Rachel Thompson
About Rachel Thompson
Rachel Thompson is a Principal Software Engineer at Turnitin, where she has led the development of a Design Library and contributed to tools like Magnolia Inbox and Cloud Viewer. With a background in software engineering that includes roles at ModCloth, WhiteHat Security, and Psychology Software Tools, she has extensive experience in full-stack development and front-end technologies.
Work at Turnitin
Rachel Thompson has been employed at Turnitin since 2015, where she currently holds the position of Principal Software Engineer. In this role, she has led the development of a Design Library, establishing a cross-team engineering contribution model for standardized Stencil-based web components. Rachel has contributed to significant projects, including Magnolia Inbox, a tool designed to organize student work with advanced workflows, and Cloud Viewer, Turnitin's next-generation document viewer. She was promoted to Principal Software Engineer in early 2023, reflecting her contributions and expertise in software engineering.
Previous Experience
Before her tenure at Turnitin, Rachel Thompson worked at several organizations in the Greater Pittsburgh Area. She served as a Software Engineer at ModCloth from 2012 to 2014. Following that, she was a Senior Software Engineer at WhiteHat Security for one year, from 2014 to 2015. Additionally, Rachel worked as a Software Developer at Psychology Software Tools, Inc. from 2002 to 2006. Her early career also included a role as a Teaching Assistant and Grader at the University of Pittsburgh from 2003 to 2004.
Education and Expertise
Rachel Thompson earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science from the University of Pittsburgh, completing her studies from 2000 to 2004. Her educational background laid the foundation for her extensive career in software engineering. Throughout her professional journey, she has developed expertise in various technologies, including React, Ruby on Rails, and AngularJS. Rachel has engaged in full-stack software engineering projects, particularly related to document viewing and rubrics.
Technical Contributions
During her time at Turnitin, Rachel Thompson has made notable technical contributions, including the development of a Micro-frontend for Rubrics using Web Components in Stencil JS. She has also worked on front-end software engineering for Revision Assistant, a tool that leverages machine learning to provide detailed feedback on student essays. Her work encompasses a range of projects that enhance educational tools and improve user experiences.