Andrew Blackwell
Current BSc. in Computer Science, Mathematics, Appalachian State University.
About
I’m Andrew, a current student and aspiring Software Engineer with a focus on high-performance computing, low-latency and distributed systems, and deep software/hardware optimization. I thrive on outthinking the competition and developing unique solutions that challenge conventional thinking. I'm an advocate of perpetual learning, optimism, resilience, and constant self-improvement. Beyond software, I'm an active Poker player and competitive programmer (HackerRank, Leetcode, Kattis) (ACM ICPC). I'm also a huge foodie, and I enjoy exploring new cuisines and cooking for myself and others. Ich kann ein bisschen Deutsch, 我正在学习中文.
Skills
Experience
CS 3481 Teaching AssistantCC++AssemblyTeaching
Appalachian State University
Research AssistantPythonMathematicsData Science
Appalachian State University
Independent Private TutorMathematicsStatisticsTeaching
(Unofficially) Appalachian State University
Projects
Aegis
Created an experimental ray tracing engine in CUDA, achieving an 89.8x speedup (~9,000%) on an NVIDIA A100 GPU compared to baseline C++ implementations. The project improved computational efficiency by 79% through the use of Bounding Volume Hierarchies and reduced memory usage by 46% with optimized data structures and kernel execution. This work combined fundamental ray tracing techniques with advanced GPU parallelism, integrating Monte Carlo integration, light transport, and efficient scene management to explore the potential of GPU-accelerated rendering.
GRASP
Developed an advanced C++ framework for implementing Counterfactual Regret Minimization (CFR) algorithms, designed for the exploration and analysis of extensive-form zero-sum games with imperfect information. Achieved a 95% reduction in simulation time and a 17.4x speedup in strategy convergence, enabling near-optimal play in Kuhn Poker with over 1,000,000 iterations processed in seconds.
Go-Boy Advance
Built a GameBoy Advance Emulator in Go as a technical deep dive into low-level systems programming and hardware emulation. Not hosted on GitHub for legality, but code is available on request. Features include accurate CPU emulation, memory management, and pixel-perfect graphics rendering.
GoGrab
Developed a blazing-fast HTTP downloader optimized for large-scale data transfers. Leveraged Go's concurrency model to achieve 3.8x faster downloads compared to wget and curl, with features including resumable transfers, rate limiting, and custom HTTP header support. Designed to efficiently handle datasets over 10GB with 42% reduced bandwidth overhead and 2.5x faster recovery after interruptions. *Heavily* inspired on other existing projects of the same vein.
Ledger
Quick Web App for other self-employed students and on-campus employees who need an efficient way to log and track their work hours. streamlined API to keep track of your time, analyze your work patterns, and optimize your productivity.
Math-Speedrun
A math game for my girlfriend to play on her lunch break. Modernly styled, responsive, and compatible with most modern browsers. Just for fun!
Helios
My first Raytracer in C++, implementing ray-sphere intersections, surface normals, antialiasing, diffuse materials, metal, dielectrics, a positionable camera, and defocus blur. Following along with the book 'RayTracing in One Weekend' by the great Dr. Peter Shirley over at NVIDIA.
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