Ever since I was a little kid in Russia I've enjoyed technical things. I always considered myself a “math guy,” in the way elementary schoolers use the term. Other words people tend to use for people like me: analytical, pragmatic, methodical, empirical. Growing up, my conditions rewarded resilience over comfort, which made me someone who acts on life rather than reacts to it.
In college, that technical streak pushed me toward computer science and everything orbiting it. That said, I never want my learning fenced in by the confines of my major. Here are some things I spend my time on, in case they fill in the picture. This isn't all that I do, talk to me to find out more!
Tech and Building
- AIBuilding, following safety, experimenting as the field moves.
- Building with AI and its subsidiaries using the newest tooling (MCP servers, agentic workflows, stuff of that sort). Experimenting with new models as they ship.
- Following safety research and the field, as I am one of the directors of the AI Safety Collective @ UCI.
- Research for AI literacy curriculum through UCI's Digital Learning Lab.
- Full-stack DevelopmentMy training ground for applying AI development.
- At this point I can build almost anything quickly. This bullet is a catch-all for “application of AI development.” It is where the ideas from the AI bucket get tested.
- Check out what I've built on my projects page.
- TinkeringNerdy stuff that makes things better.
- Building PCs, Linux, Neovim, anything in that genre. I just love to tinker and see how to make things better.
- A min-maxer sorta guy who sometimes gets nerd sniped.
Mind and Growth
- Self-educationA core part of my identity.
- I want to get good at things, so I spend my time learning from people smarter than me. A lot of it shows up on my education page.
- Reading, podcasts (I walk a lot), long conversations with people unlike me, “philosophy.”
- Long-form YouTube essays/lectures, blogs/Substacks, Twitter/X for live AI/tech discourse.
Creative / Personal
- MusicI like it, mostly as background noise.