Ben Carpenter

Projects

Recommender System (COMP 4601) Winter 2026

Built item-based and user-based collaborative filtering in Java using Pearson correlation and cosine similarity over a sparse MovieLens dataset
Optimized CPU-bound leave-one-out cross-validation with a fixed-thread ExecutorService and thread-safe DoubleAdder/LongAdder accumulators
Tuned hyperparameters (neighbourhood size, similarity threshold) via concurrent grid search, logging results to CSV
Tech: Java

ZigBee Mesh Network Simulation (COMP 4203) Fall 2025

Implemented a PAFP-HAN ZigBee mesh in C++ on ns-3.47: betweenness-centrality gateway election, probabilistic packet scheduling, and ping/pong liveness with automatic failover
Designed a custom protocol stack covering packet scheduling, node election, and fault tolerance
Visualized topology and metrics in Python/matplotlib, validating correctness under simulated node failures
Tech: C++, ns-3.47, Python3, matplotlib

Insulin Pump Simulation (COMP 3004) Winter 2025

Administrator Support | DocuPet, Remote, Canada June 2025 – May 2026

Collaborated with QA and dev teams to draft software specs and report bugs for resolution
Configured Zendesk's built-in AI agent, tuning it to auto-resolve 80%+ of incoming partner queries
Built automations reducing admin overhead, freeing the team to focus on partner service
Cut time per ticket by 30+ seconds by eliminating redundant data entry using existing reporting tools
Supported partners using enterprise software serving over four million pets

Office Manager | Charlatan Publications Inc., Ottawa, ON 2025 – 2026

Ran day-to-day advertising operations: published ads and managed the paper's AdTech relationships
Managed 15 paid staff and additional volunteers; maintained a safe and constructive workplace
Handled bookkeeping, payroll, and CPA liaison

Bank Teller | Greenfield Cooperative Bank, Western MA Summer 2023, 2024

Processed customer transactions and maintained accurate records under strict confidentiality protocols

Languages	Python, Go, JavaScript, Java
Backend & Infra	Express, AWS, Docker, PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQLite, MongoDB, Linux (Ubuntu, Raspberry Pi OS)
Tools	Postman, CI/CD, Qt4/5