Burr Settles
Hyphenator In Chief
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
Summary
👤
Senior🎓
Top SchoolBurr Settles is a research-driven software leader with 13 years of experience building AI-powered language learning products and assessments, best known for inventing the Duolingo English Test and leading Duolingo’s AI and research organization. He blends deep academic roots—a PhD and a textbook on active learning—with hands-on product impact, from early adaptive learning features to dozens of experiments that scaled Duolingo through hypergrowth. As founder and creative force behind FAWM and a self-described punk in Pittsburgh, he pairs technical rigor with a playful streak in music and community projects. He’s also led organization-wide initiatives like DEIB statistical audits, showing a rare mix of technical, operational, and ethical leadership in applied ML.
13 years of coding experience
13 years of employment as a software developer
Ph.D. Computer Sciences, Ph.D. Computer Sciences at University of Wisconsin-MadisonB.A. Computer Science & Studio Art, B.A. Computer Science & Studio Art at DePauw University
Stackoverflow
529reputation
12kreached
4answers
3questions
machine-learning
top-5%
Github Skills (13)
machine-learning9
lzo6
algorithm6
nlp6
api6
artificial-intelligence6
mrjob6
hadoop6
python6
feature-selection6
natural-language-processing6
java6
text-analysis4
Programming languages (3)
Github contributions (5)
burrsettles/pedals
Apr 2016 - Jun 2017
Work-in-progress circuit designs for DIY guitar effect pedals.
Contributions:56 commits, 50 pushes, 1 branch in 1 year 2 months
duolingo/halflife-regression
Jun 2016 - Dec 2017
Contributions:6 commits, 5 pushes, 1 branch in 1 year 6 months
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