# Vishnu Nair > Forward Deployed Engineer @ Accrete AI | prev. CS PhD @ Columbia, ex-Microsoft Location: New York, New York, United States Profile: https://flows.cv/vishnunair1 I am a research engineer by training, currently working as a Forward Deployed Engineer on the AI Platform team at Accrete. Prior to this, I obtained my PhD in Computer Science from Columbia University, with a background in human-computer interaction (HCI). I specialize in combining research, engineering, and people-facing skills to design and build impactful products. My interests include AI systems, accessibility, UI/UX design, data, cloud computing, and visualizations. My PhD work focused on designing, building, and studying interactive systems to grant users a greater sense of agency over their experiences with computers. Many of my projects have involved building accessibility tools across a wide array of contexts — including video games, digital images, indoor navigation, and virtual meetings. I have also worked on applying AI within the context of smart cities to open up complex datasets to everyday people. My technical experience includes building and deploying complex systems across cloud platforms and consumer devices. My past projects have also involved regularly engaging users through interviews and co-design sessions, conducting numerous user study sessions with my prototypes, and analyzing quantitative and qualitative data from these sessions. My journey has also included an internship at Microsoft, a stint in the startup world, and sharing my work through writeups & talks for both technical and non-technical audiences. ## Work Experience ### Forward Deployed Engineer, AI Platform @ Accrete Jan 2025 – Present | New York, New York, United States • Designing, building, and deploying AI solutions as a founding member of the forward deployed team for Accrete's upcoming knowledge engine platform • Collaborating with clients and internal teams across engineering, product, and marketing to align on strategy and goals ### Software Engineer (Research Assistant) @ Columbia University in the City of New York Jan 2019 – Jan 2025 | New York, New York, United States • Led research engineering initiatives in human-computer interaction (HCI), producing 6 first-author publications, a pending patent, and an upcoming Unreal Engine plugin for game developers. • Implemented an AI agent-powered data pipeline using Python and LlamaIndex, extracting insights from large-scale smart city datasets for influencing urban policy. • Engineered a metadata storage solution with MongoDB and Qdrant, optimizing vector-based similarity queries for 3,000+ datasets using text embeddings. • Improved UX in 3D video games and accessibility tools using Unity and C#, resulting in >90% user satisfaction • Deployed a Firebase-like backend with Docker on Ubuntu servers, ingesting 1M+ logs from remote user tests • Analyzed and visualized data to generate insights for 50+ user tests using Jupyter, Pandas, and Matplotlib. • Mentored 25 students in research & technical skills and ensured successful completion of 6 major projects. Worked with the Computer-Enabled Abilities Laboratory (CEAL) at Columbia University. ### Research Engineer Intern @ Microsoft Jan 2023 – Jan 2023 | Redmond, Washington, United States • Developed a Python-based system using LLMs to improve participant engagement within virtual meetings. • Integrated system into Microsoft Teams, processing 6+ data streams in real time with <5-second latency. • Designed a dashboard using React to manage system parameters, tracking over 100 metrics in real time. • Brainstormed ideas for system expansion, user studies, and potential future publications with 20+ researchers. • Authored 30+ pages of detailed technical documentation and delivered 2 key presentations with live demos. Worked with the Ability team and HCAIX (Human-Centered AI & Experiences) Group at Microsoft Research in Redmond. ### Research Engineer (Undergraduate) @ The City College of New York Jan 2016 – Jan 2019 | New York, New York, United States • Created assistive technologies to improve navigation in large transportation hubs for people with disabilities. • Integrated wireless sensor networks with computer vision techniques to enable precise positioning across large indoor areas, achieving accuracy to within 5 inches. • Built a client-server system with Django and PostgreSQL backend to deliver real-time, turn-by-turn navigation. • Led team to build an Android app with voice UI, allowing users to start navigation in under 30 seconds. • Secured follow-on grant and collaborated with 6 institutions, resulting in 5 co-authored research publications. Worked with the City College Visual Computing Laboratory (now known as the CUNY Computational Vision and Convergence Laboratory). ### Co-Founder & CTO @ C~Flow Jan 2015 – Jan 2016 | New York City Metropolitan Area • Oversaw initial development of a learning management system to simplify school and classroom administration. • Prototyped apps (web and Android mobile) and managed server (building, hardening, and maintenance). • Selected as semifinalists into the 2016 Zahn Innovation Center's Tech Innovation Seed Prize and awarded seed funding to develop our idea while participating in a 5-month startup “bootcamp.” • Managed work associated with venture competitions, including preparing pitches, meeting with mentors, and performing demos. • Played vital role in major decisions, including allocating future equity among team members and suggesting shifts in focus. ### Student Researcher @ U.S. Department of Homeland Security Jan 2016 – Jan 2016 | New Brunswick, New Jersey, United States • Served as the only undergraduate researcher on a project utilizing Bluetooth beacons and computer vision approaches to provide navigation support and crowd behavior analysis inside large transportation hubs. • Experimented with various positioning SDKs and methods (Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, vision, and geomagnetism) to determine the best method of indoor positioning on an Android device. • Built and deployed a custom-made, Django-based server component with a robust API onto Heroku and a bridged virtual machine. Part of the DHS's 2016 Summer Research Team Program for MSIs. ### Research Assistant @ Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Jan 2015 – Jan 2016 | New York, New York, United States • Assisted a post-doctoral fellow with identifying biomarkers and therapeutic targets for chronic liver diseases. • Performed computer-aided data analysis on large datasets using R, Python, and Gene Set Enrichment Analysis. ### Teaching Assistant @ The City College of New York Jan 2015 – Jan 2016 | New York, New York, United States • Led a weekly, required workshop for a total of 40 students taking General Chemistry I. • Administered worksheets and quizzes to students, and assisted students with any issues they may have had with concepts. • Participated in weekly sessions for workshop leaders as part of the Chemistry Department's Peer-Led Team Learning (PLTL) Program. ## Education ### Doctor of Philosophy - PhD in Computer Science Columbia University ### Master of Philosophy - MPhil in Computer Science Columbia University ### Master of Science - MS in Computer Science Columbia University ### Bachelor of Engineering - BE in Computer Engineering Macaulay Honors College at The City University of New York ### High School Monsignor McClancy Memorial High School ### French A1.1 Certification Université de Tours ## Contact & Social - LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/nairvish - Portfolio: https://nairvish.com --- Source: https://flows.cv/vishnunair1 JSON Resume: https://flows.cv/vishnunair1/resume.json Last updated: 2026-04-13