Marc Anthony Hernandez

Marc Anthony Hernandez

UCLA Electrical and Computer Engineering Ph.D. Student

Curriculum Vitae

EDUCATION:

University of California Los Angeles, School of Engineering
Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering (Expected 2030)
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Ankur Mehta

University of Washington - Seattle, College of Engineering
B.S. in Electrical Engineering (Received 2023)
(Dean’s list - SPR. 2020, SUM. 2020, FALL 2020, WIN. 2021, SPR. 2021, WIN. 2022)

RESEARCH EXPERIENCE:

Automated Domain-Understanding and Collaborative Agency
University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA (Sep. 2023 - Present)

  • Curated a custom dataset of over 10,000 images categorizing vehicles into groups depending on manufacturer-specified body style classes (Sedan, Pickup Truck, etc.) with normalized bounding box coordinates (Available Here)
  • Correlated vehicle Make and Model to manufacturer-specified vehicle curb weights using publicly available web-scrapped data and the CompCars Dataset.
  • Developed a custom computer vision object detection model based on You-Only-Look-Once (YOLOv5) architecture in a Pytorch Framework used to identify vehicles by body style and derive an estimated mass.
  • Investigating an adaptive Kalman filter object tracking method that seeks to estimate and update vehicle mass estimation using prior knowledge and linear dynamics analysis of agent properties.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:

NASA Pathways Internship, Flight Controller (CRONUS Discipline)
NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX (July 2022 - Sep. 2022)

  • Updated baseplate temperature computations in accordance with flight rules used to improve data reliability for staff monitoring the avionics systems onboard the International Space Station.
  • Modified standard avionics system software using a Linux-based virtual environment to include new system requirements that will provide staff with additional monitoring functionality and reduce system reconfiguration time during LOS or adverse mission conditions.
  • Learned Cronus commanding fundamentals for the avionic systems on the International Space Station. ISS Command Certification was received on September 16th.
  • Analyzed the International Space Station’s computer architecture to understand methods of troubleshooting when the system’s response is not nominal.
  • Developed peer-to-peer communication skills while working in a high-pressure environment requiring efficient and active participation for extended durations.

NASA Pathways Internship, Simulation Software Developer
NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX (March 2022 - July 2022)

  • Integrated real-time eye-tracking in C# for a VR lunar surface simulation used to modulate player vision in response to emulated lunar lighting conditions.
  • Measured VR headset capabilities and limitations while performing video passthrough, Chroma Key effects, and positional-based video passthrough.
  • Led a demonstration of an extended reality lunar lander simulation to advise the project manager on design considerations and applications for their six-degree-of-freedom motion base simulator.
  • Performed an interdisciplinary study on the motion base washout system used to define, tune, and control the hexapod’s behavior during software applications.
  • Learned the fundamentals of a Linux simulation framework and used the software to commence the development of a time-based physics response algorithm to replicate the input of a flight controller.

NASA Pathways Internship, Radiation Engineer
NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX (Aug. 2021 - Dec. 2021)

  • Conducted an interdisciplinary study on Radiation Hardness Assurance and heavy-ion Single-Event Effects and their impact on electronics for space missions taking place beyond Low-Earth Orbit.
  • Created a MOSFET characterization and Post-Irradiation Gate Stress test used to evaluate and identify the component’s regions of operation, transconductance and reveal latent damage to the silicon substrate using LabVIEW and lab equipment.
  • Participated in standard heavy-ion radiation testing outlined in MIL-STD-750 using the K500 Superconducting Cyclotron at Texas A&M on MOSFETs, sensors, and volatile/non-volatile memory.
  • Preformed post-irradiation gate stress tests on irradiated MOSFETs and correlated their abnormal behavior to different forms of Single-Event Effects as outlined in NESC-RP-19-01489.
  • Compiled and graphically represented MOSFET performance data to determine a level of confidence in the component’s survivability in its intended radiation environment.
  • Programmed a proof of concept test with the Modular Integrated Stackable Layers (MISL) PCBs for a new conformal coating material of interest to the branch executive team.

DEVELOPED CAREER SKILLS:

Key Technical Skills:

  • Proficient understanding of creating linear feedback control systems using computational and analytical techniques such as transfer functions, state-space systems, and Bode/Nyquist plots in Python
  • Knowledgeable in PCB design, firmware development, and system integration with mechanical components.
  • Seasoned in developing Embedded Systems using bit manipulation, timers/counters, schedulers, FREE-RTOS, and serial interfaces (I2C & SPI)
  • Experienced in modeling, simulating, and synthesizing complex digital systems with the Verilog hardware description language utilizing an FPGA circuit
  • Practiced in programming and testing Virtual Reality and extended Reality simulation software.
  • Proficient understanding of fundamental concepts in computer vision object detection and object tracking using the PyTorch Framework
  • Experienced in designing a custom computer vision dataset in the Pascal VOC and YOLO annotation format
  • Knowledgable in Linear Dynamic System analysis and its application towards Kalman filtering object detection strategies for image localization smoothing and occlusion circumvention

Key Soft Skills:

  • Expert in group facilitation and lesson planning focused on catalyzing student growth
  • Tested communication skills in high-pressure environments that require efficient and active participation for extended durations
  • Experienced in conducting real-world examinations under time & budget constraints with advanced equipment to gather and evaluate test data
  • Learned in developing technical documentation standard company guidelines for recreation by 3rd-party
  • Vetted public speaking skills developed through employment evaluations and quarterly progress reports describing project goals, contributions, and areas of improvement
  • Developed large group lesson plans that fostered discipline, character, and leadership in students
  • Provided junior colleagues with critical strategies to improve their effectiveness and confidence in group class instruction
  • Fostered conflict resolution skills through the implementation of anonymous communication pipelines for community members to submit their personal, professional, or moral concern

Programming Language Experience: Python, C, C#, C++, SystemVerilog, JavaScript, Bash

Software Experience: Anaconda, Jupyter Notebook, Unity Engine, Ni MultiSim, Quartus Prime, LTSpice, Plexim, LabVIEW, PSoC Creator, Altium Designer, SolidWorks, Arduino, VSCode, MS Office, Git, PyTorch, TensorFlow, TensorRT, ONNXRuntime, Scikit Learn, OpenCV, CUDA Toolkit, OpenXR Toolkit

RELEVANT EXTRACURRICULAR EXPERIENCE:

VR Software Developer
The Seattle Public Library, Seattle, WA (Dec. 2020 - July 2021)

  • Developed an interactive world using the Unity Engine with the goal of lessening the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of adolescents ages 13 - 17.
  • Organized routine playtesting sessions and gathered data on the testers’ experiences, software bugs, and hardware performance used to implement program optimizations and modifications.

Electronics Subsystem Team Member
Husky Robotics, Seattle, WA (Oct. 2020 - Jan. 2022)

  • Designed a CAN communication system using an ARM Cortex-M0 microcontroller to configure and query the power distribution board for real-time updates
  • Derived a finite-state machine for a power distribution board that monitors rail properties and battery life from INA226 using i2c protocol

AWARDS AND HONORS:

  • Washington State Opportunity Scholarship (Sep. 2018 - June 2023)
  • Myly U. Vu SeaTec Consulting Endowment Scholarship (Sep. 2022)
  • Annual Dean’s List 2020-2021 (June 2021)
  • Quarterly Dean’s List (SPR. 2020 - SPR. 2021, WIN. 2022)
  • Honors Undergraduate Scholar Award (Sep. 2018 - June 2022)
  • College of Engineering Dean Scholarship (Sep. 2018 - June 2020)
  • Direct admission to the College of Engineering and Honors College (Sep. 2018)
  • Olga and James McEwing Endowed Scholarship (Sep. 2018)

ADDITIONAL EXTRACURRICULARS:

  • University of Washington Boxing Team (Nov. 2018 - June 2022)
  • Sigma Lambda Beta Fraternity - President, Vice President, Secretary (Oct. 2020 - Sep. 2022)
  • Mixed Martial Arts Head Instructor (Jan. 2013 - Sep. 2020)
  • Student Body President (Sep. 2017 - June 2018)