Random Notes From an Emerging Writer's Desk
Coming Soon
Coming SoonRandom Notes From an Emerging Writer's Desk
Release Date: Oct 23, 2025
Sasha Cheek
I am Tech Program Manager & Science Writer
AI * APIs * Systems Engineering * Data * Physics * Space Science
ABOUT
Sasha Cheek is a tech program manager and freelance science writer, with a hunger to demystify engineering and science through storytelling.
Her career began with a systems engineering NASA internship, followed by recent technical liaison and program management roles at Microsoft and Indeed. In addition to working full-time in technology, Sasha is an M.A. candidate in Science Writing at Johns Hopkins University.
When Sasha is not debugging code and creating articles, she's dissecting the science behind her favorite films and TV shows.
SERVICES
I provide technical consulting, science/technology writing, and mentorship to help organizations communicate clearly, streamline integrations, and strengthen engineering practices.
Integration & Architecture
Secure, scalable, and well-documented systems with GraphQL, REST, and CDN optimization.
Science & Tech Writing
Bridging scientific insight and technical fluency to make complex concepts clear and accessible.
Mentorship & Strategy
Guiding early-career technologists and shaping scalable, ethical systems with narrative clarity.
Security & Compliance
Applying OAuth 2.0, API hardening, and privacy-first design to safeguard integrations and data.
RESUME
Experience and technical expertise at a glance.
Summary
Sasha Cheek
Systems integration engineer and freelance science writer with roots at NASA, bridging engineering expertise and clear communication. Seeking freelance writer opportunities to translate engineering concepts for general audiences.
Education
Master of Arts in Science Writing
2025 - 2027
Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD (Remote)
Bachelor of Science in Electronics Engineering Technology (ABET-Accredited)
2015 - 2018
North Carolina A&T State University, Greensboro, NC
Experience
Technical Integrations Specialist
2023 - Present
Indeed.com, Research Triangle Park, NC (Remote)
• Manage ILM (Integraton Lifecycle Management) for high spending partners' integrations, including configuration, testing, deployment, monitoring, and version control
• Recognized as trusted SME (subject matter expert) on API (application programming interface) and data feed integrations, advising cross-functional teams on best practices for scalable system architecture and design materials
• Led cross-functional investigation in July 2025 to mitigate 3rd party partner GraphQL API abuse patterns, and proposed a data pipeline solution to centralize and improve all company API observability
• Engineered and launched 20+ complex API and XML feed integrations from 2023 to the present day
Freelance Science Writer
2024 - Present
Independent, Research Triangle Park, NC
• Interviewed leading experts, including 2 particle physicists and the Harvard director of neurology, to produce authoritative science articles about cosmic radiation impact on astronauts and BCIs (brain-computer interfaces)
• Created a website using Bootstrap, JavaScript, HTML, CSS, and Git to advertise writing and technical portfolios of work
• Conducted research using methods such as sourcing peer-reviewed scientific journals and media, interviewing SMEs, and fact-checking to ensure the validity of info before publishing stories
Technical Program Manager
2019 - 2022
Various Projects, Research Triangle Park, NC (Remote)
Microsoft (2022)
• Led migration for 3500+ CDN (content delivery network) pages, and made Microsoft products more accessible to end-users for online orders using Akamai software
• Communicated technical CDN workflows to global stakeholders via automated dashboards (Power BI/Azure DevOps), reducing misalignment by 30%
Credit Karma (2021 - 2022)
• Onboarded the highest number of partner integrations during tenure while owning 7-8 concurrent projects, outperforming previous TPMs within the team
• Trained new program managers and engineers on the team for RESTful API integrations and processes
Technical Business Analyst
2019 - 2021
Hudson MX, Atlanta, GA
• Led API gateway and credential management to streamline secure partner integrations while shadowing DevOps SME
• Created high-impact technical docs— SOAP and RESTful APIs, ERDs (entity relationship diagrams), and test cases— that improved onboarding and cross-team collaboration
• Secured a startup ad-tech position via Warner Bros. Discovery referrals, recognized for high-impact contributions in the 2018 NCAA Digital technical product management apprenticeship program
NOTES FROM THE SANDBOX:
A Writer-Engineer's Log
Tracing my beginnings as a writer-engineer—learning out loud, one build and paragraph at a time.
PUBLISHED WORK
Published work in science and technology.
TECH
PORTFOLIO
Applying engineering to real-world challenges, involving APIs and programming projects. More projects coming soon!
Healthcare Data Breach Map
U.S. states choropleth map showing healthcare data breaches (Oct 2024–2025), built using Datawrapper and Google Sheets.
API Monitoring Data Pipeline
Real-time feed tracking and data QA pipeline for partner integrations.
Reddit Resume Impact Tracking
Scripted Reddit API monitor visualizing user success stories and engagement metrics.
TESTIMONIALS
Results recognized by former colleagues, coworkers, and clients.
Daniel M. Chin, PMP
Program Manager at Microsoft
I worked with Sasha on the Microsoft e-commerce program migration project. She successfully managed complicated program tasks with a detail oriented project management skill-set while employing creativity. Thanks to her clear communication with cross functional teams, we could efficiently use our time. She is a very knowledgeable and hardworking collaborator. She’s also a very friendly and warm hearted person. I strongly recommend her for any program manager position.
Susan Walker
Scrum Master at Abercrombie & Fitch
I had the pleasure of working with Sasha as a fellow Technical Program Manager. From the moment I met her during my first day at Credit Karma I liked her and knew she would be someone I could learn from. She is knowledgeable and passionate about coaching teams to be their very best. She has a positive attitude and is always willing to help whenever needed. She is also not afraid to ask the hard questions and point out areas where we can all improve. She is a humble leader who always has the best in mind of everyone she works with.