David Ponce Email & Phone Number

Binghamton University, New York, United States

As a Technician at Binghamton University's Emerging Technology Studio, I play a key role in promoting innovation within the university’s student-led makerspace. My work involves both managing daily operations and driving the strategic growth of the studio to ensure it remains a hub for creative and technical exploration.Key Responsibilities:Makerspace Development: I facilitate the growth and enhancement of the makerspace, creating an environment where students can develop their technical skills and apply creativity to hands-on projects.Technology Management: I manage the maintenance and operation of advanced manufacturing tools, including FDM and resin 3D printers, ensuring these resources remain fully functional and accessible for student and faculty projects.Student Support & Project Guidance: I provide students across various disciplines with expert guidance on 3D printing, scanning, and sticker-making technologies, helping them bring their projects to life through technical advice and support.Process Automation Initiative: I am partaking in an initiative to automate the print management system, streamlining the process by reducing manual data entry and improving the efficiency of tracking 3D print requests.In this role, I empower students and faculty to leverage advanced technologies, supporting their projects and enhancing both learning and research experiences.

As CEO of StackHacks, I built the organization from the ground up with the mission to provide students with real-world coding and tech project experiences. I grew StackHacks from 6 founding members to 42 active members, developed a structured executive board, and secured a charter under Watson College of Engineering at Binghamton University.Key Achievements:Organizational Growth & Outreach: Led recruitment efforts, expanding StackHacks membership by 600% through strategic outreach, public speaking engagements to groups of over 60 people, and collaborations with other student organizations. Established a dedicated Discord server for seamless communication and secured an official university email (@binghamton.edu).Strategic Leadership & Governance: Directed the executive board in defining and executing the club’s strategic vision. Consistently evaluated project progress and adjusted strategies to maintain relevance and support evolving member needs.Faculty & Industry Engagement: Recruited faculty advisors and partnered with university departments to secure resources for key initiatives, such as hosting LeetCode events and coding workshops to improve member technical skills.Financial Management & Sponsorships: Collaborated with the club’s Chief Financial Officer to manage financial health, ensure transparency, and lead fundraising initiatives. Designed sponsorship packages and secured contributions to fund member activities and projects.Operational Management: Administered all club activities, ensuring operational efficiency across projects. Fostered a culture of accountability through regular assessments, quickly addressing challenges to meet objectives and drive growth.At StackHacks, I lead a team dedicated to fostering technological excellence and diversity, creating hands-on learning opportunities that prepare members for success in the tech industry.

Binghamton, New York, United States

As Team Captain of Binghamton University's Division 1 Swim & Dive Team, I am committed to maintaining a rigorous training regimen of 20 hours per week to meet NCAA Division 1 athletic standards. In this leadership role, I help in the making of team activities, ensuring all members are aligned with our competitive goals and maintain peak physical condition. My responsibilities extend beyond personal performance, involving the mentorship of teammates to foster a culture of discipline, resilience, and mutual support. This role requires not just physical endurance, but also strategic thinking and a deep commitment to team dynamics and morale.

As a National Fellow of ColorStack, I led the growth of StackHacks while it was part of ColorStack's local chapter at Binghamton University. StackHacks has since become an independent organization, but I continue to contribute to ColorStack’s mission by driving key initiatives and supporting its goals.Key Achievements:Team Leadership & Recruitment: Directed the recruitment process, evaluating resumes and conducting over 30 interviews to form collaborative coding teams. These teams were structured to help students gain real-world experience and develop their technical skills.Project Management & Oversight: Coordinated regular meetings with team leads to monitor progress on coding projects. Addressed challenges and ensured projects were completed, aligning outcomes with the goals of StackHacks and ColorStack.Event Execution: Assisted in the setup and execution of key events, including collaborations with Bloomberg, resume-building workshops, and trivia nights. These initiatives increased student engagement and contributed to the growth of active membershipExecutive Reporting & Resource Allocation: Prepared and presented project updates to the executive board, ensuring transparency and alignment with organizational goals. Worked with the finance team to secure funding and allocate resources for team projects.Project Sourcing & Partnerships: Developed partnerships with other clubs at Binghamton University to source coding projects for teams. These collaborations provided students with practical, real-world experiences while supporting the goals of both StackHacks and ColorStack.During my time with ColorStack, I facilitated the transition of StackHacks into an independent organization, fostering collaboration and creating opportunities for students to gain valuable coding experience.

Binghamton, New York, United States

As a Teacher Assistant for Computer Science 115, I guided first-year students in Python programming and its application in machine learning. My role involved supporting students with programming assignments, clarifying complex concepts, and assisting in their independent research projects. Through hands-on guidance during lab sessions and personalized feedback, I helped students develop the technical skills necessary to succeed in both coursework and research.Key Responsibilities:Python Programming Support: Assisted over 30 students during lab sessions by reviewing and debugging their Python code, providing real-time solutions, and helping them overcome challenges related to programming and machine learning applications.Research Mentorship: Offered insights into real-world research by sharing examples of my own work, helping students apply machine learning concepts to their independent research projects. Guided them in refining their research methodologies and improving their programming skills for practical use.Student Progress & Assessment: Monitored and evaluated student progress by regularly checking and grading assignments, ensuring their work aligned with course standards. Provided constructive feedback to enhance their understanding of key programming concepts.Office Hours & Student Engagement: Held weekly office hours to address questions and provide additional support, ensuring students had the resources and guidance they needed to excel in both the classroom and research environments.By mentoring students through their coursework and research, I aimed to foster a deeper understanding of Python programming and machine learning, empowering them to apply these skills effectively in their academic and research pursuits.

Binghamton University, New York, United States

As a Teacher Assistant for Binghamton University's First-Year Research Immersion Program, I mentored a team of 5 aspiring researchers, guiding them through the research process from project conception to completion. My role involved facilitating collaboration, providing technical guidance on research methodologies, and offering hands-on support for sourcing, analyzing, and interpreting data.Key Responsibilities:Research Project Development: Led a team of 5 students in developing research projects, helping them form detailed project outlines and guiding them in selecting appropriate academic resources such as arXiv, Google Scholar, and the ACM Digital Library.Student Mentorship: Met with the team weekly to provide direction, assess progress, and ensure that each member understood the steps necessary to succeed. Guided them in problem-solving and decision-making throughout their projects.Collaboration & Communication: Fostered a collaborative environment where students could openly discuss ideas and challenges, improving their ability to work in a team and communicate research findings effectively.By providing targeted mentorship and hands-on support, I helped students successfully navigate the complexities of academic research, empowering them to take ownership of their projects and present well-founded conclusions.

As a part of the Image and Acoustic Signals Analysis research stream, I led a team of 5 students conducting research focused on detecting COVID-19 misinformation and deepfake detection using machine learning techniques. Initially, our research targeted the identification of COVID-19-related misinformation, which we presented at a symposium to professors, students, and fellow researchers. We then shifted focus towards developing a dataset and models for detecting deepfakes, emphasizing audio magnification and emotion recognition.Key Responsibilities & Achievements:Team Leadership: Led a team of 5 students in conducting research, delegating tasks, and ensuring the successful execution of our research objectives. Guided the team through data collection, model development, and analysis, fostering collaboration and efficient problem-solving.COVID-19 Misinformation Detection: Developed machine learning models to identify COVID-19 misinformation, employing neural networks for supervised classification. Presented findings at a university symposium, showcasing our contributions to the field.Deepfake Detection & Dataset Development: Created a specialized dataset for audio magnification analysis, focused on background noise and audio cues critical for detecting deepfakes. Applied advanced deep learning techniques to identify deepfakes based on speech and visual elements.Emotion Recognition & Model Implementation: Led the implementation of neural network models for detecting deepfakes through emotion recognition in both audio and video. Utilized frameworks such as TensorFlow, PyTorch, and Keras to enhance detection accuracy.Machine Learning Techniques: Utilized Python and deep learning frameworks (TensorFlow, PyTorch, Keras) to build and train models, improving the performance of deepfake detection through innovative approaches.

Rye, New York, United States

In my role as a Swim Coach at Rye Golf Club, I managed the training of over 60 swimmers across various age groups, focusing on technique improvement, strength development, and aerobic capacity. I tailored practices to meet individual swimmer needs based on their specific areas for improvement, which contributed to our team's second-place finish at the Westchester County Swim Conference.Key Achievements:Team Leadership & Coaching: Led a team of over 60 swimmers, designing and implementing tailored practice plans to address power, technique, and endurance challenges. This coaching approach resulted in significant performance improvements across the team.Performance Optimization: Identified individual swimmer weaknesses and customized training sessions to target specific areas, such as stroke technique and aerobic conditioning, driving consistent improvements in both individual and team performance.Meet Coordination & On-Site Support: Provided real-time guidance and feedback during swim meets, enhancing swimmer performance through in-the-moment coaching and strategy adjustments.Team Success: My leadership contributed to the team's impressive second-place finish in the Westchester County Swim Conference, reflecting the effectiveness of the training programs and team collaboration.

Greenwich, Connecticut, United States

Over the past year, I had the opportunity to contribute to various projects. One significant effort was supporting the Census Project outreach, especially connecting with the Latino community. Fortunately, we achieved and surpassed our established goals!

Stamford, Connecticut, United States

Dedicated over 150 hours to in-water swim lessons for children aged 4-14, ranging from beginners with no prior swimming experience to advanced team-level swimmers, emphasizing individualized instruction based on capability.

Bachelor Of Science - Bs, Computer Science, Sophomore

Activities and Societies: Binghamton University Division 1 Swim/Dive team, S.A.C.S (Binghamton Student-Athletes of Color For Success).

High School Diploma

Activities and Societies: President and co-founder of Sages of All Ages, Men's Varsity Swimming and Diving, A.I ethics club, Captain.