Hi, I'm Damien Staebler
I'm undergraduate student at University of Tennessee Knoxville studying Computer Engineering.
Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA
My Skillset
Arch Linux
NeoVim
Python
C/C++
TypeScript
Java
Education
Tickle College of Engineering at the University of Tennessee
Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering • 2025 - 2027
Pellissippi State Community College
Associate of Science • 2023 - 2025
- Grade: 3.92
- In my two years at Pellissippi State Community College (PSCC), I have:
- * Interned at PSCC to mentor a group of high school students to be successful at their internships.
- * Redesigned and developed a brand-new website for a local non-profit cat rescue organization.
- * Co-founded Engineers of PSCC, and as a group, we've learned and developed our very own rocket and avionics.
- * Obtained an internship at Oak Ridge National Laboratory for researching state-of-the-art AI/ML algorithms/methodologies for detecting cancer under a tissue sample.
Professional Experience
HPC AI/ML Intern
Oak Ridge National Laboratory
May 2025 – Aug 2025
- Developed an end-to-end cancer classification pipeline using Frontier, the world’s fastest high-performance computing (HPC) system.
- Designed a Vision Transformer-based embedding model that improved classification accuracy by 15% compared to CNN-based ResNet50 architectures.
Software Mentor
RoboGenesis
Aug 2024 – Present
- Mentoring a San Diego-based FTC team on electronics selection, sensor integration, and Java programming for autonomous control.
- Guiding the team on software best practices and troubleshooting to enhance competition performance.
Avionics Lead / Webmaster
Engineers of Pellissippi
Jan 2024 – May 2025
- Led avionics development for a NASA-sponsored Space Grant Midwest Rocketry Club project, building an Arduino-based system to collect real-time flight data.
- Designed and maintained the club’s official website to document technical progress and showcase engineering milestones.
Freelance Web Developer
Rockin Community Cats
Jun 2024 – Aug 2024
- Developed a custom website using TypeScript and Bootstrap, replacing a Wix subscription to save the non-profit over $500 annually.
- Managed site deployment and hosting via Cloudflare to ensure high availability and performance.
Tech Internship
Pellissippi State Community College
May 2024 – Aug 2024
- Guided and supported high school students throughout their tech internships to help them succeed.
- Coordinated with program staff to keep internship running smoothly and address any challenges.
Lead Software Developer
FIRST Robotics (Team 10092)
Oct 2022 – Jun 2023
- Designed and implemented Java-based systems for competition robots, including autonomous control using PID loops fused with multiple sensors.
- Developed computer vision solutions using OpenCV to automate robot functions and optimize driver strategy.
- Achieved multiple awards including Think 1st, Inspire 2nd, and Innovate 2nd at regional competitions.
Projects
SmilesBot
An open-source Discord bot designed for students and educators to visualize chemical structures. It renders SMILES (Simplified Molecular Input Line Entry System) strings into high-quality molecular images in real-time.
Skills Obtained
Python
RDKit
Discord.py
Molecular Visualization
SoundcoreDesktop
A desktop application that emulates the official Soundcore mobile app. This involved reverse-engineering Bluetooth communication protocols using Wireshark to enable desktop control of hardware features.
Skills Obtained
Python
Tkinter
Wireshark
Bluetooth Protocols
Reverse Engineering
TouchPortal-API
A Python library created to streamline the development of TouchPortal plugins. It abstracts complex socket communication, allowing developers to build hardware-software integrations with minimal boilerplate code.
Skills Obtained
Python
Socket Programming
API Design
Library Development
Get in Touch
I'm currently open to new opportunities. If you would like to connect, feel free to reach out.