Hi there, I'm Ben!

I'm a second-year at Northwestern University's McCormick School of Engineering studying Computer Science and an aspiring software engineer. I'm interested in all things related to compilers and machine learning.

I'm currently in the stage of honing my skills and learning more about the field broadly. As I grow as a software engineer, I wish to focus more on the intersection between compilers and machine learning, whether it be compilers/optimizers for machine learning, or using deep learning to generate compiler optimizations.

About Me

I am a second-year at Northwestern University pursuing my Bachelors of Science in Computer Science. I'll be applying to Northwestern's Combined BS/MS Degree Program this year.

I'm currently doing research at Northwestern's ARCANA Lab. My work currently involves writing a Rust frontend for MemOIR, which uses properties of single-ownership memory to generate novel optimizations for languages that manage memory. I hope to eventually write optimizations for use in compilers for AI.

I'm also debating for Northwestern's Debate Team. Over the course of a season, I compete in multiple tournaments against teams from 90+ universities across the United States. The cumulative research that goes into preparation for these tournaments every year is equivalent in rigor to a Master's-level thesis. This past year, the research I did surrounded American nuclear policy and deterrence theory. I also explored the effects of nuclearism on domestic policy and its role in shaping modern society.

Topics I researched in previous years included:

  • Feasibility of AGI alignment
  • Inventorship rights for generative AI
  • Vesting legal duties into entities such as DAOs, medical AI, and robo-advisors

When I'm not working or in class, you'll probably find me practicing piano, playing VALORANT, refining my speedcubing skills, or going to the gym. I'm also a big fan of cats, ferrets, and various campus wildlife (possums, raccoons, squirrels, bunnies, etc), so there's a good chance you find me taking a picture of something in a tree or by a bush between classes.

Experience

*NEW*

Research Assistant

Northwestern University Department of Computer Science

  • Working with ARCANA Lab to pioneer advanced compilation techniques aimed at improving memory and runtime efficiency of compilers and their outputs
  • Writing a Rust frontend for the MemOIR compiler that uses single-ownership memory properties to generate unique memory optimizations for manually managed memory languages
  • Extending MemOIR with FFI to match over 60% of Rust’s API for Vec and HashMap, enhancing ease of use and offering seamless transition
  • Writing 100+ unit and integration tests to guarantee output correctness and measure optimization effectiveness

Peer Mentor

Northwestern University Department of Computer Science

  • Devoted 6-10 hours per week to assist 200+ students in COMP_SCI 348 (Intro to AI), ensuring their understanding and success in the course’s material
  • Offered personalized 1-on-1 guidance through regular office hours to help students comprehend AI concepts and debug complex code
  • Promptly addressed over 10% of all student inquiries on Campuswire about course content and logistics, contributing to an effective and inviting learning environment beyond traditional class hours

Lab Leader

Northwestern Debate Institute

  • Coached 50+ high school debaters from across the world by formulating lectures on debate theory and structuring targeted drills to build proficiency in debating topics such as AI, cybersecurity, fiscal policy, international relations, and current events
  • Led the largest lab by judging 4+ hours of debates per day and facilitating evening office hours to refine students’ argument generation skills and speaking mechanics
  • Directed the camp tournament by overseeing logistics and pairings, ensuring a smooth and engaging experience for all students

Resident Assistant

Northwestern University

  • Coordinated with fellow resident assistants to cultivate community among 30+ ethnically diverse high school debaters, fostering inclusivity and support
  • Enforced Residence Hall Policies in an equitable manner, promoting a safe and welcoming environment for all students
  • Mediated conflicts and offered guidance, fostering a harmonious and supportive atmosphere conducive to growth and community cohesion

Projects

Personal Website

Portfolio website for my work. You're looking at it right now!

*NEW*

Purple Hours

Group-based queue system for office hours in Northwestern CS courses.

*NEW*

LB to x86_64 Compiler

Compiler from a C-like language to x86_64 that uses modern compilation techniques (e.g. register allocation, instruction selection, syntactic sugar)

PairingsBot

Bot that automatically posts pairings from debate tournaments on Tabroom to a Discord server.

CS Investment Tracker

Tracker for Counter-Strike investments that pulls item prices from Steam and calculates profit including Steam tax.

OpenStreetMap Nav API

OpenStreetMap programming interface for running basic search queries such as finding the shortest path between buildings and identifying buildings and doorways.