Hi, I'm Andy.

I have a wide spectrum of interests, and enjoy understanding things deeply from first principles.

I earned my bachelor's from Columbia University in 2018, where I studied computer science and mathematics. After graduating, I moved to Seattle to work as a software engineer at Microsoft. In 2020, I returned to Columbia University for my master's, focusing on theoretical computer science. During this period, I became interested in zero-knowledge cryptography, and eventually went on to work for a startup applying this technology in the blockchain space.

As of August 2023, I've shifted my focus towards AI alignment. Modern AI systems have become incredibly impressive, and yet their inner workings are still poorly understood. There is a lot of work to be done towards understanding the capabilities and limitations of these systems, and I want to try and contribute to this effort.

Outside of working, I spend a lot of time across various hobbies. I love jazz music - I'm a decent tenor player, and a much worse piano player. Chess is a more recent hobby of mine - I mostly play online but hope to enter some over-the-board tournaments soon. I like to run as well - I ran my first marathon in April 2023. Oh and I'm also a die-hard Fenerbahçe fan - I try to watch every game.

A little fish that I am fond of.
[Big Fish Eat Little Fish - Pieter Bruegel]
All I know is that I know nothing.
[The Thinker - Auguste Rodin]

Random

My favorite things

Chess

I started playing chess at the beginning of the pandemic, and have been hooked ever since.

Here’s a funny blitz game where I blundered my queen, and then somehow ended up landing a beautiful minor piece mate: