applied physics, and research makes me a good fit for your company, and I look forward to discussing the future with you.

As an optics person, I just want to say : Woah!

John is a crazy good optical engineer if even 10% of what he says is true. You want a 10x optical engineer, you've found him.

Getting a full metrology lab up and running from scratch in under 7 years would make most R1 professors proud. To do so in under 2 years at a commercial lab is actually amazing.

To then build the relationships up with Thorlabs/Edmunds/Ziess is also pretty amazing. I've tried working with all three of their sales reps before. It's like pulling teeth! And that's with bio-optics. Let alone all the crazy regs and laws that would go along with space-based optics at scale. This is very seriously very impressive!

The bit about having a 20-something shadow him for 2 weeks to 'learn metrology' actually made me laugh out loud. To give the SWEs here an idea, it would be like having an 8 year old try to 'learn Linux' in 2 weeks. Whoever told the kid to try to do that is also so out of their depth that they should be fired too. Metrology, especially optical metrology, is a lifetime of learning and work. Even then, you're still mostly winging it into your 60s.

Optics is Captial-H Hard. It's one of the three domains of physics that smart people never touch, and only fools try to make a living out of (the other two being acoustics and fluids). You can spend a lifetime trying to get alignment on a set of elements or you can get lucky and do it in a few hours. I cannot stress enough how difficult non-theoreticl optics is.

Also, take a note here. By the end, SpaceX is trying to get 5-6 people to do the job of just one somewhat older person. Like, even they think the guy is at least a 5x engineer.

Like, this guy is amazing at optics.

Hire him

The rings are given out by the OotE.

We've not been able to source any 'failures' outside of some fragments of the space shuttles that fell on people's land.

We're looking to get as many failures as we can before melting down out rings, casting in the debris in appropriate masses and compositions (they still needs to be steel rings at the end), and then reforging/casting the rings for all of us, with enough of an ingot left over to continue the process as 'failures' continue onward.

It's entirely symbolic, but does take effort and time.

Thanks!

I'll hop on here in a vain hope too.

I want to buy a Theranos Edison machine and am willing to pay. If you know anyone that has one, parts of one, or anything like that, my email is in my bio and I am very happy to talk to you.

I intend to take a small portion of it, melt it into steel ingots, and include it in 'Order of the Engineer' rings for myself and my colleagues who are also engineers.

We are looking for physical equipment in which engineers screwed up and the general public paid a high price for it, as a reminder to ourselves that our work is meaningful and is one of service to the people we serve with our efforts. If you know of any equipment that may fit that bill, I am looking to pay for that too.

I'll hop on here in a vain hope too.

I want to buy a Theranos Edison machine and am willing to pay. If you know anyone that has one, parts of one, or anything like that, my email is in my bio and I am very happy to talk to you.

I intend to take a small portion of it, melt it into steel ingots, and include it in 'Order of the Engineer' rings for myself and my colleagues who are also engineers.

We are looking for physical equipment in which engineers screwed up and the general public paid a high price for it, as a reminder to ourselves that our work is meaningful and is one of service to the people we serve with our efforts. If you know of any equipment that may fit that bill, I am looking to pay for that too.

Location: Boulder / Denver, CO

Remote: Yes

Willing to relocate: Yes, USA

Technologies: AR/VR, Vuforia, GraphQL, MySQL, C++ , Matlab, Mathematica, Python, Java, LateX, Atmega micro-controllers, Solidworks, Labview, NI Circuit Design Suite, PTC Vuforia, gas/liquid chromatography, Lathes, Mills, MIG/TIG welding, Pneumatic Tools, Micro Soldering, Nano-Optics, Spanish, Italian

Résumé/CV: http://heffern.net/rob/

Email: robert.heffern (at) gmail

MS in Bioengineering with an emphasis on nanoscopic bio - optics. AI/Ml on high precision instrument signals for failure mode prediction and resolution. With my background in engineering and experience developing novel tools and designs, I am excited to help you on the bleeding edge to improve the world. My 12+ years of experience in bioengineering, applied physics, and research makes me a good fit for your company, and I look forward to discussing the future with you.

If any HNers out there are game, I'd love a critique of my CV:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/18QwC-ra6p_3Nnjmajn9gLK3w77Z...

It's a bit old, as I've been working a job for a bit, but any help on it would very much be appreciated!

Location: Boulder / Denver, CO

Remote: Yes.

Willing to relocate: Yes, USA

Technologies: AR/VR, Vuforia, GraphQL, MySQL, C++ , Matlab, Mathematica, Python, Java, LateX, Atmega micro-controllers, Solidworks, Labview, NI Circuit Design Suite, PTC Vuforia, Lathes, Mills, MIG/TIG welding, Pneumatic Tools, Micro Soldering, Nano-Optics, Spanish, Italian

Résumé/CV: http://heffern.net/rob/

Email: robert.heffern (at) gmail

MS in Bioengineering at the University of Colorado AMC with an emphasis on super-resolution nano-bio-optics. With my background in engineering and experience developing novel tools and designs, I am excited to help you develop bleeding edge products that improve lives. My 10+ years of experience in bioengineering, applied physics, and research makes me a good fit for your company, and I look forward to discussing the future with you.

Location: Boulder / Denver, CO

Remote: No

Willing to relocate: Yes, USA

Technologies: GraphQL, MySQL, C++ , Matlab, Mathematica, Python, Java, LateX, Atmega micro-controllers, Solidworks, Labview, NI Circuit Design Suite, PTC Vuforia, Lathes, Mills, MIG/TIG welding, Pneumatic Tools, Micro Soldering, Nano-Optics, Spanish, Italian

Résumé/CV: http://heffern.net/rob/

Email: robert.heffern (at) gmail

MS in Bioengineering at the University of Colorado AMC with an emphasis on super-resolution nano-bio-optics. With my background in engineering and experience developing novel tools and designs, I am excited to help you develop bleeding edge products that improve all lives. My 9+ years of experience in bioengineering, applied physics, and research makes me a good fit for your company, and I look forward to discussing the future with you.

Location: Boulder / Denver, CO Remote: No

Willing to relocate: Yes, USA

Technologies: GraphQL, MySQL, C++ , Matlab, Mathematica, Python, Java, LateX, Atmega micro-controllers, Solidworks, Labview, NI Circuit Design Suite, Lathes, Mills, MIG/TIG welding, Pneumatic Tools, Micro Soldering, Nano-Optics, Spanish, Italian

Résumé/CV: http://heffern.net/rob/

Email: robert.heffern (at) gmail

I recently completed my MS in Bioengineering at the University of Colorado AMC with an emphasis on super-resolution nano-bio-optics. With my background in engineering and experience developing novel tools and designs, I am excited to help you develop bleeding edge products that improve all lives. My 8+ years of experience in bioengineering, applied physics, and research makes me a good fit for your company, and I look forward to discussing the future with you.

Location: Boulder / Denver, CO

Remote: No

Willing to relocate: Yes, USA

Technologies: GraphQL, MySQL, C++ , Matlab, Mathematica, Python, Java, LateX, Atmega micro-controllers, Solidworks, Labview, NI Circuit Design Suite, Lathes, Mills, MIG/TIG welding, Pneumatic Tools, Micro Soldering, Nano-Optics, Spanish, Italian

Résumé/CV: http://heffern.net/rob/

Email: robert.heffern (at) gmail

I recently completed my MS in Bioengineering at the University of Colorado AMC with an emphasis on super-resolution nano-bio-optics. With my background in engineering and experience developing novel tools and designs, I am excited to help you develop bleeding edge products that improve all lives. My 8+ years of experience in bioengineering, applied physics, and research makes me a good fit for your company, and I look forward to discussing the future with you.

In taking a look at your postings on the 'Who want to be Hired' thread you list your email outright: hnjobs@ave.zone

I've written mine out as : robert.heffern (at) gmail

I suppose that the way that I wrote out my email address is just a bit more difficult for a computer to parse and scrape, hence my lack of spam. However, it may also be screening out people that want to talk to me, and I would never know.

That said, you have a very impressive gitlab resume! Great work!

Did you receive responses that weren't recruiter-spam from your posts there?

Maybe I've obfuscated my email address well enough, but I don't get any recruiter spam from the listing. Now that I look back on that, it's something of a miracle.

That said, I've only been contacted once per the thread. After one email I was ghosted by the company. Not uncommon really.

I'm not really the niche for HN, I'm mostly a bio/medtech and engineering person. I love the discussions here, but my expertise is on the edges of the Gaussian that is HN.

I feel the same way.

My skills are deep in engineering/physics/biotech, but aren't really in Web-Dev. As such, I've only ever had one person reach out to me via the 'Who want to be hired?' thread in the last two years, and they just ghosted me after one email.

Granted, I'm not really the 'type' for HN and the roles posted in the 'Who's hiring?' threads aren't really in my wheelhouse. But the companies are good to look through and then contact for other roles. I've applied to companies through them, but the results have been a mixed bag for me. Things like insane HW assignments that I submit, only to be ghosted.

I love the discussions on algos, programming/comp-sci, and EE, as such things are directly relevant to my work and career. There really isn't anywhere else on the web that has the userbase that HN has, despite me being only tangentally related to the core users here. That said, you find a lot of people here that are really super smart in some tiny niche too (like actual rocket science, oil painting, 12th century Indian hymns, etc) and I love reading that stuff and learning about some tiny little bit of the universe that ends up being facinating.

I'd love to see a HN type site that was more biotech focused.

Location: Boulder / Denver, CO

Remote: No

Willing to relocate: Yes, USA

Technologies: GraphQL, MySQL, C++ , Matlab, Mathematica, Python, Java, LateX, Atmega micro-controllers, Solidworks, Labview, NI Circuit Design Suite, Lathes, Mills, MIG/TIG welding, Pneumatic Tools, Micro Soldering, Nano-Optics, Spanish, Italian

Résumé/CV: http://heffern.net/rob/

Email: robert.heffern (at) gmail

I recently completed my MS in Bioengineering at the University of Colorado AMC with an emphasis on super-resolution nano-bio-optics. With my background in engineering and experience developing novel tools and designs, I am excited to help you develop bleeding edge products that improve both scientific research and lives. My 8+ years of experience in bioengineering, applied physics, and research makes me a good fit for your company, and I look forward to discussing the future with you.

Location: Boulder / Denver, CO

Remote: No

Willing to relocate: Yes, USA

Technologies: GraphQL, MySQL, C++ , Matlab, Mathematica, Python, Java, LateX, Atmega micro-controllers, Solidworks, Labview, NI Circuit Design Suite, Lathes, Mills, MIG/TIG welding, Pneumatic Tools, Micro Soldering, Nano-Optics, Spanish, Italian

Résumé/CV: http://heffern.net/rob/ , https://drive.google.com/file/d/18QwC-ra6p_3Nnjmajn9gLK3w77Z....

Email: robert.heffern (at) gmail

I recently completed my MS in Bioengineering at the University of Colorado AMC with an emphasis on super-resolution nano-bio-optics. With my background in engineering and experience developing novel tools and designs, I am excited to help you develop bleeding edge products that improve both scientific research and lives. My 8+ years of experience in bioengineering, applied physics, and research makes me a good fit for your company, and I look forward to discussing the future with you.

Not to toot my own horn too much on here, but I've written a fair bit about these issues going forward: http://heffern.net/rob/index.php/2018/08/25/note-1-kismayo-s...

The current NASA spending is ~$22,000/kg to get into orbit. Elon and NASA both see that getting down to ~$200/kg by 2070, only 50 years away.

When we're talking about $200/kg, the launch site's location relative to the equator will become a BIG deal. You'll see a ~4% difference in cost per kilogram (wildy estimated here) if you are more than 17 km off the equator. That means if you wnat to launch your 160kg-self more than 17km from the equator, it'll be an extra ~$1400.

For a lot of reasons that my posts explain much better, buying certain Somalian real estate is a VERY good move right now. Granted you have to be muslim to do so.

Location: Boulder / Denver, CO

Remote: No

Willing to relocate: Yes, USA

Technologies: GraphQL, MySQL, C++ , Matlab, Mathematica, Python, Java, LateX, Atmega micro-controllers, Solidworks, Labview, NI Circuit Design Suite, Lathes, Mills, MIG/TIG welding, Pneumatic Tools, Micro Soldering, Nano-Optics, Spanish, Italian

Résumé/CV: http://heffern.net/rob/ , https://drive.google.com/file/d/18QwC-ra6p_3Nnjmajn9gLK3w77Z....

Email: robert.heffern (at) gmail

Location: Boulder / Denver, CO Remote: No

Willing to relocate: Yes, USA

Technologies: GraphQL, MySQL, C++ , Matlab, Mathematica, Python, Java, LateX, Atmega micro-controllers, Solidworks, Labview, NI Circuit Design Suite, Lathes, Mills, MIG/TIG welding, Pneumatic Tools, Micro Soldering, Nano-Optics, Spanish, Italian

Résumé/CV: http://heffern.net/rob/ , https://drive.google.com/file/d/18QwC-ra6p_3Nnjmajn9gLK3w77Z....

Email: robert.heffern (at) gmail

Location: Boulder / Denver, CO

Remote: No

Willing to relocate: Yes, USA

Technologies: GraphQL, MySQL, C++ , Matlab, Mathematica, Python, Java, LateX, Atmega micro-controllers, Solidworks, Labview, NI Circuit Design Suite, Lathes, Mills, MIG/TIG welding, Pneumatic Tools, Micro Soldering, Nano-Optics, Spanish, Italian

Résumé/CV: http://heffern.net/rob/ , https://drive.google.com/file/d/18QwC-ra6p_3Nnjmajn9gLK3w77Z....

Email: robert.heffern (at) gmail

http://heffern.net/rob/

Mostly it's an online CV, but I blog occasionally. Some entries that may interest HN are:

http://heffern.net/rob/index.php/2018/05/18/hello-world/ . How much should a Harvard Lotto ticket sell for?

http://heffern.net/rob/index.php/2018/08/25/ch-1-kismayo-som... Why the Somali coast is the most valuable real-estate in the Solar System

The author's article is on a question that I considered before. I agree with her that it may make the process more 'fair', however, she fails to consider one consequence of a switch to a lotto based system. Namely:

How Much Should a Harvard Lotto Ticket Cost?[0]

The author mentions that "This system would also alleviate the cost to families associated with students applying to increasing numbers of colleges", but I disagree. If you look at the system in terms of expected value, then what should you pay for that lotto ticket? (Note, I'm quoting a bit from my article, please excuse the laziness)

Assume that you are actually applying to Harvard and they actually confess to using randomness in their admissions. Say that they still require a fee to submit your application. Today that fee is sitting at $75.00. Say that the ‘prestige’ of Harvard remains the same after this hypothetical confession to the use of randomness and that today’s median salary for a Harvard grad stays at ~$85,000.00/year.

The questions then is: Should you apply to Harvard and hope to be a random applicant that gets in at the $75.00 price? Should you place a bet?

After you go through the math and stats for a bit, the conclusion is that the price of a Harvard Lotto ticket should be ~$89,823.00 . That's ~1200:1 on your money. You should absolutely apply to Harvard if they held a lotto, and even if the number of applicants rose ~120,000%.

I go through each of the Ivies and there is an update at the bottom on the top Universities and Liberal Arts schools in the US. Spoiler: CMU is not very 'worth it' (still a steal, all the same) and Carleton and Davidson are very 'worth it' for the admissions price.

In the end: Go to college kids. The ROI is insane.

[0] http://heffern.net/rob/index.php/2018/05/18/hello-world/

Location: Boulder / Denver, CO

Remote: No

Willing to relocate: Yes, USA

Technologies: GraphQL, MySQL, C++ , Matlab, Mathematica, Python, Java, LateX, Atmega micro-controllers, Solidworks, Labview, NI Circuit Design Suite, Lathes, Mills, MIG/TIG welding, Pneumatic Tools, Micro Soldering, Nano-Optics, Spanish, Italian

Résumé/CV: http://heffern.net/rob/ , https://drive.google.com/file/d/18QwC-ra6p_3Nnjmajn9gLK3w77Z...

Email: robert.heffern (at) gmail

Location: Boulder / Denver

Remote: No

Willing to relocate: Yes, USA

Technologies: GraphQL, MySQL, C++ , Matlab, Mathematica, Python, Java, LateX, Atmega micro-controllers, Solidworks, Labview, NI Circuit Design Suite, Lathes, Mills, MIG/TIG welding, Pneumatic Tools, Micro Soldering, Nano-Optics, Spanish, Italian

Résumé/CV: http://heffern.net/rob/

Email: robert.heffern (at) gmail

Your website is a bit 'broken' for me, fyi. I get the error:

// Update the 'nojs'/'js' class on the html node document.documentElement.className = document.documentElement.className.replace(/\bnojs\b/g, 'js'); // Check that all required assets are uploaded and up-to-date if(typeof Muse == "undefined") window.Muse = {}; window.Muse.assets = {"required":["museutils.js", "museconfig.js", "jquery.musepolyfill.bgsize.js", "jquery.musemenu.js", "jquery.watch.js", "webpro.js", "musewpdisclosure.js", "jquery.museresponsive.js", "require.js", "careers.css"], "outOfDate":[]};

Location: Boulder / Denver

Remote: No

Willing to relocate: Yes, USA

Technologies: GraphQL, MySQL, C++ , Matlab, Mathematica, Python, Java, LateX, Atmega micro-controllers, Solidworks, Labview, NI Circuit Design Suite, Lathes, Mills, MIG/TIG welding, Pneumatic Tools, Micro Soldering, Nano-Optics, Spanish, Italian

Résumé/CV: http://heffern.net/rob/

Email: robert.heffern (at) gmail

Location: Boulder / Denver

Remote: No

Willing to relocate: Yes, USA

Technologies: SQL, C++ , Matlab, Mathematica, Python, Java, LateX, Atmega micro-controllers, Solidworks, Labview, NI Circuit Design Suite, Lathes, Mills, MIG/TIG welding, Pneumatic Tools, Micro Soldering, Nano-Optics, Spanish, Italian

Résumé/CV: http://heffern.net/rob/

Email: robert.heffern (at) gmail