Hey y’all!✨
I’m Jiayin Meng, a second-year Master’s student in Computer Science at the University of California, San Diego, advised by Prof. Tzu-Mao Li. I received my B.S. degree in Computer Science, with a minor in Physics, from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. I’m broadly interested in computer graphics as a way to reconstruct, simulate, and reinterpret the physical world through computation. My current focus lies in rendering, reconstruction, and scalable graphics systems. I’m also interested in computer vision, XR, and robotics, especially where they intersect with graphics.
I’m always open to connecting and sharing ideas. Please feel free to reach out!
🌟I’m currently seeking full-time opprtunities starting in 2026 as a new graduate, so please feel free to reach out if you know of relevant roles!
Projects
Keep your ARMS and LEGS: Assuaging VRAM and Training Speed constraints in Language Embedded 3D Gaussian Splats [3DGS, CLIP, DINO]
Modified the FMGS pipeline to reduce VRAM usage and training time in open-vocabulary 3D scene understanding. Our approach replaces MLP-based decoding of multi-resolution hash encodings with CNNs applied to rendered feature fields, achieving 37% faster training and 24% lower memory usage while maintaining accuracy on the LERF benchmark.
Volumetric Path Tracing [C++, Monte Carlo, Participating Media, MIS]
Implemented a volumetric path tracer supporting absorption, scattering, heterogeneous volumes, and next event estimation. Features null-scattering and spectral extinction handling, integrated into the Lajolla physically-based renderer.
Disney BSDF [C++, Monte Carlo, Path Tracing, BSDF]
Implemented the Disney principled BSDF in a Monte Carlo path tracer (Lajolla). Combined microfacet-based BRDFs with importance sampling to support a wide range of realistic materials, including metal, glass, clearcoat, and retroreflective fabrics.
Ego-Agent Trajectory Prediction in Argoverse 2 [Python, PyTorch]
Built an ADAPT-inspired deep learning model for ego-agent trajectory prediction in a Kaggle competition using a modified Argoverse 2 dataset. The model captures temporal and social context through LSTM and attention modules, and generates long-horizon forecasts via coarse-to-fine endpoint conditioning.
The Timebound Voyage [Unity, UdonSharp, VRChat, Meta Quest 3]
The Timebound Voyage is a pirate ship puzzle narrative where players explore a mysterious vessel‚ solve puzzles‚ and uncover the truth behind what happened on the ship as they search for its long-lost treasure․
Crystal Quest [Unreal Engine, Blueprint Visual Scripting]
Crystal Quest is a 3D platformer designed with a progression-driven level structure and intuitive visual guidance. Built in Unreal Engine using Blueprint, the game challenges players to navigate dynamic environments through stealth, timing, and light combat mechanics.
Education
Sep 2024 – Jun 2026
M.S. in Computer Science | Track: Graphics and Vision | GPA: 3.97/4.0
Jan 2021 – May 2024
B.S. in Computer Science | Minor in Physics | GPA: 3.95/4.0
Experience
Jun 2024 – Sep 2024 | Seattle, WA
Software Development Engineer Intern @ EC2 Networking Team
- Designed and built an automated benchmarking framework in Python using AWS Lambda and Step Functions, deployed via AWS CDK Pipelines, reducing a 1-2 day manual setup process to a 2-3 minute one-command execution (99%+ time reduction).
- Developed a resource cleanup handler integrated into the state machine, automating teardown of EC2-based benchmarking environments and eliminating manual post-test cleanup.
Jun 2023 – Aug 2023 | Seattle, WA
Software Development Engineer Intern @ EC2 Load Balancing Control Plane Team
- Developed a generic diagnostic library in Python for Network Load Balancers, deployed on EC2, to detect and filter persistent mismatches across dependencies, reducing false positive reports from auditors by 80%.
- Implemented snapshot-based mismatch detection with Amazon S3 client APIs and SQL queries, enabling customizable time windows to filter persistent mismatches from eventual-consistency noise and improve debugging accuracy.
Misc
I enjoy photography, hiking, stargazing, playing pool and chess, and hanging out with my cat, Yuki😼. I also like watching movies and reading in my free time.
📸 My photography: @mizoreto
🧶 My cat: @_yukiiii_i