Irene Alisjahbana, S.T., M.Sc, PhD

EDUCATION

Ph.D. in Civil and Environmental Engineering (2022)

Stanford University, USA
Advisor: Prof. Anne Kiremidjian
Title: Data-Driven Decision Making for Post-Earthquake Recovery under Resource Constraints

MS in Civil and Environmental Engineering (2019)

Stanford University, USA
Concentration: Structural Engineering

B.Eng in Civil Engineering (2017)

Universitas Indonesia, Indonesia
Concentration: Structural Engineering

INDUSTRY EXPERIENCE

Staff Data Scientist/Research Engineer, Udemy, Inc. (2023-Present)

Driving the development and implementation of generative AI capabilities into Udemy’s core products, using models like GPT-4 and prompt engineering to reduce time learning specialists need to tailor curriculums from months to minutes.
Developed LLM auto-evaluators and designed human feedback collection loop to improve AI generation quality
Led development of product prototypes and POCs that are presented to C-level executives.

AI Engineer, Playground Global (VC) (2023)

Optimized robotics API for improved human interaction, leveraging prompt engineering, in-context learning, fine-tuning, and research on LLMs for portfolio companies.
Enhanced customer workflow efficiency through a custom LLM application built on the LangChain framework, specifically trained on comprehensive product documentation.

Lead Data Scientist, Lacuna Technologies (early-stage startup) (2021-2023)

Pioneered R&D initiatives for new product development, focusing on novel algorithmic and ML solutions for city infrastructure and vehicle behaviors, resulting in efficiency gains, enriched policy insights, and enhanced data privacy.

Managed end-to-end data science workflow, instrumental in securing the company’s inaugural pilot customer.
- Designed, executed, and analyzed results of large-scale quasi-experiments (A/B testing for domain) through cross-functional team collaboration.
- Streamlined data processing, defined custom KPIs, and built prototypes and dashboards for customers.
Demonstrated 20% efficiency gains in curb management for freight carriers through novel algorithms implemented in our existing product that quantified supply-demand imbalances of fleet operations across 80,000 freight routes.
Elevated our product’s market position by researching and implementing cutting-edge location privacy algorithms, setting us apart in the competitive landscape.
Drove infrastructure optimization and cultivated collaborative cross-functional endeavors ensuring scalability and future-readiness.
- Transitioned the team from legacy systems to robust cloud platforms like AWS.
- Cut data storage needs by 50% without sacrificing data quality by employing advanced compression algorithms.
Cultivated trust in stakeholder relations by designing clear, non-technical data visualizations, bridging the understanding gap for non-expert audiences.

Lecturer Hasso Plattner Institute of Design (d.school),Stanford University (2022-Present)

Course Names: Creativity in Research Scholars for PhD Students (CIRS) and Design of Data

Led the creation of 20+ innovative product prototypes and the publication of 20+ insightful web articles by leading 3 cohorts of over 40 Stanford PhD candidates, translating intricate research into real-world product prototypes.
Crafted and executed a comprehensive 2-quarter curriculum, seamlessly blending design thinking with user-focused product principles, ensuring a holistic integration into academic research methodologies.

RESEARCH EXPERIENCE

Graduate Research Assistant (2018-2022) Department of Civil Engineering, Stanford University, USA

Initiated cross-departmental collaboration and managed a team of 4 by developing a detailed research proposal with weekly meetings to assign deliverables and ensure timeline remain on track
Analyzed public datasets with >10M rows using Pandas and geospatial data consisting of >100K datapoints to propose strategies for more equitable post-disaster recovery, reducing the gap between different socioeconomic groups by over 4 years
Developed a greedy algorithm that is 32% more accurate compared to existing methods to determine optimal reconstruction strategies and policies for decision makers, reducing the total costs by 51%
Authored and published findings to top journals; presented results to both technical and non-technical audience

Undergraduate Research Assistant (2016-2017) Department of Civil Engineering, Universitas Indonesia, Indonesia

Studied shear forces in various quadrilateral and triangular discrete elements using finite element methods
Collaborated with co-writers, and faculty to produce publication
Upgraded FORTRAN codes used by the research lab

OTHER PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Structural EngineeringIntern 2018 Arup, Los Angeles, CA, USA

Assisted in the design of 3 new projects, including LA’s Airport Metro Connector
Used specialized structural engineering software to analyze slabs and retaining walls
Created, analyzed, and designed steel structures with performance-based seismic criteria
Assisted in creating markups and submittals for the client

Engineering Intern 2016 PT. Wiratman, Jakarta, Indonesia

Assisted in structural evaluation, analysis and design of structural elements in new high-rise structures of Jakarta
Reviewed engineering plans and shop drawings

TEACHING AND MENTORING

Mentor 2018-2021 Indonesia Mengglobal, Indonesia

Mentored college graduates and young professionals through the process of applying to graduate schools by providing guidance and feedback on their resumes and essays
Conducted structured weekly one-on-one feedback meetings with mentees
Advised mentees that ultimately got accepted into top schools such as Carnegie Mellon, Harvard, Yale University

Course Assistant 2019 Course Name: Decision Analysis for Civil and Environmental Engineers Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Stanford University, USA

Conducted office hours twice a week for 2 hours each during the quarter
Prepared homework solutions and graded homework in a timely manner

Teaching Assistant 2014-2015 Department of Civil Engineering, Universitas Indonesia, Indonesia Course Names: Linear Algebra, Calculus, and Statics

Tutored undergraduate linear algebra, calculus and statics to classes of 50 students
Prepared and graded homework and quizzes in a timely manner
Conducted office hours for students every week

TRAINING

Data Science Fellow, 2021 Data Science for All Women’s Summit – Correlation One

Selected to participate in a rigorous 7-week data science fellowship (5% acceptance rate) with learning facilitated through real-world data science business cases and mentorship from an industry data scientist
Collaborated with a group of 7 to investigate the impact of climate change on population migration using multiple public datasets; created a detailed project plan to meet weekly deliverables

ORGANIZATION

Social Chair of the Indonesia Stanford Student Association (ISSA) 2019-2022 Stanford University, Stanford, USA

Led the organization consisting of graduate and undergraduate students by hosting and organizing quarterly events and gatherings (both online and in-person) to foster and build community relationship
Established the organization’s social media platform to broaden the organization’s online presence by posting weekly updates and news; grew the account by 3x within 6 months.

DESIGN AWARDS

Mars City Design Competition 2018, USA (2018)

Researched and presented a plan for the deployment of a human colonization on Mars
Created sketches, engineering drawing and assisted in creating the final submittal for the competition
Collaborated with people from other engineering disciplines
Awarded 1st place in Architecture Category from over 50 entries

NTU Bridge Design Competition 2017, Singapore

Collaborated in a team of 3 to design and build a bridge made of balsa wood that was tested by loading
Innovated on using nylon string to further improve the strength of the bridge
Presented in front of faculty in NTU, Singapore
Awarded 2nd place out of 33 teams from around Southeast Asia

Wiratman Bridge Challenge 2016, Indonesia

Prepared a preliminary design report for a proposed bridge, including analyzing real condition of the proposed bridge, proposing an innovative design, structural analysis, site plan, cost estimation and construction process
Coordinated with local residents and government officials on the proposed bridge
Surveyed the proposed bridge location and collected data on the soil and river
Presented a technical presentation to leading consultants and professors of civil engineering in Indonesia
Awarded 2nd place out of 105 national teams

PUBLICATIONS

Alisjahbana, I., Ceferino, L., & Kiremidjian, A. (2022). Prioritized reconstruction of healthcare facilities after earthquakes based on recovery of emergency services. Risk analysis, 43 (9), 1763-1778.

Alisjahbana, I., Graur, A., Lo, I., & Kiremidjian, A. (2022). Optimizing strategies for post-disaster reconstruction of school systems. Reliability Engineering & System Safety, 219, 108253.

Alisjahbana, I., Moura-Cook, A., Costa, R., & Kiremidjian, A. (2022). An agent-based financing model for post-earthquake housing recovery: Quantifying recovery inequalities across income groups. Earthquake Spectra, 87552930211064319.

S W Alisjahbana, B. Ontowirko, M Ihsan, Safrilah, I Alisjahbana, “Localized Blast Load Acting on the Rigid Concrete Pavement Plate: Negative Phase Effect”, Strength of Materials, Vol 54, No. 4, July 2022

Alisjahbana, I., & Kiremidjian, A. (2020). Modeling housing recovery after the 2018 Lombok earthquakes using a stochastic queuing model. Earthquake Spectra, 8755293020970972.

Alisjahbana, S.W., Safrilah, Putra, J.C.P., Asmi, A., Alisjahbana, I., Gan, B.S., “Stress Analysis in Rigid Roadway Pavement with Discontinuities Subjected to Vehicle Movement”, International Journal of Civil Engineering and Technology (IJCIET), Vol. 11, 2, 174-182, February 2020

Alisjahbana, S.W., Asmi, A., Safrilah, Putra, J.C.P., Gan, B.S., Alisjahbana, I., “Numerical Analysis of a Friedlander Localized Blast Load on a Rigid Roadway Pavement Using Levy’s Problem International Journal on Advanced Science, Engineering and Information Technology, 2020, 10(4), pp. 1548-1554.

Alisjahbana, S.W., Safrilah, Putra, J.C.P., Asmi, A., Alisjahbana, I., Gan, B.S., “Numerical Simulation of Vehicle Movement on Rigid Roadway Pavement with Discontinuities”, Journal of Vibroengineering, No. 21 (5), 1414-1425, August 2019

Kiryu, S., Alisjahbana, S.W., Alisjahbana, I. Nagao, M., Gan, B.S., “Free Vibration of a Levy-type solution for plates based on two-variable refined plate theory by using SEM, Journal of Vibroengineering, No. 21 (3), 726-735, May 2019

Alisjahbana, S.W., Safrilah, Putra, J.C.P., Asmi, A., Alisjahbana, I., Kiryu, S., Gan, B.S., “Dynamic Response of Pavement Plates to the Positive and Negative Phases of the Friedlander Load”, Strength of Materials, No. 5 (50), 702-710, September 2018

Alisjahbana, S.W., Alisjahbana, I., Kiryu, S, Buntara, S. Gan, “Semi analytical solution of a rigid pavement under a moving load on a Kerr foundation model”, Journal of Vibroengineering, No 20 (5), 2165-2175, May 2018

I Katili, IJ Maknun, E Tjahono, I Alisjahbana, “Error estimation for the DKMQ24 shell element using various recovery methods”, International Journal of Technology, No 6, 1060-1069, December 2017

CONFERENCE PAPERS

Alisjahbana, I., Kiremidjian A., “The Importance of Decomposing Nighttime Light Imagery for Post-Earthquake Assessment and Recovery”, 17th World Conference on Earthquake Engineering, Sendai Japan, 13-18 September 2020

S Kiryu, S W Alisjahbana, I Alisjahbana, A L Han, B S Gan, “Free Vibration of orthotropic Levy-type solution plates by using SEM”, 7th International Conference on Euro Asia Civil Engineering Forum, Stuttgart, Germany 20 September – 2 October 2019

S W Alisjahbana, I Alisjahbana, B S Gan, Safrilah, J C P Putra, “Dynamic behavior of stiffened orthotropic plates subjected to Friedlander blast load”, 7th International Conference on Euro Asia Civil Engineering Forum, Stuttgart, Germany 20 September – 2 October 2019

Luis Ceferino, Chenying Liu, Irene Alisjahbana, Siddharth Patel, Tao Sun, Anne Kiremidjian, Ram Rajagopal, “Disaster Resilience of Distributed Energy Resources”, 13th International Conference on Applications of Statistics and Probability in Civil Engienering, ICASP13, Seoul, South Korea, May 26-30, 2019

Alisjahbana, S. W., Wangsadinata, W., Alisjahbana, I., “Analytical Behavior of Rectangular Plates under In-plane and Lateral Dynamic Loads”, ACOME 2017 The International Conference on Advanced in Computational Mechanics, Phu Quoc Island, Vietnam, 2-4 August 2017

Alisjahbana, S.W., Wangsadinata, W., Alisjahbana, I., “Numerical Studies of Concrete Plates under Localized Blast Loads”, ASEA-SEC-3 The Third Australasia and South-East Asia Structural Engineering and Construction Conference Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia, 31 October – 4 November 2016

Alisjahbana, S.W., Wangsadinata, W., Alisjahbana, I., “The Dynamic Response of Orthotropic Plates to Localized Stepped Triangular Blast Load”, 4th International Conference on Protective Structures (ICPS4), Beijing, China, 18-21 October 2016

PREPRINTS

Alisjahbana, I., Li, J, Strong, B., Zhang, Y. “ DeepDamageNet: A two-step deep-learning model for multi-disaster building damage segmentation and classification using satellite imagery”, arXiv:2405.04800 [cs.CV], 2024

Alisjahbana, I., “Using In-Service Train Vibration for Detecting Railway Maintenance Needs”, arXiv:2405.09560 [eess.SP], 2024

BOOKS

Alisjahbana, Sofia W., Alisjahbana, Irene. (2021). Pengaruh Beban Ledakan (Blast Load) Terhadap Perilaku Dinamik Pelat Lantai dan Pelat Atap Bangunan . Jakarta: Universitas Bakrie Press.

INTERNATIONAL PUBLICATION AWARDS

2022 EERI Graduate Student Paper Award – Honorable Mention
2021 EERI Graduate Student Paper Award – Honorable Mention

PEER REVIEWER

International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction
Transportation Research: Part A

FELLOWSHIPS

The Blume Fellowship 2021-2022
Shah Fellowship on Catastrophic Risk 2019-2021
The Blume Fellowship 2018-2019

LANGUAGE AND TECHNICAL SKILLS

Programming languages: Python, SQL, D3.js, MATLAB, Mathematica, R,
Tools & Packages: Numpy, Scipy, Pandas (Data Science, Data Manipulation), Pytorch (Neural Networks, Deep Learning), OpenCV (Computer Vision), Geopandas, Matplotlib (Data Visualization)
Spoken Languages: English (Fluent), Indonesian (Fluent), and Korean (Conversational)