Portfolio
Work spanning technical development, data analytics, and strategic marketing demonstrating how a UIUC CS and Advertising background ships products that solve real problems with measurable outcomes.
Featured: Campus Sustainability App
Computer vision iOS app reducing recycling contamination, partnered with UIUC iSEE
78%
iSEE
RecycleLens
iOS app solving campus recycling contamination by fixing the real problem: students lack time at disposal, not environmental awareness.
Challenge
Existing apps force single-item scans with page navigation between each result. That fails when you're tossing multiple items mid-commute - no one scans twice. Result: 25% of recyclables hit landfills, contamination ruins entire bins.
Solution
Built native iOS app with Google's Gemini Vision API. Key decision: persistent camera with scan overlays - rapid sequential scanning without navigation. Instagram adoption strategy targeting sophomores. Survey validation: 60% usage intent.
Impact
30+ student prototype tests proved the insight: 78% found it intuitive mid-disposal. Partnered with UIUC Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment (iSEE).
Featured: Strategic Marketing Research
Gen-Z brand repositioning using mixed-methods research and celebrity partnerships
60%
247K+
FantaFlow
Gen-Z brand repositioning using mixed-methods research and celebrity partnerships to transform Fanta from overlooked soda to nostalgic indulgence for style-conscious students.
Challenge
Fanta showed zero campus purchases in retail while energy drinks dominated. Research revealed the identity crisis: 25% of frequent drinkers claimed health-conscious attitudes despite consuming 5+ servings weekly. Brand needed clear positioning to compete in mobile-first, trend-driven student environments.
Solution
Conducted naturalistic observation across three campus locations and analyzed 247K+ MRI Simmons consumer attitudes. Discovered Fanta captured 33% market share at fountain stations where accessibility was optimized - revealing impulse-purchase potential. Identified 13% of consumers (32.5M weighted) as indulgence-oriented 'treaters' indexing 151 for guilt-free enjoyment. Developed 'A Taste of Nostalgic Fun' campaign featuring Sabrina Carpenter partnership, sensory orange marketing, and vintage-meets-fresh aesthetics targeting busy, style-conscious Gen-Z students.
Impact
Campaign strategy validated through student surveys showing 60% usage intent. Research established fountain-focused distribution as optimal channel for casual, on-the-go consumption among phone-engaged students. Successfully triangulated observational findings, secondary research, and crosstab analysis to reposition Fanta as nostalgia-driven treat rather than health beverage.
Computer Science Projects
Full-stack development, distributed systems, and technical problem-solving
PrairieLearn Productivity Enhancer
Challenge
Students missed deadlines from context-switching: checking dates meant leaving PrairieLearn, opening calendars, returning. Friction caused cramming and late work.
Impact
100+ users. 35% better on-time completion during exams when cognitive load peaks. Proved thesis: remove friction, improve follow-through.
Weather Forecast Scheduler
Challenge
Students checking weather opened separate apps, mentally mapped conditions to class times/locations. Friction led to poor decisions - underprepared or skipped classes.
Impact
60-user pilot: 15% better on-time arrival, 40% fewer API requests, 4.7/5 satisfaction. Validated hypothesis: less planning friction, better attendance.
Zombie Zork: Distributed Text Adventure Game
Challenge
Traditional text adventures use monolithic design - adding players degrades performance, expanding worlds requires rebuilds, real-time collaboration impossible.
Impact
60% lower server load via inter-node caching. Real-time multi-user play across domains, zero state loss. Modular design ready for expansion. Proves distributed thinking beats monolithic constraints.
Data Analytics Projects
Quantitative research, visualization, and data-driven insights
Auto Brand Preferences: Attitudes, Recall, and Purchase Intent
Question
What drives twentysomethings' car brand choices? How do consideration, attitude, and purchase intent differ across Chevy, Ford, Toyota, Hyundai?
Key Insights
- • Chevy dominates: 100% recall, 6.67 attitude, 6.46 intent - clear winner.
- • Hyundai paradox: strong consideration (4.33) but weak intent (3.28) - trust gap.
- +2 more insights
A Decade of GPA Data at UIUC
Question
Which UIUC courses/instructors (2010-2020) had highest failure rates? What patterns signal difficulty, teaching gaps, or support needs?
Key Insights
- • MATH and CHEM lead F-grade counts, followed by ECON and CS.
- • ECON shows major instructor variance - grading inconsistency or difficulty gaps.
- +3 more insights
Movie Analytics Dashboard: Budget, Revenue, and Ratings from IMDb
Question
What drives movie success - budget, genre, cast? How do budget/revenue correlate? Which genres earn most? How do scores distribute? How to make exploration interactive?
Key Insights
- • Scores: 5-7 bell curve, peak 6-6.5.
- • Family and Musical: highest avg revenue, not volume.
- +3 more insights
Strategic Marketing Projects
Brand strategy, consumer insight, and data-driven marketing
Amazon Echo: Value Analysis
Question
How does Echo create value across technical, experiential, functional, and social dimensions?
Key Insights
- • Masterclass in ecosystem design: $35 voice assistant becomes gateway to Prime, Music, Shopping via smart architecture and behavioral loops. Strength: emotional design + habit-forming functionality + social influence = sticky, scalable value.
Red Bull: Creative Strategy Brief
Question
How to deepen Gen-Z relevance for a brand owning adrenaline but needing evolution beyond action sports into culture and mental performance?
Key Insights
- • 'Fuel the Mindset' became core promise. Honored original DNA while expanding to flow-state energy - whether skating at 6 a.m. or editing at 2 a.m. Positioned for momentum and control Gen-Z values.
Hyundai Motors: College Market Insight Study
Question
What drives college student (18-24) needs, priorities, and perceptions around car ownership and Hyundai brand positioning?
Key Insights
- • 120 responses: 74% cited cost as top barrier. Hyundai seen as affordable, but only 31% found ads persuasive. Gap: value proposition needs sharper messaging for young buyers.