Hello there! Nice to meet you!
π I'm Evan! I'm a machine learning consultant, data engineer, and fullstack software developer.
π In the realm of ML, I specialize in the fields of natural language processing, computer vision, and deep learning, with research papers published in two Scopus-indexed conferences.
π§ On the engineering side of things, I've led the design and implementation of several robust backend solutions, databases, and microservice architectures for a couple of major clients. I've worked with a lot of different technologies over the years (and I'm studying more!), but I've spent a lot of my time with Python, Javascript, and C#, and I've had experience with a ton of various libraries including PyTorch, TensorFlow+Keras, FastAPI, React+Redux, and more. I also deal with DevOps, cloud computing, and deployment jobs involving continuous integration with Docker, Kubernetes, Jenkins, and Gitlab CI to major cloud platforms including GCP and AWS. In fact, some time back, I also got certified as a Google Cloud Platform Professional Cloud Architect!
πΌ I also work in business development, leading the technical scoping and strategic exploration of many machine learning and data platform projects with clients in various verticals including logistics, capital-heavy industries, manufacturing, and financial services. I work in cross-functional teams to push business development initiatives, develop architecture diagrams and solution proposals, strategize market penetration, and understand client pain points.
π₯ I'm a full-fledged team lead, technical mentor, and people manager, supporting and developing the careers of engineers and developers, both junior and senior. I also work with fellow leads to push for process improvements to scale our operations.
π² Outside of work, I'm also a board game enthusiast (eurogames!), a home cook, a coffee brewing novice, a graphic designer, and a weeb looking to get proficient in Japanese (γγγγγι‘γγγΎγοΌ).
Cool places I've worked
Thinking Machines Data Science, Inc.
Machine Learning Consultant Lead
December 2020 - Present
I work across multiple functions for AI/data projects spanning machine learning, data and cloud engineering, software architecture, technical leadership, people management, and business development in Southeast Asia and beyond.
- Managing and mentoring data/ML engineers and consultants, spearheading initiatives to build AI/ML tools (computer vision, document processing), driving process improvements, and providing technical guidance to my team and the teams we work with.
- Designed and developed complex data ingestion pipelines, RESTful microservices, database architecture, and graph algorithm deduplication infrastructure for a smart search web app to facilitate the aggregation of millions of records to surface key company insights and improve due diligence for investment teams in a Singaporean sovereign wealth fund.
- Leading the technical scoping and strategic exploration of numerous AI/ML project opportunities and proof-of-concepts (POCs) across domains like NLP, computer vision, and generative AI (e.g. LLMs like GPT), with clients in various verticals including logistics, capital-heavy industries, manufacturing, and financial services. Collaborated with engineers, consultants, analysts, marketing, and sales in cross-functional teams to push business development initiatives, develop architecture diagrams and solution proposals, strategize market penetration, and understand client pain points.
- Developed single customer view algorithms and transforms for a Philippine airline company to consolidate numerous customer records from disparate systems.
- Supervised the technical development of multiple AI/ML POCs, including one for preventive maintenance using satellite imagery and computer vision, and another for Thai-language information extraction from financial statements.
- As a people manager, I support and develop the careers of multiple engineers, analysts, and consultants, both junior and senior.
Augmented Intelligence Pros Inc.
AI Software Developer
January 2018 - November 2020
I performed a wide array of varied development and non-development tasks, including:
- Research and development of natural language processing technologies
- Full-stack web application development using Javascript and Python libraries including, but not limited to, React.js, Redux.js, Falcon REST API, and MongoDB
- Deployment and continuous integration with Gitlab CI, Docker, and Kubernetes
- Technical write-ups of developed applications and technologies
Indigo Entertainment
Game Development Intern
May 2015 - July 2015
I helped develop and implement video games in Flash/ActionScript for big name clients. The work involved both UI framework development as well as game mechanics implementation.
Highlights of my education
Master of Science in Computer Science
2016 - 2017
- Ladderized BS-MS in Computer Science program - I took several of my graduate units during my undergraduate years in order to shorten the time needed to complete my master's degree.
- Department of Science and Technology - Engineering Research and Development for Technology (DOST-ERDT) Scholar and Early Graduate Awardee
- (Published in the 2018 IEEE International Conference on Agents) Research focused on the use of deep learning, specifically recurrent neural networks, on big data from social media to estimate dengue activity in the Philippines. The study found a significantly high correlation between the model's estimate and actual dengue case data from the Department of Health.
Bachelor of Science in Computer Science with Specialization in Software Technology
2012 - 2016
- Magna Cum Laude
- Most Outstanding Thesis Award (Gold)
- (Published in the 2017 IJCAI Workshop on Semantic Machine Learning) Thesis focused on the use of both machine learning and rule-based approaches to develop a hybrid system for extracting the 5Ws (who, when, where, what, and why) of Filipino news articles.
Publications
I've made with wonderful people
IEEE International Conference on Agents
With: Charibeth K. Cheng
(Best Student Paper Awardee)
A deep learning paper that focuses on the use of social media, specifically Twitter, for determining dengue activity in the Philippines. The paper describes the use of a gated recurrent unit (GRU) based neural network that classifies tweets as being related to one or more dengue centered topics. The results from analyzing these online interactions were then collated and compared against actual epidemiology data which turned out to have a significantly high correlation. The developed model showed immense potential in being able to quickly assess dengue activity to inform emergency response need.
Proceedings of the IJCAI Workshop on Semantic Machine Learning
With: Andrea Nicole O. Ver, Jedrick L. Chua, John Paul S. Yao, Charibeth K. Cheng
This research describes an intelligent agent that automatically extracts the who, when, where, what, and why from news articles in the Philippines. The agent was developed using a combination of rule-based techniques and traditional machine learning models. The results showed promising performance, especially for the who, when, and what.
Some interesting projects
I've done
A fullstack single page application (SPA) web blog implemented in React+Redux (focusing on hooks) with Express and PostgreSQL. This is a sporadically growing project that serves as a sandbox for implementing various libraries and services.
As a teenager, I've longed to build the next big social media site. I would create scrap HTML and CSS code just to make something that resembles a home page. However, since I had very little programming experience then, none of the projects ever came to fruition.
In a way, this project is a small materialization of that dream. Here, I apply or experiment with some of the insights I've gained from coding with various React+Redux, Express, and PostgreSQL libraries in the industry.
Tech
- React.js
- Redux.js
- Express
- PostgreSQL
A kind of mini-game I did during college. Similar to Coin Apocalypse, the game was developed with AS3 and Flixel and the pixel art was made by me using GIMP and Paint.
I made this project as an entry to Game Jolt's Peace, Love, and Jam game jam.
Tech
- Flash/ActionScript3
- Flixel
A fun passion project that I did during my early college years. The game was developed mainly using an AS3 library called Flixel in the FlashDevelop IDE. All the pixel art was also made by me using GIMP and Paint.
This game taught me a lot of things in my early programming years about code organization and object-oriented programming. It was also my first dive into critically thinking about UI/UX and game design.
Tech
- Flash/ActionScript3
- Flixel