# Ashton Liu

> Software Engineer at HydroX AI | Computer Science and Applied Math Major at UCSC

Location: San Jose, California, United States
Profile: https://flows.cv/ashtonliu

I'm Ashton Liu, a dual-degree Computer Science and Applied Mathematics student at UC Santa Cruz, passionate about building robust, AI-powered systems that drive real-world impact.

Over the past few years, I've designed and deployed full-stack applications, led cross-functional engineering teams, and conducted academic AI research, all while working with modern technologies like FastAPI, Kubernetes, OpenAI, and PyTorch. Whether it’s deploying LLM-powered bots to moderate 10K+ messages/hour at Clavata.ai, orchestrating intelligent scheduling tools like SlugScheduler, or advancing autonomous vehicle path planning in academic research, I bring a pragmatic yet curious mindset to every challenge I take on.

I thrive at the intersection of backend systems, ML/AI, and product-driven innovation. Let’s connect if you're building something ambitious, especially in generative AI, intelligent infrastructure, or research-driven engineering!

## Work Experience
### Software Engineer @ HydroX AI
Jan 2025 – Present | San Jose, California, United States

### Machine Learning Researcher for AIEA Autonomous Vehicle Lab @ Baskin Engineering at UCSC
Jan 2024 – Present | Santa Cruz, California, United States
Skills/Technologies: Python, Stable Baselines, Conda, Docker, Kubernetes, CARLA
- Spearhead the research initiative on Hierarchical Reinforcement Learning algorithms, enhancing autonomous vehicle navigation efficiency by 40% and reducing processing time by 30% across multiple driving scenarios
- Conduct testing and optimization of autonomous vehicle paths utilizing Stable Baselines with Python and CARLA, incorporating Proximal Policy Optimization and Deep Deterministic Policy Gradient, ensuring efficient navigation while identifying potential errors and failures in driving algorithms

### Frontend Engineer at Information Technology Services @ University of California, Santa Cruz
Jan 2023 – Jan 2025 | Santa Cruz, California, United States
- Proficiently harness PHP and WordPress to design and engineer captivating user interfaces, translating intricate design concepts into responsive, performance-optimized websites
- Facilitated the advancement of over 1000 UCSC websites, enhancing user experiences and engagement through strategic utilization of Google Analytics, driving iterative improvements based on comprehensive data insights

### Software Engineer Intern @ Clavata
Jan 2024 – Jan 2024 | San Francisco, California, United States


## Education
### Bachelor of Science - BS in Computer Science
University of California, Santa Cruz


## Contact & Social
- LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/ashtonliu

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Source: https://flows.cv/ashtonliu
JSON Resume: https://flows.cv/ashtonliu/resume.json
Last updated: 2026-04-11