Yannis Lam | Software Developer

05.What have I built?

5.1.College Projects

Analysis of Salary Factors in Massachusetts

Senior Thesis - 2021

Investigated the wage gap between remote and in-person employment during the COVID-19 recession. While pandemic conditions amplified these differentials, analysis showed structural wage disparities predated the pandemic across geography, industry, occupation, and work history.

Built predictive models using linear, lasso, and ridge regression to analyze salary determination in Massachusetts. Examined causal relationships between demographic/employment variables and hourly wages, providing insights into occupational earnings potential within the Commonwealth.

DBTBT.com

Fall 2019

In CS 326: Web Programming, partnered with Christian Daher, Bhogesh Maddirala, and Matthew Lehoullier to build a platform encouraging smarter financial decision-making. The application compares Amazon products with similarly-priced stock investment alternatives, helping users redirect impulse spending toward long-term wealth building.

Tech stack: Node.js (backend & socket server), React (frontend), Apache & Nginx (reverse proxies), Amazon EC2 & GCP Compute Engine (hosting), Amazon RDS with MySQL (database), Amazon Route 53 (DNS). Deployed live at https://www.dbtbt.com/

Raspberry Pi Python Timelapse Controller

HackUMass VII - October 2019

Built an automated timelapse photography system with Henry Cheung, Veronica Gusev, and Nhan Le. A Python script on the Raspberry Pi controlled a DSLR camera at configurable intervals, capturing images that were automatically compiled and encoded into timelapse videos.

Arduino Smart Window

Fall 2018

Built an automated window shade system with Jeffrey Carr for CICS 290M: Physical Computing. An Arduino microcontroller monitored ambient light levels via a photoresistor and automatically adjusted a servo-controlled shade to optimize natural lighting in real-time.

ZebRed PC Build

June 2016 - Present

Custom-built high-performance desktop workstation optimized for development and creative work. Engineered component selection for performance, thermal efficiency, and long-term value. Continuously refined and upgraded over 8+ years of active use and iteration.

Arduino Security System

HackUMass VI - October 2018

Built an ultrasonic proximity-based alarm system with Jeffrey Carr, Henry Cheung, and Steven Yen. An Arduino microcontroller monitored distance via ultrasonic sensor and provided visual feedback through a NeoPixel ring that intensified as objects approached, turning red when triggering the alarm threshold.