About Me

The man, the myth, the legend

What took you so long?

My name is Zachary Pataky, and I'm a software engineer. I'm currently employed as a Full-Stack Developer at Merchants Insurance Group, where I'm responsible for maintaining and developing internal web portals.

One thing that sets me apart is my strong growth mindset. I believe that with hard work and a willingness to learn, anyone can achieve their goals and continually improve themselves. I'm always looking for ways to expand my knowledge and skillset, both in my professional and personal life.

When I'm not coding, you'll often find me playing video games, watching movies, reading books, or training in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

I hope you enjoy perusing my website—it took many hours and several dreadful versions before reaching the one you see today. Before you leave, please consider dropping me a message below.

Zachary and Cat serving Milo Dinosaur
Movie theater PS2 with games Bookshelf with books
Education

A lifelong learner

Canisius College

|

Computer Science BS

School Information
Canisius College
Canisius College 2001 Main St, Buffalo, NY 14208 August 2018 - May 2022
Academic Information
Major: Computer Science Minor: Leadership Cumulative GPA: 3.98/4.00
FUSION Gaming Society Member

A social club that unites members of Canisius College through the mutual enjoyment of multiplayer gaming experiences, including but not limited to video, board, card, and tabletop games.

Weekly meetings involved students congregating together playing games spanning numerous consoles and tables.

Anime Club Member

A social and cultural club focused on promoting a deeper appreciation for Japanese animation (anime) as an art form.

Weekly meetings entail students voting on watching the current host's chosen shows, as well as voting for the next week's lineup.

Computer Studies Club Member

A social and educational club that intends to unite those not only interested in the field of computers, but are also concerned as to where computers stand in our present and future societies.

Common events include guest speakers, resume and technical workshops, and more.

New Griff Orientation Lead, Orientation Leader

This organization facilitates the transition of incoming undergraduate students and their family members to Canisius College by introducing them to the Jesuit values of leadership, inclusion, and social justice by providing shared experiences and information to set the tone for academic success, personal growth, and meaningful connections.

Dean's List Fall 2018

Awarded to students who have attained a grade point average of at least 3.50 for the semester and have completed at least four courses of three credits or equivalent.

Dean's List with Distinction Spring 2019 - Spring 2022

Awarded to students who have attained a grade point average of 4.00 for the semester and have completed at least four courses of three credits or equivalent.

Computer Science Excellence in Academics Award May 2022

Presented to graduating computer science majors who have achieved an outstanding academic performance.

Computer Science Highlights
  • Data Structures
  • Computer Hardware
  • Discrete Mathematics
  • Automata and Algorithms
  • Software Engineering
  • Operating System Design and Distributed Computing
  • Intelligent Systems
  • Comparative Programming Languages
  • Information Organization and Processing
  • The Social Impact of Computing
  • Intro to Web Development
  • Cybersecurity Principles

Click here to read the Computer Science course catalog!

Other Highlights
  • Intro to Army and Critical Thinking
  • Foundations of Leadership
  • Introduction to Management
  • Ethics
  • Philosophy of Law
  • Cyber Policies, Ethics, and Law
Distributed Computing Exercise Fall 2020

Created a distributed information processing and querying system capable of handling large quantities of data by leveraging the MPI library.

Developed in C++.

Color-Ona Fall 2020

Operated as Project Manager and programmer for a semester-long project creating a video game.

Developed in Java using the LibGDX library.

Resume Website Spring 2022

Produced a personal resume website as the capstone project of my Web Development class.

Developed in HTML, CSS, Javascript, and PHP.

BJJ match Pan-seared ribeye Chessboard
Work Experience

Experience that speaks for itself

Merchants Insurance Group | Full-Stack Developer
Merchants Insurance Group
Merchants Insurance Group 250 Main St, Buffalo, NY 14202 May 2023 - Present

Responsibilities

  • Debug and troubleshoot issues/defects pertaining to in-house code
  • Monitor the technical performance of internal systems and respond to requests from the development team
  • Produce client deliverables such as detailed design documentation, unit test plans, and well-documented code
  • Gain an understanding of the unique business and technical requirements on each project task to facilitate the most appropriate solution design
  • Unit and system test all changes to ensure solutions operate according to specifications
  • Practice strong configuration management and version controls
CYBRA Corporation | Junior Software Engineer
CYBRA Corporation
CYBRA Corporation 954 Union Rd, West Seneca, NY 14224 July 2022 - March 2023

Responsibilities

  • Participated as an active component of an Agile development team, often collaborating with other developers
  • Debugged current and legacy software, sometimes on client-specific copies of the application
  • Contributed to the development of an upcoming web-based product using the Angular / Spring Boot stack
  • Instrumental in designing and implementing a new UI scheme in our MarkMagic Lite application
  • Skilled enough to earn responsibility over critical components of our new product three weeks into employment
Canisius College, Quantitative Sciences Department | Tutor and Teacher's Assistant
Canisius College
Canisius College 2001 Main St, Buffalo, NY 14208 February 2021 - May 2022

Responsibilities

  • Assisted students with understanding class materials in face-to-face and online mediums
  • Managed the Computer Science department’s tutoring program by creating the tutoring schedule and operating as a source of support and assistance for emerging issues
  • Represented the Computer Science department as a student panelist
  • Cybersecurity Principles (CYB 500) | Spring 2022
    • Supported laboratory sessions with class-wide and one-on-one assistance
    • Directed the class through laboratory assignments, including the Social Engineering Toolkit, Steganography, Password Cracking, Wireshark, and Heartbleed Attack projects.
  • Information Organization and Processing (CSC 310) | Spring 2022
    • Managed a group of three students in a semester-long MySQL database project as their Project Lead
  • Distributed Computing and Operating System Design (CSC 330) | Fall 2021
    • Created and graded class materials, such as the first exam, homework assignments, and lecture material
    • Designed lectures and presented on Java, Object-Oriented Programming, and Data Structures
  • Automata and Algorithms (CSC 281) | Spring 2021
Buffalo Computer Graphics | Automated Testing Intern
Buffalo Copmuter Graphics
Buffalo Computer Graphics 4185 Bayview Rd, Blasdell, NY 14219 May 2021 - August 2021 January 2022

Responsibilities

  • Created and executed automated tests for the DisasterLAN program using Robot Framework
  • Modified existing documents in Microsoft Word to conform to and meet ISO requirements
  • Wrote technical documentation for an in-house browser extension tool
  • Developed a tool in Robot Framework to generalize our testing object library
Canisius College, New Griff Orientation | Lead Orientation Leader
Canisius College
Canisius College 2001 Main St, Buffalo, NY 14208 June 2020 - August 2020

Responsibilities

  • Served as a leader of academic and campus information for incoming first-year students and orientation leaders
  • Conducted meetings and presentations for transfer students and Computer Science major students
  • Created content weekly for the New Student Orientation Instagram account
  • Composed sections for the Orientation Leader Manual, including a guide on how to operate classroom computer equipment, NSO contact sheets, and campus resources
  • Directed two New Student Orientation videos, including a welcome video for the organization’s Instagram page and a tutorial video for online resources
  • Designed and executed a campus scavenger hunt that operated beyond expectations
  • Assisted a local party event company in cleaning up the campus
Canisius College, New Griff Orientation | Orientation Leader
Canisius College
Canisius College 2001 Main St, Buffalo, NY 14208 August 2019

Responsibilities

  • Assisted New Griff Orientation in welcoming Canisius College’s class of 2023
  • Collaborated with a partner to direct a student group through social and learning opportunities direct a 30 person group through social and learning opportunities
Consumer's Beverages | Store Clerk
Consumer's Beverages
Consumer's Beverages 6161 West Quaker St, Orchard Park, NY 14127 May 2019 - July 2019

Responsibilities

  • Processed cash and credit transactions, tendering correct change to patrons
  • Stocked shelves and ice bins, calculated returnable containers, and tapped kegs to the satisfaction of customers and at the standards set by Consumer’s Beverages
  • Resolved customer concerns positively and professionally to ensure recurring business
  • Maintained a clean environment for patrons and fellow employees
Code on screen Spider-Man Notebook with pen
Contact Me

Talk tech to me

zacharypataky@gmail.com

716.997.2966

Download Resume