John Rugemalila
Computer Science Student & Software Developer
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B.A. in Computer Science
The University of Chicago
Relevant coursework: Data Structures & Algorithms, Software Development, Computer Systems
Skills
Languages
Frameworks & Libraries
Tools & Platforms
Experience
Software Engineer Intern
Data for Common Good – Biological Sciences Division, UChicago
- Developed a GraphQL-based ETL pipeline that consolidated data across 5+ pediatric cancer consortia
- Implemented a caching layer for AWS Lambda-queried datasets, reducing average response times by over 70%
- Optimized GraphQL performance through query consolidation, decreasing API calls by 60%
- Refactored legacy code, improving readability and enabling easier integration across research workflows
Software Developer
UChicago Computer Science Instructional Laboratory (CSIL)
- Developed SemaDoc, an in-house AI-powered documentation tool used across 8 teams, reducing documentation time from hours to minutes using LLM-powered workflows
- Architected the FastAPI backend for SemaDoc, integrating async Trello APIs, Ollama-hosted LLMs, and MongoDB to support 500+ concurrent users with sub-100ms database operations
- Contributed to rewriting the CSIL website using Next.js and Node.js, serving 5,000+ UChicago students
- Built a secure alumni database system with a FastAPI backend, enabling efficient data entry and search
Software Development Research Assistant
Amyoli Internet Research Lab
- Contributed to the development of Water On My Block (LINK), a full-stack flood reporting platform empowering South Side Chicago residents to document, visualize, and validate local flooding events
- Built a responsive React.js frontend, including a 9-step progressive form capturing 18+ flood metrics
- Designed a RESTful backend using Node.js, Express.js, and MongoDB with JWT-based route protection
- Configured and deployed to AWS EC2 with NGINX reverse proxy and SSL/TLS encryption
Projects
Developed a robust monolithic Spring Boot application supporting 47 REST endpoints across 10 controllers, enabling core LMS functionalities including assignments, notes, and timed tests. Implemented secure JWT-based authentication with role-based access control and BCrypt password hashing, safeguarding user data and access control for teachers, students, and admins.
Developed a HTTP/1.1 server, supporting persistent connections, static file serving, and custom route handling. Implemented concurrent request handling using goroutines and channels, achieving 100+ simultaneous connections with sub-50ms response times.
lzw-file-compressor
Implemented a Lempel–Ziv–Welch compression and decompression system in C, enabling lossless file encoding. Handled edge cases such as recursive decoding and unknown codes by implementing prefix-based table traversal.
Activities and Organizations
Kappa Theta Pi – Director of Technology
Organized professional events, led hackathons, and managed internal tech projects
compileHer – Teacher
Created CS curriculum and led coding workshops for kids