Jiaqi (Victoria) Duan
Engineer, Builder, ArtistAbout me
I've always been curious about how things become what they are. That question led me to psychology, computer science, and eventually AI, but it has never really changed.
That curiosity keeps leading me toward new ways of understanding the world. Psychology taught me to think about human behavior, development, and relationships. Computer science taught me how complex systems are designed, built, and evolve, while giving me the ability to turn ideas into something real. AI has become another way for me to explore how humans and intelligent systems can work together over time.
Eventually, what I learn and experience usually turns into something I can make. Sometimes it's software. Sometimes it's music, poetry, drawings, pottery, or food. The medium changes, but the process doesn't. It's simply how I make sense of the world.
My Projects
Pathways
Apr 2024 - Jan 2025
An AI-driven web application designed to facilitate self-directed learning.
- SolidJS
- TypeScript
- Vite
- Express
- OpenAI APIs
- Langchain
- Pinecone
- Firestore
Yi
Apr 2024 - Sep 2024
A SaaS web application providing comprehensive financial and business management solutions.
- React
- TypeScript
- Next.js
- Django
- Django REST Framework
- PostgreSQL
- Redux
My Skills
- TypeScript
- JavaScript (ES6+)
- Python
- Java
- C++
- C
My Experience
Founder & AI Systems Engineer
Siltpoke - RemoteBuilding Siltpoke, a coding companion for CLI agents that reviews each turn, maps the codebase, and remembers what broke — shipped publicly, running in Claude Code, Codex, Qoder, Antigravity and CodeBuddy from one codebase.
- TypeScript
- Bun
- Hono
- Claude Code
- LLM Evaluation
- Prompt Caching
- tree-sitter
- SQLite
- OpenTelemetry
- Local-first
Founding Engineer
Ripplet - RemoteRipplet is a mental health platform for immigrant and multicultural communities. As its sole engineer, I prototyped a HIPAA-compliant AI platform for surfacing evidence-based guidance and tracking client progress, and shipped the multilingual marketing site in front of it.
- Multi-agent Systems
- RAG
- HIPAA
- Django REST Framework
- PostgreSQL
- Redis
- Kafka
- RabbitMQ
- Next.js
- i18next
Mentor
BobaTalks - RemoteSupport international students and newcomers to tech in figuring out their path, from deciding on graduate school to exploring career directions and navigating challenges abroad
- Mentorship
- International Students
- Career Guidance
- Graduate School Advice
Individual Tutor and Grader - Deep Learning Course
UC Santa Cruz - Santa Cruz, CAHeld office hours twice weekly on deep learning — training and testing, loss functions, gradient descent, regularization — and graded assignments covering CNNs, RNNs, attention, and transformers.
- Deep Learning
- Neural Networks
- Machine Learning
- Reinforcement Learning
- Python Programming
- Communication
Graduate Student
UC Santa Cruz - Santa Cruz, CAMaster of Science in Computer Science and Engineering
- Machine Learning
- Foundations of Deep Learning
- Projects in Artificial Intelligence
- Advanced Computer Security
- Analysis of Algorithms
- Formal Methods
Full Stack Engineer & Dev Lead - AI Pathways Team
Tech4Good Lab - Santa Cruz, CALed a cross-functional team of AI researchers, web developers, and designers to build Pathways, an AI-powered self-directed learning platform — refined through multiple user studies, including pilots with university students.
- Prompt Engineering
- LLMLingua
- Pinecone
- OpenAI APIs
- User Research
- Leadership
Coding Instructor
Code For Fun - Sunnyvale, CATaught K–12 students programming fundamentals in classes ranging from 1 student to 300, and developed project-based curricula spanning game development, robotics, and web and mobile apps.
- Teaching
- Public Speaking
- Curriculum Design
- Python
- JavaScript
- Lua (Roblox)
- Scratch
Undergraduate Student
UC Santa Cruz - Santa Cruz, CABachelor of Science in Computer Science and Engineering, and Bachelor of Arts in Psychology
- Artificial Intelligence
- Applied Machine Learning
- Natural Language Processing
- Data Structures and Algorithms
- Computer Architecture
- Abnormal Psychology
- Human Learning and Memory
- Research Methods in Psychology
Grader & Tutor for Python
UC Santa Cruz - Santa Cruz, CAGraded Python assignments with automated scripts and helped students debug during office hours. Rehired by the same professor for eight consecutive quarters.
- Tutoring
- Python
- Communication
- Problem Solving
Backend Developer Intern
WayOps - RemoteReorganized the datasets behind a smart parking management system so it could serve real-time availability, improving query speed and how far the database could scale.
- SQL
- PostgreSQL
- Data Modeling
- Query Optimization
- Azure Data Studio
Animal Care Volunteer
Humane Society at Silicon Valley - Sunnyvale, CAProvided hands-on care to dogs, cats, and rabbits — looking after their well-being and comfort day to day, and preparing them for adoption into loving homes.
- Compassion and Empathy
- Responsibility
- Reliability
- Time Management
Co-founder & President - Pop Music Club
De Anza College - Cupertino, CACo-founded a music club that grew past 200 members and served as its president for two years, managing the bands and organizing events including the annual concerts and club days.
- Leadership
- Teamwork
- Communication
- Problem Solving
- Planning and organizing events
Teaching Assistant - C++ and Python Programming Courses (Beginning to Advanced)
De Anza College - Cupertino, CAAssisted in teaching C++ and Python programming courses from beginner to advanced level, holding office hours for coding problems and concepts, and grading assignments with written feedback.
- Teaching
- C++
- Python
- Student Support
CIS Lab Tutor
De Anza College - Cupertino, CATutored Computer Information Systems labs in C++ and Python, and worked with instructors to find where students kept getting stuck and change how those topics were taught.
- Teaching
- C++
- Python
- Debugging
- Curriculum Feedback
Community College Student
De Anza College - Cupertino, CACompleted required coursework for a Computer Science degree before transferring to UC Santa Cruz
- C++
- Java
- Python
- Assembly Language
- Calculus
- Discrete Mathematics
Contact me
Please contact me directly at jd.victoria.work@gmail.com or through this forum