Embedded Hardware Platform Engineer · Hardware Security Researcher · Educator
Electrical and computer engineer building industrial IoT sensing systems, multilayer PCBs, Rust/C-family firmware, and hardware security workflows for power infrastructure, aerospace, and critical systems.
I am a licensed Professional Engineer with a Ph.D. in Computer Engineering and experience across embedded hardware, firmware, hardware security, aerospace, power infrastructure, and engineering education.
At Etherflow, I work on industrial IoT sensing systems for power infrastructure and specialized environmental monitoring, including sensor selection, signal conditioning, multilayer PCB design, power management, EMC considerations, Rust firmware, real-time control, data acquisition, and communications.
My prior work includes hardware security assessments and safety-critical software at Los Alamos National Laboratory, aircraft test systems at Tinker Air Force Base, NASA/JPL computer-vision work, and faculty leadership at The University of Tulsa. I also develop curricula and mentor research in embedded systems, reverse engineering, digital forensics, autonomous systems, and cyber-physical security.
Embedded hardware, research, teaching, consulting, and safety-critical engineering across industry, national laboratory, government, and academic environments.
Lead end-to-end design of industrial IoT sensing systems, including sensor selection, signal conditioning, multilayer PCB design, power management, EMC considerations, Rust firmware, real-time control, data acquisition, and communications.
Teach Reverse Engineering and Computer Organization & Microprocessors for electrical and computer engineering students, with practical hardware analysis, lab work, computer architecture, instruction-set architecture, and microprocessor course material.
Organized and executed hardware security assessments on critical infrastructure hardware, expanded reverse engineering capabilities, developed safety-critical software in C and Python, and led multidisciplinary teams from requirements through prototype deployment.
Directed funded and independent student research. Led the National Cyber Forensics Institute Lab, coordinating research across faculty, graduate students, and industry partners. Mentored student research teams through ideation, prototyping, publication, and project delivery.
Develop engineering proposals, define requirements, support product validation, and deliver hardware and software solutions for oil and gas, aerospace, medical, and critical infrastructure applications.
Taught undergraduate and graduate electrical and computer engineering courses, developed embedded systems and reverse engineering curricula, directed funded research, led the NCFI Lab, and mentored students through research and publication.
Researched stereo and computer vision topics at Edwards Air Force Base in collaboration with JPL. Developed test plans, conducted tests, and built calibration procedures for stereo-vision systems.
Developed Test Program Sets for B-1, B-2, B-52, and KC-135 aircraft, converted HP-VEE and L200 test software to VIPER, and supported software and hardware test workflows for military aircraft systems.
Selected themes from embedded hardware, hardware security, aerospace assurance, RF/FSO systems, and engineering education.
Led and supported digital forensics and hardware-security work through the NCFI Lab, reverse engineering curriculum, and critical infrastructure hardware assessment experience.
Builds embedded sensing systems and has researched software-defined hardware virtualization for embedded software validation and tactical system development.
Research and engineering work spans autonomous flight systems, runtime assurance, computer vision, stereo-vision calibration, and safety-critical software.
Develops practical engineering curricula and research workflows around RF circuits, PCB milling, pick-and-place systems, FSO communications, and hands-on hardware learning.
Publication record spanning autonomous systems, safety-critical aerospace, digital forensics, hardware security, FSO/RF systems, and engineering education.
Hutchins, Nathan F.
Hutchins, Nathan F. and LoPresti, Peter
McKay, Shawn; Hutchins, Nathan; Baskerville, Steven; Shenoi, Sujeet
Kirkendoll, Zack; Lueck, Matthew; Hutchins, Nathan; Hook, Loyd
Hutchins, Nathan; Hook, Loyd; Friedel, William; Kirkendoll, Zack
Hubbard, Alan M.; Karimi, Soroush; Hutchins, Nathan
Hubbard, Alan M.; Karimi, Soroush; Hutchins, Nathan
Hopkins, Tyme C. and Hutchins, Nathan
Kirkendoll, Zack; Hook, Loyd; Hutchins, Nathan
Hutchins, Nathan F.; Kerr, Alison J.; Hook, Loyd R.
Otto, Sarah K.; Kerr, Alison J.; Hutchins, Nathan F.
Hutchins, Nathan; Kirkendoll, Zack; Hook, Loyd
Hutchins, Nathan and Hook, Loyd
Fuller, Justin G.; Hook, Loyd; Hutchins, Nathan
Hutchins, Nathan and Ashenayi, Kaveh
Fuller, Justin G.; Hook, Loyd; Hutchins, Nathan; Maleki, K. Niki; Skoog, Mark A.
Maleki, K. Niki; Ashenayi, Kaveh; Hook, Loyd R.; Fuller, Justin G.; Hutchins, Nathan
LoPresti, Peter; Hutchins, Nathan; Kohrmann, Steven; Babelli, M. Fahd; Refai, Hazem H.
Courses taught at The University of Tulsa. Click any course for details, objectives, and materials.
Hardware reverse engineering concepts with hands-on lab integration. Covers hardware security and emerging RE techniques.
CS 5093/7093Cyber-Corps aligned curriculum covering hardware RE principles for cybersecurity workforce development.
CS 5863/7863Firmware analysis, IoT protocols, and hands-on embedded device RE for cybersecurity students.
ECE 4863Competitive embedded security — UTulsa team competes in MITRE’s eCTF competition.
Microprocessor architecture, ISA, and interfacing integrated into digital system design with development boards.
ECE 4163/6163VHDL for hardware design — modeling, simulation, and synthesis targeting FPGA implementation.
ECE 4143/6443CMOS logic, gate-level and transistor-level design, and industry-standard EDA tools.
ECE 4103Engineering design process and project management for senior capstone teams.
ECE 3143Semiconductor devices — diodes, FETs, BJTs — and operational amplifiers with lab design projects.
Embedded programming in C — microcontroller architecture, peripherals, UART, SPI, and I2C protocols.
ECE 2163Boolean algebra, logic gates, combinational and sequential circuits, and FSM design.
ECE 2161Hands-on companion lab to Digital Systems Principles with circuit minimization and sequential logic.
ECE 2063Computer organization, ISA, memory hierarchy, and introduction to assembly language programming.
ECE 2001Fundamental measurements — voltage, current, resistance — using oscilloscopes and bench instruments.
ECE 1011Simulation software, IDEs, and programming environments for engineering problem solving.
ECE 1001Foundational electrical and computer engineering concepts for first-year students.
FYE 1001Study habits, time management, and university resources for incoming students.
Interested in embedded hardware, consulting, collaboration, or research? Connect through professional channels.
linkedin.com/in/nathan-hutchins
github.com/hutch-hutchins
Adjunct — Reverse Engineering & Computer Organization
Tulsa Metropolitan Area, Oklahoma
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