Hi, my name is
Yuchen Dai.
I'm a Master's Student at CMU
I focus on backend engineering and full-stack web apps, with a personal interest in game development. I'm looking to apply solid software principles and grow through real-world projects.
About Me
Hey there! I’m Yuchen (Mandy) Dai — I finished my bachelor’s in Electrical and Computer Engineering (with an additional major in Psychology!) at Carnegie Mellon, and I’m currently sticking around for my master’s. These days, I’m working as a research assistant at Carnegie Mellon AI-SDM Lab, , where I get to wear a lot of hats — building full-stack apps, integrating ML pipelines, and translating messy data into useful tools. I’ve always enjoyed bringing everything together, whether that’s on the backend, the frontend, or somewhere in between.
My background is a bit all over the place — game development, AI, web apps, simulation tools — but that’s made me super flexible and quick to adapt to new environments. I love learning, building, and making things that actually help people.
So far, I’ve had the chance to work in a research lab, an AI-driven startup, a data analytics firm, and more. These experiences have shaped my goal today: to bring my skills and curiosity to a team that values collaboration, creativity, and getting things done.
Here are a few technologies I’ve been working with recently:
- Python
- C#
- React
- Typescript
- Node.js
- Django
- Unity
- PyTorch
Where I’ve Worked
Research Assistant @ CMU AI-SDM Lab
Oct 2024 - Present
- Led collaboration with American Red Cross (ARC) clients and CMU professors to conceptualize and develop an AI-powered disaster simulation software for real-time instructional guidance.
- Transformed Figma designs into an interactive, gamified training simulation using Unity, bridging design and functionality.
- Integrated a reinforcement learning pipeline in partnership with the Machine Learning department to evaluate user performance, train AI agents, and dynamically optimize instructional strategies for improved training outcomes.
Some Things I’ve Built
Featured Project
Cyber Imposter: AI Among Us
I contributed to Cyber Imposter: AI Among Us by developing the in-game log system, facilitating communication between the server and users, and also assisted with launching their official website.
- Unity
- C#
- Figma
- Framer
![Cyber Imposter: AI Among Us]()
Featured Project
ARC Disaster Simulation
At CMU’s AI-SDM Lab, I’m building a disaster training simulation tool for the American Red Cross — it’s still in progress, but a public demo is coming soon!
- Unity
- C#
- JSON
![ARC Disaster Simulation]()
Other Noteworthy Projects
view the archiveCLIP-UIQA
We built CLIP-UIQA, A multi-branch neural network for unified image quality assessment using CLIP Trained on a custom dataset with multi-dimensional subjective annotations (e.g., happy–sad, clear–blurry), CLIP-UIQA outperforms baselines in both convergence speed and perceptual alignment.
Microgrid Simulation and Optimization Tool
I built a web-based microgrid simulation tool that integrates machine learning-based forecasting and dynamic power flow visualization to help users design, optimize, and analyze renewable energy systems.
Finding Alex - Online Game
Big fan of Undertale-style games, so my friends and I speedran this creepy-cute mystery in 3 days. You play as Zoe, returning home from school only to find her best friend missing. Puzzles, suspicious adults, and just the right amount of unsettling energy.
What’s Next?
Get In Touch
I’m exploring new roles where I can continue growing as an engineer and building things that matter. Feel free to drop a message — I’d love to connect!
Say Hello