Sam Mata
Data Analyst & Software Developer
- Wellington, New Zealand
- hello@sammata.nz
- https://sammata.nz
- github.com/sam-mata
- linkedin.com/in/sam-mata
Profile & Focus
I develop tools for researchers. Almost all of my work is digital, working on machine learning, visual programming, and data analysis. I experiment with new technology, scrub through public datasets, and build reliable, elegant software that solves tangible problems.
Education & Academic Research
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Doctoral Researcher
Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington
Developed novel genetic programming algorithms for improved long-term forecasting of the Antarctic ice sheets. Concluded early without grant of degree to transition out of academia to pursue other work. Collaborative research conducted with the Centre for Data Science & Artificial Intelligence (CDSAI) and the Antarctic Research Centre (ARC) through funding from the 2024 Smart Ideas Endeavour Fund.
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BSc (Hons) in Computer Science First Class, First Division
Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington
Applying advanced machine learning methods on high noise environmental data. Completed postgraduate coursework in evolutionary computation, deep learning, and advanced algorithms.
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Bachelor of Science in Computer Science
Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington
Foundational computer science, algorithms and data structures, software development, database systems, and statistical data analysis.
Experience
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Contracted Researcher
Antarctic Research Centre (ARC), Wellington
Developed machine learning tools for automated sediment analysis and 3D segmentation, accelerating geological core inspection workflows and volumetric feature extraction.
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Academic Tutor
School of Engineering & Computer Science (ECS), Victoria University of Wellington
Taught and mentored undergraduate computer science students in laboratory sessions, held office hours, and evaluated programming assignments in algorithms and software engineering.
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Full Stack Developer
Ordino, Wellington
Engineered commercial full-stack web applications, designed robust database architectures, and implemented responsive frontend interfaces and secure backend API services.
Selected Software & Interactive Articles
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CHROMATIC Live App ↗
A collection of small intuitive quick-fire web games for while you wait.
Next.js · TypeScript · Web Games
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Tuhi GitHub ↗
Automated video and lecture transcription into plain text using open-source speech models.
Python · Speech-to-Text · Hugging Face
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Rūma Live App ↗
Interactive web application for planning and measuring room layouts with custom furniture.
Next.js · TypeScript · Canvas API
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3DAI (Article) Read Online ↗
Interactive visual essay examining modern AI 3D environment generation and NeRF techniques.
Next.js · TypeScript · NeRF · Gaussian Splatting
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Hītori (Article) In Progress
Data journalism visual essay on the history of New Zealand settlement and population over time.
Visual Article · Data Journalism · Interactive
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Motokā App ↗
Interactive web application for custom statistical analysis and telemetry of Formula 1 data.
R · Shiny · Python · Analytics