Introduction
Welcome! I am a Lecturer at Washington University in St. Louis in the departments of Computer Science & Engineering and Electrical & Systems Engineering. I joined the teaching faculty full-time in Fall 2024. I teach computer engineering to wonderful students, with an emphasis on digital hardware design, FPGAs, computer architecture, and hands-on engineering education.
Biography
Michael Hall received a B.S. degree in Computer Engineering and an M.S. degree in Electrical Engineering from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. He subsequently earned a Ph.D. in Computer Engineering from Washington University in St. Louis, where he conducted his doctoral research under the direction of Roger D. Chamberlain.
Before joining the full-time teaching faculty at Washington University, Hall spent approximately nine years in industry working in both hardware and software engineering, including positions at VelociData and OpenVault. His experience spans reconfigurable logic, integrated circuit and PCB design, networking, software engineering, parallel programming, performance analysis, optimization, data science, and DevOps.
Beginning in 2020, he taught evening courses as an Adjunct Instructor in the Department of Computer Science & Engineering. In Fall 2024, he joined the full-time teaching faculty with a joint appointment in Computer Science & Engineering and Electrical & Systems Engineering. He teaches courses supporting the Computer Engineering program, including digital logic, computer architecture, computer systems design, and capstone design.
Hall has conducted research in the areas of magnetic tunnel junctions and context-switched hardware blocks. His interests include computer engineering education, open-source teaching tools, digital hardware design, computer architecture, performance analysis, and reconfigurable computing.
Personal
I live in St. Louis, Missouri, with my wife Hailey. I grew up just across the river in Illinois, where my early interest in computers began—my father introduced me to programming when I was in second grade. This passion led me to pursue a career in computer engineering, with experience spanning both hardware and software design.
Outside of work, I enjoy exercising, reading, and deepening my Catholic faith through study and prayer. I also support Hailey in her creative pursuits; she is a published author and artist, and together we co-published the children’s picture book An Aunt’s Animal Alphabet. I write book reviews on my website, The Techno Scholar Chronicles, and we maintain an art portfolio showcasing Hailey’s artwork.
