David
Liu
Hi there! I'm a software engineer focused on building backend / distributed systems and full-stack applications, with experience in payments, integrations, and data-heavy applications. I care a lot about writing reliable, maintainable code and creating software that’s both practical and easy to work with. Welcome to my website, and check out some of my projects below!
My Story
I'm a recent University of Michigan graduate with a B.S.E. in Computer Science (2025). I came into college with a general passion for engineering and problem solving, and eventually found myself drawn to computer science through building small apps and games based on fun ideas I had.
I really fell in love with programming after taking the operating systems and distributed systems classes at UMich, where I got hooked on how existing systems work under the hood — and how much of systems design is about intentional trade-offs and careful engineering decisions. One of my biggest motivations is that I really enjoy learning, and continuing to build on that is something I want to carry forward in my career.
What I'm Doing Now
At Whova, I work on the registration system, focusing on integrations between Whova and external platforms to build features and services that help customers connect their event workflows across different apps. I also work on payment auditing and monitoring to improve system reliability and observability.
Outside of Coding
I like to rock climb, hike, practice piano/guitar, draw, and cook!
- Led full-stack registration and payment features using React, Python, and Stripe for 200+ daily users.
- Own and maintain Whova's third-party integration services end-to-end, including OAuth 2.0 flows, webhook handling, and API gateway configurations.
- Configured and monitored Datadog dashboards and alerts, reducing incident response time by 50% and reported errors by 90%.
- Mentored 3 junior engineers through code reviews, technical guidance, and onboarding to team standards.
- Built and shipped an Agenda Conflict Checker adopted by 500+ events, eliminating agenda import support tickets.
- Refactored backend workflows and data pipelines to support evolving product requirements while maintaining production stability.
- Collaborated with stakeholders to evaluate feature outcomes and iterate on user experience improvements.
- Added unit/integration testing with 95% coverage for the feature, resulting in zero reported errors post-release.
- Worked directly with nonprofit organizations to design technical solutions aligned with operational goals.
- Led engineering planning by translating stakeholder requirements into technical implementation tasks.
- Reviewed code and mentored team members to maintain engineering quality and delivery timelines.
- Taught Computer Architecture to 200+ students across 4 semesters through lectures, labs, and office hours.
- Led structured exam review sessions and provided 1:1 tutoring on core systems and architecture concepts.
- Partnered with instructors on grading workflows and course material refinement.