Developer Spotlight: Neel Sortur, Northeastern University

Neel Sortur is a second-year undergraduate student at Northeastern University pursuing a degree in computer science. He started developing a few years ago, mainly using Java and Python, where he was a programmer in the First Robotics Competition but also dabbled in machine learning side projects. He enjoys using JavaScript and TypeScript to create high-quality code, following this through as a technical consultant since last year. Currently, he enjoys any kind of software development alongside classes, but also is a research assistant in deep reinforcement learning and robotics.

As part of the Docusign Good Code Hackathon, Neel engineered the full stack of a web application, B-Signature, which connects families of children with cancer to quick financial support from nonprofit The Andrew McDonough B+ Foundation (B+). The app provides a user-friendly way to fill out B+'s financial aid form, which requires signatures from the family and their social worker, among other information. The stack consists of React for the front end, Node.js and Express for the back end, and MongoDB as the database. The back end communicates with the Docusign eSignature REST API by prefilling the family and social worker information using anchor tabs. Then, the embedded signing process is used to validate and transmit the information to the database and B+ directly.

Neel also implemented a portal for B+ admins to easily view and manage information about families who filled the forms. He is currently working on ways to attach documents to each family profile and is exploring how to incorporate Docusign Identify into the signing process for increased security. When integrated, B-Signature has potential to reduce B+'s workload by at least 50% and ensure greater accuracy, helping money get to families in need faster and more efficiently.

When Neel isn't busy with classes or other software projects, he enjoys long-distance running, reading research papers, and learning about space. You can find him on LinkedIn and GitHub.