Benjamin Grifka | Software Engineer

Software Development Approach

As a Software Engineer with a B.S. in Computer Science, I focus on creating clean, efficient code that solves complex problems. My approach combines technical expertise with creative problem-solving to develop innovative software solutions.

I collaborate well with teams to design and implement robust applications, with a particular interest in AI integration, web development, and systems programming. My background in both theoretical computer science and practical implementation gives me a comprehensive understanding of the software development lifecycle.

Python

JavaScript

Java

SQL

HTML/CSS

Git

Featured Software Projects

Sep 2024 - Present Personal Project

Fraze

An innovative AI-augmented development protocol that bridges natural language and programming through recursive resolution patterns.

Developing an interface between natural language instructions and programmatic implementation
Implemented self-updating documentation systems to maintain code clarity
Created AI-powered issue reporting to streamline development workflows
Focused on creating a more intuitive programming experience for developers

Python NLP AI Integration

Aug 2024 - Present Personal Project

WeatherNet Simulator

Web dashboard for managing IoT weather stations using Balena, integrating MQTT, InfluxDB, and Grafana for real-time data visualization.

Developed a comprehensive web interface for monitoring and controlling IoT devices
Implemented data collection, storage, and visualization pipelines
Created geolocation mapping functionality to track device positioning
Built over-the-air firmware deployment capability for remote updates

JavaScript IoT MQTT InfluxDB Grafana

June 2024 - July 2024 Build with Claude Contest

Review Me

AI-powered GitHub action providing rapid, detailed code reviews to enhance the human review process.

Collaborated in a team to develop an automated code review system
Implemented integration with GitHub's CI/CD pipeline
Created automated unit testing and logging systems
Worked on issue resolution and feature implementation

AI GitHub Actions CI/CD Unit Testing

Course & Academic Projects

LEGO 3D Printing Team

CSUN Coursework | Sep 2022 - May 2023

Collaborated across a 5-person team to design, build, and write code for a modified 3D printer to read a file, pick up LEGOs, and build a LEGO design from the file.

Robotics CAD Programming

Compiler & Language Design

CSUN Coursework | Jan - May 2023

Part of a 2-person team that wrote the transpiler to convert Prolog to JavaScript, demonstrating understanding of language semantics and compilation techniques.

Compilers Prolog JavaScript

Disease Transmission Simulator

UC Davis Coursework, Peer Assist | May 2023

Created a contagious disease transmission simulator with specific constraints, modeling spread patterns and visualization of epidemic progression.

Simulation Data Visualization Algorithm Design

Battleship Game

CSUN Coursework | Aug - Dec 2021

Created a computerized 3D version of the Battleship game in Unity, implemented the game logic, and developed custom shaders and particle effects.

Unity C# Game Development Shaders

Education & Certifications

Bachelor of Science in Computer Science

California State University, Northridge

2023

Certifications

CompTIA A+

CompTIA

April 2025

Artificial Intelligence A-Z 2025: Agentic AI, Gen AI, and RL

Udemy

Expected May 2025

The Complete Python Bootcamp From Zero to Hero in Python

Udemy

Completed July 2024

Learn SQL

Codecademy

Completed July 2023

Professional Experience

Apr 2021 - Present

Store Associate, In-House Technical Support

The UPS Store – Los Angeles, CA

While primarily a retail role, I've applied my technical expertise to maintain and troubleshoot the store's technology systems, including point-of-sale equipment and operational computers.

Software Engineer