academic / work

research, internships, and roles I've held — past and present.

META via USC

May 2025 – Present

Technical Producer / Research Intern · Los Angeles, CA

  • Conducted usability testing and QA for AI-based mental health software on Meta Quest, improving accessibility and performance for diverse user groups.
  • Focused product design testing and analysis using META for education software, using NX software for CADing, and various programs to improve design systems, such as Python, JavaScript, etc.
  • Documented testing procedures and synthesized feedback across Google Docs, Notion, and Slack, streamlining workflows for a 10+ person research team.
  • Ensured compliance with accessibility standards (WCAG), contributing to a 15% improvement in user experience ratings during trials.

Georgetown University (Department of Physics – DelGadoLab)

Jun – Aug 2024

Physics Research Intern · Washington, DC

  • Summer research assistant at Georgetown University under the provost's distinguished professor Emanuela Del Gado.
  • Performed independent analytical research and breakdown of stress and strain in amorphous materials, including breakage point, yielding, and failure of soft materials, and conditions under gel and shear speed. Analysis was done using QtGrace and MATLAB; over 30 samples were completed, varying materials from carbon to be compared against crystalline Aluminum to low-grade diamond, and gold.
  • Analyzed and presented the uses and applications, including product design, structural analysis, building science, and urban planning, with a focus on shear and strain breakage effects on said products and industries.

National Institutes of Health

Jun – Aug 2022

Summer OITE Intern · Bethesda, MD

Participated in the NIH Summer Internship Program, gaining hands-on research experience and professional development in biomedical research.

USC BlackGen Capital

Sep 2022 – May 2025

Vice President of Public Relations · Los Angeles, CA

  • BlackGen Capital: a student-run investment fund managing over $100,000 in assets with backing from Warburg Pincus, JP Morgan, and others.
  • Led a case team to 1st place in two stock pitch competitions, which included presenting company overviews, market projections, and DCF analyses.
  • Oversaw all PR, events, and social strategy across 5+ partner universities, driving chapter growth by 40%. The club recently reached an all-time applicant record of 100 members in the only California chapter.

National Society of Black Engineers

Sep 2022 – Present

Charter Member · Los Angeles, CA

  • Community service events for the local South Los Angeles area, including fundraisers, youth STEM engagement, and STEM education for lower-income neighborhoods.
  • Created a NSBE Jr. chapter to Alma Mater Middle School in White Oak, Maryland, and used said program to work in conjunction with other STEM-based inclusivity work while in high school, including Zoom-based collaborative science funds during the pandemic.

African-American Cinema Society at USC

Sep 2024 – Present

Member · Los Angeles, CA

Member of an organization dedicated to opening networking opportunities, providing community, and raising awareness around issues pertaining to African Americans in the film industry. The African-American Cinema Society works to highlight and promote art and artists invested in showcasing complex, sophisticated representations of blackness and the black diaspora. Founded in 1991 by USC alumnus John Singleton.