For the curious, the serendipitous visitor, and for moments of self-reflection.

Here's My Resumé as a PDF, and my profile on LinkedIn.

Education

Ph.D. in Computer Science, Northwestern University (USA), December, 2018
M.Sc. in Computer Science, Queen’s University (CANADA), March, 2012

Ph.D. Thesis

AutoPoint: Selecting and Interacting with Distant Objects While Traveling in an Automobile.
Software | Unity with C#, micro-controller programmed with C++, and Swift for an iOS app.
Hardware | engineered custom mounts & sensor assemblies to alter a car window. The augmented window served as a transparent display with support for touch & gestural input.
Evaluation| U/X | tested in a lab with 36 participants, and 14 in a car driving around Chicago.

Work Experience

HCI Research Scientist & Software Lead | TIDAL LAB, Northwestern University | Sept' 18 - Now

Researching and developing TunePad, a project funded by the NSF that helps children learn Python programming with music creation as the underlying construct. Our partners include schools, libraries, community centers, and youth programs.

Software | web app deployed on Azure | Flask, Postgres, NGinX, HTML5, Sass, Javascript and Dart.

Co-Founder and CEO of Eccentric Orbit | Chicago | Aug'21 - Now

Co-founded Eccentric Orbit, an educational technology company, with Mike Horn. TunePad (and the related bundle) is our first product. We recently received seed funding from Northwestern University's N.XT in January'22.

Co-Founder & CTO of Sendbloom | Chicago & San Francisco | Jan'13 - Oct '15

Co-Founded a B2B email automation company with two Northwestern University alumni. At the time of my leaving the company to work full-time on my Ph.D., Sendbloom had 9 employees. Sendbloom was acquired by LinkedIn (Dec. ’18).

Software | web app deployed on AWS | Django, MySQL, Apache, HTML5, Sass, Javascript, Jquery and Dart.

Teaching & Instruction

  1. Tangible Interaction Design and Learning (EECS 395/495, Northwestern University, Spring ’15): Co-taught (student feedback)
  2. Data Structures (EECS 214, Northwestern University, Spring ’14): Taught (student feedback)
  3. Introduction to HCI (EECS 330, Northwestern University, Winter ’13, Winter ’14, Winter ‘15): Teaching Trainee & Assistant (student feedback: 2013, 2014, 2015)
  4. Introduction to Computer Programming (EECS 111, Northwestern University, Fall ’13): Teaching Assistant, Best TA Award (student feedback)
  5. Software Architecture (CISC 322, Queen's University, Fall ’11): Guest lectured Design Patterns.

Technical Skills

I have worn multiple hats, from being a back-end architect and developer, a front-end designer, to a hardware and prototype builder. The list below is a representation of my recent experience:

  • Programming Languages - Python, Dart, C#, C, Swift (iOS app. dev.) and Javascript.
  • Packages & Frameworks - Django, Flask, Sass, JQuery, Unity and OpenCV.
  • Servers & Databases - NginX, Apache, PostGres & MySQL (setup on AWS, Azure & DigitalOcean).
  • Prototyping Tools - Sketch, Adobe Photoshop, Quartz Composer, Max MSP and Keynote.
  • Hardware - Designed & built many experimental prototypes using hobbyist level components (micro-controllers + various sensors) & also used professional hardware solutions to build something more robust (e.g. using the Vicon Motion Capture system to develop a gesture-based video blending tool). I also have extensive experience of prototyping with desktop 3D-printers, CNC-machines & Laser-cutters, along with professional shop training to use machines such as Band-saws, Lathes, and Milling machines.

Publications

  1. TunePad Playbooks: Designing Computational Notebooks for Creative Music Coding (CHI'22)
  2. TunePad: Engaging learners at the intersection of music and code. (ICLS'20)
  3. Engaging Families around Museum Exhibits: Comparing Tangible and Multi-touch Interfaces. (IDC' 20)
  4. Digital Exhibit Labels in Museums: Promoting Visitor Engagement with Cultural Artifacts (CHI ‘18, Best Paper Honorable Mention).
  5. Designing Digital Rails to Foster Scientific Curiosity around Museum Collections (AERA ’17).
  6. FieldGuide: Smartwatches in a Multi-display Museum Environment (CHI ’18, LBW, Best Paper).
  7. Energy Monsters: A Spooky Game About Saving Energy (GLS’16, First Place Showcase Award).
  8. Invasion of the Energy Monsters: A family board game about energy consumption (CHI ’16, LBW, Best Paper Honorable Mention).
  9. Ghost Hunters: Parents and Children Playing Together to Learn about Energy Consumption (TEI ’14).
  10. Turn Up the Heat: Board games, environmental sustainability, and cultural forms (GLS ’14).
  11. Ultimate Trainer: Instructional Feedback for Ultimate Frisbee Players. (TEI ’14).
  12. FlexView: An Evaluation of Depth Navigation on Deformable Mobile Devices (TEI ’13).
  13. Unifone: designing for auxiliary finger input in one-handed mobile interactions (TEI ’13).
  14. Remote Multitouch: perspective based multipoint interactions (IJHCS’12).
  15. Pointable: An In-Air Pointing Technique to Manipulate Out-of-Reach Targets on Tabletops (ITS ’11).
  16. Waveform: Remote Video Blending for VJs Using In-Air Multitouch Gestures (CHI EA ’11).

Hobbies and Interests

  1. Mountaineering and rock climbing.
  2. Playing sports (Tennis, Basketball, Cricket, Squash and Swimming).
  3. Emerging technology - Dabble with new and emergent technology. Building hardware.
  4. Repairing cars, sketching and using computer graphics to design cars.