Todd Dong

About me

Swim Photo 1

Todd Dong Bio

"I am a CS student at Carnegie Mellon University and a member of the Varsity swim team. Being a student-athlete requires a high level of commitment, discipline, and time management, and I take pride in applying that same dedication to my academic and professional pursuits. I am currently working toward a degree in Computer Science with a concentration in Machine Learning."

Born in Cleveland, moved to Nashville
Passion for exploring new places
Love trying new food
Enjoy going to the gym
Love meeting new people

Experience

Carnegie Mellon University

Bachelor of Science in Computer Science, ML Concentration

2024 - Present
Carnegie Mellon University logo
Pittsburgh, PA

Expected May 2027. Extracurriculars: CMU Varsity Swim and Dive, Volunteer swim lessons coach, Asian Student Association, ScottyLabs, HackCMU.

CMU Varsity Swim Team

Division III Athlete

2024 - Present
CMU Varsity Swim Team logo
Pittsburgh, PA

Competing at the Division III varsity level. Achievements: CMU Top 10 all time (7th, 100 free), School Record Holder (400 free relay), USA Swimming Scholastic All American (4x), CMU Conference Team.

University of Alaska Anchorage AI Lab

Software Engineering Intern

Jun 2025 - Aug 2025
University of Alaska Anchorage AI Lab logo
Anchorage, AK

Led project as the sole software developer for a user-friendly text assist application for individuals with hearing-impairments. Implemented OpenAI Whisper for high accuracy speech recognition to convert live audio and uploaded mp3 files to text. Deployed full stack solution combining speech to text, LLMs, and user database system using Django framework.

Carnegie Mellon Human Computer Interaction Institute

Machine Learning Research Assistant

Aug 2025 - Present
Carnegie Mellon Human Computer Interaction Institute logo
Pittsburgh, PA

Replicated, extended, and optimized ML pipelines for AI Collaborative Learning, improving reliability and scalability. Cleaned up, optimized, and documented over 50% of previous existing codebase increasing runtime efficiency by 18%. Recreated and hand documented 1,000+ test results to ensure cross-run consistency and improve model benchmarking.

First Citizens Bank

Incoming Software Engineering Intern

2026
First Citizens Bank logo
Raleigh, NC

Upcoming software engineering internship at First Citizens Bank.

Projects

Artificial Neural Network for Number Recognition

Built and trained a 3-layer neural network with TensorFlow on 60,000 MNIST image dataset to classify handwritten digits

Problem

Handwritten digit recognition requires robust models that work across varied image dimensions and real-world inputs

System

3-layer neural network with image normalization, grayscale conversion, resizing, inversion, and center of mass alignment. Trained using Adam optimizer achieving peak accuracy in 5 epochs

Impact

Improved classification accuracy from 92% to 98% on real-world inputs, achieving peak accuracy in less than 30 seconds

PythonTensorFlowNeural NetworksComputer Vision

AI Nutrition Estimator

HackCMU 2025 AI Track project: Calorie estimation system with 85-95% accuracy for common foods

Problem

Nutrition tracking requires accurate calorie estimation across diverse food items and serving sizes

System

Full-stack application combining frontend, backend, SQL database, and USDA food database for comprehensive food search system

Impact

Led complete project lifecycle from ideation through deployment, achieving 85-95% accuracy for common foods

PythonHTMLJavaScriptSQLUSDA API

AI Workout Assistant for CMU Swim Team

Wrapped OpenAI's API to generate tailored routines supporting 1 million+ unique plans for any sport or workout goals

Problem

Generic workout plans don't adapt to individual needs, goals, and constraints for athletes

System

AI-powered recommendation system that generates personalized gym and cardio routines based on user preferences and goals

Impact

Created personalized routines for 20+ teammates during swim offseason, helping maintain strength and conditioning. Resulted in personal weight loss of over 10 lbs

JavaScriptHTMLCSSOpenAI API

Bookly

A modern book management and tracking application

Problem

Users need an efficient way to manage, track, and organize their reading lists and book collections

System

Full-stack application with intuitive interface for book discovery, tracking reading progress, and managing personal libraries

Impact

Provides users with a streamlined solution for organizing their reading journey and discovering new books

JavaScriptReactNode.jsDatabase

AI Wordle Game

Designed and programmed traditional Wordle as well as a computer guessing mode, with advanced hints based on user input and multiple guessing algorithms

Problem

Wordle games lack intelligent computer opponents with varying difficulty levels and adaptive hint systems

System

Python-based Wordle implementation with traditional gameplay and AI computer mode featuring multiple guessing algorithms and advanced hint generation based on user input

Impact

Created an engaging word puzzle game with competitive AI opponents, demonstrating algorithm design and game development skills

PythonAlgorithmsGame Development

Coming soon ... 👀

Exciting new project in development

About Carnegie Mellon

My journey at one of the world's leading computer science programs

Carnegie Mellon University

Carnegie Mellon University

Expected Graduation: May 2027
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Degree Program

Bachelor of Science in Computer Science with concentration in Machine Learning

Relevant Courses

Fundamentals of ProgrammingImperative ComputationMathematical Foundations for Computer ScienceFunctional ProgrammingComputer SystemsLinear Transformations

Extracurriculars

CMU Varsity Swim and DiveVolunteer Swim CoachAsian Student AssociationScottyLabsHackCMU
#1
CS Ranking (US News)
#2
AI Ranking
#1
Software Engineering
#1
Cybersecurity

Awards & Accolades

Recognition and achievements across academics, athletics, and leadership

High School Highlights

Awards & Recognition

CMU Top 10 all time (7th, 100 free)
School Record Holder (400 free relay)
USA Swimming Scholastic All American (4x)
CMU Conference Team
National Latin Exam Gold
Cum Laude Society
AP Scholar with Distinction

Alaska Highlights

Summer 2025 internship in Anchorage — exploring the Last Frontier

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