Graduate Research Assistant — Gameplay / XR Engineer (Unreal Engine) at Illinois Institute of Technology

Developed gameplay systems in UE5 using C++ and Blueprints, including interaction mechanics, UI flows, and character/animation integration (35+ animations); profiled and optimized for stable real-time performance. Built multiplayer features for a real-time research project: implemented replicated gameplay state and interaction flows, debugged desync issues, and validated behavior across repeated test sessions. Collaborated with cross-functional stakeholders to translate creative/technical requirements into shippable features; maintained reproducible test steps and issue notes to speed iteration and bug fixing. Integrated and validated VR/XR devices and peripherals (PICO/Quest, Neon XR/Pupil Labs eye tracking, KAT VR locomotion, bHaptics); handled setup, calibration, runtime verification, logging/diagnostics, and issue triage.

Game Developer — Intern (Unreal Engine Gameplay/Environment) at Akiyam Solutions Private Limited

Implemented gameplay and AI systems in Unreal Engine 5 using C++/Blueprints and Behavior Trees/Blackboard/EQS; collaborated with artists/animators on feature implementation and technical design. Built procedural environment workflows (terrain/foliage, configurable spawn rules) and tuned lighting/materials for stable real-time rendering; optimized assets with LODs, mesh/texture cleanup, and performance profiling. Created repro scenes and baseline captures, triaged defects, and maintained smoke/regression packs to validate engine upgrades and reduce visual/physics regressions across releases.