> Zachary.projects.filter({(p): p.type == all software academic design games case_studies fun_things })
A full operating system kernel, based on Unix, built as a semester-long project
Weenix
A GLSL-based graphics team project demonstrating L-systems, screen-space volumetric lighting, and FXAA
Snowy Sunrise
An online, collaborative IDE with a live-updating editor, in-browser code compilation, and video chat
collab/space
A "responsive redesign" focused on streamlining the anxiety-filled textbook buying process
Store Redesign
Developing a set of personas for Brown University dorm room laundry machines
User Personas
A Racket-based Cards Against Humanity generator using functional programming
Racket Against Humanity
Designed lighting for 12 mainstage productions at my high school and other extracurricular shows
Lighting Design
As Layout Editor for my high school's newspaper, updated overall design and published six issues
The Owl
A web app that forms hackathon teams by using the Github API, graph theory and the power of love
Github Dating Simulator
Designed website for Mental Health Matters, a blog raising awareness of mental health issues in NYC
mhm.nyc
Iteratively designed the icon for Instimize, an app that optimizes your social media presence
Instimize Icon
An experiment in online real-time multiplayer, brand design, and how much people secretly like math
Math Battle II
Using dynamic maze generation algorithms when tile-based math games aren’t enough
Math Maze
Fitness-based Farmville parody where players raise their own farm through real-world exercise
FitFarm
I didn’t want to study for my Physics exam, but I wanted to learn LaTeX, so I made this instead
Physics Mid-Year Study Guide
A minimalistic, single-player game for iOS about sorting lines in the shortest time
Reaction Line
Motivating people to save on cellular data by exchanging their unused data bytes for "bites"
Data Farm
A tile-tapping time for two players inspired by the game "Don’t Touch The White Tile"
Tile, Tap, Push!
Random idea generator made in response to the brainstorming sessions at Make School
Game Idea Generator
A proof-of-concept of a calendar app that focuses on intuitive visualization and navigation with cards
Calenday Proof-of-Concept
My final project for Regis High School’s Computer Technology I course
Art of Animation
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Experience
Brown PLT (Programming Languages Team)
Providence, RI
Undergraduate Researcher
Summer 2018

Ported TensorFlow.js to Pyret to allow for Pyret programs with machine learning. Implemented a Pyret kernel for the Jupyter messaging protocol in JavaScript, allowing for the creation of Pyret “notebooks” and a command-line Pyret REPL.

Negotiatus
New York, NY
Software Engineering Intern
Summer 2017

Co-developed automated sales lead information validation tool. Streamlined operations team workflows with Slack integrations and automated price comparison tools integrated with product vendor APIs. Optimized PostgreSQL queries for up to ~500x faster full-text searches.

Negotiatus
New York, NY
Software Engineering Intern
Summer 2016

Created client-facing system for customers to automatically schedule recurring orders. Set up continuous integration pipeline and co-wrote test suite from scratch for several thousand lines of code with over 70% coverage. Built web scrapers to automate previously manual product price point collection. Led development of company Ruby style guide.

Teaching
I've served as a teaching assistant every semester at Brown University, sometimes remotely. Semesters marked with an asterisk (*) denote a head teaching assistant role.
CSCI 1660: Computer Systems Security
Spring 2019*, Spring 2020*

An introduction to principles of computer security from an applied viewpoint and provides hands-on experience on security threats and countermeasures. Topics include cryptosystems, web security, network security, malware, code execution vulnerabilities, access control, cryptocurrencies, machine learning, and human and social issues. With Roberto Tamassia.

  • Interviewed, hired, trained, and coordinated staff of 8 undergraduate and graduate TAs.
  • Ported technical components of projects written in Bash, PHP, Javascript, and Go to Google Cloud Platform’s Compute Engine.
  • Automated setup process of sandbox Linux virtual machines for each project using the Compute Engine API, reducing setup times by up to ~92%.
  • Co-gave “Passwords” lecture with hashcat password recovery demonstration (slide deck, video starting @ 33:27).
CSCI 1730: Design and Implementation of Programming Languages
Fall 2019

Explores the principles of modern programming languages by implementation; studies data and their types, including polymorphism, type inference, and type soundness; examines compiler and run-time system topics: continuation-passing style and garbage collection. With Shriram Krishnamurthi.

  • Interviewed and hired staff of 6 undergraduate TAs.
  • Remotely answered student-submitted questions throughout the semester.
CSCI 0190: Accelerated Introduction to Computer Science
Fall 2018*

Functional programming, data structures, and algorithms in Racket and Pyret. Includes a summer component taught using the first half of How to Design Programs, then transitions to content based on portions of Programming and Programming Languages during the semester. With Shriram Krishnamurthi.

  • Interviewed, hired, trained, and coordinated staff of 9 undergraduate TAs.
  • Remotely organized summer placement process and grading for 174 students.
  • Rewrote old assignments (“Tour Guide”) and developed new labs (“Iterating Over Trees”, “Tensorflow”).
  • Maintained and added new features to existing, end-to-end Google Apps Script-based pipeline for grading management and distribution.
  • Wrote internal handbook for future iterations of course staff, covering suggestions for recruiting and hiring future teaching assistants, organizing course logistics, running existing course scripts, and more.
CSCI 0040: Introduction to Scientific Computing and Problem-Solving
Spring 2018

Introduction to programming in MATLAB and Python, with an emphasis on STEM data analysis and simulation problems. With Dan Potter.

CSCI 0050: A Data-Centric Introduction to Programming
Fall 2017

Data-focused introduction to computer science using Pyret. With Kathi Fisler.

Education
Brown University
Providence, RI
September 2017 - December 2021

Currently pursuing a Sc.B. in Computer Science.

Relevant Coursework:

  • Algorithms: In Depth
  • Computer Systems Security
  • Design and Analysis of Algorithms
  • Design and Implementation of Programming Languages
  • Discrete Structures and Probability
  • Foundations of Prescriptive Analytics (SAT, Constraint / Linear / Integer Programming, Local Search)
  • Introduction to Computer Systems
  • Introduction to Computer Graphics
  • Logic For Systems (Formal Methods and Verification)
  • Operating Systems
  • Operating Systems Laboratory
  • User Interfaces and User Experience
Regis High School
New York, NY
September 2013 - June 2017

During February 2017 – May 2017, in lieu of traditional courses, I participated in the “Social Justice Entrepreneurship” program, where I completed three days of service work and two days of senior thesis research every week. The final project, “Connecting for Good: Bridging the Digital Divide Through Effective Integration Policies”, focused on disparities on access to technology among different parts of the city and combined empirical research with in-person interviews from volunteer work as a Computer Science assistant in an elementary school in New York City.