# Cornell Tech > Built interactive systems across water quality, urban data, and real-time translation; graduated with a 4.0. - Role: M.S. Information Science - Dates: August 2022 – May 2024 - Canonical page: https://twallacech.com/work/cornell-tech ## M.S. in Information Science, Urban Tech concentration ### **GPA:** 4.0 ### **Relevant Coursework (Highlights)** **Design Across Disciplines** The course was taught by [Jenny Sabin](https://www.jennysabin.com/). Our team built Cellular Automata, a traveling installation that visualized water quality and left shore-stabilizing artifacts in its wake. We used Rhino and Grasshopper to create fully parametric designs: the top and bottom structures regenerated uniquely each time the script ran. The project combined design experimentation with technical execution. Our work was featured in the [Cornell Chronicle](https://news.cornell.edu/stories/2022/12/multicollege-department-bridge-design-and-technology) and published in [Association v13](https://www.instagram.com/cornellassociation/). [Video: Cellular Automata at Cornell Tech](https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/rcCppY_qyLM) ![Cellular Automata mangrove prototype installed in a living aquarium](https://twallacech.com/portfolio/cornell-automata-mangrove-hero.jpg) ![Fish swimming through the Cellular Automata mangrove habitat](https://twallacech.com/portfolio/cornell-automata-mangrove-fish.jpg) ![Close-up of the translucent green Cellular Automata mangrove structure](https://twallacech.com/portfolio/cornell-automata-mangrove-detail.jpg) ![Cellular automata pavilion design](https://twallacech.com/portfolio/cornell-cellular-1.png) ![Cellular automata design details](https://twallacech.com/portfolio/cornell-cellular-2.png) **Urban Data Final Project** The course was taught by [Emma Pierson](https://tech.cornell.edu/people/emma-pierson/). We built a model to compare indicators of gentrification across New York City ZIP codes between 2011 and 2019. Using census data—including median rent, education level, and age—we developed a composite measure and mapped how neighborhoods changed over time. ![Map quantifying gentrification in New York City](https://twallacech.com/portfolio/cornell-gentrification.png) The model identified the greatest changes in northwestern Brooklyn—including Williamsburg, Greenpoint, and Bushwick—and the Financial District. Flushing and parts of southern and southeastern Brooklyn changed less over the same period. **Developing and Designing Interactive Devices** Taught by [Wendy Ju](https://tech.cornell.edu/people/wendy-ju/), this hands-on course explored the human-centered and technical foundations of interactive devices. The code and documentation for these projects are available on [GitHub](https://github.com/twallacech95/Interactive-Lab-Hub). Stanley Walker and I built an AI-powered international hotline that generated a fictional caller from a random location and supported a live voice conversation. - Whisper transcribed microphone audio. - The ChatGPT API generated the caller’s identity and conversation. - A location-based prompt shaped the caller’s context. - Google Text-to-Speech produced the voice response. ![International hotline interactive device](https://twallacech.com/portfolio/cornell-hotline.jpeg) [Video: International hotline demonstration](https://twallacech.com/portfolio/cornell-hotline.mp4) We continued developing the prototype with ElevenLabs, a proximity sensor with responsive lights, and a 3D-printed housing. ![Interactive device housing](https://twallacech.com/portfolio/cornell-device-1.png) ![Interactive device components](https://twallacech.com/portfolio/cornell-device-2.png) For our final project, we built PolyPi: a Raspberry Pi camera that recognized an object and translated its name into a language selected by voice. ![PolyPi camera housing](https://twallacech.com/portfolio/cornell-polypi-housing.png) The camera and controls were contained in a custom housing: ![PolyPi camera components](https://twallacech.com/portfolio/cornell-polypi-detail.png) PolyPi in action: [Video: PolyPi translation camera demonstration](https://twallacech.com/portfolio/cornell-polypi.mp4) [View the PolyPi repository](https://github.com/twallacech95/Interactive-Lab-Hub/tree/Fall2023/Final%20Project) **Product Studio** For Product Studio, our team created Criate in response to a [Patreon](https://www.patreon.com/) challenge about helping creators earn sustainable income from their work. We were finalists in the 2024 Open Studio; the project was featured by [Cornell Tech](https://www.instagram.com/p/C0h-WoorJ2f/?hl=en&img_index=1). ![Criate Product Studio team](https://twallacech.com/portfolio/cornell-criate-1.jpg) ![Criate product presentation](https://twallacech.com/portfolio/cornell-criate-2.png) ## Contact - [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/twallacech/) - [Email](mailto:twallacech@gmail.com)