Hi, I'm David Santos 👋
Program Manager Intern @ Fuse Solutions | SWE @ UTD (’26) | 🏆 1st Place HackUTD 2025 – NVIDIA & Toyota Tracks (2× Winner)
About
[ABOUT] I'm a Software Engineering student at the University of Texas at Dallas, specializing in cybersecurity.
[SUMMARY] My academic journey at UTD, particularly courses like CS4459 Cyber Attack and Defense Lab, CS 4390 Computer Networks, and SE 3377 Systems Programming, has ignited my passion for cybersecurity. I've gained hands-on experience with critical concepts such as 32-bit/64-bit calling conventions, GDB debugging, exploiting common C vulnerabilities, binary analysis with Ghidra, and implementing advanced techniques like ROP and shellcode injection. My deep dive into network protocols and Linux environments further solidified my understanding of digital systems. This comprehensive education, combined with my pivot from software engineering, has given me a clear purpose: to contribute to a safer digital world.
Education
University of Texas at Dallas
[DEGREE] Bachelor of Science in Software Engineering
[RELEVANT COURSES] Cyber Attack and Defense Lab, Computer Networks, Systems Programming
August 2023 – May 2026
Collin College
[DEGREE] Associate of Science
[RELEVANT COURSES] Calculus I, Calculus II, Physics II, Discrete Mathematics
August 2022 – May 2024
Work Experience
Built internal ordering and operations tooling for Fuse's enterprise clients, including Boeing and Spirit AeroSystems, deployed across partner facilities.
Architected a production platform that reduced ordering time from 2 hours to under 5 minutes via optimized fast search, filtering, and automation.
Automated inventory and backorder workflows, cutting manual review time from 1 hour to 10 minutes and enabling instant backorder detection.
Hardened system security by implementing robust input validation, secure session handling, and Microsoft OAuth with role-based access control.
Produced weekly threat reports on phishing activity using header, IP metadata, and sender pattern analysis; findings led to domain blocks and updated email filters.
Provided personalized 1-on-1 Electro Muscle Stimulation (EMS) training sessions, guiding clients through effective workouts tailored to their fitness goals.
Managed early morning shifts, consistently starting at 5 AM, to accommodate client schedules and ensure operational readiness.
Developed strong client relationships through consistent support and motivation, contributing to client retention and satisfaction.
Maintained a deep understanding of EMS technology and its application to deliver safe and impactful training experiences.
Check out my latest work
I've worked on a variety of projects, from simple websites to complex web applications. Here are a few of my favorites.
Toyotron - HackUTD 2025
1st Place Winner at HackUTD 2025 on both NVIDIA & Toyota tracks. Competing among 1,100+ participants and 160+ teams, we developed a multi-agent AI system for personalized vehicle discovery and financing. Powered by NVIDIA's Nemotron LLM, the system features agentic capabilities like sending personalized car info via email, booking appointments, and handling phone calls via a custom orchestration pipeline.
Dozen Days - Freelance Project
Contracted as a freelance developer to engineer a production full-stack e-commerce platform for a local farm, processing live Stripe payments and managing a multi-step fulfillment pipeline for 3 distinct product lines. Architected a robust backend using Stripe Webhooks to ensure 100% data integrity, and built a secure Admin Dashboard with Supabase Auth for inventory and dynamic pricing management. Implemented automated transactional emails via Resend API and a lead-capture waitlist system.
Nena's Bakery Creations - Freelance Project
Engineered a sophisticated, full-stack e-commerce platform custom-built for a local bakery specializing in bespoke cakes and treats. Developed a unique Invoice-Based Order Flow using the Stripe Invoices API, enabling a professional review process where the business owner can approve complex orders and add custom fees before payment. Built a Dynamic Product Configurator for custom selections and Vercel Blob integration for image uploads. Architected a data-driven system managed via centralized JSON, featuring a robust fulfillment engine for delivery zone validation and automated server-side tax/price validation using Node.js functions. Prioritized extreme performance with a Vanilla JS/CSS3 architecture, achieving near-perfect Lighthouse scores.
Free QR Website
Engineered a high-performance, client-side QR generation engine using TypeScript and Vite, achieving sub-10ms execution (a 30x speed increase over server-side alternatives). Serving 50+ active monthly users with 100% data privacy through zero-tracking execution. The platform is used by the AWS Cloud Club at UTD for managing events with 50+ students and professional teams.
OVERLOAD
An iOS app designed to help users track and manage their workouts effortlessly. Built with SwiftUI and Swift in Xcode! It allows users to create workout templates, log exercise sessions with sets and reps, track progress over time, and use built-in calculators for plate loading and RPE (Rate of Perceived Exertion) calculations. The app features a modern dark-themed UI with neon accents and provides a seamless workout logging experience.
Leadership & Extracurriculars
Led logistics and promotion for 5+ technical events annually (AI, cloud, security), sustaining consistent campus programming.
Hosted and coordinated a campus hackathon with 50+ student participants, managing operations and cross-organization collaboration.
Facilitated AWS and applied AI workshops with 25 to 40+ attendees per session, driving hands-on cloud education.
Designed official promotional materials used university-wide and integrated custom-built Free QR Website for event registration.
Managed club finances as Treasurer, overseeing budgeting and financial transactions for club operations.
Maintained safety protocols at practices and events, ensuring a secure environment for all club members.
Handled event planning and execution for fundraisers and club social gatherings, fostering community engagement.
Achieved a 400+ DOTS score at USAPL state competition, demonstrating high-level relative strength.
Competition Best Lifts: 230 kg (507 lb) Squat, 152.5 kg (336 lb) Bench Press, 250 kg (551 lb) Deadlift.
Balanced high-level athletic performance with full-time engineering coursework and technical leadership commitments.