So you can find me in a crowd

Hello World

I'm Umme Salma. Nice to meet you.

I'm a student at McMaster University, studying Computer Science and working as a student-on-call at the IBM Canada.
I love to talk about new ideas and discover how the world is changing.
If you have interesting stories to share (or want to hear some of mine), shoot me a message here!

Projects

ReLocate
I developed a desktop application to predict location specific work potentials for job-seekers in Canada based on quantitative measures from data containing average income for cities and expert ratings on job potentials for various professions. Using the user's profession and desired province as input, the application provided the top 5 Canadian cities with the best outlook and income range for the profession.

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Tic Tac Toe

As part of my work in Python 3.0, I created an artificially intelligent single player Tic Tac Toe game using three AI algorithms: minimax, alpha-beta pruning and reinforcement learning.

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Healthcare Management System

For my GCE O' Level Computer Science final project, I developed a Healthcare Management System, called UG Healthcare. I completed the full System Developement Lifecycle, including analyzing the problem, designing and implementing the solution, testing the new system as well as creating a comprehensive documentation guide for further development. The project was selected from amongst 50 projects to represent the school at the GCE examination center, and was also archived for future consultation by students.

About

I belong from Karachi, Pakistan, a metropolis known for its diverse culture, beaches and lights. I moved to Canada in 2015 and joined the Computer Science program at McMaster University.

Computer systems, with their profound ability to expand, create and adjust have always intrigued me. To me, writing a program is like constructing the perfect spell. Each misplaced colon and period is like Harry Potter saying ‘diagonally’ instead of ‘Diagon Alley’. It leads to mysterious places and horrid results. However, following the set of rules, the magic promises to reveal itself. Such was the delight I felt when I successfully created my first program: a simple calculator with Visual Basic 6.0.

From that point, it was all uphill. My current education gives me the ability to learn and be productive in a variety of programming languages as well as with hands-on experience in: object-oriented programming languages such as Python and Java; database management tools including MS Access and SQLite; and, utilities such as Windows and Linux.

In addition, I am taking multiple business courses in organizational behavior, finance and accounting that will contribute to my success in understanding a corporation. I am particularly interested in security systems and encryption algorithms, two issues that are increasingly important as we move into the digital world.

I am looking for a student internship (co-op) for Summer 2018. Find my resume here.

resume

Highlights of Qualifications

Major in Computer Science at McMaster University with a CGPA of 3.78.
Proficient in Java, Python, GoLang
Familiar with HTML, PHP, Version Control – Git, SDLC – waterfall and iterative methods

Education

Bachelor Hons. Computer Science (B. A. Sc.)
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McMaster University, Hamilton, ON
Expected completion: May 2020

Dean’s Honor List with cumulative GPA of 3.78/4.0.Studying Probability and Statistics to learn about data analysis and statistical inference.

Skills

Technical: Java, Python, Go, BASH, Visual Basic, ELM, MySQL, HTML, CSS, JavaScript and Microsoft Office
Utilities: Windows, Unix/Linux operating systems, Git, Eclipse IDE and LaTeX
Management: Critical thinking, team-management, collaboration and innovation abilities developed through various work and volunteer experiences

Relevant Projects

ReLocate | Java & Eclipse
Developed a desktop application to predict location specific work potentials for job-seekers in Canada based on quantitative measures from data containing average income for cities and expert ratings on job potentials for various professions.Implemented an excellent object-oriented design by developing data structures to simplify and organize the data for sort, search and graph algorithms.Opted for agile software development methodology – scrum and Git for version control as team lead to monitor progress and keep track of member contributions.
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Tic-Tac-Toe | Python

Programmed the popular game in one-player mode using three AI algorithms: minimax, alpha-beta pruning and reinforcement learning.Utilized understanding of important programming concepts such as recursion.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hospital Management System | Visual Basic 6.0 & MS Access 2007

Developed a desktop application using Visual Basic 6.0 and MS Access 2007 back-end.Analyzed the problems of a paper-based system, and designed, implemented and documented the solution using System Development Life CycleAcquired valuable critical thinking skills in translating business problems into technology requirementsImproved efficiency and provided secure and reliable access to data in the organization.

Work Experience

Runtimes Software Developer: Open Source Linux on Z
IBM, Markham, ON

Present

Optimized the Poly1305/ChaCha20 encryption algorithm on the IBM z14 machines to accelerate performance by 300%.Employed an innovative approach and new z14 instructions to implement the Poly1305 algorithm with 3x fewer operations and better pipelining to eliminate performance bottlenecks. Exploited the COde CONstructing User Tool (Coconut) for improved scheduling of assembly instruction on the algorithm to further increase speeds by 20%.Presented the improvements and innovations in the algorithms as a student research paper at CASCON 2017.
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Teaching Assistant: Introduction to Programming
McMaster University, Hamilton, ON

May 2016 – May 2017

Guides class of 200 students with the design, implementation and debugging of ELM and Python programs and SQLite database.Achieved a 95% course success rate and outstanding student and instructor reviews.

Contact

Let's chat!