Samuel Rivera, P.E.

Austin, Texas  ·  Puerto Rico roots

Samuel
Rivera, P.E.

Civil engineer, educator,
and music producer.

My background includes about a decade of teaching and tutoring, followed by a career in civil infrastructure. I also build software and produce electronic music and visual releases as Clear But Complex.

Professional profile on LinkedIn
Samuel Rivera’s current CBC profile portrait, wearing headphones in the studio
Sam / Clear But Complex

My background is in civil infrastructure, from the design calculations and specifications to the reviews and coordination needed during construction.

Water & wastewater

Water mains, force mains, lift stations, and the requirements that connect them to the larger system.

Stormwater & site civil

Site infrastructure, utility coordination, and support for permitting and project development.

Design & construction support

Calculations, technical specifications, QA/QC, and coordination with clients and project teams.

Technical communication

Documenting decisions, explaining constraints, and helping people work through complex technical information.

I’m joining DAVCAR Engineering soon, continuing my work in civil infrastructure and project delivery.

Education was a substantial part of my working life. I taught in the classroom, tutored individual students, and ran a tutoring business in Puerto Rico.

A+ Tutoring Systems, Inc.

Owner & mentor

I founded and ran a tutoring business, teaching mathematics, science, and programming while managing its operations and staff.

Secundaria Montessori de Puerto Rico

Math & science teacher

I taught intermediate and high school students. Classroom teaching and individual tutoring gave me experience working with different levels of understanding and explaining the steps behind a solution.

Envato Tuts+

Volunteer translator · April 2016–December 2017

I translated educational material into Spanish, helping make technical and creative subjects accessible to more readers. Published examples include tutorials on arranging music for strings and creating animated game sprites.

Read my published translations

That background is part of how I work today: breaking down a technical problem, checking where an explanation loses someone, and helping them understand how to proceed.

Clear But Complex

Music & visual work

CBC is my artist and creative production project. I produce the music, develop the visuals, and prepare the releases. Here are a few places to start.

Same Machine release thumbnail with hand-drawn letteringWatch the visualizer

Original music / Video

Same Machine

An original CBC track with a 4K audio-reactive visualizer. The visual movement follows the music, giving the release a presence beyond the recording.

My work Music production, audiovisual presentation, and release preparation.

Watch on YouTube
And So We Begin visualizer release thumbnailWatch the visualizer

Original music / Visual direction

And So We Begin

An electronic release with a 4K visualizer. I brought the track and its visual presentation together, then carried the music into the Shuffle Elite series.

Watch on YouTube
Dancers featured in Shuffle Elite Week 22Watch Week 22

Editing / Ongoing series

Shuffle Elite

A recurring series featuring shuffle dancers and electronic music. I handle the series, editing, and publishing. Performances are by the featured dancers, credited in each release.

Watch the featured episode

Music / Sound design / Audio assets

Destination Chaos

I developed this techno release into a downloadable soundtrack package, with alternate mixes, loops, vocal elements, and effects. The files come with track information and licensing documentation.

Browse the soundtrack package

In the download

  • Full mixes & radio edits
  • Action & tension loops
  • Dry & wet effects
  • WAV & MP3 versions
  • Track notes & license
Production note

The music was produced traditionally. Some promotional graphics use AI-assisted artwork. The package’s published license governs use.

Practical software

I build tools and automation for technical and creative workflows. That includes defining how a tool should behave, testing it, refining the workflow, and organizing its outputs. I use AI-assisted development as part of that process.

Engineering evaluation for AI

As a Civil Engineering AI Subject Matter Expert with Handshake AI, I work on domain-specific problems and evaluate technical reasoning. I review accuracy, assumptions, and explanations, then provide structured feedback.

I grew up in Puerto Rico and live in Austin. I work in English and Spanish.

I earned my B.S. in Civil Engineering at the Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico. My work has included education, engineering, data analysis, software, and creative production.

TSPE Travis Chapter

I served with the Texas Society of Professional Engineers’ Travis Chapter for three consecutive years.

Secretary
August 2023–July 2024
Banquet director
August 2022–July 2023
Volunteer
August 2021–July 2022

Through CBC, I work on everything from arrangement and sound design to the edits, visuals, and files that make a release ready to share. I’m interested in projects where I can put both my technical and creative experience to use.

Get in touch.

Tell me a little about what you’re working on.

Music, visuals & creative collaborationadmin@cbcmusic.org

Engineering, education & professional connectionsConnect on LinkedIn

Based in Austin. Open to remote collaboration worldwide.