Software Engineer  ·  Los Angeles, CA

Yuyang Chen

Building things that work. Crafting code with care.

Scroll
Software Engineer
The Walt Disney Company
DEC 2024 – PRESENT
Kotlin Python Bash GitLab CI
  • Implemented tooling support for manual & automation QA testers in various aspects
  • Enhanced test automation frameworks by refining GitLab pipeline scripts & ReportPortal dashboards
  • Developed Gherkin & native UI tests for Hulu & Disney+ Android applications
  • Enabled JIRA Xray integration & test runs on STF device farm alongside QA IT team
  • Leveraged account maker tool from Platform Resiliency team for dynamic account creation in testing
Software Engineer
Whova Inc.
AUG 2022 – OCT 2024
Kotlin Java Python REST API Android
  • Implemented features & refinements for native Android App with 4.8★ average rating & 25,000+ reviews
  • Designed and implemented REST APIs for communication between Backend and Mobile & Web Frontend
  • Maintained stability of Android App by routinely eliminating crashes, ANRs & updating dependencies
  • Mentored multiple junior engineers and interns, led daily 1-1 meetings with leadership & ownership
  • Assisted in software engineer recruiting by participating in interviews and career fairs
Software QA Engineer
Whova Inc.
OCT 2021 – JUL 2022
Python GCP Jenkins Appium
  • Performed manual and automated testing to ensure quality of product across all platforms
  • Led testing of multiple crucial feature releases with major impact on event attendees & organizers
  • Migrated Android auto-testing from local to GCP & Jenkins, improved pass rate from 60% to 90%
  • Created & fixed ~200 automated UI tests used in regression testing, greatly improved test coverage
  • Migrated bug tracking from Google Sheets to Jira, established issue types and workflows
Graduate Teaching Assistant
New York University
SEP – DEC 2020
  • Assisted teaching in CS-GY 6643 Computer Vision & CS-GY 6033 Algorithms (Fall 2020)
  • Held weekly office hours and assisted with grading of student assignments & projects
Graduate Assistant
New York University
JAN – MAY 2020
Python
  • Automated data entry for NYU's graduate admission process, significantly improving efficiency
  • Implemented a Python program to process CSV files containing student application information
2019–2021
M.S. in Computer Science
New York University — New York, NY
CGPA 4.0 / 4.0  ·  Computer Vision · AI · Big Data Analytics · Network Security
2017–2019
B.S. in Computer Science
University of Michigan — Ann Arbor, MI
CGPA 3.66 / 4.0  ·  Machine Learning · Data Structures · Cryptography · OS · Networks
2015–2019
B.S. in Electrical & Computer Engineering
Shanghai Jiao Tong University — Shanghai, China
CGPA 3.41 / 4.0
Languages
Java · Kotlin · Python · SQL · Bash · C · C++ · MATLAB · XML
Mobile
Android Studio · Kotlin / Java · Appium · Gherkin · UI Testing
DevOps
Git · Jenkins · GitLab CI · GCP · Linux · Docker
QA & Testing
Selenium · Appium · ReportPortal · JIRA Xray · STF
Cloud-based Appium Automated Testing
Whova Inc. — Summer 2022
GCP Appium Jenkins Bash Android SDK
  • Created Android emulators on Google Cloud VM using Android SDK and CLI tools
  • Set up Appium testing framework by installing required packages and configuring environment
  • Built a Jenkins server and wrote Bash scripts to enable remote test running and GitLab integration
  • Improved automated testing efficiency & stability, saving cost vs third-party services
Shared Component Retrieval System
Shanghai Jiao Tong University — Summer 2019
Python Tesseract MNIST pHash Computer Vision
  • Sponsored by Giti Tire, one of the largest tire companies in the world
  • Customer-oriented project aimed at avoiding duplicate work for digitalizing tire components
  • Used ML & CV techniques including Tesseract, MNIST & pHash to identify similar images

When not writing code, I'm deep in another world entirely — exploring sprawling MMOs, climbing ranked ladders, building broken decks, and hunting for build synergies in dark dungeons. Games are where craft meets play, and I take them as seriously as my work.

MMORPG
Final Fantasy XIV
My home away from home. An MMO that I keep returning to for its incredible story, lavish world design, and welcoming community. There's always a new raid to prog, a new job to level, or a housing project to obsess over.
MMO Story-rich Raiding Crafting
MOBA
League of Legends
A constant in my gaming life — the competitive itch that never quite goes away. Whether it's learning a new champion, flexing different roles, or just grinding out ranked, the Rift always has something to teach.
Competitive Ranked Team Play
Roguelike / Deckbuilder
Slay the Spire I & II
Pure deckbuilding dopamine. No two runs feel the same, and every choice cascades beautifully into chaos or victory. The sequel's new mechanics add even more ways to cook up degenerate synergy combos.
Deckbuilder Strategy Roguelite Run-based
Action RPG
Last Epoch
The aRPG that scratches the loot-hunting, skill-tree-maxing, endgame-grinding itch. Deep itemization, satisfying crafting, and a time-travel narrative that's surprisingly compelling. A worthy contender in the genre.
Loot-based Endgame Crafting Build Theory

Always looking for the next great game — or a fellow Warrior of Light to run savage raids with.