Leif P. Heaney

Engineer backend infrastructure and edge deployment strategies that unify global location telemetry, behavioral analytics, and high-resolution geospatial data for real-time, offline-capable situational awareness.

• Design and optimize end-to-end systems for deploying edge AI and computer vision models in disconnected, intermittent, and limited (DIL) environments.
• Engineer robust deployment pipelines using Docker and Kubernetes to manage containerized AI workloads across tactical edge devices.
• Interface with cross-functional teams to translate complex tactical requirements into technical specifications, bridging software development and hardware constraints for defense-centric AI solutions.
• Architect and maintain geospatial data pipelines supporting high-fidelity, real-time mapping and 3D reconstruction for tactical intelligence.
• Design and govern scalable data lakes for secure storage and retrieval of massive computer vision datasets with automated metadata tagging.

Spearheaded systems engineering across program lifecycle — from requirements definition to deployment — for federal programs across DoD, DHS, and HHS. Maintained traceability via MBSE/SysML, digital twins, and digital threads.

• Automated data processing with end-to-end ETL pipelines and custom models for data-driven decision making.
• Hardened COMSEC systems through implementation of DoD Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA), ensuring regulatory compliance.
• Developed comprehensive MBSE reference architecture and high-fidelity digital twins, enhancing system resilience, traceability, and transparency.
• Designed and delivered 12+ DoDAF/UAF views and SysML diagrams for federal programs, documenting complex system architectures, interfaces, and behavior.
• Developed interactive GIS dashboards integrating LPR technology and open-source GIS data in QGIS, enabling pattern-of-life analysis and prioritization of 3 high-risk locations.

Led instruction and subject-matter expertise across Computer Science and Information Assurance for 100+ students over 4 years. Drove 2 end-to-end curriculum overhauls for CS-120: Intro to Programming with Python (6 sections taught).

• Served as SME and instructor for IAE-574: Assured Software Analytics, integrating contemporary methodologies across labs, eLearning, and assessments over 3+ years.
• Bridged theory and application by integrating industry best practices and real-world cases into curriculum, enhancing students' practical relevance and employability.