About
My name is Nick. I graduated from Purdue with a degree in Computer Science in May 2024.
I’m currently working on a web app for a pre-seed startup, as well as a guitar plugin as a side project.
Cincinnati is my hometown, but I will be moving to SF in October 2025 to meet interesting people and see what’s generally going on in The Tech Capital of the World.
Professional Interests
Making cool stuff
- First and foremost, I want to make things that I believe are cool and/or good.
- I'm open to learning new languages, frameworks, etc. if it helps me do that.
Machine Learning
- ML seems like it is going to be a big part of the future of software development, so I want to start to explore it more deeply.
Digital Signal Processing
- At the moment, DSP interests me primarily because of its use in audio processing and manipulation.
- That being said, I find the discipline as a whole to be a fascinating microcosm of Software Engineering.
Other Interests
Electric guitar
- Been playing for about 2 years
- Particularly interested in fast, technical stuff
- BIG FAN OF MODERN GEAR (Plugins [NeuralDSP], Headless Guitars, Multiscale, Extended range, etc.)
Language & Linguistics
- I love etymology, phonetics, and orthography
- Some degree of proficiency (ranging from Native fluency to “I am familiar with the alphabet/script and the pronunciation”) in: English, Chinese, Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic, Korean, Japanese, Polish, Russian
Music in general
- Took a couple classes on Music Theory and Music Production
- Typically listen to fast-paced and high-energy music, but I also love a catchy song with a good vibe
- (Metalcore, Prog Metal, Instrumental Rock/Metal, Kpop, Classic Rock, Jazz, and more!)
- Good use of dynamics & tension and release >>>
Fitness
- Been going to the gym consistently since December 2024, currently 4x per week
- I like walking, biking, and hiking with my friends
Cooking & Nutrition
- I try to eat a decently balanced diet & I try to make the food I cook taste good
- Slowly increasing my repertoire of things I can make (most recently learned to make Arayes)
What I’m Currently Up To
Guitar plugin (see more in Updates)
- I’d like to really understand guitar tone, so I’m making a guitar plugin to help me learn.
- I am currently working on learning about DSP and ML to figure out my next move for this project.
Spanish
- Like many Americans, I know some basic Spanish, but I’ve been slowly working on improving my knowledge and understanding of it for a couple reasons. The most obvious is just that I am interested in language, including how different languages use different methods to convey similar ideas.
- Another reason is that knowing one Romance language also increases understanding of other Romance languages, which have a combined total of over 1 billion speakers worldwide across a wide variety of locations and cultures.
Algospeak by Adam Aleksic
- A book that I’m currently reading.
Jason Richardson’s solo from “Follow the Signs” by Born of Osiris
- What I’ve been trying to learn on guitar recently. It has a very cool dark sound to it. That being said, it involves a lot of strict alternate picking with lots of string crossings, such as alternate picking arpeggios, which is BRUTAL to try to play precisely at high speeds.