Matt Elek

I am a college student with a passion for networking, programming, web development, robotics, and music. I enjoy problem-solving and collaborating with a team to achieve a common goal. I love learning and have always been curious about the world around me and what makes it tick.

I spend my free time outdoors and with my dogs. During the warmer months, I enjoy hiking, biking, and swimming. In the winter, I can be found skiing or reading.

Experience

Justifi Network

Network Engineer

  • Design, create and manage network infrastructure.
  • Configure IPv4 and IPv6 Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) routing and proper firewalls for computing resources.
  • Develop scripts for maintaining and updating components of infrastructure.

October 2021 - Present

NEP Group

Assistant to the Engineer in Charge

  • Prepared NEP's Studio 52 for The Daily Show with Trevor Noah to resume filming in front of a live studio audience by rewiring, reprogramming, and repurposing existing infrastructure.
  • Assisted in rebuilding the television production studio after significant building renovations.
  • Helped install 4 new edit workstations, 3 post-production workstations, 5 graphics workstations.
  • Aided in reprogramming router panels and video routing/switching core.
  • Helped to troubleshoot and replace a significant amount of in-studio copper and fiber optic wiring.

February 2022 - May 2022

Pascack Valley Regional High School District

Student Summer Technology Assistant

  • Worked with the tech department to accomplish summer maintenance and upgrade goals.
  • Aided in the installation of 32 network switches and 13 new UPS batteries.
  • Assisted in the overhaul of 3 websites for the high school district with particular emphasis on restructuring the layout of the website to making them more user friendly and informative.
  • Assisted in preparing, processing and distributing 4800+ student laptops.

June - August 2019, 2020, 2021
Student Intern

  • Help manage and execute the deployment of a district wide wireless access point upgrade.
  • Worked with tech department to maintain and upgrade enterprise grade network and equipment.
  • Helped plan for upcoming deployment of a district wide wireless access point upgrade.
  • Performed necessary repairs, including laptop screens, keyboards, logic boards, and network switches.
  • Worked with school staff to troubleshoot, diagnose, and fix any technical challenges.
  • Tested potential equipment upgrades.

September - June 2021

Stonybrook Swim Club

Lifeguard

  • Maintain American Red Cross Certificate of Lifeguarding/First Aid/CPR/AED.
  • Monitored aquatic activities and identified safety issues for five different pools; including a diving pool, a 14-foot slide, a heated competition pool, plus toddler and kiddie pools.
  • Provided first aid assistance to patrons when necessary.
  • Assisted in opening and closing the pool.

July - August 2018, 2019

Volunteer work

Southern Paws Inc.

Foster

  • Serve as a foster family to puppies coming to New Jersey from southern kill shelters and awaiting adoption.
  • Work with rescue group during adoption events and fundraisers.
  • Assist at the rescue facility.

August 2014 - Present

Volant Web Design

Web Development Intern

  • Provide design and development support ranging from site maintenance to original coding and design.

August 2017 - October 2019

Christ Episcopal Church

Acolyte

  • Serve as an Acolyte, and perform a variety of duties.
  • Began Head Acolyte role in September 2018

August 2015 - 2019

Patents

U.S. Patent Number: 10,118,847

  • Title: STRUCTURES FOR THE REDUCTION OF WATER IMPURITIES AND METHODS FOR THE DEPLOYMENT THEREOF
  • Issued: November 6th, 2018

  • In recent years, coastal hypoxic zones have grown in number and size. Hypoxic zones are areas within a body of water with little or no oxygen, which is an often fatal situation for marine life ranging from shellfish, corals, and larger fish that are located in such areas.

    One major source of nutrient pollution is nitrates and other nitrogen-containing compounds, which have the particular effect of increasing the prevalence of intensity of marine algal blooms, such as HABs. More specifically, when algae comprising such blooms die and decompose, specific bacteria consume the organic material, exhausting oxygen and releasing carbon dioxide, thereby creating a hypoxic zone. Such artificially created hypoxic zones amplify hypoxia created by naturally occurring conditions, such as stratification (layering) due to saline or temperature gradients in a body of water.

    We developed a method of removing nitrates from water, basically recreating the conditions found in a beaver dam after we discovered that water downstream of beaver dams naturally has fewer nitrates.

Awards



Pascack Pi-oneers, FIRST Robotics Competition Team 1676 (2018-2020)

  • FIRST World Championship Detroit, Darwin Sub-Division
    • Undefeated in Qualification Matches
    • Semi-Finalist
  • FIRST World Championship Detroit, Darwin-Curie Division
    • Innovation in Control Award
    • Safety Award Finalist


HIPE Robotics, FIRST LEGO League Team 15651 (2016-2017)

I was a member of HIPE, a five member robotics team, that progressed to the FIRST World Championship in St. Louis in 2017. We came in second place for Research Innovation.

  • World Championship, St. Louis (04/2017)
    • 2nd Place - Research Innovation
  • New Jersey State Championship (12/10/2016)
    • 1st Place - Champion's Award
  • Northern New Jersey Bergen Brickfest Qualifying Tournament (11/19/2016)
    • 1st Place - Champion's Award
    • 1st Place - Robot Performance