About Dan

Hi! My name is Dan and I am a Senior Computer Science major. I have been a peer mentor and student ambassador since the spring term of my freshman year. I have always loved technology, so CS is a natural fit for me. I am involved in a few activities at Drexel. I am the President and Founder of DUCSTeach, a service organization launched my freshman year as an honors project for Dr. Popyack's CS 164 class. Sophomore year, I was a teaching assistant for CS 161 and CS 172. Last year, I have assisted with CS 164, UNIV 101, and CS 275. This year I will be assisting with CS 164. I have also been a brother of Phi Sigma Pi National Honors Fraternity since spring term of my freshman year.

My first co-op was at Toll Brothers, Inc., a luxury home builder in Horsham, Pennsylvania. I worked on the Master Product Catalog team as an IT software developer, enhancing a web application built using C# .NET framework. This was a challenging and rewarding experience and I am looking forward to more jobs in the web and app development field. My second and third co-ops were at Turn 14 Distribution, a wholesale performance autoparts distributor located in Montgomeryville, PA. I worked with the LAMP stack to create a new ETA system on their e-commerce website, along with other enhancements. In Fall of 2015, they moved their headquarters into their brand home in Horsham, PA.

I look forward to meeting the new students joining or who are interested in the College of Computing and Informatics. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions!

TA Assignments and Office Hours

For Fall Quarter 2016, I will be a lab assistant and grader for CS 164, taught by Prof. Brian L. Stuart.

CS 164 - Prof. Brian L. Stuart
Sect. 060 Thursdays 11:00am - 12:50pm Curtis 231
 
Sect. 066 Wednesdays 11:00am - 12:50pm UCross 151

Here are the times that I have been assigned to hold office hours! All office hours will be held in University Crossings 152.

Day Time Place
Mondays 4 - 6pm UCross 152
If those times aren't convenient, please go to the CLC website to find the times for the other TAs who would be able to assist you with your questions in person. Feel free to contact me if you have any class specific questions that don't have to be asked in person or if you wanted to schedule a more mutually agreeable time.

A Few Accomplishments

DUCSTeach Logo

DUCSTeach, President and Founder

DUCSTeach is a student led team of volunteers from Drexel University providing technical assistance to local schools and community groups in need. Our current efforts are based on St. Francis de Sales School located near 47th and Baltimore. Our project started as a CS 164 Honors Project and has continued ever since. We're now looking to expand our program to more people from the College of Engineering and the College of Computing and Informatics. Volunteer duties can include:

  • Providing technical support to teachers and faculty of St. Francis both in person and by email
  • Volunteering to assist in teaching classes or leading clubs in technology related fields (website design, app development, etc.) with students ranging in age from K through 8th grade
  • Helping coordinate the integration of technology into classrooms by assisting teachers in learning about and applying interactive programs, websites, and presentations
  • Talking about and advocating Computer Science, Engineering, and other STEM fields to students of all genders, races, backgrounds, etc.
  • Be available for meetings with CS department coordinators, St. Francis faculty, and DUCSTeach student managers
If you would like to join our volunteering efforts for credit for UNIV 101 (only if you're in the College of Engineering or a Computer Science Major) or to just be philanthropic, you can fill out this interest form.  If you have any questions about what we do, feel free to contact the student administrators.

Drexel GPA Calculator Logo

Drexel GPA Calculator, Freshman Design Project

For my freshman design project, a group of two fellow CS majors, a CE major, and I created a fully functional GPA calculator and forecaster specifically designed for Drexel University students. This app contains most of the classes that Drexel offers, which allows users to easily calculate your current GPA as well as figure out what your GPA will be based on classes you are going to take. All users have to do is search for the class, select it, select their grade, and the app takes care of the rest. If the class isn't available, you manually enter the name of the class and the number of credits. The GPA Calculator supports Android phones and tablets with 2.3 Gingerbread OS and above, and it has been designed for use in both landscape and portrait mode. The app also includes a forecaster, which allows you to figure out what GPA you will to attain over a certain number of credits to achieve a desired GPA overall if it's possible.

How's the Wait?

How's the Wait?, Mobile App & Web Development Project

For my CS 275 final project, a group of two fellow CS majors and I created an app that recorded the wait times of local restaurants and eateries. The project currently has a website, back-end, and Android App component. The website is HTML5 with CSS functionality that allows it to run on tablet, computers, and smartphones with a consistent, easy to use user experience. To find out more about the project, click on the project name above to be taken to the project's website.

Contact Me

If you'd like to contact me about DUCSTeach, any classes that I assist with, or through the peer mentor program, feel free to email me at ziggy@drexel.edu. If you are a student of mine, please be sure to include what class you're writing about, your first and last name, your lab section number (or date and time will suffice), and your Drexel email (if you're not emailing me from it). Including all of this information in your original email will make it much easier to answer your question in a timely manner.