Ali ShahrokhiSenior Backend Software Engineer

$whoami

PERSONAL DETAILS
San Francisco

“Don’t worry if it doesn’t work right. If everything did, you’d be out of a job.”
Mosher’s Law of Software Engineering

BIO

ABOUT ME

My interests lie in gathering, managing, sorting through, and discerning usable inferences from large data networks. I see enormous potential in creating novel algorithms that provide insights into social-psychology, decision-theory, and individual preferences to maximize the profit-making potential of web and mobile-based technological products. I am comfortable performing both quantitative and qualitative analyses of large data sets using industry-wide big data tools and statistical techniques.

Simplicity and elegance are strong features of nearly every project I have done and features that I try to secure in every new task I encounter. I have come to understand that being a good engineer requires one to go beyond simply solving technical problems. That is, there is often an equally important social side that others sometimes lose sight of but that I make a conscious decision to maintain in my considerations. Looking at my previous projects and research interests, they will notice that I have spent a substantial part of my time coming up with innovative ways to better our individual and collective experiences.

For example, I developed a Facebook application that helped users find romantic relationships online but without a significant risk of meeting creepy or dangerous individuals. I wrote a web-based script that allowed people without cars to find rides for the kinds of day-to-day unplanned trips that seem to come up more than we expect. I even developed educational software that allowed high school students in Iran to improve their science and math skills in order to compete in national and international academic competitions.

I think my ability to tune into both the social and technical aspect of things makes me an exceptionally good problem solver. I set the bar pretty high for myself and I am confident that I can meet or exceed wherever you happen to set it for me as well.

HOBBIES

INTERESTS

Breaking Bad is my favorite TV show by far but I'm offering Kevin Spacey the chance to make the history. However, there is no chance to escape watching Desperate Housewives show every other days with my lovely wife.

Burgers and Brew was my beloved restaurant back in Davis but I have to move on ... In the meanwhile Buster's Cheesesteak in Columbus Ave. alleviated the pain.

FACTS

NUMBERS ABOUT ME

730
Nonfat Decaf Latte
1
Patent
1
Apple Watch
4
MacBook Pro

EDUCATION

  • EDUCATION
  • 2014
    2012
    Davis, CA

    Computer Science - M.S.

    UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, DAVIS

    Research Area: Social Network Theory & Analysis, Social Computing, Facebook Applications Thesis: Facebook’s Potential for Initiating Romantic Interactions
  • 2012
    2010
    Davis, CA

    Electrical Engineering - M.S.

    UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, DAVIS

    Research Area: Measurement and Analysis of Large-Scale Online Social Networks Thesis: Measurement & Development of Online Social Network-Based Applications
  • 2004
    2000
    Tehran, Iran

    Electrical Engineering - B.S.

    SHARIF UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY

    Research Area: Control Systems & Dynamic modeling Thesis: Dynamic Modeling & Identification of YASAKAWA Robot
  • HONORS AND AWARDS
  • 2008

    Red Bull

    Winner of International Gravity Challenge

    Ranked 1st for the best creative idea among 130 universities in Red Bull's annual International Gravity Challenge at Sharif University of Technology. Came up with an innovative way to drop an egg from 50 feet in the air without crushing it in a small predefined space while having the egg's shell touch the concrete.
  • 2004

    PATENT

    Control Management System

    Developed a control switching device which is able to remotely monitor, control and manage irrigation system, air-conditioning packages or any pressurized pipeline in manual, automatic and optical mode.
  • VOLUNTARY ACTIVITIES
  • 2012
    2011
    Davis, CA

    Teaching at COSMOS

    UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, DAVIS

    The California State Summer School for Mathematics and Science (COSMOS) is a four-week summer residential program for high achieving math and science students. Taught a group of 50+ talented students the principles of computing and security networks for COSMOS' security cluster. Coordinated various lab assignments and helped students explore numerous applications of security in the field of computer science. Coordinated with fellow instructors to ensure student engagement and quality instruction.

WORKS

  • WORK EXPERIENCES
  • NOW
    2019

    Senior Backend Software Engineer

    Project Rōnin

    Design and develop HIPAA-compliant ETL platform to support end-to-end cancer care application, building APIs and providing a queryable GraphQL interface to serve dataset by external applications, developed a big data pipeline to ingest +600M health records per day, design and integrate monitoring dashboard via Grafana to support Spark, Kafka, MySQL, ...
  • 2019
    2015

    Backend Software Engineer

    Aclima Inc.

    As a Senior Backend Software Engineer at Aclima where I was involved in collecting, processing and analyzing millions of data points on air quality from our network of environmental sensors. We were looking at our environment in new ways to identify solutions that optimize health and improve wellbeing.
  • 2015
    2012

    Chief Operating Officer

    Smart Bite LLC

    Founded SmartBite, a school lunch delivery service in Davis, California, devised its business strategy, led the team to develop the end-to-end technology and web interface to process orders and delivery instructions, negotiations with food providers, and oversaw marketing and operations.
  • 2012
    2011

    Test Engineer

    SiTime Corporation

    Developed software for the testing/calibration of precision timing devices. Worked closely with the Engineering and Operations Team to successfully develop and release test solutions into production for both domestic and overseas facilities. Was selected by management team to oversee the implementation of critical oscillator temperature stabilization technology in Malaysia during a three-week trip. Lead a yield/capacity enhancement and cost-reduction project. Improved algorithm development, software implementation, and validation on both custom and standard automated test equipment. Formulated code and for custom MEMS test solutions.
  • 2009
    2006

    C&I Engineer

    Payandan

    Payandan is a leading oil, gas, and water transmission company in Iran. I designed complete sets of DCS/ESD control systems for clients. I also coordinated and prepared all kinds of instrument control drawings and layouts while managing several of the company's supplier contracts.
  • 2006
    2004

    C&I Engineer

    Namvaran

    Navaran is an Engineering, Procurement and Construction company that specializes in the field of Oil and Gas. During my time there I designed andprepared specifications such as data sheets, sizing calculations, layout drawings, loop wiring diagrams and technical bid evaluations for field instrumentation and control systems.

CONTACT



HOW TO GET IN TOUCH WITH ME.

ali.shahrokhi@gmail.com