Senior Software Engineer | UI/UX Pro
React.js, Next.js, TypeScript | Scalable & High-Performance UI/UX Solutions
New interactive portfolio coming soon (Q2 2025)
Selected Projects
A small sample of my previous and ongoing projects. Others are either closed-source or under NDA so they can't be shared.
Space Journey Website
A unique concept where customers could launch class rings and personal mementos into space, then receive a certificate of flight, high-resolution photos, a commemorative plaque, and more. I led the web development for this one-of-a-kind experience—though ultimately shelved due to market viability, it was an exciting exploration of e-commerce meets aerospace.
- Laravel
- HTML / CSS / JavaScript
- GSAP Animation Library
- Stripe API
Open Whisperer
I built this tool to translate and subtitle videos—mainly because I’m learning Spanish and thought it’d be a fun way to turn any video into a learning resource. It also gave me a chance to dive back into Python and experiment with some AI and machine learning techniques. A mix of curiosity, learning, and just building something useful.
- Typescript, NextJS, Python
- OpenAI Whisper (transcript generation)
- ffmpeg, srt for video manipulating
- Argos Translate for offline translation
Student Pilot Portal
An online platform designed to help anyone start their journey toward becoming a pilot. From ground school basics to advanced flight concepts, the goal with this ongoing project is to continue to make aviation education more accessible, structured, and engaging for future aviators.
- Laravel Backend (API) / NextJS Frontend
- Material UI design guidelines
- Canvas rendering for interactive simulators and learning tools
- Webpack, ES6+, Object-oriented programming
- MySQL relational database architecture (using normalization)
About Me
Hey there 👋🏾 I'm Drew, a senior software engineer with over a decade of experience building full-stack applications, crafting intuitive UI/UX, and creating fast, scalable web experiences. I specialize in React, TypeScript, Laravel and currently brushing up on Python.
I've worked across a wide range of technologies and industries, integrating with countless systems over the years. Whether it's frontend or backend, I focus on solving real problems in ways that are easy, maintain, and scale. My philosophy is simple: help users accomplish what they came to do — with as little friction as possible.
In past roles, I've led frontend teams, improved developer workflows, and helped ship features faster by refining the handoff between design and engineering. I'm currently looking for new opportunities after a recent layoff and using the downtime to build an open-source toolkit for developers — full of everyday utilities like tech guides, data analyzers, and reference tools I wish I'd had earlier in my career.
Outside of work, I'm working on a few passion projects — one to help organize and preserve older photo/video memories left by my grandparents, another to assist with learning songwriting and musical structure, and a platform to help student pilots learn more effectively.
I'm also into playing rock & roll on guitar, baking, flying, and long-range precision shooting.
I'm currently located in Houston, Texas.
Skills
Toolkit
Workflow Tools
- Jira
- Git (Git Flow)
- codemods (jscodeshift)
- Unit Testing
- AWS
- GitHub
- NPM
- Webpack
- Babel
- Gulp
- Bitbucket
- SCRUM / Agile Methodologies
- Chrome Developer Tools
- Asana
User research
- UI/UX design
- Wireframing
- Prototyping
- Heatmaps & Web Analytics
- Lighthouse Analytics
- User Stories
- Datadog
- Hotjar
Design Tools
- Figma
- Affinity Designer
- GIMP
- Fusion 360
- Moqups
- Adobe Lightroom
- Blender (learning)
Languages, Libraries & Frameworks
Front End
- React
- React Native
- Next.js
- Typescript
- Redux & RTK Query
- Javascript
- Pixi.js
- Cesium.js
- Electron
- Tauri
- Semantic UI
- Tailwind CSS
- Bulma CSS
- HTMX
- HTML5
- SASS/SCSS
- LESS
- CSS3
- JQuery
- Bootstrap
- WordPress
Back End
- REST / JSON
- MySQL
- PHP
- Apache
- Laravel
- Nginx
- Node.js
- Python
- Express
- Sequelize
- MongoDB
- Redis
- Linux
- Nginx
- Apache
Other
Communication Protocols
- HTTP/S
- UDP
- TCP/IP (Sockets)
- FTP
- WebRTC
- SSH
- Serial
- I2C
Other Tech & Skills
- Embedded Systems
- Microservice Architecture
- Async/Await/Promises
- OpenGraph Tools
- Raspberry PI
- Arduino
- ESP32/8266
- MongoDB
- CI/CD & Code Automation
- ITAR & 508 Compliance
- Database Design & Normalization
- Data Scraping
- General Electronics (novice)
- Expert "Googler"
Why Hire Me
Self-Motivated
Fueled by purpose, I take ownership of my work and stay proactive — constantly seeking ways to improve, contribute, and move things forward.
Problem Solver
At the heart of every successful business is a problem solver. I thrive under pressure and in fast-paced environments.
Fast Learner
I can learn anything, just give me 5 minutes ;) My adaptability means I’ll be productive on your stack in no time.
What Other Say 📣
A reliable, thoughtful, and solutions-oriented partner. Drew consistently demonstrated initiative, never shying away from a tough challenge and frequently identifying improvements before anyone asked. He is the kind of teammate who elevates those around him — not only through the quality of his technical work but also through his collaborative spirit and positive impact on company culture.
He's consistently demonstrated exceptional technical expertise, been an indispensable technical leader to the team, and committed to deliver high quality work. He always shows up to discussions with proposed solutions to problems, which makes it easier to address those challenges. Drew’s dedication and positive attitude makes him an asset to any team.
Throughout my experience, I have met very few with such a vast array of knowledge and skills as Mr. Drew, [he] continues to astound me with how quickly he can learn and apply new skills. In addition to his outstanding work ethic in the classroom, he has also been heavily involved in promoting the Flight Program at Texas Southern University, assisting with redesigning the Aviation Department website, making recruitment brochures/flyers, and being executive producer of the TSU's flight training videos.
Othneil has earned hundreds of hours community service throughout the years living on St. Croix...participating in food collection for the homeless, donation of goods to the senior home and assisting changing of flags at the veterans' cemetery. He is very organized and can be depended upon at a moment's notice. He is very efficient with managing his time between community affairs, his education, work and hobbies.
He has demonstrated genuine curiosity of the content and authentic engagement in his assignments. Without question, he stands as on of the best and brightest members of his class.