About

My name is Pingfan Hu, a research software engineer and PhD candidate in EMSE at George Washington University, supervised by professor John Helveston. I am experienced in (base + tidyverse) and Python development mainly in data analysis and data viz. I write moderate CSS and HTML codes as well.

I have 2 focuses in my field of study:

  1. Researches on human behavior in transportation and sustainability using discrete choice models and data visualization. My smart charging adoption research is implemented with survey-based data analysis that studies BEV (Battery Electric Vehicle) owners’ willingness to opt in smart charging programs. This is followed by the study of smart charging cost-benefit analysis. The ultimate goal is to provide insights for policymakers and utilities to design better smart charging programs that benefit both the grid and BEV owners.
  2. Development of open-source software for survey construction and data analysis. The surveydown package is a flexible, open-source platform for making surveys with , Quarto, Shiny, and PostgreSQL. It is designed to address the problems of version control, collaboration, and reproducibility in survey construction. The sdstudio package is a companion of surveydown, providing a GUI for survey building, preview, and data management.

My research projects are proudly funded by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. For more information about my projects, please proceed to the Projects page.

I write blogs on this site, mainly for the purpose of encapsulating my thoughts and ideas in the process of my research. I also write tutorials and guides for the tools and packages I use. You can find them in the Blogs page.

The Talks page contains my academic presentations in forms of conference posters and presentations.

For a one-page summary of my academic and professional experience, please check out my resume:

Pingfan’s Resume


Experience and Expertise

Degrees

Professional Skills

  • Experienced in coding and package development. Proficient in Python coding as well.
  • Expertise in data analysis and data visualization with coding skills and commercial tools like Power BI, Minitab, and Excel.
  • Advanced usage on LLM (large language model) like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini; capable of local deployment with Ollama.
  • Proficient knowledge in vehicles, transportation, and supply chain with industrial & mechanical engineering skills.
  • Solid work experience in engineering management.

Languages

  • Chinese Mandarin - Native language
  • English - Proficient technical writing and oral communication

Personal Life

Throughout the past years, I have traveled, lived, and worked in different countries, including China, USA, Australia, and Germany. Now I am located at Virginia USA.

I am married and having busy and enjoyable life with my wife. We have a cat named Pinocchio.

Pinocchio

Pinocchio