I'm a people-oriented engineer with a particular interest in middleware infrastructure.Distributed Systems was my hardest Computer Science class in college and provoked a continuing interest in distributed-computing problems and solutions. As a backend engineer, I seek to build systems which attract clients by adding clear value to their workflows. I want to empower application developers to focus more on their business logic and less on common problems such as data persistence. In the modern world this implies support from systems that are highly available, scale-able, and easy to maintain.Broadly speaking, professional fulfillment, for me, means taking on responsibility and doing my best to actually deliver a good solution. On a day-to-day level, I seek positive, challenging, and productive interactions with the people around me. Both in and out of work, I prefer to be surrounded by diverse people and ideas.Professionally, I value candor, respect, transparency, and good-faith effort. Basically, trust is absolutely key, and is the foundation for a healthy and efficient work dynamic.