Who am I?

Before I even begin, I want to say that I am NOT a web developer, and I am trying to make this with as few helpers as I can. More specifically, I am trying to keep everything within html, css, javascript, and markdown. That being said, if there is anything wrong with this website (formatting, errata in material, etc.), please file an issue here! Issue board I do encourage you to also put topics that you think I should explore and write about there as well. Please add the `explore` tag onto that issue, and I will try to look into it! Thanks!
Hello, and welcome to my corner of the digital world! I'm Steven, a passionate enthusiast in the fields of robotics and machine learning. If you're curious about the mind behind this page, you've come to the right place. Allow me to share a little about myself, my interests, and some of the exciting projects I've had the privilege to work on. ## My Passion for Robotics and ML Since I was a wee lad, I was always facinated by the technology around me, I spent a lot of time working with my dad around the house and loved using all his tools. One of my earliest memories was sitting on the shop floor pounding nail after nail into a scrap 2x4 with a hammer. From that point on, I started to get involved in Cub Scouts and Robotics. Building pinewood derby cars and little Lego robots that went to competitions fueled my desire to build things and make fun gadgets. This continued into middle school where the robotics team I was on exposed me to the software side of technology. As the robots I was working on got bigger and bigger, the software that I made got more and more complex too. In high school, the robots that I was working became taller than me and solved fun problems within the F.I.R.S.T. programs set of challenges. This passion propelled me into the lead programmer role and helped drive our team to our first competition win and to compete at the world championship multiple years in a row. Little did I know the computer vision and path planning algorithms in high school would lead to so much more!
SPEED Team SPEED 2019
I am now finishing my education at the University of Cincinnati for computer engineering and working on a masters in AI. Fortunately, my passion for robotics has started to turn into a career! College has taught me that there is so much that I do not know yet and has shown me a better way to learn. One thing that I have been exposed to in college is AI. I have fallen in love with AI and its connection to the physical world. A lot of my past internships have been assisting with computer vision algorithm development, working in the parcel handling industry and then on to the self-driving industry as a localization engineer. Finally, I did an internship within a computer vision team working with the defense industry. These work experiences have helped me to become a more well rounded engineer and shown me all the areas that I must continue to grow in. I look forward to the work that will come my way and can't wait to solve the next problem! ## Other interests and hobbies Outside of work and school, I spend a lot of my free time pursuing a plethora of hobbies: ### The great outdoors After I got my eagle scout rank in Boy Scouts, I continued to enjoy hiking and camping with my friends. I have been as far as Utah for Zion national park, but also really enjoy Red River Gorge as well. I especially like to drag my friends along to some of the sights and enjoy getting lost in the woods.
gorge Trip to Red River Gorge
### House work As a pathological DIYer, I spend a lot of time working on my house. My carepentry skills have advanced from when I was hammering nails into a single piece of wood when I was younger to where I am now installing flooring, painting everything under the sun, and constructing built-ins for extra seating and storage.
house work! Kitchen Renovation!
### Cooking Experimenting in the kitchen has become a bit of a creative outlet for me and cooking has turned into a past time of mine especially since I have started college. Not everything turns out that good, but I am always willing to try something new! This is a big upgrade from not trying anything when I was a kid (I was a no-greens kid). Now I am doing a self-proclaimed "tour of the world" where I am experimenting with different cuisines across the world (currently indian is my favorite)
gorge Sesame chicken
### Running To burn all the calories from my cooking, I will go for some casual jogs around town. This hobby started in High school with cross-country and has turned into a way for me to stay healthy and active to hopefully live to be 100! I just completed my first marathon this past spring and am looking to continue developing as a runner and keep improving! ## Thank you! Thank you for taking the time to get to know me better. I'm on an exciting journey filled with innovation, learning, and the pursuit of a deeper understanding of the world. If you share my passion for robotics, machine learning, or any of my hobbies, I'd love to connect and exchange ideas. Together, we can explore the endless possibilities that await us in the world of technology and beyond. I encourage you to take a look around at some of my projects and other parts of this site! Feel free to reach out; I look forward to connecting with you!