About

Background and experience

What I Do

I'm a Developer Relations Engineer at Google Cloud focusing on AI Platform Infrastructure — GPUs, TPUs, clusters, and model performance. I help developers and organizations build and scale their AI/ML workloads on Google Cloud.

My background is in robotics and autonomous systems. I spent years building perception, simulation, and control systems for autonomous vehicles, delivery drones, and industrial robots before moving into AI infrastructure. This experience shapes how I think about AI systems — particularly around embodiment, real-time constraints, and bridging the gap between simulation and reality.

Experience

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Google · Nov 2023 - Present

Developer Relations Engineer

AI Platform Infrastructure (GPUs, TPUs, clusters, model performance)

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Microsoft · Oct 2021 - Jan 2023

Software Engineer II

Built mixed reality experiences and AI/ML training infrastructure. Developed spatial computing systems and simulation environments for embodied AI applications.

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Amazon · Oct 2018 - Oct 2021

Software Development Engineer II

Built simulation frameworks and testing infrastructure for Prime Air autonomous delivery drones. Worked on flight dynamics simulation, sensor modeling, and automated test pipelines for drone software verification.

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Carnegie Robotics · Jul 2015 - Aug 2018

Software Engineer

Developed perception, navigation, and control systems for autonomous ground vehicles and industrial robots. Worked with ROS, computer vision, and sensor fusion for robots deployed in mining, agriculture, and defense applications.

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Walt Disney World · Aug 2013 - Aug 2014

Engineering Intern

Sustaining Engineering and Member Experiences

Education

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The University of Texas at Austin

Masters, Artificial Intelligence (2024 - 2026)

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The University of Akron

Bachelor's, Computer Science (2011 - 2015)

Personal Interests

When I'm not working on AI infrastructure, you'll find me outdoors. I enjoy rock climbing, sailing, and paragliding — activities that combine physical challenge with the beauty of nature. These pursuits keep me balanced and remind me that the best solutions often come when you step away from the screen.

Why "Alchemic Duncan"?

Alchemy represents something I believe in: patient transformation. The historical alchemists were early experimenters who documented failures, iterated on methods, and laid groundwork for modern chemistry. That's what engineering feels like to me. You start with raw materials and through careful work, you transform them into something useful.

It's also a reminder to stay humble. The alchemists were often wrong. I try to hold my own ideas loosely and stay open to being corrected. The goal isn't to be right, it's to keep learning and building things that matter.

Other