ppajerski1@gmail.com | (773) 368-2468 | LinkedIn
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This summer job was an opportunity to apply networking and system administration skills in a real-world environment. I installed infrastructure, configured systems, and improved checkout station reliability and speed.
I also developed a shell script to automate document archiving,ensuring consistent and reliable tax record storage.
As Open Lab staff, my main goal is assisting the users of the OpenLab with their projects and work. Through this, I gained exposure into a variety of different technical projects, including distributed LoRa networks, radio communications, CAN bus devices, and embedded microcontroller programming.
Additionally as part of my work I focus on a year-long project to improve the OpenLab in some way. My focus was on the lack of centralized information source that would allow for search and retrieval of various tools and components within the lab. This project is a multi-part, centralized app for inventory and asset tracking for the lab, leveraging SQL, Flask-Server dynamic webpages, CPanel serving and integration, and HTML/CSS page layout and design. It's been an exciting test of my skills in various applied networking, computer science, and design topics. Through this work experience I've improved in my ability to understand and communicate complex needs and ideas in projects, and developing them from inception to completion.
As a member of the Telemetry team, I was responsible for cross-team collaboration in developing the telemetry system. My specific focus was on the client telemetry app, which received telemetry packets from a software-defined radio (SDR) from the various instruments on the car. My contribution in this field was a reduction in both error rate and deployment time of the telemetry app for in-field deployment.
Aside from project contributions, I had the opportunity to join ISC at the Chicago Auto Show in 2025 as a team representative, sharing our mission and presence among Chicago Auto Show guests and industry leaders.
EcoIllini has been my greatest commitment and extracurricular learning experience in college. The hands-on, challenging nature of owning a project and collaborating with others to complete it expanded my ability in hard, technical skills, but also communication and planning.
With EcoIllini I held an Electrical and Admin team role, forming a dedicated group for the design and manufacture of the propulsion battery. Through this I gained experience in project timelines and planning, budgeting, and team leadership. Integration of the battery furthered my skills in low-voltage communications and networking, wire harnessing, and various manufacturing techniques.
In the process of our car's design and iterative build, I worked with various microcontroller architectures and Controller Area Network (CAN) integration. During the upbringing phase of the electrical system, I manufactured, tested, and integrating several CAN sensors and control boards, the efforts of which led to seamless network functionality on our car during competition.
Highschool robotics competition which was my introduction to project management and team leadership. Here I learned more about mechanical and electrical integration, motor control, and good programming practice for reliability. Through my leadership and my team's collective effort, we made it to state competitions twice in this time.
Plane Pull for Special Olympics (Sept. 2025)
Rebuilding Together (April 2026)
Valentin Torres: vjtorres@cps.edu
AP Biology teacher; Neuroscience researcher at Northwestern