Josh Brake

Hi there, my name is Josh Brake. My professional background is in engineering with specific expertise in electrical engineering and optics. By day, I’m an Assistant Professor in the Engineering Department at Harvey Mudd College where I teach across the curriculum with a focus on digital electronics, embedded systems, and optics. You can read more about me on the about page.

Writing

By night, I write. I’m deeply interested in the intersection between technology, education, and human flourishing. The primary location for my writing is my Substack newsletter, The Absent-Minded Professor. Each week I write an essay on something that’s been on my mind lately, with a focus on how it might prompt you to experiment with something new that might help you live more deeply. Each week I also share a book I’ve been reading and something about my life as a professor and from my many hobbies like making pizza and roasting coffee.

If you’re interested and would like to join the 400+ others who get it delivered to their inbox each week, you can subscribe by entering your email in the field above. You can also view the archive of posts on the web here if you want to check it out before you pull the trigger.

Connect with me!

I’m most active on Bluesky (@joshbrake.com) and LinkedIn.

You’re also welcome to email me at hello [at] joshbrake [dot] com. I’m not always able to reply to all emails, but love to hear from folks!