Experience

Research Analyst II / Systems Admin at Deer Creek Resources

August 2022 - May 2025

• Developed computer vision model in Python to detect overgrown parcels from roadside imagery, supporting evacuation planning and vegetation management in wildfire-prone areas of Northern California.
  
  
  • Photos are collected automatically from cameras mounted to the side of a car.
  • Each photo is automatically classified into a category using PyTorch.
  • Photos are assigned to parcels using position data.
  • Classification distributions support vegetation management planning and outreach for wildfire preparedness.



• Built an AWS-based workflow to access USGS LiDAR data and generate raster inputs for wildfire model.
  
  
  • Script automates the process of calculating, resampling and assembling rasters.
  • Inputs: LiDAR point cloud.
    Outputs: Elevation, Slope, Aspect, Canopy Cover, Canopy Height, Crown Base Height, Crown Bulk Density.



• Developed a convolutional neural network in Python to map aerial imagery (PyTorch, Raster Vision, Faster R-CNN).
  

  • Implemented gray pine classifier. Gray pines are often an indicator of fire hazard in the California Central-Valley Foothills, thus deserving focus.

    
  
  
  • Implemented building classifier (Resnet-18).
    


• Identified hazardous evacuation routes in Tehama County.
  
  

  Above: road segments at highest risk during evauation from wildfire, based on field work and GIS.
  



• Achieved certifications and participated in prescribed burns.
  
  
  Above: Prescribed burn in Upper Bidwell Park of Chico, CA. Summer 2023.


• Deployed mobile GIS workstations to wildfire incidents across Northern California, including the 2023 South Fork Complex, 2024 Aero Fire, 2024 Shelly Fire, 2024 Park Fire, ...
  
  Above: Day 1 of the 2024 Shelly Fire


• Managed software and hardware for both office IT systems and mobile GIS workstations.
  
  
  
• DCR Website

Skills: Python, AWS, Systems Admin, R, QGIS, ArcGIS

Data Engineering Intern at Universal Music Group

June 2022 - August 2022

• Developed script to analyze Google BigQuery storage and proposed solution to generate savings of $120k/year.
  • (UMG has implemented this project throughout 2023).
• Learned SQL and applied skills for analytics on Big Data.
• Developed data pipeline for UK top artists chart under guidance of senior developer.

Skills: Python, SQL, Google Cloud Platform

Above: Two slides from optimization project presentation (see first bullet point above).

Teaching Assistant at Computer Science Department of Pomona College

January 2022 - May 2022

• Taught Python to college students in Intro CS.
• Ran 2 hour weekly mentor sessions, led 3 hour weekly class labs, and graded assignments.

Skills: Python

Above: Lab room where sessions took place [left] and example of coursework code [right].

Tutor at Quantitative Skills Center of Pomona College

January 2022 - May 2022

• Hosted bi-weekly 2 hour drop-in tutor sessions.
• Intro CS, Discrete Math and Data Structures (Python, Coq, Java).


Above: Example of coursework that I tutored (a proof in COQ).

Research Assistant at Formal Analysis of Interactive Media Lab



January 2022 - May 2022

• Assisted development of application Mappy, a Rust program which interprets pixel data and creates maps of emulated Nintendo NES games.
• Published paper on Mappy to conference AIIDE 2021 (Click here to view the paper!)
• FAIM Site

Skills: Rust



Above: FAIM 2021 lineup.

Sponsored Yoyo Professional



October 2015 - August 2022

• Sponsored by Unparalleled YoYos (previosly YoYoFactory and Chico YoYo Co.).
• Designed, prototyped and advertised my 5 signature yoyo models: (Lightspeed, D10, ND, ND Ultra, Bind, Damage, Nation).
• Received royalties from sales.
• Fully funded travel to competitions in China, Japan, Iceland, and across the US.




Camp Counselor at Bar 717 Ranch





Summer 2021 and Summer 2025

• Led groups of 6 campers over 2 week sessions.
• Guided groups through activities such as hikes, guitar lessons, overnight camping trips.
• Acquired lifeguard/CPR and Wilderness First Aid certifications.

Skills: Lifeguarding, Wilderness First Aid, Backpacking



Student Assistant at Claremont McKenna Children's School



May 2021 - August 2021

• Employed to supervise groups of 20 children (ages 3-4) and inspire learning.

Awards:

🌟 Ted Gleason Award

• Presented at Pomona College Graduation 2023. Details here.

🌟 Best Paper Award - October 2021

• AIIDE, conference on Artificial Intelligence and Interactive Digital Entertainment
• Awarded to paper on Mappy, the program to which I contributed (see projects tab).

🌟Esri Developer Summit - March 2023

• Selected as a student assistant at the Esri Developer Summit in Palm Springs, CA, where I attended sessions and learned about new GIS-related Python and Javascript tools.

🌟 Valedictorian

• Paradise High School class of 2019
• Graduation speech