My Portfolio

Hi 👋, I'm Joseph J Helfenbein

🎓 Computer Science & Physics Student @ CCNY


Computer Science & Physics student working on graphics and systems programming in C++ and Vulkan. Building rendering engines from scratch with custom memory allocators, collision systems, and real-time simulation. Also working on CUDA kernel optimization and distributed systems. Previously built real-time esports infrastructure at EA and distributed backend systems at HubSpot. Interested in performance optimization and how hardware architecture influences software design.

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Work Experience

NVIDIA

Incoming Software Engineer Intern

August 2026 - November 2026
DirectX Graphics Driver Performance

Google

Incoming Software Engineer Intern

June 2026 - August 2026
High-Performance Networking & RDMA Systems

HubSpot

Software Engineer Intern

January 2026 - April 2026
Automation Observability Backend team, built real-time execution streaming, event query, and issue management infrastructure for high-throughput automation workflows

Electronic Arts (EA)

Software Engineer Intern

June 2025 - September 2025
League Operations Esports team, built real-time voice, moderation, and overlay infrastructure for large-scale Apex Legends tournaments

AuriStor, Inc.

Software Engineer Intern

March 2025 - May 2025
Developed distributed filesystem automation and observability tooling for secure AuriStorFS deployments

Graphics Projects

GustGrid-Vulkan

June 2025 - August 2025

GitHub

A real-time visualization tool of PC airflow and thermal dynamics re-engineered with C++ and Vulkan. This Vulkan port replaces the original OpenGL renderer and translates all CUDA kernels into Vulkan compute shaders, running cross-platform on macOS (via MoltenVK), Linux, and Windows across NVIDIA, AMD, Intel, and Apple Silicon GPUs.

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GustGrid

June 2025

GitHub

A real-time visualization tool of PC airflow and thermal dynamics built in C++, OpenGL, and NVIDIA CUDA. It accurately models heat dissipation, fan performance, and airflow patterns within complex computer chassis geometries, and has a graphical interface to adjust component layouts, enabling rapid design iterations.

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Material Viewer

September 2024 - November 2024

GitHub

A 3D desktop application for previewing PBR materials using OpenGL and C++. It features HDRI environments, image-based lighting, and PBR shading. Users can upload individual image textures, custom .mat files, or .zip files for material previewing, and save viewed materials in a custom .mat format for easy sharing.

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Physics Sandbox

June 2024 - July 2024

GitHub
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Link

A rigid body physics engine with simulated cubes and spheres. It has real-time raytraced shadows and a Blinn-Phong shader using WebGL.

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Hackathon Projects

CUNY One Fraud Agent

HackKnight Spring 2025 submission
First Place 🎉
GitHub
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Devpost

CUNY One Fraud Agent is an AI-powered fraud detection system that monitors credit card transactions in real-time. When a suspicious transaction is detected, an AI agent calls the user. The agent can list suspicious charges and respond to user commands, allowing them to approve transactions, freeze their card, or request a live representative.

Focura

DragonHacks 2025 submission
Best AI Implementation 🎉
GitHub
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Devpost

A camera-powered posture and focus assistant that calibrates your optimal sitting position, monitors for slouching or phone distractions using a LangGraph workflow, and delivers real-time nudges to keep you upright and on task.

Rezon

HackKnight Fall 2025 submission
Second Place 🎉
GitHub
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Devpost

Rezon is a real-time trading assistant that interprets your on-screen actions and responds with adaptive insights powered by a local Qwen2 model. It turns your trading behavior into meaningful feedback, helping you stay aware of emotional or impulsive decisions and refine your overall strategy.

Zen Agent

CTP Hacks 2025 submission
Best AI/ML Hack 🎉
GitHub
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Devpost

Zen Agent is an AI-powered agent that detects stress and mindfulness from facial cues and provides real-time emotional support. It leverages a trained machine-learning model to visually analyze facial indicators and deliver tailored stress-reduction assistance.

Guardian Angel

HackNYU 2025 submission
2nd Place for Lifestyle & Health 🎉
GitHub
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Devpost

Guardian Angel continuously monitors the driver's face using computer vision to detect signs of distraction or drowsiness. If the driver looks at their phone or closes their eyes for too long, the system sends an alert to help them refocus on the road.

MendPath

DivHacks 2024 submission
GitHub
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DoraHacks

MendPath combines therapy, technology, and social connection in a way that fosters empathy, accountability, and mental health progress for users, filling a crucial gap in both personal well-being and community support.

Aura

HackPrinceton Fall 2025 submission
GitHub
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Devpost

AURA is a real-time wearable system that prevents injuries by using haptic feedback and adaptive motion intelligence to correct your form before small errors accumulate into long-term damage.

Cerebrix

HackRU 2024 submission
GitHub
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Devpost

Cerebrix is an adaptive app for dementia and Alzheimer's care, offering engaging minigames to boost memory and cognition. It features a voice AI companion for social support, while caretakers can manage accounts and track cognitive progress.

Chama

HackPrinceton Fall 2024 submission
Winner for Best Use of Onchainkit 🎉
GitHub
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DoraHacks

Chama empowers everyone to understand crypto by providing real-time insights, sentiment analysis, and personalized explanations. We make complex trends accessible, enabling informed decisions and bridging the crypto literacy gap for all.

BlazeGuard

HenHacks 2025 submission
GitHub
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Devpost

BlazeGuard is a voice-powered medical assistant that helps users access their stored medical information and provides real-time emergency guidance. Users can talk to the AI agent, which retrieves medical details by name and delivers emergency response instructions using RAG.

PatSafe

Hoya Hacks 2025 submission
GitHub
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Devpost

PatSafe is a platform that connects discharged patients with doctors for better post-care monitoring. It enables real-time recovery tracking, symptom reporting, and medication adherence updates via a seamless doctor dashboard and an AI-powered chatbot for patient support.

HelpSignal

HackHarvard 2024 submission
GitHub
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Devpost

An emergency app using voice input to assess situations, alert nearby certified helpers (CPR, first aid), and notify first responders—providing immediate assistance before official help arrives.

GameRecommend AI

United Hacks V3 submission
Winner for Best Solo Hack 🎉
GitHub
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Devpost

Utilizes AI to find similar games to any game you like. All you need to do is enter in a game you like, press the button, and the AI will return 5 games it thinks you will like, along with reasons why.

Made by Joseph J Helfenbein. See GitHub repository here.