Homepage 🖱️ - Elías David Niño-Ruiz, Ph.D.

Experience

I have developed a strong background and expertise in data engineering, data analysis, and data assimilation. Throughout my career, I have acquired proficiency in various tools and technologies, including dbt (data build tool), Python (including the Pandas library), Jinja templating language, Google BigQuery, and Looker Studio.

In the field of data engineering, I have demonstrated my ability to create robust and scalable data pipelines using dbt, Python, and Jinja templating. I take pride in ensuring consistent and clean data for analysis, leveraging my skills in transforming and querying data effectively.

My expertise in data analysis shines through my proficiency in utilizing Python for tasks such as data manipulation, aggregation, calculations, and data filtering. Whether it’s conducting daily or weekly analyses, I am able to derive meaningful insights by examining specific metrics and uncovering valuable patterns in datasets.

An essential aspect of my work is integrating visualization and reporting tools to present analysis results effectively. By utilizing tools like Looker Studio, I have been able to create interactive dashboards and visualizations that provide stakeholders with a user-friendly and informative experience. This highlights my strong communication skills and my ability to effectively convey complex data analysis to a diverse audience.

My experience showcases my competence in data engineering, data analysis, and visualization. I am skilled at handling complex datasets, extracting valuable insights, and presenting analysis results in a clear and compelling manner.

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Research Experience 🌍

Director of the Applied Math and Computer Science Lab.

• Spring 2017 to Current.
• Department of Computer Science, Universidad del Norte, BAQ 080001, Colombia.
• Description: Scientific Computing methods for the solution of real-life problems.

Research Assistant

• June 2014 to July 2014.
• Mathematics and Computer Science Division, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, CA 94550, USA.
• Supervisor: Greg Bronevetsky, Ph.D.
• Description: Analysis of sequential data assimilation methods using the SIGHT toolbox.

Givens Associate

• June 2013 to August 2013
• Mathematics and Computer Science Division, Argonne National Laboratory, IL 60439, USA.
• Supervisor: Cosmin Petra, Ph.D.
• Description: Working on time-dependent, background-error covariance matrix estimation.

Research Assistant

• August 2011 to December 2015
• Computational Science Laboratory, Computer Science Department, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, VA 24060, USA.
• Supervisor: Adrian Sandu, Ph.D.
• Description: Working on sequential and variational data assimilation for the weather forecast.

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Faculty Experience 🛸

Associate Professor

• Spring 2023 - Current.
• Department of Systems Engineering, Universidad del Norte, BAQ 080001, Colombia

Associate Professor & Department Head

• Spring 2018 - Spring 2023.
• Department of Systems Engineering, Universidad del Norte, BAQ 080001, Colombia

Instructor of Data Assimilation

• Fall 2020, Fall 2021.
• Ph.D. Program in Mathematical Engineering, Universidad EAFIT, MDE 050001, Colombia.

Teaching Assistant of Data Science for All

• Fall 2020 - Current
• Program of Data Science for All - Colombia, Correlation-One (DS4A - Colombia), USA

Assistant Professor

• Spring 2016 - Fall 2017.
• Department of Systems Engineering, Universidad del Norte, BAQ 080001, Colombia.

Instructor of Numerical Methods

• Fall 2015.
• Department of Computer Science, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, VA 24060, USA.

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Industry Experience 🚀

07/2024 - Present. Staff Data Scientist

• Analyzed survey data to uncover patterns and insights related to customer businesses using cloud-based data warehouses like Snowflake.
• Leveraged advanced APIs, such as OpenAI, to enrich data, refine survey questions, and apply relevant tagging.
• Deployed end-to-end solutions integrating Python, AWS, and cloud-based analytics platforms (GCP Looker Studio) for fast data integration and visualization.
• Developed forecasting models using Deep Learning techniques (e.g., Prophet, DeepAR, DARTs, RNNs), predicting sales based on insights from survey data.
• Conducted time series analysis on economic indicators in relation to survey data, enhancing understanding of market trends.
• Utilized Bayesian methods and multimodal probability density functions for advanced time series forecasting.
• Streamlined computational processes using parallelized Bash and Python scripts for faster execution across various scenarios.

11/2023 - Present. Senior Data Engineer

• Designed scalable data lakes across multiple cloud platforms, enabling efficient data processing using AWS S3 and Google Cloud Storage.
• Built high-performance data warehouses with AWS Redshift and GCP BigQuery to support analytical insights from both structured and unstructured data.
• Developed versatile data pipelines using AWS Glue, GCP Dataflow, and custom Python scripts, automating data ingestion, transformation, and integration.
• Created machine learning models to estimate customer lifetime values using scikit-learn and Keras.
• Integrated Google Vision API to extract image features, enriching product catalogs and improving the performance of models like DeepFM, Apriori, and Graph Neural Networks.
• Published custom APIs and services using FastAPI, with domain customization via GCP to create tailored endpoints for various applications.
• Employed dbt (Data Build Tool) to transform raw data from data warehouses into structured, production-ready databases.
• Developed production-grade databases rooted in comprehensive information stored within the data warehouse, ensuring reliable and scalable systems.
• Deployed GCP Compute Engine instances on demand to support custom database services and provide scalable resources for training machine learning and deep learning models.

07/2022 - 08/2024. Senior Data Engineer/Senior Data Scientist

• Expert in building data pipelines and machine learning models using Python, Keras, scikit-learn, Pandas, Numpy, and BigQuery ML.
• Managed data visualization and project workflows using Looker Studio and Jira, ensuring effective data-driven decision-making.
• Leveraged APIs, such as Google Maps API, to analyze routes and paths, enhancing data integration and analysis in transportation scenarios.
• Developed and deployed interactive dashboards and applications using Folium, Dash, and Python for real-time data monitoring.
• Experienced in code versioning and deployment with Docker, GitHub, Google Colab, and cloud-based services like Google Functions, Google Compute Engine, and BigQuery.

01/2024 - 06/2024. Senior Data Scientist

• Utilized Snowflake to ingest and process data from AWS S3 buckets.
• Created interactive dashboards directly within Snowflake using Streamlit.
• Developed machine learning models to predict metrics like the number of impressions per TV stream.
• Implemented automated workflows using Python and JavaScript for continuous training and deployment of machine learning models.
• Established data staging areas for efficient retrieval of data from AWS S3.

05/2024 - 07/2024. AI Prompt Engineer

• Evaluated and ranked AI model responses, providing detailed feedback for improvement.
• Generated alternative scenarios and crafted error-based responses to refine model accuracy.
• Adjusted parameters to optimize model outputs across different tasks, utilizing techniques for prompt engineering.

08/2023 - 11/2023 (Part-time). Senior Data Engineer

• Assessed data quality and facilitated seamless data migration between on-premise and cloud environments using Azure Synapse.
• Enhanced real-time data comparison processes using advanced algorithms and dimensionality reduction techniques.
• Automated tasks with Python, enabling efficient data-driven decision-making.

06/2022 - 08/2022. Python Developer

• Customized payroll solutions using Python and Microsoft Azure Functions, streamlining reporting processes with SQL Server.
• Managed project timelines and deliverables using Azure DevOps.
• Skilled in collaborative code development and version control using Google Colab and GitHub.

10/2020 - 07/2022. Data Engineer & Data Science Trainer

• Developed Python-based solutions across diverse markets, managing complex datasets and cloud infrastructure using Docker, REST API, and AWS services (RDS, EC2, S3).
• Led multiple teams, guiding projects to completion and fostering collaborative development.
• Delivered solutions with GitHub for code versioning and ensured robust and scalable deployment.

08/2005 - 12/2005. Intern

• Designed ETL processes and managed complex database queries for improved data integration using Oracle.
• Generated reports to support business decisions with Microsoft Access.
• Applied technical skills in algorithms, SQL, and data processing tools.

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