Engineering @ J. R. Simplot | PhD Researching (AI, HCI & Security) @ University of North Dakota | Software Development, AI Integration & Software Security | Engineering Lead

I am: • A Software Engineer with over 7 years of experience solving real-world problems through technology, now branching into Automation Engineering to expand how I approach intelligent, cross-domain systems. • Passionate about AI, cybersecurity, and high-performance computing (HPC), with a current focus on advancing Human-Computer Interaction systems through explainable and secure AI integration. • Deeply experienced in full-stack development, secure system design, and technical leadership, with a mindset grounded in clarity, scalability, and human impact. I have: • Held engineering leadership roles across multiple levels — as a technical team lead driving architecture and delivery, an engineering manager supporting a team of more than 15 Software Engineers and UI/UX Engineers; and currently part of the engineering leadership at Mechanico, a startup now ready for funding, where I’m shaping the technical vision and roadmap for a lean, high-impact team. • Built and shipped systems using TypeScript, ReactJS, NextJS, NodeJS, Python, Flask, Django, PostgreSQL, MongoDB, GraphQL, WebSockets, and more. • Adapted quickly across problem domains, now applying that same rigor to automation systems and intelligent real-time applications. • Published research on explainable and secure ML systems, including a paper on CAPTCHA and XAI that received the Best Paper Award: Technical Contribution II at IEEE CARS’24, recognizing its technical depth and impact on cybersecurity. • Presented at multiple conferences, including IEEE NAECON 2024 and CARS’24, contributing to future-facing conversations on AI, secure systems, and human-centered design. • Delivered across distributed, cross-functional teams, bringing clarity and forward motion to complex projects across time zones. In the pipelines is my PhD in Computer Science, focused on building explainable and secure AI systems that operate in real-time and power the next generation of automation and human-computer collaboration. Outside work, I use the camera in capturing life’s rhythm. And once upon a time, I was a pro DJ, curating energy at events and shows.