Rachel Stein

I am passionate about software engineering and education. My interest in the intersection has guided my academic and professional path. I love how software engineering’s rapid evolution encourages team members to be career-long learners and teachers. More broadly, I am inspired to integrate software engineering and educational methodology into an open, collaborative, and dynamic approach to implementing creative and practical solutions to real-world challenges.

Educational Background

In 2024, I completed a master’s degree in Specialized Studies in Education at New York University. The program allowed me to design my studies. I focused on how technology can enhance in-person learning. While I primarily focused on nonformal spaces (such as museums and libraries), my work was also readily applicable to both virtual and formal educational spaces. For example, my Museum Education course greatly informed my semester project for Foundations of Curriculum for Diverse Learners (see my “How do you rest?” project). The Projects page includes more of my graduate work, tagged as #nyu.

I graduated from Swarthmore College in 2015 with a bachelor’s in computer science and minors in art history and education. Due to concerns about academic integrity, I cannot post my computer science projects. I worked as a software developer and consultant after thru-hiking the 2,200-mile Appalachian Trail from Maine to Georgia.

Professional Background

I have worked primarily as a full-stack developer on projects, including building an iOS app for a national food delivery company, rebuilding a U.S. DoD system tracking recruits, and modernizing a telemedicine communication tool. At my last company, The Mom Project, I focused on backend development, which included Ruby on Rails development, database support, and site stability. Before that, I worked as a software consultant. I valued the opportunities to practice the craft of software development, project management, and client-facing communication skills in an array of tech stacks and company cultures. Every industry project I worked on is closed source.