Annie Robison

About


I often solve challenging problems from my horse’s back or with my dog’s leash in hand. Nothing excites (or scares) me more than a problem that I have no idea how to solve. I find joy in the process of uncovering and refining a solution.

The nature of the problems I tackle has changed over the years. During my undergraduate studies, I analyzed the impact of different macroeconomic policies. At Plexuss, I used machine learning to predict the college that a student would enroll in. Currently, I am interested in how to exploit computer architecture to make programs run faster.

I discovered my love for computer science at the end of my undergraduate career. While continuing to learn on the job and through continuing education courses, I gradually transitioned into development. But, there was so much more to learn! I started my MS program in CS at UC Davis in 2020. I came into my first quarter focused on pursuing AI and NLP, but after taking one computer architecture course, that plan changed.

Since then, I have completed advanced computer architecture and performance engineering courses. I also joined Professor John Owens' research group where I work on Gunrock, a GPU graph framework using C++ and CUDA. Other languages and technologies I use include Python, Linux, C, PHP, Bash, and PostgreSQL. I also work with front-end languages (HTML, CSS, and JS) as a hobby, and had the opportunity to teach a front-end design class at Davis. It was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life.

When I'm not writing code, you can find me exploring a new trail with my dog or horse, practicing yoga, playing FFXIV, or learning Japanese.

Industry Experience


  • Senior Software Developer (formlerly Programmer Analyst) at PinPoint Research, where we uncover the voice of the customer through surveys and ASR technology (2016-Present)
  • Data Scientist at Plexuss, an online community connecting students and colleges through machine learning (2016)
  • Analyst at BetterHelp, a platform for online counseling (2015-2016)

Teaching Experience