Matthew Spencer

Matthew Spencer, PhD, Associate Professor of Engineering, specializes in circuit design. His work often explores the interaction between analog circuit design and unusual physical systems.  His current work is building amplifiers that attach to insects to measure their feeding behavior, which has applications in preventing the spread of insect-borne disease.  He also studies teaching and learning in engineering laboratories, and he has received multiple best-in-division paper awards from the American Society for Engineering Education for his work. His prior projects have included developing marine ultrasound imagers, characterizing oxidation behavior on micromechanical switches, and building integrated micromechanical computers.

Spencer earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in electrical engineering from MIT and completed his PhD in Electrical Engineering at the University of California, Berkeley.

In addition to his research, Spencer serves as the Director of the Makerspace at Harvey Mudd College until June 2026. This 8,000-square-foot facility fosters creativity, collaboration, and inclusivity among students from Harvey Mudd and the broader Claremont Colleges. Spencer, in collaboration with his colleagues and Makerspace founding director Jeff Groves is dedicated to maintaining an engaging environment where students, engineers, and artists alike feel welcome to explore their passions and create interdisciplinary projects. 

Spencer looks forward to advancing the makerspace’s mission while continuing his groundbreaking work in circuit design and engineering education.

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Further Resources