Systems-focused full-stack engineer with AI & cyber roots
I'm Nithin Reddy Poola, a software engineer who likes building real systems—the kind that provision VMs, serve thousands of users, and still behave when something goes wrong.
At UMBC, I’ve been the engineer behind the CyberRange Platform, a full-stack cybersecurity training portal used by 1,000+ students and faculty each term. I owned the stack end-to-end (Next.js, Node/Express, Mongo/Postgres, VMware vCenter automation, SAML/SSO, Docker/NGINX, observability) and:
- Cut provisioning time by ~90% (from ~30 minutes to under 5 minutes),
- Helped deliver 99.9% uptime during lab periods, and
- Reduced account tickets by over 95% through SAML SSO and role-based access control.
I enjoy working at the intersection of systems, cloud, and AI—turning ambiguous problems into reliable services with clear SLIs and SLOs.
Experience
Software Development Engineer Intern — UMBC CSEE (CyberRange Platform) (2024 – Present)
- Architected and shipped the CyberRange Portal, replacing fragile manual VMware scripts with a self-service Next.js platform.
- Automated VMware vCenter provisioning, SAML SSO mappings, Docker/NGINX deployments, and logging/metrics pipelines.
- Built VM pools and queue-based provisioning to handle bursty class starts for 1,000+ users each term.
- Implemented secure access patterns that satisfied FERPA-driven audit and data-privacy requirements.
Graduate Assistant & Grader — UMBC (2024 – Present)
- Grader for Computer Networks and Discrete Structures, reviewing assignments, labs, and exams for large undergrad sections.
- Ran office hours and troubleshooting sessions, walking students through real-world networking and systems issues.
- Helped students move from “code that runs” to systems that scale and fail gracefully.
Web Development Intern — Oasis Infobyte (Remote) (Oct 2023 – Nov 2023)
- Built responsive dashboards and landing pages using HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and React.
- Integrated REST APIs and component-based design patterns to keep frontends maintainable and modular.
- Collaborated with designers and backend developers to ship client-facing features on tight timelines.
Data Science Intern — Small Talk Technologies (Remote) (Aug 2022 – Sep 2022)
- Developed predictive models on customer behavior data to support targeted product recommendations.
- Built data pipelines and analytics dashboards, contributing to measurable gains in user engagement and conversions.
- Worked with Python, R, and visualization tools to create clear, actionable business intelligence views.
Skills
Full-stack & frontend
- React, Next.js, TypeScript, JavaScript
- Tailwind CSS, shadcn/ui, React Three Fiber
- Building responsive dashboards, admin tools, and modern, accessible UIs.
Backend & systems
- Node.js, Express, FastAPI, Python
- PostgreSQL, MongoDB, Redis
- REST APIs, background jobs, queues, structured logging, and metrics/health checks.
Cloud, infra & automation
- Azure, AWS, Linux, Docker, NGINX
- VMware vCenter + PowerCLI, GitHub Actions, Kubernetes (fundamentals), Terraform
- TLS/SSL termination, reverse proxies, CI/CD, secrets management, and production hardening.
AI & machine learning
- PyTorch, TensorFlow, Keras, Scikit-learn
- Azure ML, Azure OpenAI, MLflow, LangChain, Hugging Face
- NLP, time-series forecasting, LSTM models, and experiment tracking.
Security & authentication
- SAML/SSO, OAuth2, OIDC, JWT
- RBAC design, audit logging, secure multi-tenant lab environments.
- Familiar with FERPA-conscious data handling and privacy-by-design principles.
Education
University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC)
Master of Science in Computer Science (2024 – 2026)
- Focus: distributed systems, cloud computing, and machine learning.
- Graduate assistant and grader for core CS courses.
Saveetha School of Engineering (SIMATS), Chennai, India
Bachelor of Engineering in Computer Science (2020 – 2024)
- GPA: 8.97/10
- Academic Topper and Subject Topper in Java Programming.
- Research interests in AI, ML, and time-series forecasting.
Certifications
- Microsoft Certified: Azure AI Engineer Associate (AI-102)
- Microsoft Certified: Azure Data Scientist Associate (DP-100)
- Microsoft Certified: Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900)
Leadership & Activities
-
UMBC Cybersecurity (CYBR) Research Assistant
Supporting cybersecurity research and infrastructure projects, including lab environments and automation. -
Cybersecurity & Hackathon Mentor
Coaching student teams on system design, cloud infrastructure, and AI-enabled applications. -
Student Builder Coach
Helping aspiring developers design, scope, and ship their first real-world projects.
Projects & Research
My work spans systems, AI, and applied analytics:
-
UMBC CyberRange Platform
Full-stack platform for provisioning isolated cybersecurity lab environments using Next.js, Node/Express, Mongo/Postgres, VMware vCenter, and SAML SSO. Focused on reliability, observability, and secure multi-tenant access. -
AgentX – AI Life Copilot
An AI-driven “life copilot” built for the Microsoft Hackathon, combining Azure OpenAI, Semantic Kernel, and mood-aware dashboards to support focus, emotional regulation, and self-reflection. -
AI Interview & Coaching Tools
Real-time interview practice tools with conversational AI, low-latency feedback, and analytics on communication and content. -
FluCast / Influenza Forecasting
Deep learning and time-series models (XGBoost, LSTM) to forecast influenza-like illness trends, exposing predictions via a service-oriented API. -
Stock Market Prediction with LSTMs
Built and evaluated deep learning models for stock price trend prediction, achieving measurable reductions in mean squared error versus baseline approaches. -
IoT-based Wireless Door Unlocking System
Cloud-connected smart lock system that expanded the control radius by ~50% using IoT hardware and secure remote access patterns. -
ZenZe — Mental Wellness & Productivity App (in progress)
Flutter-based mobile app with mood-aware theming, focus timers, AI recommendations, and subscription-based personalization.
Get in touch
I’m always interested in discussing systems design, cloud infrastructure, applied AI, or new opportunities to work on high-impact platforms.
- Location: Baltimore, MD
- Email: nithinpoolareddy@gmail.com
- LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/nithinreddypoola
- GitHub: github.com/poolanithinreddy
- Website: nithinreddy.com