Background

I have formal degrees in Mechanical Engineering (BS), Computer Science (MS), and Media Arts and Sciences (MS) but I broadly label myself as a System Developer and Integrator with a focus both in embedded hardware, software, and mechanical design. I enjoy all elements of the design process and lead ideation, protype development (electrical and mechanical), production (e.g., working with factories abroad), and deployment (e.g., Arctic, Patagonia). I've worked in a large R&D Lab (researcher focused on surveillance systems and machine learning, MIT Lincoln Laboratory), a startup (researcher focused on wildfire detection, Gridware, Inc.), a nonprofit (Exploration Technology Lab at National Geographic Society), and a large company (mechanical engineer co-op, UTC Aerospace).

Exploration Technology

Since 2022, I have been working with National Geographic Explorers on designing new sensor technologies to deploy in the wild. This work has taken me all over, including the Arctic Circle (Svalbard) and Patagonia (Puerto Blest, Argentina). I have also worked at the National Geographic Society on technologies for deep ocean monitoring and whale, lion, and hyena surveillance. Currently, I am working with explorers on designing technologies to automatically track buzz activity of endangered native and invasive bees in Patagonia, systems to track African Wild Dogs and their environments in Botswana, and Guardian Frogs in Borneo. Below are some audio snippets of bee buzzing recorded by one of my microphone systems in Argentina. (This work is part of my PhD thesis at MIT)

Audio Snippets

wear headphones!

Bombus Dahlbomii

Bombus Terrestris

Interest in Empathetic Systems

I have a growing interest in semi-automated interventions and integrating empathy into systems. Specifically, looking at modern human comfort systems, human comfort perception, and emphathetic actuation mechanisms. I have been working on a low-profile smart eyewear device to aid in data collections of users' physiology (e.g., blink rate, face temperature, head motion) and changing environmental characteristics (e.g., gas, light spectrum, humidity, temperature). We've deployed this system on three continents, collecting a diverse dataset on human-comfort perception and environmental variability. I am currently working with universities in Switzerland to use my systems for controlled experiments and new types of data modelling approaches. (This is the other half of my PhD thesis work)

Hobbies

As many did during pandemic times, I've gotten into plants and cooking. Over 2021, I began growing a habanero plant indoors in my small Cambridge apartment with the plant yielding over 50 peppers. This allowed me to experiment with making custom hot sauces and spices (and to use my friends to test their potency). As is customary, I fitted the plant with a variety of environmental sensors to measure soil and ambient temperatures, CO2 & VOC levels, as well as to evaluate a variety of resistive and capacitive soil moisture sensors. I ended up using the peppers to experiment in the making of hot sauces and spices.

I also enjoy traveling, fitness, learning how to make ice cream, and am moderately obsessed with desktop PC building.