CV

Jia-Hao (Howard) He

jhhe@illinois.edu
Urbana, IL, US

Summary

Computational imaging researcher specializing in synchrotron X-ray tomography, 3D deep learning, and HPC-based reconstruction pipelines. Postdoctoral Research Associate at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

Education

  • Ph.D., Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering; Minor in Applied Mathematics
    2025
    Iowa State University
  • Master of Engineering, Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering; Minor in Applied Mathematics
    2023
    Iowa State University
  • Master of Science, Engineering Science and Ocean Engineering
    2017
    National Taiwan University
  • Bachelor of Science, Systems and Naval Mechatronic Engineering
    2015
    National Cheng Kung University

Work Experience

  • Postdoctoral Research Associate
    2025-01-01 -
    Soils Laboratory, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
    Synchrotron micro-XCT, deep learning segmentation, HPC pipelines for soil science.
    • Recurring synchrotron micro-XCT campaigns at APS 2-BM beamline; novel dual-energy contrast-enhanced approach with iodine staining
    • Transformer-based 3D supervised segmentation for pore network analysis and organic matter mapping
    • HPC reconstruction/inference pipelines on ALCF Polaris and NERSC Perlmutter with tomocupy
    • Noise2Inverse self-supervised denoising: PSNR +4.38 dB, SSIM +0.015 on APS 2-BM soil XCT data
  • Digital Agriculture Research Assistant
    2023-11-01 - 2025-01-01
    Soil Machine Dynamics Laboratory, Iowa State University
    AI-enabled tillage decision systems and ML models for soil characterization.
    • Designed site-specific tillage decision systems with sensitivity analysis and machine learning
    • Developed ML models to predict tillage performance and crop yield from multi-sensor datasets
  • GIS for Agriculture Summer Research Intern
    2024-05-01 - 2025-01-01
    Center for GIS and RCHSS, Academia Sinica
    AI workflows for rice growth monitoring using satellite data and Google Earth Engine.
    • Developed NDVI-based deep learning pipelines for rice yield prediction with Sentinel-2
    • Fused multimodal remote sensing signals for crop monitoring under extreme conditions
  • Teaching Assistant
    2021-08-01 - 2024-05-01
    Department of Mathematics, Iowa State University
    Instructed Introduction to Data Science, Calculus 1–3, and general physics.
  • Robotic Integration and Computer Vision Assistant
    2022-05-01 - 2023-08-01
    Agricultural Automation and Robotics Laboratory, Iowa State University
    Deep learning for corn feature extraction and gradient-based algorithm optimization.
  • Structural Analysis Research Assistant
    2015-09-01 - 2021-01-01
    Advanced Structures and Materials Laboratory, National Taiwan University
    Multiphysics FEM simulations and vibrational sensors for structural damage detection.

Skills

ML & Deep Learning

  • PyTorch
  • Transformer architectures
  • CNNs
  • 3D segmentation
  • SVM
  • Random forest
  • XGBoost
  • AdaBoost

Computational Imaging

  • Synchrotron XCT reconstruction
  • Tomographic algorithms
  • FFT-based frequency-domain transforms
  • Pore network analysis

HPC & Scientific Programming

  • ALCF Polaris
  • NERSC Perlmutter
  • GPU-accelerated pipelines
  • tomocupy

Multimodal Imaging

  • Dual-energy micro-CT
  • Iodine-contrast staining
  • Infrared thermography
  • SEM
  • Optical microscopy
  • Remote sensing

Software & Tools

  • Python
  • MATLAB
  • ImageJ
  • 3D Slicer
  • COMSOL
  • SolidWorks
  • Google Earth Engine
  • Git
  • Globus

Publications

  • Comparison of automated chemical-guided segmentation and human annotation of soil organic matter in X-ray microcomputed tomography imaging in contrasted soil types
    2026
    Geoderma
    He, Jia Hao, Andrew J Margenot, Yuhei Nakayama, Viktor Nikitin, Y Zou Finfrock, Odeta Qafoku, Tamas Varga, Neslihan Taş, Elizabeth C Gillispie, Amisha Poret Peterson, et al. Geoderma 469, p. 117769.
  • Tillage-induced soil feature extraction and multi-sensors fusion for tillage system classification
    2026
    Biosystems Engineering
    Jia-Hao He, Steven K Mickelson, Jerry L Hatfield, and Mehari Z Tekeste. Biosystems Engineering 261, p. 104329.
  • Development of a Method for Soil Tilth Quality Evaluation from Crumbling Roller Baskets Using Deep Machine Learning Models
    2024
    Sensors
    Tekeste, Mehari Z, Junxian Guo, Desale Habtezgi, Jia-Hao He, and Marcin Waz. Sensors 24.11, p. 3379.
  • Anderson acceleration of gradient methods with energy for optimization problems
    2023
    Communications on Applied Mathematics and Computation
    Liu, Hailiang, Jia-Hao He, and Xuping Tian. Communications on Applied Mathematics and Computation 6, pp. 1299–1318.
  • Next-Generation High-Performance Biobased Naphthalate-Modified PET for Sustainable Food Packaging Applications
    2022
    Macromolecules
    Lee, Ting-Han, et al. Macromolecules 55.17, pp. 7785–7797.
  • Identification of multiple local damage to an offshore jacket substructure using a novel strain expansion–reduction approach
    2020
    Applied Sciences
    Jia-Hao He, Ding-Peng Liu, Cheng-Hsien Chung, and Hsin-Haou Huang. Applied Sciences 10.22, p. 7991.
  • Infrared thermography measurement for vibration-based structural health monitoring in low-visibility harsh environments
    2020
    Sensors
    Jia-Hao He, Ding-Peng Liu, Cheng-Hsien Chung, and Hsin-Haou Huang. Sensors 20.24, p. 7067.
  • Complete vibrational bandgap in thin elastic metamaterial plates with periodically slot-embedded local resonators
    2018
    Archive of Applied Mechanics
    Jia-Hao He and Hsin-Haou Huang. Archive of Applied Mechanics 88.10, pp. 1263–1274.
  • Multiband switching realized by a bidirectionally tunable and multiconfiguration acoustic diode
    2018
    AIP Advances
    Jia-Hao He and Hsin-Haou Huang. AIP Advances 8.10, p. 105032.
  • Tunable acoustic wave propagation through planar auxetic metamaterial
    2018
    Journal of Mechanics
    Jia-Hao He and Hsin-Haou Huang. Journal of Mechanics 34.2, pp. 113–122.

Teaching

  • Introduction to Data Science
    2021
    Department of Mathematics, Iowa State University
    Role: Teaching Assistant
    Instructed and tutored undergraduate students.
  • Calculus 1–3 and General Physics
    2021
    Department of Mathematics, Iowa State University
    Role: Teaching Assistant
    Instructed and tutored undergraduate students.