Jesse Arzate — AI Researcher

My journey into data science is rooted in a simple premise: bridging the gap between rigorous mathematical theory and high-stakes, real-world execution. As a Lead Data Scientist for the U.S. Air Force, I architect predictive algorithms and intelligent systems for environments where precision is critical and data drives mission-critical decisions. What I Do: I translate complex ML theory into production-grade reality. My core focus areas include: 🔹 Predictive Modeling & Risk Analysis: Developing advanced tree-based ensembles and simulations to quantify statistical risk and enable counterfactual "what-if" analysis for aerospace testing. 🔹 Deep Learning & Applied AI: Architecting Agentic RAG systems and deploying highly optimized, fine-tuned models (e.g., LoRA on Distil-Whisper) to parse unstructured data and drive secure decision support. 🔹 Unsupervised Learning & Analytics: Leveraging high-dimensional manifold learning (PCA/ICA/UMAP) and applied statistics to extract latent structures from complex mission datasets. Current Focus & Research: 🎓 Academic: Pursuing an MS in Computer Science (Machine Learning Specialization) at Georgia Tech. 📄 Published Research: Co-authored "Enhancing Aviation Communication Transcription: Fine-Tuning Distil-Whisper with LoRA," accepted for publication in the AIAA Journal of Aerospace Information Systems. Technical Stack: ⚙️ Predictive ML & Stats: XGBoost, Scikit-Learn, Monte Carlo Simulation, Bayesian Inference, Time Series (GARCH/VAR), Manifold Learning. 🧠 Deep Learning & AI: PyTorch, Transformers, PEFT/LoRA, Agentic RAG, AutoGen. 🛠️ MLOps & Engineering: Python, SQL, AWS, Databricks, CUDA, Docker. I thrive on the relentless pursuit of statistical excellence, whether it’s pioneering risk frameworks for next-generation aircraft or optimizing neural architectures. I build models that don't just predict the future, but actively drive actionable, data-backed strategy.

Stackforce AI infers this person is a Data Scientist specializing in Aerospace and AI technologies.

Location: Tehachapi, California, United States

Experience: 6 yrs 11 mos

Skills

Machine Learning
Data Science
Artificial Intelligence (ai)
Predictive Modeling
Statistical Analysis
Software Development
Research
Predictive Analytics
Leadership
Sales Management

Career Highlights

Architected predictive algorithms for mission-critical decisions.
Reduced flight test requirements by 50% through statistical risk assessment.
Engineered advanced AI systems for aerospace applications.

Work Experience

United States Department of the Air Force

Lead Data Scientist (3 yrs 7 mos)

U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)

Software Engineer Intern (2 mos)

R.J. Bellevue

Statistician (11 mos)

California State University, Bakersfield

Supplimental Instruction Leader (4 mos)

Student Researcher, Department of Mathematics (5 mos)

Vector Marketing

Branch Sales Manager (3 yrs 4 mos)

Midtown Family Dentistry

File Clerk (5 mos)

Boys & Girls Clubs of America

Intern (7 mos)

Education

Master of Science - MS at Georgia Institute of Technology

Bachelor of Applied Science - BASc at California State University, Bakersfield

at Frontier High School

Jesse Arzate

AI Researcher

Tehachapi, California, United States6 yrs 11 mos experience

Most Likely To SwitchHighly Stable

Key Highlights

Architected predictive algorithms for mission-critical decisions.
Reduced flight test requirements by 50% through statistical risk assessment.
Engineered advanced AI systems for aerospace applications.

Stackforce AI infers this person is a Data Scientist specializing in Aerospace and AI technologies.

Contact

Skills

Core Skills

Machine LearningData ScienceArtificial Intelligence (ai)Predictive ModelingStatistical AnalysisSoftware DevelopmentResearchPredictive AnalyticsLeadershipSales Management

Other Skills

Python (Programming Language)XGBoostRetrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG)Computer VisionOptical Character Recognition (OCR)ASRAudio ProcessingQuantizationCustom Decoding StrategiesMonte Carlo SimulationOCRVector SearchPalantirAWSCUDA

About

Experience

6 yrs 11 mos

Total Experience

3 yrs 5 mos

Average Tenure

3 yrs 7 mos

Current Experience

United states department of the air force

Lead Data Scientist

Sep 2022 – Present · 3 yrs 7 mos · Edwards, California, United States · On-site

As the Lead Data Scientist for AI & Analysis, I am responsible for translating rigorous mathematical theory into mission-critical predictive systems. Leading the development, statistical validation, and deployment of core ML models that directly impact flight test safety and autonomous systems for the U.S. Air Force.
Key Achievements & Responsibilities:
Aviation ASR Optimization: Deployed a distilled Whisper ASR pipeline for UAS control systems; achieved 24x faster inference and reduced Word Error Rate from 40% to 10% via advanced quantization and custom decoding strategies.
Aerodynamic Load Modeling: Developed XGBoost models for real-time aerodynamic load prediction, enabling counterfactual simulations for "what-if" flight scenarios and providing live predictive capabilities to flight engineers.
Statistical Risk & Simulation: Led the statistical risk assessment for Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) platforms using Monte Carlo simulations; findings cut required test flights by ~50% and secured senior leadership authorization for live flight testing.
Agentic RAG Architecture: Engineered agentic RAG systems within Palantir AIP, integrating OCR and vector search to digitize decades of handwritten flight logs. Reduced critical data retrieval time by 25% and enabled secure natural language querying.
Secure ML Environments: Established secure ML sandbox environments within an air-gapped AWS infrastructure; utilized GPU-accelerated compute (CUDA) to accelerate core model development, LLM prototyping, and advanced statistical analysis.
AI/ML Standardization: Authored the foundational Autonomy Data Analysis Plan (aDAP), establishing the standardized framework for the rigorous test and evaluation of future DoD autonomous systems, computer vision, and NLP models.

Data ScienceMachine LearningStatistical AnalysisArtificial Intelligence (AI)Python (Programming Language)XGBoost+4

U.s. department of energy (doe)

Software Engineer Intern

Jun 2022 – Aug 2022 · 2 mos · Yaphank, New York, United States · On-site

During my SULI internship at Brookhaven National Laboratory, I was embedded with a team of research scientists and engineers to help modernize their data acquisition systems.
I developed a real-time data acquisition GUI using EPICS and StreamDevice for instant beamline diagnostics. A key part of this project involved automating legacy ASCII-based calibration workflows, which significantly streamlined the experimental process for the scientific staff.

Software ImplementationPresentation SkillsResearchPublic SpeakingHardware TestingSoftware Development+1

R.j. bellevue

Statistician

Jun 2021 – May 2022 · 11 mos · Bakersfield, California, United States

In this role, I applied my academic knowledge of statistics to real-world industrial problems in the petroleum engineering sector.
I performed regression analysis on oil extraction metrics, using the results to identify operational changes that successfully cut costs by 10% .
To improve asset reliability, I also built probabilistic degradation models to help optimize preventative maintenance schedules and reduce costly, unplanned equipment downtime.

Microsoft ExcelStatistical AnalysisR (Programming Language)Mathematical ModelingStatistical Data AnalysisPredictive Analytics

California state university, bakersfield

2 roles

Supplimental Instruction Leader

Promoted

Aug 2018 – Dec 2018 · 4 mos · Bakersfield, California, United States · On-site

Chosen as a peer mentor for the Calculus I course, a role designed to support student success in a challenging subject.
I modeled high-performance student habits during lectures and then designed and led my own voluntary tutoring sessions. This involved creating lesson plans, marketing the sessions to students, and developing my skills in technical instruction and mentorship.

LeadershipPresentation SkillsPublic Speaking

Student Researcher, Department of Mathematics

Jun 2018 – Nov 2018 · 5 mos · Bakersfield, California, United States · On-site

Selected by a professor to participate in a research group focused on computational science. This was my first formal introduction to applying programming to solve complex mathematical problems.
Learned to program in MATLAB, focusing on running simulations and plotting solutions for partial differential equations (PDEs). This experience solidified my interest in the intersection of mathematics and computer science.

Mathematical ModelingResearchNetworking

Vector marketing

Branch Sales Manager

Mar 2018 – Jul 2021 · 3 yrs 4 mos · Bakersfield, California Area · On-site

This was a foundational experience where I developed my leadership, public speaking, and management skills from the ground up. I progressed from a top-performing sales representative to a leadership role responsible for team growth and office operations.
I recruited, interviewed, and trained over 600 new sales representatives for the Bakersfield and Thousand Oaks offices, leading multi-day training seminars on sales strategy, product knowledge, and client relations.
As a Sales Manager, I was responsible for the daily coaching and performance management of a team of up to 20 representatives, helping my office become one of the top performers in the West Coast region.
In the summer of 2019, I was promoted to Branch Manager, where I had full P&L responsibility for a satellite office. I managed all operations, including leasing, marketing, recruiting, and payroll. This was an incredibly challenging experience that taught me invaluable lessons in resilience, ownership, and leading a team through ambiguity.

Team LeadershipLeadershipOffice AdministrationRecruitingPresentation SkillsInterviewing+5

Midtown family dentistry

File Clerk

Jan 2017 – Jun 2017 · 5 mos · Bakersfield, California, United States · On-site

This role provided early exposure to a professional office environment and data management.
I was responsible for a key digitization project, converting hundreds of physical patient documents into a new electronic records system, improving data accessibility and office efficiency.

Office AdministrationFiling

Boys & girls clubs of america

Intern

Jan 2016 – Aug 2016 · 7 mos · Bakersfield, California, United States

I was selected as one of 55 interns from a competitive pool of over 400 applicants for a summer jobs program, which focused on early-career professional development.
Through the program, I was placed in a warehouse and customer service role at ACW Mufflers, where I gained my first real-world work experience. The program was an amazing opportunity that concluded with me receiving congressional recognition awards and a new computer to support my future academic career.

Warehouse Operations