Brian Nielsen
Currently in his 4th year at the University of Florida, Brian Nielsen majors in Computer Science and minors in Electrical Engineering and plans to graduate in May 2025. Currently, Brian works as a lab teaching assistant for the Circuits 1 class offered at his University. In addition, he also conducted research to develop machine learning models for PCB quality assurance in the University’s SCAN lab. Here, he studied the top-of-the-machine learning models, scanned in and annotated a database of PCB samples, and learned about the basics of IC production. Finally, Brian helped as a technical lead at the Open Source Club, which involved running the project’s GitHub and organizing bi-weekly meetings for his team to progress on development. Over his time at the University of Florida, Brian has also completed multiple personal and school-related projects to hone his skills. A few of these projects include Schedule Helper, a single responsive API for University of Florida class data, a full stack image/video gallery webpage, and a memory manager that completely replaces the default one in the C++ language. These projects gave Brian valuable experience regarding software development in the real world and an introduction to version control tools like GitHub. After graduation, Brian hopes to begin working as a software engineer at a company related to electrical engineering or hardware since both fields interest him greatly. Outside of his studies and work life, Brian plays guitar in a band and is on the club volleyball team. He hopes to continue these hobbies after graduation to achieve a healthy work-life balance.
Timothy Ortiz
Timothy Ortiz is a 4th year Digital Arts & Sciences student at the University of Florida. His largest field of work is with Computer Graphics, having spent much of his time at the University of Florida. Before his time at UF, he was a Computer Science student at Florida Atlantic University where he spent time learning fundamental concepts of computing through Logic Design, and the basics of Microprocessors. At the University of Florida, Timothy has made the Dean’s list multiple times and is expected to graduate with honors. He has had an opportunity to showcase classwork at the Digital World Institute’s Convergence event in 2023. Timothy also participated in the 2023 Global Game Jam, facilitated through DevLUp at the University. These were great experiences that allowed him to combine his knowledge of programming with his interest in Game Development. While at FAU, Timothy made the Dean’s list multiple times and received recognition for his academic excellence in Engineering, being given exclusive access to new engineering research laboratories through an “Outstanding Honors Student Award.” Engineering has been a passion of Timothy’s from a young age. It began with an interest in Roller Coasters, moving to a fascination with computers and the amazing feats of engineering that have gone into this technology today. As an engineer, he looks to combine knowledge of computers and software with his creativity to bring out that same wonder he has in others. Outside of engineering, Timothy expresses himself through music as a member of the University of Florida’s Marching Band and the University’s Concert Band.
Kate Schwitz
Kate Schwitz is currently in her 4th year at the University of Florida, majoring in Computer Science through the Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering. She is also minoring in Digital Arts & Science through the Digital Worlds Institute, and she is completing certificates in A.I. Fundamentals and Applications, as well as Engineering Project Management. Kate is a member of various student organizations at the University of Florida, and takes leadership roles in both AscenDance Salsa Company and Extreme Dance Company. She is currently the president and founder of AscenDance, and she acts as a choreographer for Extreme. Her responsibilities include organizing meetings, training members, and planning a semesterly congress with guest artists from out of town. Over the past summer, Kate took part in a study abroad program in Ghana, where she and a group of three other students developed a mobile application for the Kumasi school district via the Karibs Foundation. She and the others worked with an intercultural development mindset to effectively allow the district teachers to track their students’ academic progress. This study and internship program with the Karibs Foundation provided her with valuable experience, not only with rapid application development, but also with the nuances of developing technology outside of the scope of the United States. After graduation, Kate plans to go directly into the workforce, and she hopes to focus on the intersection between A.I. applications and UI design. Kate is extremely passionate about maintaining a balance between work and hobbies, as she believes the creative aspects of dance can benefit the development of technology. She focuses on salsa dancing, and performs with two teams.
Joshua Thomas
Joshua Thomas is a Computer Science student at the University of Florida, deeply involved in several cutting-edge research projects that highlight his passion for technology and innovation. He is currently contributing to the Advancing Campus Flood Vulnerability Assessment Project, which integrates AI, human perception data, and digital twin technologies to enhance campus resilience against flooding. Through this initiative, Joshua applies his expertise in machine learning and artificial intelligence to solve real-world challenges, particularly in disaster preparedness and urban resilience. In addition to this project, Joshua is a key participant in the University of Florida’s Integrated Product and Process Design (IPPD) program. Here, he is working closely with Florida Power & Light on a hazard detection system that leverages AI and machine learning to identify and mitigate risks. This collaboration allows Joshua to merge his technical knowledge with practical, safety-focused applications, underscoring his ability to develop solutions that directly impact communities and industries. Joshua’s dedication to academic excellence has earned him several prestigious recognitions, including being named a University Research Scholar, International Scholar, and Fernandez Family Scholar. His achievements have also been consistently acknowledged through his inclusion on the Dean’s List throughout his academic career. These honors are a testament to his commitment to learning, innovation, and leadership in the field of technology. Outside of his academic and research pursuits, Joshua enjoys immersing himself in artistic projects, sports, and outdoor activities. His well-rounded interests reflect both his adventurous spirit and his creative approach to problem-solving. Whether through technology or personal endeavors, Joshua brings enthusiasm, precision, and a forward-thinking mindset to everything he undertakes, making him a dynamic and valuable contributor in any environment.
Sebastian Valdes
Sebastian Valdes is a 4th year student at the University of Florida majoring in Computer Engineering. In May 2025, he will graduate with a minor in Business Administration from the Heavener School of Business at the University of Florida. Sebastian has been involved in a variety of on-campus student organizations, such as the Machine Intelligence Lab and the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers. In the previous summer, Sebastian participated in a software engineering internship at Meta, one of the largest companies in the world. During this internship, he gained valuable experience about software development and infrastructure. He contributed code and improved testing for software used to develop highly advanced machine learning models. Furthermore, he acquired a deep understanding of development at the largest scale, working on projects with hundreds of individual contributors. The spring prior to his internship, Sebastian contributed to the Machine Intelligence Lab at UF. Here, he assisted in the design of autonomous robot systems using C++ and Python. These two experiences gave him a strong understanding of both low-level and high-level programming languages. He has also participated in a variety of competitions on campus, such as the UF GatorHack Hackathon and UF AI Days GatorTank events. He placed as a finalist in both of these competitions. In the short term, he looks forward to returning to Meta as a full time Software Engineer in July.
Aryaan Verma
Aryaan Verma is a senior at the University of Florida’s Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering, pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science with a minor in Mathematics. He is an active member of various professional organizations on campus, including the Dream Team Engineering group and Computer Science research groups focused on Databases and Artificial Intelligence. In his freshman year, Aryaan founded Gator Bhangra, the university’s Indian cultural dance team, and served as its President. Over the past two summers, Aryaan gained valuable experience through internships in DevOps and application development. In the summer of 2023, he interned at Franklin Templeton Investments, where he worked as a Cloud Engineering/DevOps intern. During this role, he developed status dashboards to track the performance of critical tools within the company’s infrastructure and automated processes to simplify ticketing workflows. The following summer, Aryaan interned with the KARIBS Foundation in Ghana, where he led the development of an offline-capable educational tracking application for underfunded school districts, helping improve education management in the Ashanti region. These experiences have sharpened Aryaan’s skills in collaboration, project management, and software development, allowing him to learn new programming languages and frameworks while building robust, scalable applications. Beyond technology, Aryaan is passionate about startups and community-building. He is currently working on a biotechnology startup and continues to dance competitively with an all-state team.