Computer Science and Entrepreneurship

Senior at Wake Forest University (New York City ↔ Winston-Salem, NC)

Mario Auqui professional headshot portrait

About Me

Hi, my name is Mario Auqui and I am a senior at Wake Forest University, graduating in December 2025.

After graduation, I plan to spend several months traveling, meeting new people, and working on personal projects before beginning a full-time role.

For those who don't know me, I'm someone who learns constantly, asks many questions, and enjoys understanding how and why things work.

I’m attracted to new experiences and admire those who push beyond conventional thinking.

Things I’m Into:

  • Animals
  • Enjoying and discovering new food
  • Fitness & MMA
  • Outdoor exploration
  • Photography
  • Reading
  • Traveling

Projects

Personal Website

A fully responsive personal website built with Next.js, React, TypeScript, and Tailwind CSS to showcase my work, research, and experience. Designed and developed a clean, professional interface with reusable components, smooth layout transitions, and optimized performance. Deployed and hosted using Vercel.

  • Developed using Next.js, React, and Tailwind CSS for a modern, responsive layout
  • Hosted on Vercel with optimized build and deployment workflows
  • Designed a clean, professional interface with reusable components and smooth navigation

Palm-Tree Detection — PRISM

Worked on a research project aimed at improving how computer models identify palm trees in aerial images of tropical forests. The goal was to help monitor forest health and support conservation efforts. Using high-resolution drone imagery, we tested and improved an existing detection model (PRISM) so it could work accurately in new regions, from Ecuador to Iquitos, Peru.

Presented as a poster at URECA Day, Wake Forest University.

  • Improved detection accuracy by over 60% through regional fine-tuning
  • Tools: Python, PyTorch, OpenCV, Roboflow, Ultralytics YOLO

Experience

Undergraduate Research Fellow — Wake Forest University

May 2025 – Present • Winston-Salem, NC
  • Applied computer vision and object detection to analyze aerial imagery; mapped tree distributions in complex environments.
  • Fine-tuned YOLOv8–YOLOv12 in Python/PyTorch to improve detection under dense canopy and variable lighting.
  • Built scalable data pipelines and labeled 1,200+ image patches with Roboflow to accelerate model training/eval.
  • Collaborated with interdisciplinary faculty; communicated results via technical talks and posters.
  • Experienced with metrics: Precision, Recall, mAP; rigorous analysis and deadlines in a research team.

Machine Learning Intern — The Clearing House

May 2024 – Aug 2024 • New York, NY
  • Built and deployed an AWS SageMaker model to forecast weekly pre-funding requirements for banks.
  • Engineered an end-to-end data pipeline with Python, Jupyter, and S3 on one year of CHIPS transaction data.
  • Achieved 85%+ predictive accuracy through hyperparameter tuning and evaluation; supported operations covering most U.S. wire volume.
  • Presented insights and impact to 50+ stakeholders, including executives and VPs.

Project Management Intern — Atlantic General Construction

May 2023 – Aug 2023 • New York, NY
  • Led day-to-day project workflows in owner’s absence; delegated tasks and resolved blockers to ensure on-time delivery.
  • Interfaced with clients and cross-functional teams; handled 5–10 weekly inquiries with transparent updates.

Skills

Programming Languages

Python, Java, JavaScript, TypeScript, SQL, C, R, HTML, CSS, Bash

Libraries & Frameworks

React, Next.js, Node.js, Flask, PyTorch, TensorFlow, Keras, Pandas, NumPy, Matplotlib, scikit-learn, OpenCV, XGBoost

Cloud, DevOps & Tools

AWS, Azure, Docker, Git, GitHub, Jira, Figma, Vercel, Jupyter Notebook, Roboflow

Databases & Back-End

PostgreSQL, MySQL, MongoDB, REST API design, Database modeling & normalization, Query optimization

Software & Productivity

Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook), Confluence, SharePoint, Google Workspace

Additional

Fluent in Spanish, Agile/Scrum, Data Visualization, Leadership & Team Collaboration

Education

Wake Forest University — B.S. in Computer Science, Entrepreneurship Minor

Dec 2025 • Winston-Salem, NC

Software Engineering, Neural Networks & Deep Learning, Algorithms & Analysis, Computer Systems II, Web Applications, Computer Vision, Data Structures, Database Management Systems, Macroeconomics, Scaling the Entrepreneurial Venture, Venture Capital, Evidence-Based Entrepreneurship, Linear Algebra, Data Science & Regression, Calculus I & II

Resume

View or download a PDF copy.

Contact

Email: marioauqui.contact@gmail.com LinkedIn: /in/marioauqui GitHub: @marioauqui