Nikhil Rao
// uc_berkeley_eecs
// epic_lab_docetl_13k
// bargain_model_cascade

Experience

research labs at uc berkeley, startup ventures, and software engineering roles

UC Berkeley EECS

education
B.S. Student in Electrical Engineering & Computer Sciences • University of California, Berkeley
Aug 2026 – Present

Pursuing computer science & AI research. Focus on LLM cost optimization, generative AI frameworks, and full-stack systems.

#Python#C++#AI Systems#EECS

Trav Mobile App

startups
Co-Founder & Lead Developer • Trav App
June 2026 – Present⚡ 5,000+ Viewers

3-person team native iOS app for niche travel discovery. Integrated Apple Maps API and custom CoreML model powering personalized itineraries backed by a real-time scraping pipeline.

#Swift#CoreML#Apple Maps API#iOS#Scraping

Practice with Praveena, Inc.

engineering
Software Engineering Intern • Practice with Praveena, Inc.
June 2026 – Aug 2026⚡ 100+ Clients

Built full-stack React/Next.js web platform managing services for 100+ active clients using Vimeo API. Developed custom Roku TV app bringing interactive smart TV capabilities to 25+ in-studio clients.

#React.js#Next.js#Vimeo API#Roku TV

PromptPilot Research

research
Lead Researcher • Independent Research
May 2025 – Aug 2025⚡ Paper Preprint

Engineered novel prompt-optimization algorithm for Large Language Models (LLMs) and documented findings in an independent research paper preprint. Deployed background desktop agent intercepting and refining user prompts.

#LLMs#Prompt Optimization#Python#Desktop Agents

BARGAIN Project — UC Berkeley EPIC Lab

research
LLM Researcher • UC Berkeley EPIC Lab
Apr 2025 – Nov 2025⚡ 35.2% LLM Cost Saved

1 of 2 selected Research Assistants. Researched model cascade frameworks reducing LLM API costs by up to 35.2% while maintaining 90%+ baseline accuracy. Presented poster to 100+ professors & faculty on campus.

#LLMs#Model Cascades#Python#Cost Optimization

DocETL Project — UC Berkeley EPIC Lab

research
Lead Research Assistant • UC Berkeley EPIC Lab
Dec 2024 – June 2025⚡ 13,000+ GitHub Users • 50% Speedup

1 of 1 selected Lead Research Assistant. Restructured Python package operator reducing runtime cost by up to 50%. Co-authored research abstract with Ph.D. candidate; code published & used by 13k+ engineers on GitHub.

#Generative AI#Python#Open Source#Package Engineering

VertexStudy LLC

startups
Co-Founder & Lead Developer • VertexStudy LLC
June 2024 – Oct 2025⚡ $25,000 Investment Award

AI student productivity app presented to school board of 8+ officials reaching 1,500+ active users. Presented at IdeaToIPO investor event and awarded $25,000 investment opportunity.

#AI#React#Node.js#EdTech

Shiva-Vishnu Temple

engineering
Software Engineering Intern • Shiva-Vishnu Temple
June 2023 – Aug 2023⚡ 500+ Visitors Supported

Redesigned responsive website using React.js and TypeScript (integrated 80+ components). Collaborated with overseas team in Hyderabad, India, and integrated Microsoft Azure NLP models into a real-time assistant chatbot.

#React.js#TypeScript#Azure NLP#Figma