(last updated March 2020)
Meta Data:
Name: Austin Grant Walters
Expertise: Management, Machine Learning, Computer Vision, Full-Stack Engineering
Preferred Programming Languages: Python, Ruby, Golang, C, C++
Frameworks: Rails, Tensorflow, Keras, OpenCV, Qt, Flask, Django, PostgreSQL
Positions:
- Staff Software Engineer, Read.ai (2022 – 2023)
- Manager, Applied Research, Capital One (2020 – 2022)
- Senior Software Engineer, Capital One (2017 – 2019)
- Software Engineer, Capital One (2015 – 2017)
- Gigster, Freelance Software Engineer (2015 – 2016)
- Software Engineer, Caterpillar (2014 – 2015)
- ITDP, Capital One (Summer 2014)
- Freelance Programmer (2008-2015)
- IT Network Admin / Clerk at AdventEdge Healthcare Solutions (2007-2012)
Projects:
- Metacortex – Automatically generate a searchable knowledge graph from conversation(s)
- Patent – Device, system, and method for determining content relevance through ranked indexes
- InsiderOpinion.com – Integrations with bots for businesses
- HNProfile.com – Metacortex applied to Hacker News content
- RedditProfile.com – Metacortex applied to Reddit content
- Lettergram.net – news recommendations, applied Metacortex to social media for news recommendations
- VocalVoters.com – Easily contact your representatives
- ProjectPiglet – Identify, monitor, and explore how insiders and/or experts feel about given stories and topics
- Easy-A.net – Grade distributions and predictions for university students
- ThinkSuite (website) – Real-time mental health tracking, and neurofeedback system
- Everyday Algorithms – (In Development) – An introductory book on algorithms using examples from everyday life
- Selenium Factory – Won my team the Capital One intern competition
Patents (Full List, highlights below):
- Device, system, and method for determining content relevance through ranked indexes – US Patent Number 11,113,348
- Systems and methods for cluster-based voice verification – US Patent Number 10,003,688
- Node recovery in static distributed networks – US Patent Number 10,140,184
- Data model generation using generative adversarial networks – US Patent Number 10,460,235
- Systems and methods for motion correction in synthetic images – US Patent Number 10,482,607
- Transmitting encoded data along transmission mediums based on colorspace schemes – US Patent Number 10,523,420
Education:
- Computer Science, University of Illinois Urbana-Campaign, 2013 – 2015 (B.Sc.)
- Joliet Junior College, Honors Certificate, no degree, 2010 – 2013
Education – Awards & Recognitions:
- ISUR student, sponsored by Semiconductor Research Corporation (SRC) (2015)
- Senior Thesis/Research in Tim Bretl’s Research Group – Computer Vision (Fiducial Markers) (2013 – 2015)
- ACM, University of Illinois Chapter (Associate for Computing Machinery), Treasurer (2014 – 2015)
- ACM, University of Illinois Chapter, SIGBio (Special Interest Group in Biology) Chair (2013 – 2015)
- Recipient 2012 Joliet Junior College Faculty Scholarship (2012)
- Completed Joliet Junior College Honors Program, received a certificate (2010 – 2012)
Volunteer Activities:
- St. John’s Lutheran Church Confirmation Leader (2009 – 2012), taught the churches confirmation program to the “hard group” of kids (12 – 15 yrs old)
- Mission Trip 2010 – New Hampshire – Volunteer – with St. John’s Lutheran Church
- Mission Trip 2011 – West Virginia – Youth Leader – with St. John’s Lutheran Church
Goals:
When I first wrote my goals section, I was working in IT at AHS in 2010. I wanted to graduate, start a company, and move to California. Now I am married, graduated, a father and am starting my first company. My goals are the same as they have always been, to push the limits of what I am capable of, and more generally what is possible. I am striving for the success of my startup Synaptitude and Metacortex
Ideals:
First and foremost I believe that everyone is capable of being a god. In the sense, we can alter any of our surroundings, know anything, expand, and grow infinitely. In the end, I hope to make the world as I believe it should be – better. I don’t believe I have the right to impede another human being and no one has a right to impede me (within reason). I aspire to be the best I can and attempt to only deal with others who believe as I do. I work hard for what I own and I intend to keep all I can. I am against taxes and welfare, I am against anything which forces me to help others that I do not wish to help. I am an Objectivist of sorts. I never wish my freedom to be taken from me and am willing to fight for it. I believe in reason, logic, and that greed runs the world — we all want what’s best for us. I believe as humans we should always try to improve and push ourselves and others to achieve our potential.
Hobbies:
My hobbies include taking care, trading, and researching reptiles and my naked cat Mew and Java; playing the saxophone and guitar; producing new content for my websites; researching new technologies and companies; learning more about computing and basking in the pleasure of this technology-based age.
Knowledge:
It’s notoriously difficult to quantify one’s knowledge, try my knowledge tab, which I created after contemplating how to quantify my knowledge. Some insight you cannot glean from my knowledge tab or my github…
Programming Languages: Python, Ruby, C, C++, Golang, Java, Javascript, Coffeescript, PHP, NetLogo, R
Areas of Focus: Computer Vision, Machine Learning, Neuroscience, Systems Programming, Web Development