Software Design & Engineering

Headshot of the author

About Me

My name is Hunter Leavitt and I am a recent graduate of the University of Utah, having majored in Computer Science and minored in Business. I initially studied Finance when beginning my undergraduate degree before pivoting to Computer Science about a year in. This decision came as a result of my self-study of the Python language, where I utilized the text by Shaw, Learn Python the Hard Way, as my guide (a resource I still personally recommend for new learners with the official course accessible here). True to that texts' name, I came to the realization that I was indeed learning about computing the "hard way" and decided to make my studies official in order to bolster my efforts, pivoting hard into STEM.

Now that you've got some context on the path I've taken leading to the present, I'd like to share some of my interests with you; I am a deeply inquisitive individual and an avid reader, in love with hard sci-fi novels. If I am not reading such novels, then you are likely to find me reading non-fiction historical accounts. I also enjoying making things, engaging in hobbyist-level fabrication of personal physical goods with my trusty 3D printer, an internet connection, and the miracle of cheap piecemeal electronics. Lastly, I enjoy being something of a tourist and partaking in activities enjoyed by the ones I love, such as climbing with my partner or playing tennis with my grandfather.

Personally, to give something of a succinct value statement, I believe that computing is a miraculous development that should be accessible for all Humans. Through computing, people can obtain education on subjects they may not otherwise be exposed to; a parent can ascertain the status of their child in a moment of uncertainty from thousands of kilometers away, with a level of difficulty nearly commensurate with basic thought and speech. It is for the bolstering and continuance of those ideas that I chose to study Computer Science, and my hope is that with attention to my craft I can help to enable such connections.

Experience

Professionally, I have experience designing, building, and testing CRUD applications built using C#, Windows Forms, and other parts of the .NET Framework for the Automotive Aftermarket. Said applications were written to automate manual data-entry processes involving data encoded in an industry-specific XML format.

Academically, I have formally studied computer networking, system security, web application development, physical robotics, artificial intelligence, object-oriented programming and modern software development paradigms such as the Agile and Waterfall techniques. I am also one of the lead developers and principal maintainers of the OpenFarm project, which is an open-source platform for managing groups of 3D printers.

Projects