Derek Nguyen Portfolio

About me

I'm a graduate from the University of Southern California with a Master's in Computer Science and specialization in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning. I have a passion for creating and an abundance of experience beyond AI/ML in fullstack, mobile, and game development.

I'm currently looking for a contract or full-time position as a software engineer. Willing to Relocate.

What i'm doing

Machine Learning

Experience in LLMs, computer vision, NLP, and reinforcement learning.
Web development

Knowledgeable in Fullstack Development, backend software
Mobile apps

Professional development of applications for iOS and Android.
Game Development

Experience in Unity and Unreal Engine.

Certifications

Entry Level Python Developer

Issued Feburary 2023
Microsoft Azure AI Fundamentals

Issued Dec 2023

Resume

Education

University of Southern California
Master's of Science in Computer Science (AI/ML) August 2021 — May 2023
MSCS with a specialization in AI/ML
Research projects include: Plot hole detection, Pill Image classification
University of California, Irvine
Bachelor's of Science in Computer Science, Minor in Business Management September 2017 — June 2021
BS in Computer Science with a specialization in Intelligent Systems
Notable Clubs: VR Development Club, Kababayan, VSA, Hack@UCI

Work Experience

Karuna Labs
ML Research Assistant October 2023 — Present
— Utilize Reinforcement Learning to build out modules to help recovery of carpal tunnel patients
— Populate VR modules with distortions to provide rewards for model to train and find the breaking point of immersion
— Application of various levels of distortion applied to patient tasks
— Unity Libraries: FinalIK
— Distortions for patients are elongated arms or mirrored arms
Simontex
Data Analyst January 2022 — June 2022
— Increased revenue potential 4% by leveraging predictive analytics to model future networking market trends
— Executed data analysis by managing large datasets and identifying insights to facilitate strategic decision-making
— Developed various detailed tables of information using dashboard/visualization tools
— Increased revenue by researching prospective clients to understand needs and identify high-impact marketing channels
— Crafted actionable insights from the data collected to help clients make better business decisions
Vusar
Software Applications Developer February 2021 — August 2021
— Increased user downloads 5% and improved accessibility of AR technologies through development of new iOS features
— Conducted code reviews, testing and debugging to fix application issues and increase application performance
— Facilitated efficient data management, security and UI design through cross-functional collaboration with software and product teams on implementation of Firebase application development platform
— Guided applications through software development lifecycle, continuous integration and continuous deployment, and led product engineering for mobile applications ensuring responsive applications and a seamless user experience
— Collaborated with a team of skilled iOS Developers to implement Firebase to facilitate data management and UI design
— Spearheaded life cycle management and product engineering for the mobile application, ensuring seamless UX on user accounts
Karuna Labs
Software Engineer September 2020 — February 2021
— Created 5+ innovative modules and features in C# and Unity for applications designed to treat carpal tunnel patients
— Designed new functionality for Oculus Rift hand-tracking technology to iterate and prototype on existing modules
— Collaborated cross-functionally with engineers to design and develop new development tools to facilitate process improvement and performance during research and development
CodePath
Coding Instructor September 2020 — June 2021
— Mentored a social, diverse group of students to succeed in mobile development, with 20 students improving their skills
— Designed a curriculum that encouraged creativity with the best practices of structured coding languages and efficient development
— Coordinated a team of 3 instructors for the course, striving to improve the contents for evolving student interests and trends
Learn2Code
Coding Instructor June 2020 — September 2020
— Taught 12 students from Kindergarten to 8th grade Scratch and Python programming languages in a remote environment
— Provided step-by-step instructions to cultivate an understanding of coding thought processes in a simplified manner
— Assigned 6 assignments with support to students which accumulated knowledge to build a larger personal project
Poshmark
Growth Marketing Intern June 2019 — August 2019
— Improved data infrastructure and ensured scalability of infrastructure by developing Google Apps Script in Javascript
— Enhanced usability and efficiency for 30+ data tables by implementing a new function for Google sheets
— Monitored and analyzed data for 50+ ads and created 12 dashboard visualizations to optimize marketing campaigns
— Launch 8 different ad campaigns over Snapchat, Instagram, and Facebook with over 5 million impressions across the US
SmileFish
Software Engineer Intern October 2018 — June 2019
— Prototype UI/UX interface for SmileStein Website to simplify 11 different functions and options of the landing page
— Collaborate with 10 other Project Interns for Gamification of Math/Science learning and development of website
— Design website flow and create 6 different styled web pages for exploring the website and educational games