PhET Interactive Simulations
Lead engineering for award-winning physics, chemistry, and math simulations that power active learning in classrooms around the world.
Sam Reid
Senior Software Engineer at PhET Interactive Simulations. I build immersive STEM learning experiences and tooling that reach millions of students worldwide.
Featured Projects
A sample of platforms, research, and tools I have helped design, engineer, and ship.
Model Combination in Multiclass Classification
Doctoral research on combining models for multiclass classification, demonstrating the importance of ridge regularization, hyperparameter sharing, and introducing improved methods for pairwise classifier combination.
Piccolo2D
Open-source scene graph toolkit for structured 2D graphics; contributed core interaction patterns and scalability improvements.
Elementary Cellular Automata Tutorial
Interactive exploration of 1D cellular automata as dynamical systems, demonstrating emergent behavior including fractals, chaos, and complexity through hands-on experiments and puzzles.
Pixelwar
Find weapons, magic and armor to battle fishmonsters and solve many quests.
Education
2010
PhD in Computer Science
University of Colorado Boulder — Dissertation: Model Combination in Multiclass Classification.
2005
MS in Computer Science
University of Colorado Boulder — Focus on interactive simulations and learning technologies.
2003
MS in Physics
University of Colorado Boulder — Computational physics and simulation-based instruction.
2000
BS in Physics
University of New Mexico.
2000
BS in Biology
University of New Mexico.
Experience
2002 – Present
Software Engineer
PhET Interactive Simulations, University of Colorado Boulder
Lead developer for award-winning STEM simulations; collaborate with researchers and educators to deliver accessible, high-impact learning tools adopted worldwide.
Visit PhET2003 – 2005
Graduate Teaching Assistant
University of Colorado Boulder — Department of Computer Science
Facilitated LEGO robotics studio (GEEN 1400), coached project teams, and supported introductory programming courses in partnership with faculty mentors.
2001
Physics Teaching Assistant
University of Colorado Boulder — Department of Physics
Led introductory physics laboratory sections (PHYS 2010) with an emphasis on inquiry-based learning and student coaching.
Summer 2001
Software Engineer Intern
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory — Richland, WA
Developed image-processing utilities for scientific instrumentation workflows under the Computational Sciences group.
2000 – 2001
Physics Teaching Assistant
University of Colorado Boulder — Department of Physics
Supported PHYS 2010/2020 laboratory courses and redesigned lab checklists to streamline grading for large enrollment sections.
1998 – 2000
Physics Tutor
University of New Mexico — Center for Academic Program Support
Tutored calculus-based physics and led exam prep sessions for STEM undergraduates.
Skills & Tools
Languages, frameworks, and practices I apply daily while prototyping simulations, scaling production code, and mentoring teams.
JavaScript
TypeScript
Java
Scala
C / C++
HTML & CSS
Object-Oriented Design
Papers & Talks
Parallel DOM Architecture for Accessible Interactive Simulations
Taliesin Smith, Jesse Greenberg, Sam Reid, Bree Moore. W4A ’18 – Internet of Accessible Things, 2018.
Model Combination in Multiclass Classification
Doctoral dissertation, University of Colorado Boulder. Defended April 5, 2010.
Regularized Linear Models in Stacked Generalization
Sam Reid & Greg Grudic. Multiple Classifier Systems (LNCS 5519), 2009.
A Study of Educational Simulations Part II — Interface Design
Journal of Interactive Learning Research, 19(4), 551–577, 2008.
A Study of Educational Simulations Part I — Engagement and Learning
Journal of Interactive Learning Research, 19(3), 397–419, 2008.
Developing and Researching PhET Simulations for Teaching Quantum Mechanics
American Journal of Physics, 76, 406, 2008.
PhET: Interactive Simulations for Teaching and Learning Physics
The Physics Teacher, 44(1), 18, 2006.
When Learning About the Real World Is Better Done Virtually
Phys. Rev. ST Phys. Educ. Res. 1, 010103, 2005.
How Scala Experience Improved Our Java Development
Case study at PhET Interactive Simulations, April 2011.
Interactive Science and Math Simulations
Denver HTML5 User Group keynote, October 2012.
Highlights & Honors
Award
Science & Engineering Visualization Challenge
PhET earned 1st place in the Interactive Media category (2007).
Read the articleRecognition
MERLOT Classics Award
Honoring PhET's impact on STEM education resources.
Press coverageCompetition
DSWeb Tutorial Design Winner
Awarded $2,000 for excellence in dynamical systems education materials.
Competition recapDesign Contest
TopCoder Software Finalist
Won the filesystem search architecture challenge, delivering a performant, extensible design in Java.