Lookin' handsome. Hello! My name is Nicholas Cervania! I am a Software Engineer currently located in Calgary. I am a dedicated, results-driven, team player with a passion for the design and build of innovative technologies.

I am currently employed with Cisco Systems. In this position, I am working as part of the data team to develop back-end microservices for handing the storage and searching of incoming data streams for the Secure Endpoint Advanced Malware Protection product. My major responsiblities involve the development and maintenance of new and existing features for our Java Spring REST API, as well as other microservices written in Ruby, Python, and Go. I also played a key role in the development and design of multiple microservices and libraries implementing Java 21 and the Spring Boot framework. Some of my major accomplishments in this role have been the performance improvement for file search API endpoints by 45.84%, and the performance improvement of a Go microservice by 54.65%. I also proposed and implemented a major database model upgrade along with rollback initiatives for our OpenSearch and DynamoDB datastores, while ensuring our CI/CD pipelines remained uninterrupted.

While employed at Cisco I also simultaneously worked as Teaching Assistant for the Computer Science department of the University of Calgary, with the Distributed Systems course. In this role, I supervised and evaluated the development of multiple Python projects, implementing concepts such as peer-to-peer networking, active/passive replication, and load-balancing. These projects utilized services such as Docker and AWS Lightsail, supported by my ongoing technical support and leadership.

During my 12 months of internship, I had the privilege of working for OptEM Engineering, where I was directly responsible for the full-stack development and design of the Assembly Window for software used for the virtual prototyping and anaylsis of high frequency electrical cable designs in C#.
My internship experience continued into my work at the Canadian Space Agency, where I developed custom automation software for the efficient management and inspection of countless large technical documents in C# and VBA. By utilizing the Agile development process, I was able to work with the DevOps team to determine specific needs of the Exploration Ground Infrastructure department of the Space Exploration Branch. Alongside this, I also implemented unit tests using the .NET framework for new and existing features. My work was able to automate work that would have taken an unquantifiable amount of time to do manually.

I have extensive experience in Java programming and have been using it as my main language since 2016. As a Lecture Coordinator of the organization, Schulich Ignite, I had an opportunity to learn more about Java and its capabilites, as well as give back to and educate other members of the community. The abundance of passion and enthusiasm I brought to each session paved the way for my position as President of the team, where I organized and coordinated multiple weekly learning sessions with over 100 students and mentors each. These mentors were interviewed personally by my team and I, and together we decided which mentors brought the most to the table.

As a member of the University of Calgary Solar Car team, I have worked extensively with C++ in the Qt environment. As part of my work on the Solar Car Team, I developed the GUI of the dashboard in Qt. The displays that I designed were used during the 2019 FSGP worldwide race and helped contribute to our team winning first place in the MOV category. Developing the dashboard has given me an incredible opportunity to apply my programming knowledge in unique and challenging situations while working in a team environment.

The University of Calgary Information Security Club has given me substantial exposure to information and cyber security. As a junior executive of this club, I helped to test weekly workshops covering topics regarding cyber security tools in Linux with CTF-style exercises. I was also able to successfully test several CTF challenges for the annual Magpie CTF Competition.
In addition to the development of CTF challenges and weekly workshops, I competed on the executive team in several CTF competitions, including the 2021 BSides Edmonton CTF, 2021 K3RN3LCTF, 2021 HackTheBox Uni. Our team also won first place in the 2022 CyberSci Regionals Competition.

This website lists more about me and my qualifications. Please, feel free to browse and email any questions!


Projects

Icon Project Name Description Date

GraduDate

 A social networking platform for post-secondary students developed for Android and iOS devices. A modern client UI was built using React Native and Expo, while the backend microservices were developed using Node.JS, Django, and MongoDB. February 2023 Link
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Shrimp Check

 A website that could be left open in the background throughout the day that would randomly play a sound once per user-defined period to remind you to check your posture. Built using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. October 2023 Link

Ordered TV Watchlist Creator

 A website that used the TVMaze API to generate watchlists for existing TV shows sorted by original airdate. Watchlists could be interacted with directly through the site or exported to a CSV. Built using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. December 2022 Link

Discord Bot

 A Discord bot that plays a sitcom sound bite every time a user enters or leaves a voice channel, usually a reference to the beginning or end of a popular sitcom. Built using Python and deployed using Heroku. April 2022 Link

Netflix Network TV Simulator

 A web-based application that takes advantage of Netflix infrastructure to allow you to sequentially binge multiple shows simultaneously. Users can create a queue of shows, and the app will automatically loop through each show and play each sequential episode. This way, you can binge multiple series without getting burnout or having to touch the mouse. Built using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. April 2022 Link

Energy Toolbase Model Manager

 Capstone project sponsored by Energy Toolbase. This is an internal tool that is used to manage machine learning models and data, with storage to a MongoDB NoSQL database, and an importable registry API available through GitHub Packages. A browser-based UI is available built using Panel by Holoviz in Python. Unit tests were conducted using PyTest. September 2021 - April 2022

StudentSynch

 A desktop application used for managing the increasing workload of online education during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Submission for the Calgary Hacks 2021 hackathon. Built using C#. February 2021 Link

Github Pages

 The page you're on right now. Built with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript May 2020 Link

Circle Tap

 An arcade game designed for mobile Android phones. Simple. Addicting. Fun. May 2020 Link

PiaNotes

 A Java based application that interfaces with MIDI keyboards in order to help beginner piano players familiarize themselves with sheet music notation April 2020 Link
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Out to Lunch

 A website for users to post reviews and discuss about various restaurants around campus. Utilized Amazon-Web-Services (AWS) technologies alongside a Python and Java backend with a frontend built entirely in React.JS. March 2020 Link

Buddy

 An Amazon Alexa™ application aimed at reducing anxiety and depressive feelings in young adults in a non-threatening, effortless environment.
Developed a Bootstrap and HTML frontend deployed using Amazon-Web-Services (AWS) and the main matching algorithm for clients and volunteers
Received second place out of 45 teams in the Calgary Hacks 2020 Hackathon. 		February 2020 Link

Talk to Me

 An Android application designed to generate conversation starters for awkward situations. January 2020 Link

Automatic Google Drive Backup

 A Java program using the Google Drive API that periodically backs up files to the users personal Google Drive upon update. Unlike other cloud services, backed up files can be located anywhere on the disk. Excellent for game save files. Automated builds using Gradle. December 2019 Link

Epsilon Dashboard

 Used the C++ framework Qt to design the digital dashboard of the Schulich Elysia, the University of Calgary Solar Car Team's 4th generation car. This included the design and reorganization of three separate dashboards that relayed data about the various systems to the drivers.

These dashboards were used during the 2019 Formula Sun Grand Prix in which our team took First Place in the MOV category 		October 2018 Link

Visual Novel Engine

 Developed a Processing based application that allows users to create and play their own Visual Novel games. April 2018 Link

Important Decision Maker

 A Processing application that helps users decide between n>1 decisions. March 2018 Link

Speed Read

 Without the need for the user to move their eyes, users are able to read at an exponentially higher rate. SpeedRead is a Processing program to rapidly display a file of words in order, allowing users to read large documents in a small amount of time. February 2018 Link

KEYboard

 A Processing application that uses the Minim library to bind the user's keyboard into a set of piano keys, allowing the user to "play" the piano without needing a real one. January 2018

iNAP

 A Java application that the user can chat with. iNAP recognizes and responds appropriately to depressive symptoms and learns new words and people that the user mentions during conversation. August 2017 Link

Social-Network

 Advanced Placement Computer Science capstone project. A Java social networking application that targets loneliness in High School students. Utilized complexity analysis within object-oriented Java, recursive algorithms, and GUI programming using Java Swing. Implements multithreaded components, and client-server architecture January 2017 Link


Skills

Proficient with

Java C C++
C# Python
HTML CSS JavaScript

Familiar with

Ruby SQL
Bash PHP
VBA Golang

Tools and Technologies

Git Bash Qt
React.JS Node.JS React Native
OpenSearch MongoDB Django
Docker MySQL

Experience

Previous Work Experience

Company Role Responsiblities Date

Cisco Systems
Software Engineer
  • Worked within the data team to develop scalable back-end microservices to handle storage and searching of incoming data for the Secure Endpoint Advanced Malware Protection product.
  • Implemented updates and improvements to Ruby microservices
  • Managed environment deployment using Chef and project development in Ruby.
  • Developed and maintained new and existing features for the primary Java Spring REST API.
  • Played key role in the design and development of multiple microservices and libraries using Java 21 and Spring Boot.
  • Proposed and implemented database model changes with rollback initiatives to OpenSearch and DynamoDB, ensuring uninterrupted CI/CD pipelines.
  • Improved performance for file search API endpoints by 45.84% and Go microservice by 54.65%.
 May 2022 - Current

University of Calgary
Distributed Systems Teaching Assistant
  • Teaching Assistant for CPSC 559 - Introduction to Distributed Systems
  • Provided ongoing technical support and leadership for student groups.
  • Supervised and evaluated the development of Python, Java, and JavaScript projects implementing peer-to-peer networking, active/passive replication, fault tolerance and load-balancing, utilizing services such as Docker and AWS LightSail.
 May 2022 - Current

Canadian Space Agency
Software Developer Intern
  • Developed custom automation software for efficient management and inspection of countless large technical documents in C# and VBA using the Microsoft Office API.
  • Created unit tests for new and existing features in the .NET environment.
  • Utilized Agile development processes to work with the DevOps team to determine specific needs of the Exploration Ground Infrastructure department of the Space Exploration branch
January-August 2021

OptEM Engineering
Junior Software Developer
  • Directly responsible for the full-stack development and design of the Assembly Window for software used for virtual prototyping and analysis of high frequency electrical cable designs.
  • Implemented unique mathematical algorithms and data structures in C# utilizing problem-solving skills and creative thinking within an MVC architecture.
 September-December 2021

Vermilion Energy
IT Summer Student
  • Directly responsible and accountable for migrating local and networked well files.
  • Developed scripts in Java to automate the reorganization of 1 TB of well data files prior to data integration.
  • Pipelined efficiency for exporting 1,500 well operational reports, saving $17,000 in annual licensing costs.
  • Member of the student Health and Safety Committee and identified and corrected potential hazards in the workplace.
 May-August 2019

Calgary Stampede
ATCO Lost Kids
  • Distributed over 200 wristbands to families at the entry gates within the first three hours of the park opening.
  • Utilized excellent communication skills through interactions with patrons when entering contact information and providing instructions.
 July 2018


Clubs/Teams/Volunteering Activities

Name Responsiblities

UofC Information Security Club
  • Assisted in design and testing of challenges for Magpie Capture-The-Flag (CTF) competition.
  • Attended Speaker series lectures by cybersecurity industry professionals.
  • Attended and participated in weekly lectures outlining security and encryption techniques, as well as cybersecurity penetration methods and tools in Linux.
  • Utilized technical and theoretical computer security skills in capture-the-flag cybersecurity exercises.
  • Won 1st place in Calgary region and 8th overall in CyberSci Regional CTF competition.
  • Won 5th place out of 25 competitors in the BSides Edmonton CTF competition.
  • Competed in 2021 K3RN3LCTF and HackTheBox Uni CTF competitions.

The Gauntlet
  • Biweekly columnist for the "Arts and Culture" section of the University of Calgary's publications society.

Schulich Ignite
  • Solely responsible for overall guidance and management of an organization that teaches free Java programming classes as part of the Schulich School of Engineering.
  • Recruited and interviewed over 30 mentors and lecture coordinators from of a pool of 50 applicants.
  • Planned and coordinated final gala for all students, mentors, parents, professors, and sponsors.
  • As a lecture coordinator, responsible for development of course curriculum and for leading and teaching lectures for weekly sessions.

University of Calgary Solar Car Team
  • Worked with a team of software developers to create the first cruiser class solar powered car in Canada.
  • Use Git extensively as version control, with Qt and C++ as the main programming language in a Linux environment
  • Debugged and developed the digital dashboard of the car, allowing for a more versatile and functional dashboard.
  • Won first place in the MOV category in the 2019 Formula Sun Grand Prix worldwide race.

Contact

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