[Nomination] Kevin Vega #51
Description
Select one:
- I am nominating myself for the PyTorch Ambassador Program.
- I am nominating someone else to become a PyTorch Ambassador.
Please confirm that the nominee meets the following requirements:
- The nominee is 18 years of age or older.
- The nominee agrees to abide by the PyTorch Code of Conduct.
- The nominee agrees to comply with the Linux Foundation Antitrust Policy.
- The nominee meets at least one of the qualifications listed in the PyTorch Ambassador Program Requirements.
Nominee Name
Kevin Vega
Nominee Email
Nominee's GitHub or GitLab Handle
kevzo8
(Optional) Organization / Affiliation
Ateneo de Naga University
City, State/Province, Country
Naga City, Camarines Sur, Philippines
Your Name
No response
Your Email (Optional)
No response
How has the nominee contributed to PyTorch?
- An active contributor to PyTorch repositories (e.g., commits, PRs, discussions).
- A speaker at PyTorch events or workshops.
- A PyTorch user group organizer or meetup host.
- A researcher or educator using PyTorch in academic work or training.
- An active leader in the PyTorch community with at least one year of experience in:
- Organizing events (virtual/in-person).
- Speaking at AI/ML conferences.
- Mentoring others in PyTorch.
- Creating technical content (e.g., blogs, videos, tutorials).
🏆 How Would the Nominee Contribute as an Ambassador?
As a computer science educator, machine learning practitioner, and active community contributor, I believe I can meaningfully advance the goals of the PyTorch Ambassador Program through education, mentorship, and community engagement in the Philippines and beyond.
With over a decade of experience in both academia and software development, I am in a unique position to bridge the gap between theoretical understanding and practical application of PyTorch. I currently teach Machine Learning and related subjects at Ateneo de Naga University, where I integrate PyTorch into my course materials and student projects. As an ambassador, I plan to formalize this further by developing open educational resources, tutorials, and project templates centered on PyTorch for Filipino students and early-career developers.
Having mentored students and software engineers through classroom instruction and industry work, I will use the ambassador platform to establish local and virtual mentorship channels for those exploring deep learning with PyTorch. I aim to prioritize inclusivity by reaching out to underrepresented groups in tech, particularly in rural or regional academic institutions in the Philippines.
I have previously conducted training sessions for the Department of Science and Technology and served as a speaker and judge in programming and innovation events. Leveraging this experience, I plan to host PyTorch-focused events such as hands-on workshops, hackathons, and research talks. These events will not only promote PyTorch but also foster collaboration across universities and tech communities.
My research background—including projects in medical imaging, activity recognition, and phylogenetics—highlights my capability to apply PyTorch in diverse domains. I intend to contribute back to the community by publishing example use cases and lightweight models that address real-world problems relevant to Southeast Asia, such as agriculture, health diagnostics, and education.
By cultivating student interest and enabling open-source contributions, I aim to grow a regional PyTorch user group that thrives even beyond my direct involvement. My long-term vision includes building partnerships with universities and startups to embed PyTorch into innovation pipelines.
In summary, as a PyTorch Ambassador, I will champion open, inclusive, and applied deep learning education in the Philippines, with a strong commitment to community-led growth and impact.