Greetings !

My name is Joe, and I'm a Software Development Engineer based in the stunning Pacific Northwest. I recently transitioned to software development in 2022 after working toward a degree in Computer Science from Thomas Edison State University.

While my experience in software development is relatively new, I leverage my 16+ years of experience in radiation protection to adapt to new challenges and develop creative solutions. In my free time, I enjoy working on personal projects, such as building this portfolio, to hone my skills and continue to grow as a developer.

Thank you for taking the time to visit my site, and I hope you enjoy browsing through my projects!

Experiences

Amazon Web Services

Oct 2022 - Present

As a Software Development Engineer for Amazon Web Services Guard Duty, I have gained extensive experience using Rust, AWS CDK, Kubernetes, EKS, and agile development methodologies to focus on threat detection and implement CI/CD pipelines for efficient software delivery.
Puget Sound Naval Shipyard

Nov 2017 - Oct 2022

As an Physical Science Technician Instructor, I provided ongoing support for database systems during a conversion of paper records to digital, independently ensured readiness of senior radiological control technicians, developed practical and written examinations, and maintained compliance with regulatory agencies while incorporating developments in radiological controls into training.
Puget Sound Naval Shipyard

Dec 2013 - Nov 2017

As a Physical Science Technician, I enforced radiological control standards and practices, ensured safe execution of high-risk mock-up trained projects, and expeditiously responded to radiological emergencies to ensure safety for workers, the public, and the environment. I also served as Supervisory Radiological Controls Technician on multiple projects, including those overseas in Japan.
United States Navy

Apr 2006 - Nov 2013

As an Engineering Laboratory Technician, I held various positions, including Submarine Squadron 19 Engineering Assistant, Engineering Laboratory Technician on the USS Pennsylvania SSBN-735, and Chemistry & Radiological Controls Instructor at Naval Nuclear Prototype Training Unit in New York. In these roles, I ensured the safe and efficient operation of nuclear-powered submarines by maintaining and updating technical manuals, providing training on radiological and chemical controls, and troubleshooting plant issues. Additionally, I oversaw and directed the work of other sailors, analyzed logs for trend analysis, and provided written recommendations to department supervision to prevent recurrence of anomalies.

Skills

Java

HTML/CSS/JS

AWS Cloud Services

Rust

TypeScript

Personal Projects

Screen Capture of Restaurant Finder Project Web App

Restaurant Food Search

This custom made web application was a project myself and two others worked on while at TLG. We applied everything we learned in HTML/CSS/JS class to this project. It features multiple API integrations with Yelp and Google as well as a protected back end for the Yelp API. After the class I migrated the site from Github to a serverless deployment on AWS where I utilized multiple services including S3, Route 53, Cloudfront, AWS Certificate Manager, API Gateway, and Lambda.

Temple Jog

For the first part of our TLG Capstone projects in a team of 3, we developed a console based text adventure game. Using the skills we learned in Java, Data Structures, and Agile development. We completed the game in the course of three sprints (2 weeks total). The game takes its story inspiration from Bungie's Pathways into Darkness.

Strain-X

To simulate the feeling of arriving on a team and inheriting a codebase unfamiliar to us, our team of three for the previous project set about converting another team's text based adventure game into a game using a graphical user interface. We continued building on our Agile Development skills as well as learning a new library (Java Swing) to deliver a product over the course of another 3 sprints (2 weeks).

Portfolio of Joseph Racke