🚧 WORK IN PROGRESS: Some items may not be fully functional, or accurate • Updated regularly with new projects and improvements • 🚧 WORK IN PROGRESS: Some items may not be fully functional, or accurate • Updated regularly with new projects and improvements •

Hello I am,
Erika Sy

Erika Sy - Computer Science Student
Erika Sy profile photo
LET ME INTRODUCE MYSELF

About me

I'm a dreamer — the kind who dreams big and chases those dreams with relentless dedication. My journey into tech began in digital sandboxes, where I found freedom in creativity and the thrill of building worlds from scratch. But it wasn't until my first high school Java class that I realized just how powerful programming could be — not just as a tool, but as a language for solving problems, expressing ideas, and shaping the future.

Since then, I've been driven by the belief that technology, when used intentionally, can create deep, lasting impact. I'm passionate about developing tools and systems that help people, uplift communities, and move society forward. Whether it's through AI, robotics, or thoughtful user experiences, I'm always searching for ways to turn bold ideas into real-world change.

"All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them." — Walt Disney

MY PROFESSIONAL JOURNEY

Experience

Work / Internship Research Extracurriculars
Work
KPMG · May 2023
AbbVie · May 2024
Snap Inc · Sep 2024
NASA MCA · Jan 2025
NASA NPWEE · Jan 2025
AbbVie · May 2025
Research
UIC Early Scholar · Aug 2023
UIC Research · Feb 2024
HeadStarter · May 2024
UW Research – Hanna · Sep 2024
UW Research – Gleicher · Sep 2025
Activities
WiCS · May 2023
SparkHacks · May 2023
LOGICA · Jul 2023
Code Your Dreams · Apr 2024
CheeseHacks · Jul 2024
MadHacks · Apr 2025
2023
2024
2025
Now

Undergraduate Research Assistant

University of Wisconsin, Madison (Dr. Gleicher)

Modernizing and extending a Python backend for interactive visualization and exploration of large text corpora; improving interpretability and analytic tooling for embeddings.

  • Modernized Python backend and improved APIs for large-corpus interactive exploration
  • Implemented and evaluated dimensionality-reduction and clustering methods to improve document-embedding interpretability
  • Analyzed linguistic and regional patterns across datasets to improve corpus understanding

Undergraduate Research Assistant

University of Wisconsin - Madison (Dr. Hanna)

Accelerated RL agent training by automating reward function optimization and used parallel computing resources to scale experiments. Built synthetic datasets for real-time CV model training.

  • Automated reward-function optimization using evolutionary algorithms and CHTC parallel compute
  • Discovered novel robotic gait patterns in simulation improving stability and traversal speed vs. baselines
  • Built a synthetic data pipeline in Unreal Engine 4, generating 10,000+ labeled images to train and benchmark CV models

Chief Scientist

NASA L-Space — MCA

Leading scientific strategy and experiment design for the MCA program within NASA's L‑Space initiative, coordinating cross-disciplinary teams to align mission objectives and data analysis.

  • Direct scientific planning and design of MCA experiments and validation frameworks
  • Coordinate with engineering and software teams to integrate experiment pipelines
  • Develop data analysis workflows and prototype visualization tools for mission telemetry

Business Technology Solutions Intern

AbbVie

Automated mapping and streamlined access to institutional knowledge while prototyping AI-enabled onboarding tools to reduce new-hire ramp time.

  • Automated mapping of 200+ document workflows with a Neo4j graph database to create a single source of truth
  • Architected an AI-powered onboarding prototype to centralize tribal knowledge and shorten ramp-up time
  • Developed a Python script to parse keywords from a decentralized archive of spreadsheets, reducing data retrieval time from hours to minutes

Lead Software Engineer

NASA - NPWEE

Led technical direction for GMAPS, a mission scheduling tool enhancing NASA Gateway's autonomy with AI-driven planning and fault prediction. Managed cross-functional team development.

  • Designed tech stack (React, FastAPI, PostgreSQL, Docker, OR-Tools)
  • Managed team of 4 across frontend, backend, and ML components
  • Co-authored 15+ page technical proposal for system architecture
  • Created 12-month roadmap with Agile sprints and Gantt milestones

Augmented Reality Development Extern

Snap Inc.

Developed interactive AR lenses including multi-user experiences with synchronized 3D animations, custom scripts, and spatial tracking. Presented technical solutions to Snap engineers.

  • Developed 4 interactive lenses with multi-user capabilities
  • Created Halloween costume lens with synchronized 3D animations
  • Presented technical design and creative vision to Snap engineers
AR Development Lens Studio 3D Animation Spatial Tracking

Business Technology Solutions Intern

AbbVie

Implemented automation solutions in ServiceNow platform and conducted comprehensive AI model testing. Led workshops and built robust prompt engineering libraries.

  • Led 8 employee workshops and documented 12 processes
  • Conducted 3 smoke tests using Postman
  • Compared Claude, Iliad, Gemini, Llama 4, and GPT-4 for prompt engineering
  • Rebuilt AI landing page and presented MVP to VP
ServiceNow Postman AI Testing Prompt Engineering

Seasonal Advisory Intern

KPMG

Designed sustainability solutions to help KPMG achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2030. Created data visualizations and prototyped reward systems for green initiatives.

  • Designed sustainability rewards app prototype in Figma
  • Built stakeholder-facing dashboards in Power BI and Excel
  • Visualized travel mode trends and COâ‚‚ savings for green incentive planning
Figma Power BI Excel Sustainability

Software Engineering Fellow

HeadStarter

Built production-style AI apps and APIs end-to-end with modern web and backend tooling while strengthening engineering fundamentals through industry coaching.

  • Engineered 5+ AI applications and APIs using Next.js, OpenAI, Pinecone, and Stripe integrations
  • Applied MVC patterns and full project lifecycle practices from design to deployment
  • Strengthened Agile, CI/CD, and Git workflows through mentorship from engineers at major tech companies

Research Assistant

University of Illinois Chicago

Contributed to a digital-twin system for nuclear waste management by improving simulation performance and real-time communication reliability.

  • Developed features for crane-operation digital twin workflows using Codesys and Unreal Engine
  • Improved real-time TCP/IP synchronization between physical crane operations and digital twin
  • Identified bottlenecks and optimized simulation code for improved efficiency and safety

Early Research Scholar

University of Illinois Chicago

Designed and demonstrated a vision-based whiteboard system using hand-gesture recognition for intuitive digital interaction.

  • Built gesture-recognition whiteboard with MediaPipe and OpenCV for camera-based control
  • Iterated through mentor-led reviews and team design discussions to improve UX and reliability
  • Presented findings and live demo during a research poster session
SOME OF MY RECENT WORK

Projects

BUILDING COMMUNITIES & LEADING TEAMS

Leadership & Extracurriculars

Organizer

MadHacks
April 2025 - Nov 2025

Coordinating logistics and participant experience for UW–Madison's 24-hour hackathon, expected to host 200+ attendees.

  • Managing event logistics and participant experience for a 24-hour hackathon
  • Coordinating sponsors, volunteers, and technical infrastructure
  • Leading outreach to student communities and campus partners
Event Logistics Sponsorship Management Community Outreach

Community & Outreach Chair

LOGICA
July 2023 - May 2024

Co-managed event operations, merchandise, and organized 6 events to build community engagement and foster connections within the organization.

  • Co-managed event operations and merchandise distribution
  • Successfully organized 6 community engagement events
  • Increased member participation and community involvement
Community Building Event Planning Outreach

Newsletter Chair

WiCS (Women in Computer Science)
May 2023 - May 2024

Organized 10 newsletters, 16 WiCS events, and 1 women in tech week to promote diversity and inclusion in computer science education and careers.

  • Published 10 newsletters with technical content and community updates
  • Coordinated 16 WiCS events throughout the academic year
  • Organized comprehensive women in tech week celebration
Content Creation Event Coordination Diversity & Inclusion

Organizer

SparkHacks
May 2023 - May 2024

Orchestrated a 300-person hackathon; secured $35,000 in sponsorship and handled logistics from judge coordination to community activities.

  • Secured $35,000 in sponsorship for event operations
  • Managed judge coordination, volunteer scheduling, and community programming
  • Oversaw venue logistics and participant support for 300 attendees
Sponsorship Event Management Community Engagement

Participant & Award Winner

Code Your Dreams Ideathon
April 2024

Participated in ideathon focused on community impact through technology solutions, winning the Best Community Outreach Award for innovative approach.

  • Won Best Community Outreach Award
  • Developed technology solution for community impact
  • Collaborated with diverse team on social innovation
Innovation Community Impact Collaboration

Hacker

CheeseHacks (UW-Madison x Google)
July 2024

Built an accessibility-focused object-detection tool for visually impaired users using real-time vision and speech feedback.

  • Developed real-time object detection pipeline using YOLOv8 and webcam input
  • Integrated text-to-speech feedback to verbalize object identities and attributes
  • Focused on accessibility-first UX to improve independent navigation support
Computer Vision Accessibility Rapid Prototyping

Let's Connect

Ready to collaborate? Let's create something amazing together!