Building at the intersection of hardware and software — turning ideas into working systems.
I'm an Electrical & Computer Engineering student at Northeastern University, and a competitive epee fencer. I like working at the intersection of hardware and software — recent work spans data center infrastructure, neuroscience research hardware, and a from-scratch arcade machine.
Most recently I was a Data Center Infrastructure Intern at SingleStore, and before that a research intern at the Yale University School of Medicine, building measurement hardware for a study on cognition and movement in neurological patients.
A few projects I'm proud to have shipped, from sketch to production.
Lead constructor and designer on a full-scale arcade machine built from scratch for Northeastern's GE1501 — mechanical build, electronics, and scoring software, concept to expo launch. Dual laser sensors measure swing velocity for a live score; the wooden frame, pendulum-and-magnet reset system, and laser-cut acrylic paneling were all built by hand and stress-tested through 80+ personal test swings.
Mechanical design · electronics · scoring software — Fall 2025
A self-hosted, real-time calorie tracking web app running on a Raspberry Pi, with a lightweight front-end/back-end and persistent local storage.
Python · HTML/CSS · Raspberry Pi
Designed and built an event website from scratch (HTML, CSS, JavaScript, no frameworks) with live betting odds and competitor stats for a multi-university competition — independently managed all content, deployment, and live updates throughout the event.
HTML · CSS · JavaScript
Consolidated ten separate casino/card-game practice tools (blackjack, poker, baccarat, craps, roulette, mahjong) — each previously its own standalone site — into a single hub site.
HTML · CSS · JavaScript
Education, experience, and leadership.
SingleStore, Boston MA — June to September 2026
Led hardware deployment for a phased data center expansion, scaling a private cloud platform from 160 to 300+ VMs. Redesigned a single-push rollout into an incremental two-racks-at-a-time strategy, diagnosed a Linux kernel storage defect and a multi-week NFS instability, and supported a full Oakland-to-Boston data center relocation.
PEACE Foundation, Yale University School of Medicine — 2023 to 2024
Designed and built a full-body balance measurement device to study cognition and movement in neurological patients, automating data collection across ASD, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and schizophrenia patient populations. Presented findings at ISEC 2024; co-authored results accepted for publication in JAMA (2025).
Northeastern University, Boston MA — Expected May 2029
Coursework: Calculus 2, Physics 2, Chemistry, Cornerstone of Engineering 2, First-Year Writing.
Northeastern University — 2025 to present
Anchor the epee team toward the 2026 Collegiate Fencing Club National Championship; lead scheduling, logistics, recruitment, and practice design for the full roster.
Marx Fencing Academy — 2018 to 2025
USA Fencing rating A25 · #103 national / #122 global rank · Top-16 World Cup · All-American (2021–2025).
The fastest way to reach me is email — I check it more than anything else.
lai.ae@northeastern.edu