Hi, I'm Sisilia!

Hi! I'm Sisilia — a technologist and creative with roots in computer science, mathematics, and the arts. I'm passionate about blending technology and art to create meaningful experiences and enrich the communities around me.

I graduated from Northwestern University in 2022 (go 'cats!) with double majors in computer science and mathematics. During my time there, I was an undergraduate researcher in the Assistive & Rehabilitation Robotics Laboratory (argallab) under Professor Brenna Argall. My work focused on using machine learning and statistical methods along with developing software for robotic systems to improve the lives of stroke patients and patients with spinal cord injuries. You can learn more about one of the projects I contributed to here, which I also presented at the 2022 International Conference on Rehabilitation Robotics (ICORR) in Rotterdam, Netherlands.

After college, I worked as a software engineer at Microsoft under Mixed Reality, where I was part of the development team for the Microsoft HoloLens 2 and the IVAS (Integrated Visual Augmentation System) program. During my time there, I explored the intersection of software, hardware, and human-computer interaction for both enterprise and government applications, helping to build immersive applications that seamlessly bridged physical and digital experiences. In 2023, I was honored to speak at the annual Grace Hopper Conference in Orlando, FL, where I helped lead a workshop on introductory game design for extended reality (XR).

Currently, I am a founding engineer at a startup called InZone, a social media platform dedicated to creating a healthier and more sustainable social media ecosystem for Gen Z. As a founding engineer, I lead design and development of the 3D avatar system, which is a key component of the platform. While the avatar system is still in development, the app itself is live and in use by the public - check it out on the App Store and Google Play Store!

Creativity and the arts have always been core to who I am. I started playing the violin when I was 4 years old and continued to play in orchestras and ensembles throughout my life. While I don't currently play music professionally, I still enjoy writing and producing music in my free time and writing very enthusiastic reviews about new releases and albums I like (you can read a few of these here). I also enjoy dancing, which I only started getting into during my time in college, and I was also a member of New Age Theatrics, a performing arts dance company located in the Bay Area. Check out our first-place set at World of Dance Bay Area 2025!

While I've always loved pursuing my creative passions on the side, I always knew I wanted to do something more with these interests, which has led me to my current goal of exploring music technology and computational arts in a deeper, more research-driven way. I'm now trying to reconnect with my interdisciplinary interests in music, code, and interaction by exploring music technology and computational arts in a deeper, more research-driven way. I'm actively preparing for a PhD program in media arts and music technology. My long-term goal is to build tools and experiences that empower artistic expression and musical performance through technology — whether that's through audio software, immersive interfaces, or other creative tools.

In the meantime, I'm developing creative personal projects, brushing up on DSP and audio programming, and looking to collaborate with others who share a passion for merging code, creativity, and culture. I'll be blogging about my experiences and thoughts on this journey here on this site. Feel free to follow along if you'd like, and I'm always open to chatting about new projects or ideas and meeting new people, especially other creatives and technologists (or both)!