Madie's Blog

My Project

I probably already said this, but I am on the Cloud-Based Algorithmic Trading Strategies for Individual Investors team. I’d say we are making pretty good progress on our individual sections. The next step is integrating everyone’s work together to have a complete product. For the final week, I have been working on displaying historical market data in an interactive graph. It has taken more time than I anticipated, so I may not have time to integrate backtesting into the UI just yet. Overall, I am proud of my teams progress and I am learning so much!

New Technologies

I originally designed our UI using Javascript, HTML, and CSS. Then I discovered Plotly Dash, a Python library for building data apps. I did some research and decided this would be the better choice for our project because it would be easier to integrate with the backend (which is all coded using python). It took a little while to understand Dash, especially callbacks, but once I got the hang of it I liked how it worked.

Internship Search

I am still applying for internships and hoping to enter the MECOP program. I went to the MECOP career fair a couple of weeks ago and got to talk to 22 company representatives, which was really cool and pushed me out of my comfort zone. Fingers crossed it went well!

Feedback on the course

Overall, I have enjoyed this course so much. It is my first glimpse into what it is like working with a larger team to build a full-stack application. However, I wish we had more time on v0.0.02 because I would like to add more before next term.

Navigating My Capstone Project, Coursework, and Internship Search

As a senior at Oregon State University, I’ve been balancing a lot this term. My capstone project is titled “Cloud-Based Algorithmic Trading Strategies for Individual Investors”. We’re building a platform to help users automate their trading strategies. I’m in charge of the UI and interaction, and development is just starting. So far, project planning has gone smoothly, with clear deadlines keeping my team on track. I’m excited to dive deeper into front-end development and stock market data integration.

Challenges and Wins

While planning has been a success, balancing weekly assignments with other classes has been tough. The workload can be intense, but seeing our progress each week makes it worth it. I’ve been learning a lot about new technologies like AWS and APIs, which has been a rewarding challenge.

Feedback on the Course

I’ve enjoyed this capstone course because of its hands-on approach. The weekly deadlines push us to stay on track, which is helpful but can be overwhelming when juggling multiple commitments. Still, it feels like a great preparation for the professional world.

Internship Hunt

I’m currently looking for a summer internship and waiting to hear back from the MECOP Program. Finding time to apply between school and work has been challenging. I’ve learned that setting aside specific time each week for applications can help. Tailoring resumes and cover letters takes effort, but it’s essential.

This term has been challenging but rewarding. I’m excited about the project’s progress and hopeful for what’s next.

— Madie Dowell

About Me

Hey everyone! I’m Madison Dowell, but you can call me Madie. I’m living in Albany and taking most of my classes over at the Corvallis campus. I am a computer science major with a focus in data science!

I played volleyball for two years at Lane Community College before transferring to Oregon State. I love snowboarding, hiking, playing volleyball, cooking, and reading. 😊

I have experience with Python, C/C++, HTML/CSS/JavaScript, SQL, R, Node js, and Git/GitHub. My preferred language is Python.

Project Preferences

My top four projects at the moment are:

Leveraging AI for Improved Public Transit

Cloud-Based Algorithmic Trading Strategies for Individual Investors.

The Unknown Venome (2024-25)

Gamification of PharmD classes. Create “Pharmacy Go”.

These projects appeal to me because I want to work on an industry project with an experienced project partner to create something that will actually help people. I would also love the opportunity to work on a project that involves data science.🤞