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Daniel A. Hernandez
Daniel A. Hernandez

Danny Hernandez

Deep-learning researcher for stochastic climate systems and computer-vision researcher at UChicago. Incoming Equity Derivatives Trading & Structuring Summer Analyst at Morgan Stanley. Incoming Software Engineer Intern on Recognition Algorithms & SDK at PopID. Varsity collegiate athlete competing in horizontal jumps.

Deep Learning ResearchComputer VisionEquity DerivativesSoftware EngineeringCollegiate Athlete

Education

University of Chicago Logo
University of Chicago
Chicago, IL — B.S. Computer Science ('28), Minor in Data Science
Coursework focus: Systems Programming I & II, Distributed Systems, Mathematical Foundations of Machine Learning, Introduction to Data Engineering, Linear Models and Experimental Design, Multivariate Calculus, Linear Algebra, Discrete Mathematics, Options and Volatility Products
Harvard-Westlake Logo
Harvard-Westlake
Studio City, CA — GPA: 3.83/4.0
Coursework focus: AP Calculus BC (5), AP Statistics (5), AP Computer Science A (5), AP Spanish Language and Culture (5), Honors Design and Data Structures, Honors Topics in Computer Science

Skills & Languages

Proficient
JavaPythonPyTorchscikit-learnpandasCUDACHTML/CSSTypeScriptJavaScriptReact.jsGit
Experience
RBashSQLUnix/Linux
Languages
English — NativeSpanish — Native

Experience

UChicago Geophysical Sciences
Deep Learning Assistant Researcher — University of Chicago, Geophysical Sciences (Prof. Dorian Abbot)Sep 2024 – Present
  • Designed a novel CVAE to model & autoregress regime transitions in the Holton–Mass system.
  • Used variational inference with KL-annealing and posterior‑collapse mitigation for stable training.
  • Found non-trivial latent clusters via PCA aligned with physical regimes; improved interpretability.
  • Emulated a stochastic PDE climate system while balancing transition statistics & distributional fidelity.
  • 10 hrs/wk (school), 40 hrs/wk (summer); biweekly meetings; driving toward publication.
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XLab
Computer Vision Researcher — XLab Nuclear Risk and Security Working GroupOctober 2025 – December 2025
  • Developed automated workflow using Python and geospatial analysis tools (Google Earth Engine, GeoPandas, GDAL) to identify and geolocate AI data centers globally through satellite imagery analysis.
  • Leveraged machine learning frameworks (TensorFlow, PyTorch) to build classification models that identify data center characteristics from remote sensing imagery.
  • Produced comprehensive technical report documenting proof-of-concept methodology, validation results, and recommendations for workflow automation.
  • OSINT techniques and computer vision algorithms to analyze satellite data from multiple sources (Sentinel, Landsat, Planet Labs) for data center detection and capacity estimation.
Oracle Trading
Software Engineer & Analyst — Oracle TradingJan 2026 – Present
  • Member of UChicago's premier prediction markets research and trading club, actively trading a ~$100K fund on Polymarket.
  • Apply quantitative strategies to prediction markets, leveraging statistical analysis and probabilistic reasoning for trade execution.
  • Part of a select team sponsored by Polymarket and DRW—the only entity on campus enabling members to actively trade their club's bankroll.
Sponsored by:PolymarketDRW
PopID
Software Engineer Intern — Recognition Algorithms & SDK, PopIDJun – Aug 2026 · Los Angeles, CA
  • Will develop and benchmark facial and palm recognition algorithms, evaluating model performance across RGB and NIR imaging conditions for production biometric pipelines.
  • Will contribute to Java SDK development controlling sensor hardware in proprietary biometric cameras, including code review, refactoring, and integration testing.
Morgan Stanley
Equity Derivatives Trading & Structuring Summer Analyst — Morgan StanleySummer 2027
  • Incoming Summer Analyst on the Equity Derivatives Trading & Structuring desk, working on structured products and derivatives solutions for institutional clients.

Research

AI Emulation of Stochastic Sudden Stratospheric Warming with Interpretable Latent Structure
Publication · AGU JAMES
Hernandez D, Boscu C, Alvarez‑Ventura F, Abbot D.S, Finkel J, Chattopadhay A, Hassanzadeh P.
Presentations
Developing AI Emulator Tools for Extreme Events with Application to Heat Waves and Cold Snaps
UChicago Undergraduate Research Symposium 2025 – Oral Presentation
Constantino-Daniel Boscu; Daniel Hernandez; Fabio Alvarez Ventura; Advisor: Dorian Abbot
AI Emulation of Stochastic Sudden Stratospheric Warming with Interpretable Latent Structure
AGU Fall Meeting 2025 – Accepted Paper, New Orleans, LA
D. Hernandez, C. Boscu, F. Alvarez-Ventura, D.S. Abbot, J. Finkel, A. Chattopadhay, P. Hassanzadeh
Interpretable CVAE for Stochastic System Modeling
Phoenix STEM Scholars Annual Research Conference 2026 – Oral Presentation (Scheduled)
D. Hernandez, C. Boscu, F. Alvarez-Ventura, D.S. Abbot, J. Finkel, A. Chattopadhay, P. Hassanzadeh

Projects

Prior Systems

Prior Systems

Accessible algorithmic trading platform with Black-Scholes options pricing, 15+ technical indicators, and real-time portfolio tracking. Used by students from UChicago organizations and individual traders.

Next.jsTypeScriptFastAPIPostgreSQLChart.jsPython
Athlete Performance Forecasting Platform

Athlete Performance Forecasting Platform

End-to-end pipeline for NCAA T&F results → hierarchical LSTM for next-season peak prediction; leak-free eval and detailed diagnostics.

PythonPlaywrightBeautifulSouppandasNumPyPyTorchLSTM
GIT (from scratch)

GIT (from scratch)

Simplified Git with staging/committing/branching/merging, object-store persistence, and conflict resolution implemented from first principles.

Java
Custom Memory Allocator (C)

Custom Memory Allocator (C)

Dynamic allocator using first-fit strategy with splitting/coalescing, alignment guarantees, and metadata tracking; built atop mmap for granular control.

CmmapPOSIX
Minimal Unix Shell (C)

Minimal Unix Shell (C)

Unix-like shell supporting interactive/batch modes, built-ins (cd, pwd, exit), external commands via execvp, stdout redirection (>, >+), semicolon parser, and robust error handling.

CPOSIX

Awards & Honors

Fellowships & Scholars
Polsky Undergraduate Research Fellow, University of Chicago (Summer 2025)
Polsky Undergraduate Research Fellow, University of Chicago (Summer 2025)

Full-time, paid summer fellowship ($5,000) supporting faculty-mentored research on innovation, venture creation, and applied problem-solving; contributed quantitative modeling for energy/climate-focused work.

Quad Undergraduate Research Scholar, University of Chicago (2025–26)
Quad Undergraduate Research Scholar, University of Chicago (2025–26)

Competitive year-long research scholarship (~10–13 hrs/week) providing $5,000 in support for faculty-guided research and culminating in a presentation at the Undergraduate Research Symposium.

High School — Harvard-Westlake
SAT National Hispanic Recognition (2023)
A Honor Roll (2021–2024)
National Spanish Honor Society (2024)
Senior Spotlight (2024)

One of 5 seniors recognized for excellence in character, leadership, and service at Harvard-Westlake.

Leadership & Activities

Varsity Collegiate Track & Field Athlete
UChicago · 2024–Present
Competed as a jumper for UChicago Athletics; ranked 95th nationally in NCAA Division III triple jump as a first‑year.
Phoenix STEM Scholar & Research Mentor
UChicago · 2024–Present
Selected via competitive program supporting first‑gen & underrepresented students in STEM. Mentored incoming students on research paths and course planning.
Conference Experience
AGU Fall Meeting 2025 logo

AGU Fall Meeting 2025

New Orleans, LA
December 13-19, 2025

Attended the American Geophysical Union (AGU) Fall Meeting 2025, one of the largest international Earth and space science conferences. Presented research on AI emulation of stochastic sudden stratospheric warming, networked with leading researchers in climate science and machine learning, and attended cutting-edge talks on geophysical modeling and computational methods.

Presenting research at AGU 2025
Image 1 / 4Presenting research at AGU 2025

Presented original research on interpretable AI methods for climate system modeling

Networked with researchers from leading institutions including MIT, NASA GSIS, Nvidia Research, KBR and UC Santa Cruz

Attended technical sessions on machine learning applications in Earth sciences and climate dynamics

Aspen Ideas: Climate Chicago logo

Aspen Ideas: Climate Chicago

Chicago, IL
July 20-22, 2025

Attended Aspen Ideas: Climate Chicago, a premier solutions-oriented convening featuring leaders (Governers of Michigan, Alaska and Chicago), innovators, policymakers, scientists, business and NGO leaders, energy experts, and artists focused on elevating climate and energy solutions. The event was held at Willis Tower's Convene and included main stage keynotes, breakout panels, workshops, and roundtable sessions. UChicago's Institute for Climate and Sustainable Growth served as the official academic thought partner, co-curating sessions on climate finance, carbon removal, and carbon markets.

Aspen Ideas Climate Chicago at Willis Tower
Image 1 / 2Aspen Ideas Climate Chicago at Willis Tower

Engaged with dialogues aimed at combating climate change through education, inspiration, and actionable solutions

Attended sessions on climate finance, carbon markets, and cutting-edge resilience strategies at one of Chicago's most iconic venues