"People think that computer science is the art of geniuses but the actual reality is the opposite, just many people doing things that build on each other, like a wall of mini stones."
- David Knuth
"My computer beat me at checkers, but I sure beat it at kickboxing!"
- Unknown
About Me
Who am I?
My name is Javier Taylor. I am a Software Engineer and a graduate from the University of Michigan College of Engineering, where I studied Computer Science and Entrepreneurship. I grew up in Ypsilanti, MI, and my roots lie in the hills of Tennesse and the coasts of the Dominican Republic.How did I get here?
Before going to college I had never written a line of code in my life. I chose the University of Michigan because it was close, I loved the sports teams, and I thought I was going to be a mechanical engineer. But, when I took my first programming course, I realized that I had found something that I really enjoyed, so I threw myself into it. I started going deeper into the major, working in class and on my own to hone my programming abilities. I worked to develop teamwork and leadership through group projects and organizations that I was a part of, and it shaped the way that I look at development. I took courses ranging from entrepreneurial creativity to operating systems, and the more that I learned, the better I became at working through any problem that was thrown my way.After graduating I took a few months to do service in Detroit then moved out to Seattle, WA, where I currently reside. I have taken all of the skills that I learned at Michigan and used them, stretched them, and built on them as an Software Engineer at Amazon and Blink. Every day brings a different challenge, and I welcome them to be able to grow from overcoming them.
What should you know about me?
I love to program. I hope that will become obvious to you when you look at all that I have to show you. But, I will not pretend that is the only thing that I love to do, as that would be unfortunate. I love to travel, explore, and hang out with friends, preferably all together. I have been to many parts of the US, though some of my favorite places to go are on the sand dunes and shores of the Great Lakes. I love to sail, to read, to eat good food, and to watch sports games. I love cars, camping, and physical activity, such as playing football, soccer, basketball, or rugby, or lifting weights and exercising. I am passionate about my Christian faith and I am deeply involved in it and in representing its ideals to the world. I strive to work hard and be honest in all that I do, and to serve others with my actions and relations.Why are you here?
Clearly, I do not know why you are here. Maybe you are a recruiter, maybe you are a friend, maybe you saw my GitHub and followed a link, or maybe you just randomly found my website while surfing the Web. Whatever it is, I would just like to show you a little bit about myself. There are links at the top to different sections, so just scroll around and see if there is anything you like. Enjoy!Resume
Education
University of Michigan
2014 - 2018
Computer Science, B.S.E.
Minor in Entrepreneurship
Relevant Course Subjects:
- Operating Systems
- Artificial Intelligence
- Computer Security
- Web Database and Information Systems
- Accessible Software System Design
- Data Structures and Algorithms
- Computer Organization
- Digital Logic Design
- Computational Theory
- Entrepreneurial Business Basics
- Entrepreneurial Creativity
- Venture/Customer Analysis
- Linear Algebra
- Discrete Mathematics
- Statistics and Data Analysis
- Engineering Design-Build-Test: Underwater Vehicle Design
- Technical Communication
- Research Ethics
Experience
Blink Health
Software Engineer 2
August 2021 - March 2023
- Software Engineer on the backend patient information and order flow management team
- Worked on projects related to automating different portions of the order flow, such as automating drug refills through texts, saving hub agents 2,000+ hours/week company-wide
- Implemented new features in the order flow and prescription refill system to onboard new pharmaceutical partners, working with Python frameworks built on AWS
- Managed internal survey service by adding features to expand question types supported, updating documentation and usage directions, migrating metrics clients
- Ran standup meetings, wrote and reviewed design docs, kept documentation for team processes and codebases updated, and worked on OE and on-call improvements
Amazon
Software Development Engineer
August 2018 - August 2021
- Software Development Engineer on the Personalization Tools and Testing Team building tools to improve quality and efficiency of development of recommender systems
- Owned design, development, management, and expansion of performance and recommendations result comparator testing service, creating metrics engine to track usage statistics and manage fleet scaling to optimize tool efficiency and host sharing process that saved 35% of test host cost for division
- Worked with internal customers to gather requirements for projects and design, implement, and iterate on solutions to address customer pain points
- Worked to improve team operational excellence, continuously optimizing ops processes and leading the reduction of team software security risks by 94%
- Planned and implemented changes for tools related to automated testing and production release scheduling while maintaining high standards for code quality
- Served as Scrum Master for my team, Project Lead for multiple projects, and Technical Interviewer
YouthWorks-Detroit
DSO Intern
May - July 2018
- Worked with StreetTeam, a program that hires high school aged students from Detroit to work on service projects in the city and to develop them as leaders and upstanding citizens
- Helped to lead a "crew" of students and interns on service projects such as painting, weeding, boarding up houses, cleaning, and serving the homeless
- Worked to resolve conflicts, plan outdoor events, organize and lead leadership seminars, plan games, and maintain a set schedule while teaching youth practical life and job readiness skills
Amazon
Software Development Engineer Intern
May - July 2017
- Drafted, documented, designed, implemented, and tested full stack of project that monitored, automated, and collected data on site infrastructure failover tests
- Used Jasmine, Protractor, and Visual Studio testing tools to build automated test suites for complex web apps developed with .NET framework
- Used JRuby on Rails and MySQL to create internal tool for site technician use that gathered and analyzed network data and cut testing time down by over 75%
Servant Systems
Software Engineering Intern
May - Aug. 2016
- Worked on a team of Software Engineers and Interns to develop and test software for companies in the franchising industry using agile process management and scrum methodology for development
- Used Jasmine, Protractor, and Visual Studio testing tools to build automated test suites for complex web apps developed with .NET framework
- Wrote production-level code using JavaScript, AngularJS, NodeJS, and C#
TrailTuff Nets, LLC
Co-Founder
July 2012 - May 2018
- Co-Founded small company that produces polypropylene cargo nets for Jeeps, marketed for off-roading
- Produces and sells nets for roughly 65% profit to domestic and international customers
- Designed website and product, managed products and orders, and worked to streamline processes
Michigan Research Community
Peer Mentor and Study Group Leader
Sept. 2015 - April 2016
- Organized and led activities to build community, led first year students through transition to college and research
- Led study group for Engineering 101: Introduction to Computers and Computing for the Michigan Research Community and the Women in Science and Engineering Residence Program
- Planned lessons, held exam review sessions and office hours, reviewed code, and walked through basic programming concepts
University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute
Research Assistant in Driver Interface Group
Sept. 2014 - April 2015
- Helped to run experiments, assisted in report drafting, reviewing, and editing, coded scenarios for MiniSim driving simulator for experimental use
- Worked in teams to draft experiment reports, author simulator experiments, and accomplish all experiment related tasks. Learned teamwork, research methods, system optimization concepts
- Co-author: Green, P., Echols, S., and Taylor, J. (2014). Crash Warning Systems: The Human Factors
This is just a quick overview and summary of some of my experience. You can find my full descriptions on my Linkedin profile. Also, you can click on the pictures in the descriptions above to go to the websites of the organizations. Click here for my resume in PDF format.
What I Do And Know
As a student at the University of Michigan I have had the opportunity to get involved in many activities, take a bunch of cool courses, and to work with others to learn a lot. Through the clubs, communities, group projects, jobs, and classes that I have been in, I have learned a ton about programming, software development, math, engineering, leadership, teamwork, and many other skills that have made me a better worker and citizen.
I am involved in multiple student groups on campus. One of them is Code-M, formerly CSE Scholars, a group that works to spread knowledge about tech related topics by hosting company events, tech talks, tutoring sessions, and working on collaborative projects. I have been an active member and will be the president for the 2017-18 school year. I am also heavily involved in University Christian Outreach, a religious club on campus. I am on the Mission Core team, where I work to plan, lead, and run events, and I will be the co-leader for the 2017-18 school year. I have been involved in IM sports, regularly attend campus events, am a semi-regular patron of the Computer and Video Game Archive, and just generally try to have fun.
As I mentioned above, I like to code. I have attended MHacks, the UMichigan hackathon that has happened every semester for the past few years, and though I did not produce a full product with the team I lead, I learned a lot and will be back to shoot for the prize. I am eager to learn any new technologies and languages thrown at me, and tinker with new things that I run in to. I am working my way through Code Complete and am always looking to build excellence in my craft and learn as much as I can.
I am involved in multiple student groups on campus. One of them is Code-M, formerly CSE Scholars, a group that works to spread knowledge about tech related topics by hosting company events, tech talks, tutoring sessions, and working on collaborative projects. I have been an active member and will be the president for the 2017-18 school year. I am also heavily involved in University Christian Outreach, a religious club on campus. I am on the Mission Core team, where I work to plan, lead, and run events, and I will be the co-leader for the 2017-18 school year. I have been involved in IM sports, regularly attend campus events, am a semi-regular patron of the Computer and Video Game Archive, and just generally try to have fun.
As I mentioned above, I like to code. I have attended MHacks, the UMichigan hackathon that has happened every semester for the past few years, and though I did not produce a full product with the team I lead, I learned a lot and will be back to shoot for the prize. I am eager to learn any new technologies and languages thrown at me, and tinker with new things that I run in to. I am working my way through Code Complete and am always looking to build excellence in my craft and learn as much as I can.
Projects
I have included larger projects that I have worked on, discluding small bits of code and samples of my programming. To see all of my public code, check out my GitHub account.
Contact Me
