Tyler Crosse

Hi, I'm Tyler 👋

I'm a software engineer turned graduate student, currently pursuing my passion for understanding how computers work — from the silicon to systems.

My Journey

My path to computer science has been anything but conventional. I started with a degree in Biomedical Engineering from VCU, thinking I'd build medical devices. Instead, I found myself drawn to the software side—building web applications, distributed systems, and eventually leading engineering teams.

After nearly a decade in industry, AlphaFold's breakthrough in 2018 crystallized something for me: machine learning wasn't just another tool—it was going to revolutionize science in ways I hadn't imagined. That realization sent me back to school to build the foundational knowledge I needed to be part of that revolution.

Experience

Georgia Institute of Technology

MS Computer Science | 2024 - Present

Specializing in Machine Learning and High-Performance Computing. Deep diving into operating systems, distributed systems, and the mathematical foundations of ML. Building everything from multithreaded servers in C to neural networks from scratch.

Knowable

Lead Software Engineer | 5 years

Led engineering initiatives on an audio learning platform. Built scalable backend systems, mentored junior developers, and architected solutions for millions of users. Worked across the full stack from React frontends to distributed microservices.

Rosetta Stone

Senior Software Engineer | 2 years

Contributed to the language learning platform that's helped millions of people learn new languages. Focused on backend systems and API development, working with international teams across multiple time zones.

Virginia Commonwealth University

BS Biomedical Engineering

Where it all started. Studied the intersection of engineering and medicine, but discovered my true passion lay in the computational side of solving complex problems.

What I'm Into

🧠 Machine Learning

From neural networks to optimization algorithms, I'm fascinated by how we can teach machines to learn patterns and make decisions.

⚡ High-Performance Computing

There's something beautiful about squeezing every ounce of performance out of hardware—parallel processing, GPU computing, distributed systems.

🔧 Systems Programming

Getting close to the metal. Understanding how operating systems work, how memory is managed, how processes communicate.

📚 Learning in Public

Sharing the journey, the failures, and the breakthroughs. Building knowledge in the open where others can learn alongside me.

🧬 Computational Biology

Understanding the biological processes that underlie disease and development.

⚖️ Economics

Understanding the economic forces that shape our world.

About This Digital Garden

This site is my digital garden—a place where ideas can grow and evolve over time. Unlike a traditional blog, content here isn't organized chronologically but by connections and themes. Some pieces are polished articles, others are rough notes or works in progress.

I believe in learning in public, sharing not just the final results but the messy process of figuring things out. If you see something interesting, wrong, or want to discuss an idea, drop me a line!

Built with Astro. Check out the source code. It would be a little weird to just copy it wholesale.

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