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 SciencesUniversity 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 DeveloperTrav App
June 2026 – Present5,000+ 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 InternPractice with Praveena, Inc.
June 2026 – Aug 2026100+ 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 ResearcherIndependent Research
May 2025 – Aug 2025Paper 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 ResearcherUC Berkeley EPIC Lab
Apr 2025 – Nov 202535.2% 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 AssistantUC Berkeley EPIC Lab
Dec 2024 – June 202513,000+ 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 DeveloperVertexStudy 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 InternShiva-Vishnu Temple
June 2023 – Aug 2023500+ 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