Rose Alsalman

This project is housed within MIT’s School of Engineering and explores how large language models (LLMs) can identify invention-related language in science fiction texts. As the technical lead, I oversee all modeling, evaluation, and pipeline design, from prompt-tuned zero-shot baselines to prototyping Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) and LoRA-based fine-tuning techniques. I also manage a team of seven undergraduate researchers responsible for sourcing and annotating open-license text, ensuring quality through manual cross-validation. I lead all research planning, model comparisons, and system design, while maintaining team momentum through 1-on-1 mentorship, structured syncs, and community-building initiatives.

I work on Amazon’s Global Logistics QA team, developing automated end-to-end tests for container tracking systems that move inventory from Chinese ports to U.S. fulfillment centers. I write integration tests in Java and execute them using Amazon’s internal CI/CD infrastructure, validating critical services used by paying customers. My work spans a massive codebase, integrating mocked and live APIs across distributed services. I've handled priority blockers, adapted to undocumented tooling like Brazil (Amazon’s internal build system), and kept momentum by proactively aligning with engineering and QA leads.

Taught an intensive machine learning course to undergraduates as part of MIT’s Global Teaching Labs. Co-designed the curriculum and adapted it in real time to match students’ actual experience levels, which varied widely. Delivered instruction in Python, linear algebra, and ML fundamentals, navigating language barriers and cross-cultural communication. Configured classroom systems and coding environments. Guided students through self-directed final projects, providing datasets, evaluation rubrics, and mentorship from start to presentation.

Music & Emotion ML - MIT ESI Rapid Response Group At MIT’s Environmental Solutions Initiative (ESI), I contributed to a creative machine learning project that generates chord progressions and melodies from images. I helped build the training data pipeline, gathered musician-labeled emotional feedback on chord structures, and developed algorithms for octave transitions and chord inversion logic. I also designed a prototype UI to allow musicians and non-technical users to test the model. My role supported a broader effort to explore emotionally grounded generative AI systems for artistic inspiration.

Green Hydrogen Optimization - MIT Energy Initiative (MITEI) This research focused on optimizing the transportation and grid dispatch of green hydrogen across the U.S. East Coast. I developed constrained vehicle routing models using Julia and Python to reduce emissions and transportation costs under realistic operational limits. The work involved integrating multiple criteria — carbon intensity, delivery time, vehicle fleet constraints — into a unified optimization framework that could support future energy policy and infrastructure planning.

Programming in C and Assembly - MIT Department of EECS I supported a systems programming course covering binary operations, memory management, RISC-V assembly, and C language fundamentals. I taught weekly labs, reviewed student code in checkoffs, and co-developed new assignments and automated grading tools. The course emphasized low-level thinking, and I adapted my explanations to support students with varying experience levels, helping them understand abstract machine concepts through concrete code behavior.

Quantum Engineer Intern / TA – MITRE Quantum Computing Beaver Works Originally selected for a quantum algorithm development internship, I was reassigned to MITRE’s Beaver Works teaching team. I taught core quantum computing concepts to a class of high school students, covering Shor’s algorithm, quantum gates, and Q# programming. Students chose their own final project papers from academic literature, so I frequently had to rapidly learn unfamiliar algorithms (e.g., VQE, Max-Cut) to guide feasibility assessments and support implementations. I also contributed to curriculum design and updated the MITRE Quantum STEM website with new content and formatting.

Bachelor of Engineering in Computer Science & Engineering + Business Analytics (Double Major) Minors in Physics and Mathematics