Harshal Patel

CS, AI, Cybersecurity @ Clemson University

About Me

Hi, I'm Harshal👋

I am a first-generation student at Clemson University from Union, SC. I am majoring in Computer Science with minors in Artificial Intelligence and Cybersecurity. When I’m not coding, you can usually find me on the basketball court, going for a run, watching anime, or playing video games. I am currently an AI Research Assistant for the Watt AI Program and an undergraduate teaching assistant for a Python programming course at Clemson University.

Experience

AI Research Assistant

Clemson University - Watt AI Program Aug. 2025–Present 📍 Clemson, SC

Develop advanced vision-based Large Language Model (LLM) pipelines using pretrained Hugging Face models in PyTorch to analyze TV commercial videos and extract structured insights from ad content. Implement automated techniques for celebrity recognition, demographic analysis, and detailed activity description within advertisement footage. Utilize Jupyter Notebooks and Linux high-performance computing (HPC) cluster to efficiently train, evaluate, and optimize large-scale models on advertisement footage

Undergraduate Teaching Assistant

Clemson University - School of Computing Aug. 2025–Present 📍 Clemson, SC

Instruct a weekly lab section of 38 students in a Python programming course, providing guidance on coding fundamentals and debugging techniques. Facilitate 1-hour office hours twice weekly, assisting ~12 students per session with Python programming concepts, debugging, and assignment guidance. Review and provide feedback on 15–21 programming assignments per week, ensuring timely evaluation and helping students improve code quality and problem-solving skills.

Privacy Compliance Research Assistant

Clemson University - Creative Inquiry Jan. 2025–May 2025 📍 Clemson, SC

Conducted an extensive review on privacy labels and their effectiveness in ensuring transparency and compliance with regulations like GDPR, CCPA, and CalOPPA. Analyzed 14 research papers on privacy policies, data collection disclosures, and regulatory compliance in appified ecosystems to assess their impact on privacy transparency and user protection. Synthesized findings into a survey paper, summarizing key trends, challenges, and advancements in privacy labels across different platforms.

Projects

AirAware

Developed a full-stack web app integrating OpenAQ, NASA FIRMS, and OpenWeather APIs to visualize real-time air quality and wildfire data from 100+ countries using an interactive React + Leaflet.js map. Built a Flask RESTful API backend with multi-source aggregation, EPA-based AQI conversion, and 3-hour caching that reduced API calls by 80% while maintaining 99% uptime for reliable global monitoring.

Python JavaScript Flask React Leaflet.js

🥈 2nd Place

⏱️ 48-hour build

🚀 NASA Space Apps Challenge

GoHelpMe

Developed a full-stack mobile app that connects disaster victims with nearby volunteers using real-time geolocation, enabling rapid, proximity-based matching & improving disaster response coordination at scale. Integrated Google Maps API for geolocation tracking, map visualization, and live data refresh every 10 seconds. Recognized with the Wild Card Award for innovative use of geolocation and real-time mapping in emergency coordination during a 24-hour hackathon.

TypeScript React Native Node.js Firebase Expo

🏆 Wild Card Award

⏱️ 24-hour build

📱 Mobile App

ParkPaw

Developed a GUI-based parking management system using Python and Tkinter for Clemson University parking lots C1 and C2, allowing real-time space visualization and manual check-in/out. Designed user authentication system with login and account creation features. Collaborated in a 4-person team during a 12-hour freshman-only hackathon, winning the Best Hack for Good award.

Python Tkinter GUI Design

🏆 Best Hack for Good

⏱️ 12-hour build

🐯 Clemson Focused

Tech Stack

Languages

Python

C/C++

SQL

JavaScript

TypeScript

HTML/CSS

Frameworks & Libraries

Flask

Node.js

React.js

React Native

PyTorch

NumPy

Pandas

SQLAlchemy

Leaflet.js

MatPlotLib

Tools & Platforms

Git

PostgreSQL

Firebase

Vercel

RESTful APIs

VS Code

Jupyter

Linux

Vim

Expo

Let's Connect

GitHub

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