About

Overview & Current Focus

I am an undergraduate student studying Applied Mathematics and Computer Science at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. My technical work focuses on local-first native architectures for Apple devices, numerical methods in C++ scientific computing, and empirical derivatives research.

Currently, I am developing Next—a Markdown-native daily planner for iOS and macOS—while contributing coordinate transformation routines to the deal.II finite element library and writing about options pricing mechanics.

Selected Projects

4 Core Initiatives
Next App Icon

Next — Unified Markdown Workspace

macOS & iOS • In Public Beta
Project Site ↗ GitHub ↗

A local-first productivity workspace that turns plain Markdown files into a transparent relational database without cloud or database lock-in. Features a 24-hour tactile drag-and-drop timeline with line-level string-hash sync via NSFilePresenter and on-device Apple Intelligence parsing.

Next Daily Timeline and Metric Dashboard
Next Multi-Day Schedule Grid
Next Markdown Vault Task Backlog
Swift SwiftUI AppKit Combine NSFilePresenter Apple Silicon Native
d2

deal.II — Scientific Computing Engine

Open Source C++ HPC Library
dealii/dealii ↗

Contributed numerical coordinate mapping routines to a large-scale C++ finite element library used worldwide for high-performance physical simulations. Resolved real-to-unit affine inversion inaccuracies on distorted quadrilateral cell geometries to maintain quadratic Newton convergence without solver divergence.

deal.II Real-to-Unit Affine Coordinate Mapping Diagram
C++20 Finite Element Methods HPC Numerical Analysis Open Source Contributor
TrackInOffice App Icon

TrackInOffice

iOS App • Published 2026
App Store ↗ GitHub ↗

A privacy-first hybrid work attendance tracker that automatically logs office arrivals using OS-level geofencing. Runs quietly in the background with zero battery drain, securing workplace coordinates in the iOS Keychain and shielding exported CSV data against formula injection.

TrackInOffice Dashboard Progress Rings
TrackInOffice Calendar Log
TrackInOffice Workplace Settings
Swift SwiftUI SwiftData CoreLocation Keychain API 5.0 ★ App Store
Paatam App Icon

Paatam — Indic Script Learning

iOS App • 275+ Downloads
App Store ↗ Case Study ↗

An interactive handwriting companion for learning Indian language scripts. Evaluates stroke direction heuristics and character geometry in real time using Apple PencilKit, incorporating algorithmic spaced repetition to reinforce long-term symbol retention.

Paatam Main Dashboard
Paatam Stroke Practice
Paatam Mastery Rings
Paatam Script Details
Swift SwiftUI PencilKit Spaced Repetition 275+ Downloads

Quant Research & Tools

3 Interactive Models

Volatility Risk Premium Pipeline

Empirical Study Across 15+ Years SPX & VIX History
Live Dashboard ↗ Read Paper ↗

An empirical research pipeline analyzing why S&P 500 index options systematically price forward volatility higher than realized market volatility. Simulates a monthly variance swap harvest strategy delivering a 1.42 Sharpe ratio across bull, range, and crisis regimes.

Volatility Risk Premium Dashboard Preview
Python Pandas NumPy Plotly Streamlit 1.42 Sharpe • 15+ Yrs

Options Greeks Real-Time Visualizer

Analytical Derivative Sensitivities
Live Dashboard ↗

An interactive dashboard modeling Delta, Gamma, Theta, Vega, and Rho sensitivities across strike prices, implied volatility surfaces, and expirations using analytical SciPy formulations.

Options Greeks Visualizer Dashboard Preview
Python SciPy Plotly Streamlit Dynamic Surfaces

Black–Scholes Profit & Payoff Model

Pricing Framework & Payoff Boundaries
Live Dashboard ↗

Computes analytical call and put premiums, break-even thresholds, and expiration profit/loss boundaries with dynamic volatility adjustments and time decay schedules.

Black-Scholes Option Profit Model Dashboard Preview
Python Black-Scholes Pandas Streamlit Payoff Boundaries

Technical Writing

Published on Medium

Leadership & Governance

Institutional & Community Service

Student Representative — Special Task Force on AI & Academic Affairs

UNC Student Government & Office of the Chancellor / Vice Provost for AI
Aug 2026 – Present

Advise university executive leadership on AI governance, academic integrity standards, and equitable computational access across campus, formulating student-centered policy recommendations for generative AI integration.

Founder & President

Technospire (501(c)(3) CS Nonprofit Organization)
Mar 2024 – Jul 2025

Built a regional CS education nonprofit with a 12-member executive board. Organized 3 hackathons engaging 130+ students, grew a 192-subscriber community newsletter, designed a Python curriculum taught to 30+ middle schoolers, and directed teams that shipped 4 websites for local small businesses.

Treasurer & Publicity Lead

UNC Sangam (South Asian Cultural Organization)
Fall 2025 – Present

Manage financial allocations, expense tracking, and budget management for one of UNC's largest cultural student organizations. Directed and produced a promotional media campaign generating over 12,000 views to drive event attendance.

Education & Competencies

Academic Foundation

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Candidate for B.S. in Applied Mathematics & Computer Science

Expected May 2028 • Chapel Hill, NC

Selected Coursework:
Linear Algebra (MATH 347) Multivariable Calculus (MATH 233) Discrete Mathematics (MATH 381) Data Structures (COMP 210) Systems Fundamentals (COMP 211) Foundations of Programming (COMP 301)
Languages

Swift, C++, Python, Java, Dart, JavaScript, SQL, LaTeX, HTML/CSS

Systems & Apple

SwiftUI, AppKit, Combine, App Intents, SwiftData, CoreLocation, MapKit, PencilKit, NSFilePresenter, Keychain Services API, XCTest

Quantitative & Modeling

NumPy, SciPy, Pandas, Plotly, Streamlit, yfinance, Volatility Modeling, Variance Swaps, Finite Element Analysis (deal.II)

Honors & Recognition

UKMT Mathematics Challenge (2x Gold Intermediate, Silver Senior), AP Scholar with Distinction, Duke of Edinburgh (Bronze & Silver)

Get In Touch

Direct Channels

Interested in collaborating on native software systems, open-source scientific computing, or quantitative research? I'd love to hear from you.

harsha.v.matta@gmail.com GitHub ↗ LinkedIn ↗ Download Resume (PDF) ↗