About me

Hello! My name is Gage Birchmeier, and I go by they/them/theirs pronouns. I currently study Computer Science at the University of Kentucky. I completed my Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Michigan in December 2023. Outside of school, I enjoy playing tabletop games and programming video games.

Education

I am currently in my 2nd year of graduate studies at the University of Kentucky Graduate School in Lexington. I graduated in December 2023 from the University of Michigan with a major in Computer Science and a minor in Mathematics. Listed below is some of the skills I have obtained through my class work at both universities:

I am currently a member of the Narrative Intelligence Lab at the University of Kentucky, studying narrative planning heuristics.

Technical Skills

Throughout my education and personal experiences, I have gained proficiency in many different programming languages and frameworks. Here are some of the main ones that I have experience with:

My projects

Digitally Enhanced Exhibit Program (DEEP)

During my final year at University of Michigan, I was a part of a multidisciplinary design team. We worked in collaboration with TorranceLearning to develop an android application for DEEP at Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum. I was responsible for loading museum developed content into the app through WebView and creating communication channels for the app to respond to bluetooth beacon signals. You can learn more about the project. The project was presented at the 2024 Capstone Design Conference! here!

Party Shooter

Party Shooter is a video game I have developed in my free time using Unity! The video game supports multiplayer with one computer acting as a host. The game contains fast paced first person gameplay, with players competing to outscore their opponents! You can check it out here!

Work Experience

Teaching Assistant at U of K (Fall 2024)

I am currently employed under a Teaching Assistanceship at the Univerity of Kentucky for my PhD.

In the Fall semester of 2024, I helped a professor with teaching CS 275: Discrete Mathematics at the university. I was responsible for grading homework and exams while giving helpful feedback to students. I was also responsible for holding office hours and running two recitation sections. During these, I would guide students though various practice problems, leaving them with a deeper understanding of the class content.

Research Intern at U of M (Summer 2023)

The University of Michigan runs the Summer Undergraduate Research in Engineering (SURE) program each summer. This program employs students to work under doctorate students and professors to assist them in their research.

In the summer of 2023, I recieved the honor of working under Professor Anhong Guo to assist doctorate student Gregory Croisdale with his project “Deckflow”. This program offers an intuitive way to use generative image models such as DALL-E with an interface inspired by playing cards. I helped develop the program by developing the interface using React.js and using gesture libraries to handle user input such as scrolling or clicking and dragging. I also developed the back end ASP.NET server that calls and manages generative models and formats their output for the front end to display.

iD Tech Summer Camp Instructor (Summer 2022)

iD Tech Summer Camps are technology camps that teach kids between the ages of 7 and 17 how to code. Camps involve 5 days of project based learning with lunch and outside activity breaks in between.

In the summer of 2022, I worked as a camp instructor at the camps hosted by the University of Cincinnati. I taught children how to use Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Animate, as well as how to program in Java, JavaScript, and Lua. I also taught principles in game design and engineering. In addition, I helped students through the other parts of the program, such as getting lunch from the dining hall and heading outside for activites such as kickball.

Shift Manager at Sauerbeck Family Drive-In (June 2019 - August 2021)

The Sauerbeck Family Drive-In is a Drive-In Movie Theater located near Louisville, KY. During my time there, the place would serve hundreds of customers each week, presenting blockbuster films and offering a variety of concessions.

The highest promotion I receieved while working at the Sauerbeck Family Drive-In was the position of Shift Manager. I became responsible for delegating the tasks necessary for the place to operate to the other employees working. I also became responsible for ensuring the facility was ready for opening and closing each day I worked.

Hobbies and Interests

Outside of work and education, I am an avid tabletop game player! I often meet with friends to play Dungeons and Dragons as well as many other board games. I was also a member of the Michigan Marching Band for three seasons as a part of the mellophone section! In my free time, I also enjoy baking, and won the blue ribbon in my local county fair for my chocolate cake in 2016 and 2024!

Future Goals and Aspirations

I am currently researching interactive narrative and gaining experience as a computer science educator at the University of Kentucky through their computer science doctoral program. After graduation, I aspire to become a professor at a research university, continuing my research as well as teach the next generation of computer scientists.