Portrait of Kayla Mullen

Computer Scientist | Software Developer | Data Analyst

Building software, analyzing data, and designing systems to solve complex problems from a perspective shaped by community engagement, research and accessibility.

About Me

I'm a senior Computer Science student at Wellesley College with strong experience in systems programming, embedded development, and data analysis. My coursework and projects have exposed me to technical domains including memory management, programming languages, data visualization, and real-time systems.

I am particularly drawn to projects that combine technical rigor with real-world impact. By integrating research, accessibility, and community engagement into my work, I aim to design systems that are not only efficient but equitable and user-centered.

Skills Overview

Technical: Python, Java, C, OCaml, Racket, HTML, CSS, x86 Assembly, Embedded Systems, Data Analysis, ArcGIS, PySimpleGUI, Pandas, Matplotlib, Seaborn
Perspective: Accessibility, Community Engagement, Equitable Design, Research-Driven Development

Projects

Art and Story Sharing Database and Web Interface

Deployed a Flask hosted web app for users to share drawings and write stories in a collaborative space. Developed with RESTful routes and server side rendering through Jinja2. Constructed a database of referential tables to manage user submitted info, art and stories. Implemented asynchronous retrieval from the database with Ajax.

SQL Python HTML CSS JavaScript Flask
Learn More

Data Analysis of Applications to CHAPA 40B Affordable Homes

Analyzed Chapter 40B housing applications for CHAPA, identifying demographic and geographic trends to inform equitable affordable housing policy. Cleaned and structured data, geocoded addresses with the Census API, built visualizations with Matplotlib, Seaborn and ArcGIS, collaborated with stakeholders across to align findings with lived experience and guide actionable recommendations.

Python Pandas ArcGIS Matplotlib
Learn More Documentation

Snap N' Go: Multi-Task Allocation for Mobile Crowd Sensing Platforms

Designed and evaluated a data-driven task allocation system to improve volunteer coordination and resource distribution across small geographic areas. Built predictive models to anticipate where community-based data collection efforts would have the greatest impact, supporting more equitable coverage across locations.

Python Spatio-Temporal Algorithm Design Digital Twin
Learn More

PPG Heart Rate Monitoring System with Real Time GUI

Developed embedded C code on an ESP32 microcontroller to filter PPG sensor data. Designed a real time pulse detection algorithm to identify heartbeats via peak analysis and calculate BPM. Sent data to host computer via Bluetooth. Created a Python desktop GUI to display live heart rate metrics and pulse waveform with user customized abnormal pulse warning thresholds.

Python C Arduino Matplotlib
Learn More

Mini Java Implementation in OCaml

Built a simplified Java-like language in OCaml by implementing a type checker for objects, methods, and fields, and an interpreter for object execution. Designed test cases to ensure correctness and integrated with a provided compiler.

OCaml
Learn More

Custom Memory Allocator in C

Implemented a first-fit implicit free list allocator to simulate dynamic memory management. Designed and tested functions to allocate blocks, free memory, and coalesce adjacent free blocks for efficient reuse. Gained a deeper understanding of how malloc and free work at the system level.

C Memory Management Systems Programming
Learn More

Crab Age Prediction Model

Developed a baseline linear regression model for prediction of crab age trained on features extracted from commercially farmed crabs. Developed a final neural network based model and tuned hyperparameters for improved performance. Wrote an initial project proposal and final research paper summarizing findings. Achieved improved MSE scores with final tuned neural network model over the Baseline.

Python scikit-learn Machine Learning
Learn More

My Journey

I am currently a senior Computer Science student with experience designing and implementing systems, building data pipelines, and developing algorithms with attention to computational efficiency. My projects and research experiences have helped me develop strong problem-solving skills, proficiency in multiple programming languages, and familiarity with technical tools like ArcGIS, Matplotlib and Pandas. Each experience has built on the last, shaping a trajectory that blends research, community engagement, and accessibility, allowing me to bring unique insight and perspective to technical challenges.

Experience Timeline

May 2025 - July 2025 | Boston, MA

PIT-NE Fellowship

Analyzed 4 years of Chapter 40B housing application data for CHAPA to identify demographic and geographic trends in affordable housing.

  • June 2025 Community Showcase: Presented findings to Boston affordable housing professionals
  • October 2025 Talk: Tanner Conference — Public interest technology: Co-designed tools for social justice
May 2024 - July 2024 | Wellesley College

Student Researcher - Gadiraju Lab

Explored disability justice in NLPs and LLMs, conducted interviews, and designed a longitudinal study shaped to participant accessibility needs. Gained experience in scientific writing while publishing findings.

  • October 2024 Publication: “I'm treating it kind of like a diary”: Characterizing how users with disabilities use AI chatbots. Proceedings of the 26th annual international ACM SIGACCESS conference on computers and accessibility. ACM Digital Library.
  • April 2025 Talk: Ruhlman Conference — Generative AI Chatbots: Bias, Risks & Empowerment
2021 – 2023

Home Healthcare Support

Supported patients in daily living activities including wound care, medicine administration, errands, and personal care. Collaborated with care teams to communicate health condition changes.