Pursuing a career in systems programming, driven by my interest in designing efficient software and optimizing code, with an affinity for embedded systems and a knack for data analytics.

In December 2022, I earned my B.S. in computer science with honors and a math minor from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and shortly after, I completed my accelerated M.S. in computer science in December 2023. Most of my undergraduate coursework was in C++, and my favorite class was COSC 360 – Systems Programming in which I learned C and implemented malloc()/free(), a primitive shell, and a multithreaded chat server. Then, I pursued graduate coursework in low-level concepts such as computer architecture and design/implementation of operating systems (I thoroughly enjoyed the novel challenges of building such a system and found it deeply rewarding!). I also gained hands-on experience working with microcontrollers, sensors, and motors while building projects in a human-computer interaction course as well as during my four years of C++ programming on UTK's competitive VEX U robotics team.

I worked as an undergraduate research assistant under Dr. Michela Taufer for two years (with my primary work getting published by IEEE!) and was a teaching assistant in computer science for five semesters. I served as vice president and programming lead of my robotics team for about two and four years, respectively. These positions allowed me to supplement my extensive coursework with additional problem solving, communication, and collaboration opportunities via creating effective presentations and data visualizations for my research, breaking down complex concepts for students, and tackling interdisciplinary challenges in robotics while also taking on cross-functional leadership roles.

I gained my first industry experience as a software engineer during my Summer 2022 internship with Coursera, where I specialized in backend development in a CI/CD environment. I contributed high-quality code with a strong sense of ownership and understanding of what I was building—I sought to grasp the system as a whole rather than only work within the scope of my project, considered unit testing and metrics logging, and was able to independently debug and deliver my solutions. In Summer and Fall 2023 during my software engineering internship turned co-op at Wabtec, I developed and internally deployed a Django web application from the ground up, gaining full-stack knowledge and exposure to designing database schemas and effective user interfaces.

Now I build stuff in C++ at Wolverine Trading!

In my free time, I like to practice classical piano (one of my current favorites) and, of course, play video games.

If you'd like to get in touch, please feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn or email me at brandanroachell@gmail.com.