About
Odalys Benitez
My website has gone through several iterations throughout the years. Most of the time, I’ve optimized it for the best probability to get a job. This was incredibly important to me, as someone who grew up with zero generational wealth and major imposter syndrome. It STILL is important, but as I move through life, I’m finding myself valuing community as much (if not more).
So this time around, my website is (hopefully) less of a one-sided collage of all the “technically impressive” work I’ve done, and more of a holistic visualization of what I care about and the work that energizes me. I hope this faciliates a conversation with likeminded people, and leads a fellow wanderer to engage with some of the material (resources/groups) that inspire and nourish me so much.
Where I’m at now: After being hit with tech layoffs, I wanted to apply my software skillset to a company in the climate space. Seeing how tumultous the job market was, I pursued education through fellowships with the Post Growth Institute, Terra.do, and the Piedmont Environmental Council. These experiences have been opening, enriching, and enlightening in several ways. I’ve learned there are more ways I can contribute, beyond an engineering/software capacity. I have a tingly sense as to my next steps, but always open to learning of work/education/creative opportunities (especially if they’re collaborative).
Thank you for visiting my page.
So this time around, my website is (hopefully) less of a one-sided collage of all the “technically impressive” work I’ve done, and more of a holistic visualization of what I care about and the work that energizes me. I hope this faciliates a conversation with likeminded people, and leads a fellow wanderer to engage with some of the material (resources/groups) that inspire and nourish me so much.
Where I’m at now: After being hit with tech layoffs, I wanted to apply my software skillset to a company in the climate space. Seeing how tumultous the job market was, I pursued education through fellowships with the Post Growth Institute, Terra.do, and the Piedmont Environmental Council. These experiences have been opening, enriching, and enlightening in several ways. I’ve learned there are more ways I can contribute, beyond an engineering/software capacity. I have a tingly sense as to my next steps, but always open to learning of work/education/creative opportunities (especially if they’re collaborative).
Thank you for visiting my page.
Education
- Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering
- B. Eng w/ Concentration in Robotics, ‘22
- Post Growth Institute
- Offers and Needs Market Facilitator ‘24
- Terra.do
- Climate Action Fellow March 2025-June 2025
Work History
- Piedmont Environmental Council, Randal Fellow [June 2025 - Now]
- Gained a comprehensive grasp on public policy, conservation, and land use in the Piedmont region of Virginia
- Applied knowledge to hands-on projects pertaining to urban planning, gentrification, and storytelling on local level (Los Angeles) with ArcGIS data analysis and story maps
- Supported town’s effort to permanently pedestrianize lane, by engaging in critical placemaking and design to envision potential installation
- Terra.do, Climate Action Fellow [March 2025 - June 2025]
- Developed a comprehensive understanding of climate change—from its scientific foundations and emissions sources to its impacts on transportation, agriculture, the economy, and finance
- Solidified understanding through team projects, documentation, and final presentations delivered to fellow community
- RightHand Robotics, Software Engineer 1, Software Engineer 2 [June 2022 - July 2024]
- Worked as a member of Sustaining software team at leading warehouse robotics automation company
- Enhanced robot performance by making contributions across the software stack, from behavior modification in the Python back-end, to enhancing front-end user experience with JS/React
- Collaborated extensively with software, support, and solutions team to ensure critical issues resolved in a timely manner for the customer
- Effectively utilized data tools such as BigQuery SQL and PowerBi to assess and monitor robot performance KPI
- Olin College of Engineering, Undegraduate Research Opportunities Program [Sept 2021 - May 2022]
- Led development of high-precision underwater magnetic field probe, starting from high-level systems design to functional minimal viable product, with guidance from Olin College faculty and stakeholder requirements
- Effectively organized meetings with client to ensure solution utility and fit throughout design process
- Mentored team of 5 students to ensure project milestones met
- Machina Labs, Robotics Engineering Intern [June 2021 - Sept 2021]
- Diagnosed timing issues and loop overruns in a real-time robotic controls application
- Integrated new production functionality into a mature codebase
- Implemented kernel-level configuration to optimize Python-based control loop jitter
- Used multithreading to parallelize runtime objectives and increase code performance
- NASA-Funded Asteroid Discovery Research, Research Assistant [Jan 2020 - Sept 2020]
- Worked under Dr. Carrie Nugent to build a software pipeline to discover near-Earth asteroids in archival data
- Addressed complex parameter optimization issues by creating Python scripts for image processing and modification
- Rolling Robots, Robotics Instructor [June 2019 - Aug 2019]
- Developed engaging and hands-on robotics curriculum for primary and secondary school students
- Taught multiple classes of 10-15 students through a three-month summer program
- Utilized robotics teaching tools such as VEX, Autodesk CAD, and Scratch to facilitate understanding of programming, 3D design, and mechanical construction
- Encouraged a supportive learning environment, ensuring safety and engagement for students from diverse backgrounds
- Collaborated with other instructors to delegate teaching tasks