About the Author
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Hello to all. After a 36 year career as a Professor of Electrical Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, I began writing fiction. My first novel, One Man's Purpose, deals with Martin Quint, himself a Professor at the fictional Cambridge Technology Institute, and is based on my personal experiences as a professor and educator. The sequel, entitled Cross Purposes, came out in early 2019. It follows Martin and his wife Jenny into a new phase of their marriage. The third leg of The Martin Quint Trilogy, A Different Purpose, asks the question whether trust within a marriage, once compromised, can ever be recovered. It was published in 2021.
During my long career, I have written several textbooks, hundreds of scientific papers, quite a few patents, started two companies, co-edited two journals and two books series, and taught, literally, thousands of students. I briefly ran a blog entitled "Education as Conversation," part reminiscence over my career, and part commentary on issues of in-person and online education. An archive from that blog will be posted here once I get around to editing it. And, with four colleagues, I lead workshops on The Academic Life, providing guidance for those seeking careers in high-tech academia. My newest activity is advocating for the legalization of Medical Aid in Dying in Massachusetts. I am gathering supporters all across the state to co-sign letters to legislators and legislative leaders. In addition to my writing and political advocacy, I am a clarinetist, performing chamber music from time to time. I am active in the Harvard Institute for Learning in Retirement, a group of 550 retirees who teach 12-week seminar classes to each other, as well as the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Tufts University. My most recent seminars have been about fiction: one on William Faulkner and one entitled "Fictional Terrorists," looking at three modern novels in which terrorism is thematic. We live in Lexington, MA, have three wonderful children and seven equally wonderful grandchildren. Last updated: 2/15/2026 |