Hi! I’m Kai
I’m a fifth-year Data Science Major at UC San Diego.
I’m fascinated with the power of technology to connect the world, and as a Data Scientist, I am passionate about bringing people closer to the things that matter most.
Outside of my studies, I love to spend my time working on computers and cars, or learning new songs on my guitar.
For any inquiries, reach me at ckni@proton.me.
Projects
Projects sorted chronologically, from newest to oldest
ChronoLit (Dec 2023)
A Python model for predicting the age of literature using able to achieve RMSE of ~50 years, reducing prediction error by 5x from baseline. Trained using ~8700 text samples from 1500-1999 acquired through Project Gutenberg APIs.
Flight Delay Predictive Model (March 2023)
A LightGBM based model for classifying severity of flight delay with 95% cross-validation accuracy using factors such as airline, location, and time. Trained on a 200+ MB dataset of over 1.9 million flights within the US.
Virtual Machine System Development (Sep 2021)
A system of 8 virtual machines set up with QEMU/KVM for software development and testing. Implemented to develop a deeper understanding of virtualization, with manually configured drivers, firmware, and kernel hooks to achieve near-native performance via single GPU-passthrough.
WS Marina (Aug 2017)
A full-stack React JS social networking web app for stock traders and investors. Features chat rooms, news feeds, and leaderboards, built with Vagrant using Babel, Bluebird, CoffeeScript, Core JS, Knex for SQL, Pry JS, and more.
Chatty App (Jul 2017)
A full-stack React JS chat room web app and server setup built using Babel, Express JS, Webpack, and Websocket, including features such as user count, user colour highlighting, and notifications.
Visual Design Projects (2014 – Present)
A variety of design projects developed over many years as a hobbyist/freelancer, featuring web, graphic, and brand design. Worked with individuals, non-profits, and student-orgs using tools including Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, and WordPress.
Experiences
Experiences sorted chronologically, from newest to oldest
Data Science Alliance (DSA)
Data Scientist
Summer 2023
Organized and ran outreach events, connected industry members, raised awareness, and served as ambassador to build a community around responsible data science. Participated in Responsible Data Working Group board meeting to revise Responsible Data Framework.
Data Science Student Society at UC San Diego (DS3 @ UCSD)
Vice President External
Oct 2022 – Present
Lead as part of executive team, manage directorial board and subcommittees. Act as point-of-contact, conduct outreach with sponsors, partners, and student organizations. Run professional events to connect industry professionals with student body.
The Catalyst at UC San Diego
Board Member, Illustrator
Sep 2022 – Present
Conduct outreach on behalf of academic research paper series, make decisions regarding timelines, recruitment, and expansion. Onboard new members, manage branding, publish online volumes, establish platform for undergraduate research.
Students for the Exploration and Development of Space at UC San Diego (SEDS @ UCSD)
Webmaster
Aug 2022 – May 2024
Build and maintain official organization website for UC San Diego’s premiere rocketry club. Overhauled brand identity and modernized website to maximize online presence.
Bytes Coding
Chief Operating Officer
Sep 2018 – Sep 2019
Founded and operated a student-run nonprofit to bring STEM educational opportunities (weekly classes, workshops) to underprivileged students in the Greater Vancouver Region.
Weltmeister
Intern
Summer 2018
Worked under product design and app development departments of Shanghai-based electric vehicle manufacturer. Conducted product research, contributed to development of EV companion app.
Gallery
The Bumper Comes Off
Cars have always been magical to me. They symbolize a freedom to explore the endless possibilities of the world. Drive safe!
From the Ground Up
I’ve always enjoyed customizing the systems and workflows around me, so it was inevitable that I eventually made the move to Linux on my personal devices. Here’s me configuring Neovim on an Arch Linux based system for my laptop.
