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Roderick Tabalba, Jr

@rodericktabalbajr

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Applied HCI/AI researcher with expertise in conversational applications.

United States

Message

What I'm looking for

I seek a collaborative environment that fosters innovation and growth, focusing on impactful AI solutions.

I am an applied HCI/AI researcher with over five years of experience in developing innovative conversational applications. My work has led to the creation of Articulate and ArticulatePro, an AI assistant recognized by NASA and presented at international ACM conferences. I specialize in building proactive AI solutions using foundational models like GPT and LLaMA, focusing on real-time conversational applications that enhance user engagement and data exploration.

Throughout my career, I have successfully led end-to-end machine learning development for various projects, including proactive chart generation and real-time data visualizations. My technical expertise encompasses a wide range of skills, including JavaScript, Python, React, and machine learning frameworks. I have published multiple first-author papers and collaborated on several others, contributing to the advancement of AI in user interaction and data visualization.

Experience

Work history, roles, and key accomplishments

Current

Applied AI Engineer

Current

Laboratory for Advanced Visualization and Application

Aug 2020 - Present (4 years 10 months)

Led the development of proactive AI solutions and real-time conversational applications, including an always-listening AI assistant recognized by NASA. Engineered a full-stack web application for natural language-driven data visualizations and published multiple research papers in the field.

JavaScript React Python Machine Learning NLP Git

Instructor

Punahou Private School

Aug 2023 - Aug 2023 (0 months)

Developed and led a curriculum on Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality for middle school students, introducing immersive technologies through hands-on projects.

Curriculum Development Virtual Reality Augmented Reality Teaching Project Management

Instructor

University of Hawaii at Manoa

Aug 2022 - May 2023 (9 months)

Designed and taught senior-level undergraduate courses in immersive software development, focusing on video game design and virtual/augmented reality. Mentored students through game development pipelines.

Unity Game Development Curriculum Design Teaching Mentorship

Data Science Fellow

Hawaii Data Science Institute

Aug 2022 - May 2023 (9 months)

Developed interactive dashboards for climate data, enabling stakeholders to explore environmental trends. Utilized various data science tools and technologies to enhance data visualization and analysis.

TensorFlow PyTorch Pandas Tableau Matplotlib Plotly React

Education

Degrees, certifications, and relevant coursework

University of Hawaii at Manoa

Doctorate of Philosophy, Computer Science

2022 - 2024

Currently pursuing a Doctorate of Philosophy (PhD) in Computer Science, focusing on enhancing data exploration through a pragmatic voice assistant. The dissertation aims to contribute to the field of human-computer interaction and artificial intelligence.

University of Hawaii at Manoa

Master of Science, Computer Science

2020 - 2022

Pursued a Master’s (MS) in Computer Science, focusing on the development of an always-listening interface for creating data visualizations. The thesis involved innovative approaches to enhance user interaction with data through voice commands.

University of Hawaii at Manoa

Bachelor of Science, Computer Science

2017 - 2020

Completed a Bachelor’s of Science (BS) in Computer Science with a Minor in Psychology. The program provided a strong foundation in computer science principles and practices, along with insights into human behavior through psychology.