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CV

Experience

Feb 2021 - Present

Toyota Research Institute - Senior Software Engineer: Research Software Engineering

As the first member of TRI’s Research Software Engineering (RSE) team, I help bridge cutting-edge research with production-ready software, building tools and frameworks that enable robotics, AI, and simulation teams to innovate efficiently and at scale. I focus on translating ambitious ideas into practical, high-performance systems that are reliable, maintainable, and easy to use.

 

Key Focus Areas:

 

Software Architecture & Development: Design and implement core frameworks in C++, Python, and Java, with build systems like Bazel and CMake, using tools like Lucid and Miro for diagramming.

Full-Stack Engineering: I've developed end-to-end research tools using TypeScript, React, Lit, Node.js, and Plotly, ensuring seamless data visualization and user experience.

Cloud Infrastructure: I have architected and maintained AWS solutions for many projects. To name a few services I've used for projects like these: Greengrass, IoT Core, Lambda, ECS/Fargate, ECR, S3, API Gateway, RDS, DynamoDB, SQS, SNS, and Terraform, but I am generally knowledgeable of the AWS ecosystem as a Certified Develop and Solutions Architect.

Data & Streaming Systems: I've built and optimized real-time data processing using Apache Flink, AWS Data Streams, and Video Streams.

Hardware & Embedded Prototyping: Having a background traditionally in hardware, it's still an area I love to continue to work with. I've worked with Arduino Unos, RP2040s, ESP32s, Flipper Zeros integrating peripherals such as IMUs, UWBs, buttons, screens, LEDs, etc. I've also worked with Femto Bolts, adding them to experimental platforms bridging the physical and digital domains.

AI Integration: I've previously collaborated with TRI ML teams using PyTorch, TVM, ONNX, and TorchScript. And now I continue to try to maintain current and up to date context on generative AI tools and their integrations like GPT, Claude, and Gemini to enhance development and documentation workflows.

August 2022 - May 2023

The George Washington University - Industrial Mentor

I mentored a group of seniors for their senior design project in the 2022-2023 academic year for my alma mater George Washington University. I met weekly with the team to provide guidance, advice, and lead the team towards a path of success.

At the end of the year, the Travel Trails group received the Arnold C. Meltzer Award for best overall senior design project. While the team accounted for a majority of the hard work involved, I would like to think my leadership efforts helped more clearly guide them towards this accomplishment.

June 2019 - Jan 2021

Open Robotics - Software Engineer: Robotics

My work focused on Ignition, Open Robotic's advanced robot simulator for research, design, and development.  I worked extensively in the rendering, physics, and gui components of Ignition using (and modifying) code bases/APIs such as Qt, QML, DART, OGRE(2), and more.  All of this work has been written in C++ and Python, building with CMake and Bazel also using tools such as colcon where relevant.  I also worked some with ROS, specifically with ament tooling.

April 2018 - May 2019

The George Washington University - Graduate Administrative Fellow for Undergraduate Academic Success

I aided in undergraduate academic success services and established GW SEAS Peer Assisted Learning (PAL) program - a peer tutoring service offered for free to the undergraduate student body.  I also acted as liaison for GW's undergraduate teaching and learning assistant program hiring and training ~50 students.

May 2017 - August 2017

ViaSat - Software/Systems Engineering Intern

I worked extensively in commercial maritime antenna control unit code, primarily in moving it from a PowerPc and QNX real-time operating system to an ARM processor running a real-time Linux kernel, RTLinux.  Additionally, I aided in acquiring a vibration table for testing and verification of crystal oscillators.

August 2016 - May 2019

The George Washington University - Teaching Assistant

I have cumulatively taught ~250 students in GW's Computer Architecture and Systems Programming courses having also led 60+ hours of labs and lectures as well as conducting 100+ hours of office hours.

March 2016 - December 2018

The George Washington University - Robotics Lab Research Scientist

Under three separate professors, I have obtained a publication in robotics, developed a ROS package for a pick and place project with a 6 DOF arm, and worked with large pre-existing C++ code bases.  My robotics work can be found under the Projects tab.

March 2016 - May 2018

The George Washington University - SEASSPAN Mentor

SEASSPAN is GW's mentoring program for it's engineering school.  I personally mentored 16 first year engineering students as well as helped manage the first year class of about 150 students on an annual trip occurring before the beginning of the school year 3 separate times.

January 2015 - May 2016

The George Washington University - Team Programmer

I worked in a team of four developing software in C# for the George Washington Law School.  This software processed large amounts of student data aiding the registrar in determining the current progress of each student.  This software is still in use by the school.  Additionally, I worked with Google Apps Script developing Google Sheet processing logic to aid professors in the paper evaluation process.

CV: CV

Education

The George Wasington University

Master's Degree, Computer Science, 3.83

May 2018 - May 2019

The George Washington University

Bachelor of Science, Computer Science, 3.83, Summa Cum Laude

August 2014 - May 2018
Activities and Societies:
Dean's Honor List (2014 - 2018), SEASSPAN mentor, ACM Recruiting Directory (2017), ACM Vice President (2017 - 2018), TA for Computer Architecture and Systems Programming (2016 - 2019), Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honor Society.
Awards and Honors: Graduated Summa Cum Laude, awarded the Benjamin C. Cruickshanks Award - an award bestowed upon the graduating senior in Computer Science with the highest academic standing.

Briarcrest High School

High School Diploma

August 2010 - May 2014

Activities and Societies: President of the National Honor Society, President of Mock Trial, President of French Club, Vice President of Mu Alpha Theta, President of the French Honor Society

CV: CV

Projects

A subset of the projects I have worked on, either for coursework or personal interest, are available under the Projects tab above, organized by technical subject.  This format, I believe, is more interesting and engaging.  Enjoy!

Relevant Coursework

Algorithms

CSCI 3212 + CSCI 6212

Autonomous Robotics

CSCI 4525

Bias in AI

CSCI 6907

Computational Linear Algebra

CSCI 4342

Computer Animation

CSCI 6555

Computer Graphics II

CSCI 6554

Computer Vision

CSCI 6527

Continuous Algorithms

CSCI 4341

Data Compression

CSCI 6351

Foundations of Computing

CSCI 3313

Machine Learning

CSCI 4364

Operating Systems

CSCI 3411

Robot Kinematics

Foundations of Robot Motion

Robot Dynamics

Robot Motion Planning and Control

Unreal Engine 5: The Complete Beginner's Course

The Complete 2023 Web Development Bootcamp

PyTorch for Deep Learning in 2023: Zero to Mastery

Skills and Specializations

C++

Git

Bash

Robotics

Vim

Python

C

Leadership

GDB

Public Speaking

Communication

Object Oriented Design

Simulation

Java

Tensorflow

PyTorch

Bazel

Terraform

AWS

Solidity

Javascript

React

Node

Publications

2022

J. Masterjohn, D. Guoy, J. Shepherd, and A. Castro. Velocity Level Approximation of Pressure Field Contact Patches. IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters. (October, 2022).

2016

J. Shepherd, S. Zapolsky, and E. Drumwright. Fast Multi-Body Simulations of Robots Controlled with Error Feedback. Simulation, Modeling, and Programming for Autonomous Robots (SIMPAR). (November, 2016).

©2025 by John Shepherd.

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