Ari Katoch

Computational design graduate (M.Sc. ITECH) building LLM and agent systems in Python and TypeScript. Co-developed a supervisor-led system of 12 tool-using LLM agents and a RAG chatbot that admits when its sources lack the answer, tested on a 37-question golden set. Builds with FastAPI, PydanticAI and LangChain, runs local models on Ollama and tracks evals in MLflow/Langsmith. Focused on turning LLM and agent prototypes into tested tools for client use cases.

Job Search and Personal Projects at Job Search and Personal Projects (Grasshopper, AI, TouchDesigner) (2024-10 – 2026-03)

• Worked part-time while applying for full-time roles in computational design and AI.

Research Assistant at Materialprüfungsanstalt Universität Stuttgart (MPA) (2023-10 – 2024-04)

• Built a Python tool that optimizes slicer support structures for SLS 3D printing.
• Added tree supports for high-stress areas, cutting print defects on non-planar parts by 30%.

Research Assistant at Bio-based Materials in Architecture (BIOMAT) (2022-10 – 2023-05)

• Prototyped website layouts in Figma and built them in HTML, CSS and JavaScript.
• Automated the department's scheduled social-media posts with the Instagram API.

Research Assistant at Institute of Computational Design and Construction (ICD) (2022-02 – 2022-08)

• Designed and updated CAD models of end-effectors for KUKA robots.
• Entered coordinate points in Grasshopper for the robot setup area and for where timber parts are milled, glued and screwed.

Family Business at Family Business (Soham Ions) (2019-09 – 2021-10)

• Handled data logging, record keeping and coordination between departments.

M.Sc. ITECH in Integrative Technologies and Architectural Design Research – University of Stuttgart (2021-10 – 2024-10)

B.Sc. in Materials Science and Engineering – Pennsylvania State University, USA (2015-09 – 2019-09)