Professional Experience & Skills
Summary
Experienced researcher and software engineer with expertise in building large-scale Internet measurement platforms, analyzing network protocols, and developing data-driven optimization models. Strong background in distributed systems, machine learning, and privacy-conscious measurement methodologies.
Professional Experience
Internet Society Pulse Research Fellow
Internet Society & University of Cape Town | February 2025 - November 2025
- Designed and built a large-scale Internet measurement platform to quantify CDN locality and content delivery patterns across countries and autonomous systems
- Engineered end-to-end data pipeline using Python and Playwright for browser automation, capturing and processing thousands of HTTP Archive files from distributed vantage points
- Implemented dual-method geolocation system combining geo-localized DNS-over-HTTPS resolution with CDN-specific HTTP header parsing
- Orchestrated distributed traceroute measurements using RIPE Atlas probe network and GlobalPing API for AS-level topology mapping
- Developed specialized handlers for streaming platforms (Netflix Fast.com API, YouTube) to extract platform-specific locality metrics
PhD Researcher - Internet Measurement & Network Optimization
University of Cape Town (Net4D Lab) | June 2022 - Present
- Built robust BGP data processing pipeline analyzing 8+ years of longitudinal routing data from 46 African Internet Exchange Points
- Developed machine learning models achieving F1-score > 0.82 to predict peering agreement likelihood
- Implemented causal inference framework using T-learner meta-algorithm to estimate impact of infrastructure investments
- Designed data pipeline integrating PeeringDB, CAIDA ASRank, RIPE Atlas, and IXPDB
- Published research at ACM IMC, IEEE CloudNet, and SATNAC conferences
Lead Software Engineer
eCRG Consulting | January 2019 - May 2022
- Developed automated weather-based agricultural advisory system for UNDP Malawi and Ministry of Agriculture
- Built deep learning pipeline using Python and PyTorch to digitize 40+ years of handwritten climate records for UN FAO Malawi
- Led team of 5 developers managing full-stack web development projects with agile methodologies
Lecturer in Network Engineering
University of Malawi | May 2019 - Present
- Teaching undergraduate courses in Network Engineering, Computer Networks, Routing & Switching
Technical Skills
Internet Measurement & Network Analysis
- Network Protocols: BGP, DNS, HTTP/HTTPS, TCP/IP, TLS, DNS-over-HTTPS
- Measurement Tools: RIPE Atlas, GlobalPing, browser automation (Playwright), residential proxy networks
- CDN Analysis: Content locality measurement, geo-hint extraction, cache server identification
- AS-Level Topology: Traceroute analysis, peering relationship mapping, IXP analysis
- IP Geolocation: MaxMind GeoIP, IP2Location, multi-method validation
Software Engineering & Data Systems
- Programming Languages: Python (primary), JavaScript, Java, Bash scripting
- Data Engineering: Large-scale data pipelines, SQL (PostgreSQL, MySQL), DuckDB, PySpark
- Web Technologies: Flask, FastAPI, Django, Express.js, VueJS, REST APIs
- Development Tools: Git, Linux/Unix, distributed systems architecture
- Browser Automation: Playwright, Selenium, HTTP Archive (HAR) processing
Machine Learning & Data Analysis
- ML: Regression, classification, feature engineering, NLP
- Causal Inference: Metalearners, CATE estimation, treatment effect analysis
- Model Interpretability: SHAP (Shapley Additive Explanations)
- Deep Learning: PyTorch, natural language processing, sequence models
Research & Communication
- Scientific Writing: Academic publications, technical reports, documentation
- Presentations: International conferences (ACM IMC, IEEE CloudNet, SATNAC, TMA PhD School)
- Data Visualization: Creating compelling visualizations for technical and business audiences
- Collaboration: Cross-functional teamwork, academic-industry partnerships
Key Projects
Internet Content Locality Measurement Platform
Built end-to-end measurement system using distributed vantage points, browser automation, and multi-method geolocation validation to analyze CDN deployment and content delivery optimization strategies across countries and autonomous systems.
BGP Routing Analysis Pipeline
Developed large-scale data pipeline processing longitudinal BGP routing data from public route collectors, analyzing AS-level topology and interconnection behavior at Internet Exchange Points over 8+ years.
Peering Decision Optimization Framework
Created predictive and causal ML models to quantify factors influencing peering relationships, providing data-driven insights for infrastructure investment decisions.
Education
PhD Candidate, Computer Science
University of Cape Town, South Africa | June 2022 - Present
Dissertation: Data-driven optimization of peering decisions using machine learning, BGP routing analysis, and Internet topology modeling. Finalizing thesis.
M.Eng., Information Engineering
Hiroshima University, Japan | 2015 - 2018
Research focus: Distributed Systems and Conflict-Free Replicated Data Types
Bachelor of Computer Science
University of Malawi | 2009 - 2013