Education
University of Illinois
PhD Candidate in Computer Science, advised by Girish Chowdhary
- Teaching Scholar Certificate Recipient
- Outreach Volunteer Certificate Recipient
Fall 2021 - Present
GPA: 4.00
GPA: 4.00
Purdue University
B.S. in Computer Science with Highest Distinction
B.S. in Computer Science with Highest Distinction
Fall 2015 - Spring 2019
GPA: 3.98
GPA: 3.98
Purdue University
B.S. in Mechanical Engineering with Highest Distinction
B.S. in Mechanical Engineering with Highest Distinction
Fall 2015 - Spring 2019
GPA: 3.98
GPA: 3.98
Employment
University of Illinois
Data Structures Instructor of Record
Data Structures Instructor of Record
Summer 2025
Urbana-Champaign, IL- Recorded rigorous and interactive lectures 5 days a week for 12 weeks of a fully online course of 50 students
- Developed novel and engaging assignments to encourage student collaboration and metacognition
- Trained and managed 9 undergraduates for exam development, office hours, website development, and plagiarism detection teams
Educational Justice Project
Introductory Programming For-Credit Course Instructor
Introductory Programming For-Credit Course Instructor
Fall 2025
Danville, IL- Lectured 17 incarcerated persons about the basics of python programming and excel spreadsheets
- Developed a PrairieLearn production server for learning management
- Interfaced with correctional facility personnel to comply with regulations while effectively teaching
University of Illinois
Data Structures Teaching Assistant
Data Structures Teaching Assistant
Fall 2021 | Spring 2025 | Fall 2025
Urbana-Champaign, IL- Facilitated classrooms of 150+ students to collaboratively solve machine problems
- Creatively taught students the basics of data structures on a personal level
- Mentored 4 teams of 4 from conception to implementation of a final course project
University of Illinois
Engineering Teaching and Leadership Course Assistant
Engineering Teaching and Leadership Course Assistant
Jan 2025 - Present
Urbana-Champaign, IL- Aided students in developing professional skills through practical training in classroom management and leadership
- Facilitated communities of practice through engaging classroom discussions
- Collaborated across engineering departments to train future teaching assistants with best practices
Campus Crusades for Christ
Short Term International Mission Trip Team Leader
Short Term International Mission Trip Team Leader
May 2019 - July 2021
- Bridged cultural and language barriers to clearly and effectively communicate with locals
- Created strategic planning process to accomplish achievable goals in a timely manner
- Led team of 6 with empathy as teammates faced work and personal challenges in new cultural environments
GE Aviation
Digital Engineering Operations Development Intern
Digital Engineering Operations Development Intern
May 2018 - Aug 2018
Grand Rapids, MI- Used JavaScript to filter data to create modular graph representations for customized user applications
- Designed knowledge sharing ecosystem for engineering project management and product development processes
- Redesigned connector interface for the Boeing 787 common core system fiber optic test saving $40k/year
- Coordinated volunteering opportunities amounting to 170hrs of service
GE Aviation
F110 Military Jet Engine NPI Intern
F110 Military Jet Engine NPI Intern
June 2017 - Aug 2017
Strother, KS- Developed dimensional inspections and trained employees saving ~$90k/year
- Created an integrated VB.NET web tool to track engine shop progress and trained customer team to leverage its utility
GE Aviation
GP7200 Commercial Jet Engine Product Line Intern
GP7200 Commercial Jet Engine Product Line Intern
May 2016 - Aug 2016
Cincinnati, OH- Empowered others to have a vision for automation by teaching an Advanced Microsoft Excel VBA Course
- Audited GE repair vendors and automated a data visualization report using VBA for leadership to make decisions
Purdue University
First Year Engineering Honors Teaching Assistant
First Year Engineering Honors Teaching Assistant
Aug 2016 - May 2017
West Lafayette, IN- Developed and integrated camera systems software for interaction with student final projects
- Guided students through programming exercises in MATLAB, Python, and C
Outreach
Champaign Middle School
Feb 2025
- Engaged 30 students with interactive computational linguistics tutorial
- Exemplified computer science careers for underrepresented students
Mendlefest and World of Genomics with the Institue for Genomic Biology
Aug 2022 | Oct 2024
- Designed robotic demonstrations and interactive engagement opportunities for students
- Partnered with the Museum of Science and Industry to impact over 1000 people
Worldwide Youth in Science and Engineering Summer Camps
Aug 2023 | March 2024 | Aug 2024
- Enhanced lecturing and classroom engagement skills through teaching an introduction to Computational Linguistics
- Coached Chicago public school students to develop unique solutions to engineering problems
- Developed classroom material and demonstrations for lecture about robotics in agriculture
In League with STEM – GIANT Project with the IDEA Institute
Sep 2023 - Present
- Fostered STEM interest among local Black middle and high school students through exposure to hands-on design activities
- Honored by Champaign County Community Coalition for work done to impact over 350 students
- Awarded the Grassroots Initiatives to Address Needs Together (GIANT) Diversity Leadership Award
Robot Demonstrations and Tours
July 2022 | July 2023 | July 2024 | April 2025
- Coordinated Lab and Farm tours showcasing robotics research
- Interacted with over 100 high schoolers, professors, farmers, and community members
Publications
Our results showcase significant improvements in control speed while effectively controlling both the position and orientation of the end effector compared to previous quasi-static controllers for hybrid arms.
We propose a novel codesigned framework incorporating a global detection camera and a local eye-in-hand camera that demonstrates precise localization of small fruits via closed-loop visual feedback and reliable error handling.
We introduce an efficient and scalable approach for active semantic mapping in horticultural environments, employing a mobile robot manipulator equipped with an RGB-D camera.