About

Mew on Austin(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):

Education:

  • Computer Science, University of Illinois Urbana-Campaign, 2013 – 2015 (B.Sc.)
  • Joliet Junior College, Honors Certificate, no degree, 2010 – 2013

Education – Awards & Recognitions:

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