Machine Learning Researcher & Software Engineer
Hi, I'm Rohan Sawai
I work on geospatial tools, Language Model inference and scalable systems.
When I’m not coding, you’ll find me on the soccer field, at the gym, or grinding LeetCode.
I will be in the job market in 2026 for internship/full-time opportunities in ML Inference, Software and Applied ML. If you want to chat about research, code, working out, or even soccer, let’s connect!
Work Experience
My professional journey in software development
Software Developer
Center for Geospatial Information Technology, Virginia TechBlacksburg, VAFeb. 2025 – Present
- •Geospatial Web Applications: Engineered scalable, high-performance Django and GeoDjango applications for real-time mapping and spatial analytics, leveraging PostGIS and RESTful APIs to serve interactive map layers.
- •AI-Powered Spatial Query Interface: Architected and implemented a Django web app that converts natural-language questions into optimized, multilevel PostGIS SQL queries, and visualizes the results as interactive map layers using Leaflet.js
Software Developer
Center for Geospatial Information Technology, Virginia TechBlacksburg, VAFeb. 2025 – Present
- •Geospatial Web Applications: Engineered scalable, high-performance Django and GeoDjango applications for real-time mapping and spatial analytics, leveraging PostGIS and RESTful APIs to serve interactive map layers.
- •AI-Powered Spatial Query Interface: Architected and implemented a Django web app that converts natural-language questions into optimized, multilevel PostGIS SQL queries, and visualizes the results as interactive map layers using Leaflet.js
Software Developer
Center for Geospatial Information Technology, Virginia TechBlacksburg, VAFeb. 2025 – Present
- •Geospatial Web Applications: Engineered scalable, high-performance Django and GeoDjango applications for real-time mapping and spatial analytics, leveraging PostGIS and RESTful APIs to serve interactive map layers.
- •AI-Powered Spatial Query Interface: Architected and implemented a Django web app that converts natural-language questions into optimized, multilevel PostGIS SQL queries, and visualizes the results as interactive map layers using Leaflet.js
MS in Computer Engineering
Virginia TechBlacksburg, VAJan. 2025 – Present
- •GPA: 3.90/4.00
- •While at Citi bank, I realized I wanted to go deeper into ML and LLMs, so I headed to Virginia Tech for my master’s.
- •Now I’m focused on research in LLMs especially agentic workflows, vector DBs and memory component.
- •Coursework: Advanced Machine Learning, Applications of Machine Learning, Compiler Optimizations
MS in Computer Engineering
Virginia TechBlacksburg, VAJan. 2025 – Present
- •GPA: 3.90/4.00
- •While at Citi bank, I realized I wanted to go deeper into ML and LLMs, so I headed to Virginia Tech for my master’s.
- •Now I’m focused on research in LLMs especially agentic workflows, vector DBs and memory component.
- •Coursework: Advanced Machine Learning, Applications of Machine Learning, Compiler Optimizations
MS in Computer Engineering
Virginia TechBlacksburg, VAJan. 2025 – Present
- •GPA: 3.90/4.00
- •While at Citi bank, I realized I wanted to go deeper into ML and LLMs, so I headed to Virginia Tech for my master’s.
- •Now I’m focused on research in LLMs especially agentic workflows, vector DBs and memory component.
- •Coursework: Advanced Machine Learning, Applications of Machine Learning, Compiler Optimizations
Software Engineer
Citi BankPune, IndiaJuly 2023 – Jan. 2025
- •At Citi Bank, I wasn’t just writing code, I was collaborating with data scientists, experimenting with LLMs, and learning how to turn research into production systems.
- •Integrated LLMs (OpenAI GPT-3/4) for automated financial report generation and natural language analytics, reducing analyst workload.
- •Ensured production ML systems met enterprise security and compliance standards (JWT, SonarQube, Black Duck).
Software Engineer
Citi BankPune, IndiaJuly 2023 – Jan. 2025
- •At Citi Bank, I wasn’t just writing code, I was collaborating with data scientists, experimenting with LLMs, and learning how to turn research into production systems.
- •Integrated LLMs (OpenAI GPT-3/4) for automated financial report generation and natural language analytics, reducing analyst workload.
- •Ensured production ML systems met enterprise security and compliance standards (JWT, SonarQube, Black Duck).
Software Engineer
Citi BankPune, IndiaJuly 2023 – Jan. 2025
- •At Citi Bank, I wasn’t just writing code, I was collaborating with data scientists, experimenting with LLMs, and learning how to turn research into production systems.
- •Integrated LLMs (OpenAI GPT-3/4) for automated financial report generation and natural language analytics, reducing analyst workload.
- •Ensured production ML systems met enterprise security and compliance standards (JWT, SonarQube, Black Duck).
Software Engineer Intern
InterAct SoftwareMumbai, IndiaJun. 2022 – Aug. 2022
- •I developed RESTful APIs and backend services for ML-powered web apps.
- •Assisted in building NLP pipelines for user feedback analysis and sentiment classification (spaCy, NLTK).
- •Worked with product managers to translate ML research into production features, improving user engagement and retention.
Software Engineer Intern
InterAct SoftwareMumbai, IndiaJun. 2022 – Aug. 2022
- •I developed RESTful APIs and backend services for ML-powered web apps.
- •Assisted in building NLP pipelines for user feedback analysis and sentiment classification (spaCy, NLTK).
- •Worked with product managers to translate ML research into production features, improving user engagement and retention.
Software Engineer Intern
InterAct SoftwareMumbai, IndiaJun. 2022 – Aug. 2022
- •I developed RESTful APIs and backend services for ML-powered web apps.
- •Assisted in building NLP pipelines for user feedback analysis and sentiment classification (spaCy, NLTK).
- •Worked with product managers to translate ML research into production features, improving user engagement and retention.
B.Tech in ECE
Veermata Jijabai Technological Institute (VJTI)Mumbai, IndiaAug. 2019 – Jun. 2023
- •During my undergrad at VJTI, I got deeply involved in side projects and hackathons—building everything from speech recognition systems to web apps. This hands-on work sparked my passion for ML and set me on the path to research and engineering.
- •Graduated with distinction. Senior project: "Propoganda detection using BERT"
- •Relevant coursework: Probability & Statistics, Digital Signal Processing, Machine Learning.
B.Tech in ECE
Veermata Jijabai Technological Institute (VJTI)Mumbai, IndiaAug. 2019 – Jun. 2023
- •During my undergrad at VJTI, I got deeply involved in side projects and hackathons—building everything from speech recognition systems to web apps. This hands-on work sparked my passion for ML and set me on the path to research and engineering.
- •Graduated with distinction. Senior project: "Propoganda detection using BERT"
- •Relevant coursework: Probability & Statistics, Digital Signal Processing, Machine Learning.
B.Tech in ECE
Veermata Jijabai Technological Institute (VJTI)Mumbai, IndiaAug. 2019 – Jun. 2023
- •During my undergrad at VJTI, I got deeply involved in side projects and hackathons—building everything from speech recognition systems to web apps. This hands-on work sparked my passion for ML and set me on the path to research and engineering.
- •Graduated with distinction. Senior project: "Propoganda detection using BERT"
- •Relevant coursework: Probability & Statistics, Digital Signal Processing, Machine Learning.
About My Research Interests
My research interests lie in machine learning, deep learning, and natural language processing. I am particularly interested in building robust, scalable ML systems and exploring new algorithms for real-world impact. I have hands-on experience with research projects in NLP, computer vision, and large-scale data analysis.
Background
I have contributed to research and engineering projects at Citi Bank and during my graduate studies. My work spans deep learning, NLP, and data-driven systems. I am eager to collaborate on research that advances the state of the art in ML and AI.
I am currently seeking research assistantships, internships, or collaborations in the ML/AI domain.
Technical Skills
ML & Data Science
PyTorchTensorFlowscikit-learnNLPDeep Learning
Backend
PythonNode.jsJavaDjangoPostgresREST APIs
Tools
GitDockerAWSLinuxGIS
Frontend
ReactNext.jsTypeScriptTailwind CSS
Get In Touch
I'm always interested in hearing about new opportunities and exciting projects.
Feel free to reach out!
Phone
Location
Blacksburg, VA