"Jake" Zhi Wang

Full Stack Software Engineer

I build pixel-perfect, engaging, and accessible digital experiences.

about

education

experience

projects

publications

jakewangzhi@gmail.com

ABOUT

Motivated software engineer with 3 years of professional development experience in both front-end and back-end development, currently pursuing a master's degree in Computer Science at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Proficient in TypeScript/JavaScript, Java, Python and C++, and skilled in using Visual Studio, IntelliJ, and Eclipse development tools. Experienced in program development, optimization, refactoring, and testing.

Adaptable and eager to learn new technologies and coding languages.

EDUCATION

University of Illinois Urbana - Champaign

May 2025

Master of Computer Science

GPA: 3.95

Relevant Courses:

Software Engineering I

Topics in Software Engineering

Database Systems

Applied Machine Learning

Cloud Networking

Cloud Computing Applications

Advanced Data Management

User-Centered Machine Learning

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Dec 2020

Bachelor of Computer Engineering

GPA: 3.53

Relevant Courses:

Algs. & Data Str.

Intro to OS

Internet Programming

Intro: AI

Robotics

Comp Arch & Machine Org

Form Lang and Autom.

Animation & Planning in Games

Programming Graphics and Games

EXPERIENCE

May 2025 - Present

Founding Engineer

Spearheaded full-stack development initiatives using Node.js, Next.js, TypeScript, and Firebase, delivering performant, scalable legal-tech features that enhance attorney-client interactions and reduce operational complexity
Championed engineering best practices to optimize frontend responsiveness and backend reliability—driving down user friction and shaping the foundation of a platform serving underserved legal populations
Collaborated closely with product and design teams in an in-person, high-ownership environment to iterate rapidly and deploy code that directly influenced OpenLaw's growth and vision

May 2024 - May 2025

Lead Graduate Course Assistant - Database Systems

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Support 500+ students in Database Systems by answering database-related questions, providing guidance, and tracking their progress
Design, test, and grade 100+ machine problems in SQL, MySQL, MongoDB, and Neo4j, ensuring alignment with course objectives and student learning outcomes
Collaborate with teaching staff to refine course content and delivery, fostering an engaging and effective learning environment

Sep 2024 - Dec 2024

Tech Lead - Volunteer

Illinois Enactus - Jila

Led the development of Jila, a multilingual, community-driven app serving 1,000+ Q’anjob’al users, using Next.js, React Native, and PostgreSQL, in collaboration with a cross-functional team
Designed the core app architecture, optimizing database design, API integration, and scalability to streamline team-led feature development and seamless feature integration
Mentored and delegated tasks to 5 junior developers, fostering their technical growth while ensuring alignment with project objectives and cross-functional collaboration

Jun 2021 - Aug 2023

Software Engineer

Operated efficiently in a fast-paced startup environment, managing up to 8 different projects, requiring the use of various languages and tech stacks
Collaborated with UX and engineering teams to plan and implement numerous in-demand features across 6 concurrent apps, employing technologies such as Next.js, Node.js, Nest.js, and React.js
Engaged in full-stack web development and maintenance for a high-traffic Java site serving over 50,000 users with Spring and Vue.js
Implemented a client portal website within a month to improve communication and better monitor project progress between project managers and clients, using React.js & Node.js
Enhanced features and resolved bugs for a biking mobile app on the App Store, utilizing React Native and Expo for the front-end and NestJS and PostgreSQL for the back-end, integrating Google Maps for route calculations
Developed a Slack app within two weeks, providing an efficient solution for recording pool matches through Supabase serverless functions
Reduced web page response times by over 10 seconds by refactoring a complex Express.js & MongoDB back-end to Nest.js & PostgreSQL, leveraging Prisma ORM for data management and Jest for unit testing
Contributed to software design, conducted code reviews, and provided constructive feedback to improve code quality and maintainability
Designed and built quality RESTful APIs for various applications and integrated APIs across multiple projects
Coordinated with the team to define execution plans and managed tasks effectively using Jira & Favro
Interacted professionally with clients to understand their needs and provide daily technical assistance

Feb 2018 - Aug 2018

Undergraduate Research Assistant

University of St. Thomas

Studied defects in ferroelectric materials by analyzing data and change-related parameters in Fortran
Used Matlab to develop graphs to map data, and assist the team to better visualize the data
Submitted formulas to Minnesota SuperComputing Institute for more efficient processing
Collaborated with other research assistants to combine and analyze our results
Designed and wrote a manual for further research

Jul 2017 - Aug 2017

Undergraduate Research Assistant

University of St. Thomas

Simulated various magnetic fields to research the relationship between different shapes of magnetic materials and their unique properties on OOMMF (The Object Oriented Micromagnetic Framework)
Independently recorded, analyzed and summarized results; contributed to published research
Designed professional presentations to present findings to the professor and the research team

PERSONAL PROJECTS

(All my source code can be found at my GitHub)

May 2023 - Present

Lil Networking

Developed a multi-platform Progressive Web App using Next.js and a native mobile app using Expo, featuring OAuth-based authentication via LinkedIn and Google for secure user login
Designed intuitive user interfaces with TailwindCSS and Material-UI, enhancing navigation and interaction while integrating push notifications to keep users engaged
Built a scalable backend with PostgreSQL and Prisma ORM, optimizing data management and retrieval for a seamless user experience
Deployed the application and added analytics on Vercel to better understand user preferences

April 2024 - May 2024

StockScope360

Designed and implemented a comprehensive stock market visualization application with a user-friendly interface
Accumulated stock prices into a single graph, enabling users to compare and analyze different stocks efficiently
Utilized Single Sign-On (SSO) through Google for secure user authentication and personalized configurations
Developed features allowing users to view stock prices for various stocks in one place, customize time frames and data frequencies, and create personalized lists of favorite stocks
Implemented currency conversion for stock prices and integrated a search bar for detailed stock information
Stored and managed all stock price data and user information using MySQL on Google Cloud Platform (GCP)
Deployed the application on Vercel

Chinese Tutoring Service Website

Designed and implemented a comprehensive static website for a Chinese language tutor using the Docusaurus framework
Developed user-friendly interfaces to facilitate easy navigation and access to tutoring resources
Integrated scheduling, booking, and emailing functionalities to streamline the tutor's appointment management
Implemented functionality allowing the client to update YouTube lessons on the site, utilizing the serverless function on Supabase to interact with YouTube lesson info data
Collaborated with the client to gather requirements and ensure the website met their needs
Deployed the website on Netlify

PUBLICATIONS

Numerical Simulations of Hydrogen Interstitial Diffusion and Ferroelectricity Degradation in Lead Titanate Films

Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics