Ho Ching-Ru

I like to call myself a Software Gardener 🪴.

I prune bugs 🐞, water features 💧, and sometimes plant seeds of innovation 🌱.

When I am not sitting in front of screen, I am probably reading 📖, writing articles ✍️, watching movies 🍿, enjoying music 🎧, free diving 🤿, playing mahjong 🀄️, admiring architecture 👀, or just exploring new things 💡.

I believe that good design is the bridge between technology and the humanities, and I strive to create tools that empower designers to focus on their creative works. ✨

💼 Work Experience

Software Engineer ． justfont

Taipei, Taiwan / Hybrid．Full-time．May 2022 - Present

I am passionate about design, layout, typography, and impactful software. As a software engineer specializing in Python and Javascript, I enhance design tools and optimize the typeface creation process through close collaboration with designers.

My work includes developing plugins for Glyphs.app and implementing internal products to improve designers' efficiency. I also explore the use of machine learning models to generate typeface prototypes, enabling early concept visualization and reducing design time.

Blockchain Developer ． Sakaba, Tempura Technologies

Tokyo, Japan / Remote．Contract．February 2023 - October 2023 (9 months)

Web3 might be the future of the next internet generation, and I was intrigued by its potential. As a blockchain researcher, I developed and implemented on-chain solutions to enhance business efficiency and transparency.

I also built partnerships with investors and collaborators, explored possibilities, and fostered collaboration. Additionally, I stayed updated on the latest trends by participating in events and conferences, and I shared my insights with the blockchain community.

Research Assistant ． Institute of Statistical Science, Academia Sinica

Taipei, Taiwan / Hybrid．Part-time．October 2020 - June 2022 (1 year 7 months)

During my master's program, I supported my advisor's research by collecting data from online sources and databases. I used statistical and machine learning models to analyze this data and created visualizations to simplify complex information. My work provided actionable insights and contributed significantly to our research objectives.

🏵 Certifications

AWS Certified Data Engineer Associate ． Amazon Web Services Training and Certification

• Badge link
• Issued on December 23, 2024. Expires on December 23, 2027

AWS Certified Machine Learning Engineer Associate ． Amazon Web Services Training and Certification

• Badge link
• Issued on December 16, 2024. Expires on December 16, 2027

AWS Certified AI Practitioner ． Amazon Web Services Training and Certification

• Badge link
• Issued on November 27, 2024. Expires on December 16, 2027

🏆 Awards

Outstanding Performance ． iThome Ironman Competition 2023

iThome．SideProject30 Division．September 2023

The iThome Ironman Competition was an annual event that promoted learning and sharing in the tech community through daily blog posts on technical topics for 30 days. I participated in the SideProject30 division and received the Outstanding Performance Award (優選) in the individual category. This achievement highlighted my skills and dedication, demonstrated through consistent contributions to my project.

Top 25% ． 2021 AI CUP Competition

Artificial Intelligence Competition and Annotation Data Collection Project Office, Ministry of Education．May 2021

The competition featured dialogue data from outpatient visits at National Cheng Kung University Hospital, annotated by physicians. Participants faced two prediction challenges: decision-making and risk assessment, and medical Q&A. The goal was to determine the need for further evaluations and extract relevant questions from the dialogue data.

Third Runner-up ． I'm the Best Coder Challenge 2020

Shopee Pte. Ltd.．November 2020

The event was a one-day data analysis competition where participants tackled complex problem statements using real-world data sets to solve business issues. They were required to analyze the data and derive actionable conclusions within a limited time frame.

📝 Articles

The Leap in Taiwan's Coastal Line Transportation and Industry During Japanese Ruled Period

• Original Title: 飛躍的海線交通與產業
• Kunpu Quarterly (季刊薰風) Vol.21 海線鐵路百年風華．July 2022
• Magazine Link.

The article examined how recent developments enhanced connectivity and economic opportunities, positively impacting local communities and the broader regional economy. It also considered future prospects and potential improvements in this important area.

The Transition of Tea Industry Structure and the Business Model in Taiwan

• Original Title: 臺灣茶葉產業結構與經營模式的轉變
• Journal of National Taipei College of Business (北商學報) No. 37．January 2021
• Paper Link.

The research focused on Taiwan's tea industry and its rich history and culture. My interest in history led me to collect and analyze data, revealing that changes in the economy and international competition necessitated stricter production standards.

The study also highlighted the importance of educating consumers about the industry's heritage. It suggested that producers and sellers focus on developing refined and commercial teas to better compete in the global market.

🎓 Education

Master of Science in Data Science ． National Taiwan University & Academia Sinica

Taipei, Taiwan．September 2020 - August 2022

• Paper and Source Code Link.
• Advisor: Tso-Jung Yen Ph.D., Chun-Yen Shen Ph.D.

My research focused on Graph Neural Networks (GNNs), Self-Supervised Learning, and Deep Learning.

My thesis, titled Training Graph Neural Networks via Self-Supervised Learning: Experiments and Analysis, explored and developed three self-supervised learning methods for training GNNs. I applied these methods to molecular and bioinformatics datasets, conducting experiments in various settings. The thesis offered a detailed analysis of the outcomes, providing insights into the effectiveness of different training approaches.

Bachelor of Art in Economics．National Taiwan University

Taipei, Taiwan．September 2016 - June 2020

I focused on analyzing contemporary economic, political, and social issues using data collection, analysis, and interpretation. The courses emphasized the development of critical thinking and technical skills, preparing us to meet the demands of a data-driven world and address complex societal problems. I was excited to deepen my expertise and apply these skills to real-world challenges.