Hi, I'm Alexander Shen.
Lifelong learner && Pioneer
I'm always trying to pick up and master new skills. Currently getting a Bachelor's in Computer Science at the University of Waterloo. When I'm not coding, you can find me video editing, listening to new music, or playing video games.
Where I've Worked
Software Engineer Intern @ Amazon Web Services
May 2025 - Aug 2025
- Built auto-scaling solution for queue-based worker service using AWS CDK and TypeScript to dynamically scale worker instances based on thread utilization, reducing worker costs by 40%.
- Created multithreaded Python load testing scripts to simulate high API traffic and validate performance of auto-scaling strategies.
- Developed test workers using Java to test auto-scaling in deployment pipeline for regression testing.
- Researched and implemented optimal scaling strategy by analyzing CloudWatch metrics (thread utilization, queue size, message age) to identify optimal configuration
- Built auto-scaling solution for queue-based worker service using AWS CDK and TypeScript to dynamically scale worker instances based on thread utilization, reducing worker costs by 40%.
- Created multithreaded Python load testing scripts to simulate high API traffic and validate performance of auto-scaling strategies.
- Developed test workers using Java to test auto-scaling in deployment pipeline for regression testing.
- Researched and implemented optimal scaling strategy by analyzing CloudWatch metrics (thread utilization, queue size, message age) to identify optimal configuration
- Developed 29 test scripts using Python and Selenium for 3 high priority features, reducing manual testing time.
- Designed test cases for an internal feature for our supply chain platform, achieving 100% requirement coverage.
- Developed semantic search for surveys using JavaScript, PHP, and OpenAI to improve search accuracy.
- Implemented a user consent EULA form using JavaScript and PHP, enhancing data security and legal compliance.
- Replaced an outdated text editor dependency with Summernote and JavaScript to reduce security vulnerabilities.
- Updated sidebar tabs and standardized modals using JavaScript and SCSS to create a modernized UI.
- Optimized test script performance using Python and Selenium, improving performance by 80% through the implementation of parallel execution utilizing multithreading in order to improve resource usage.
- Developed a web scraper that converts postal codes to addresses using fuzzy searching and Levenshtein distance in order to streamline postal code validation and improve overall data quality.
- Automated testing process for the validation of probabilistic risk models using Selenium and Java by collecting risk calculation results displayed and comparing them to pre-calculated results on Excel.
- Created automation tests covering 40% of regression test cases using Selenium and Java to validate data import features, visual graph displays, and quality of life features.
- Collaborated with stakeholders to create decimal precision standards of pipeline risk calculations to optimize UI readability and result accuracy.
Some Things I've Built
![Solving a War Strategy Game with AI]()
Featured Project
Solving a War Strategy Game with AI
A reinforcement learning system that masters tactical combat through self-play. Built a grid-based battle engine simulating Conquest of Elysium 5 combat mechanics, then trained a Maskable PPO agent to discover optimal army compositions. Through curriculum learning and thousands of simulated battles, agents learn winning strategies against diverse opponents across varying budgets.
![bobashare]()
Featured Project
bobashare
Developed during BobaTalk's 2024 hackathon, and won third place! BobaShare is an app dedicated to help groups and nonprofits fundraise money for buble tea purchases in order to run events. The site partners with local bubble tea shops and small businesses in order to allow local shops to gain more traction.
![sip & play redesign]()
Featured Project
sip & play redesign
Made as part of Codedex's Summer 2024 Hackathon. Overhauled Sip & Play’s site to enhance its speed, streamline its design, and integrate it with a CMS to allow the owners to easily add new content.
![genshin-deck-builder]()
Featured Project
genshin-deck-builder
A web app that acts as a deck manager for users, allowing them to build new decks, download current decks and share it with others using the [MERN stack] (MongoDB, Express, Node.js, React) with a [React, Bootstrap and Redux frontend] for global state management and responsive UI.
![cq-hero-db]()
Featured Project
cq-hero-db
Created a wiki and tier list website using React, JavaScript, and SCSS for users to easily find ratings and info for specific characters. Utilized Python to scrape tier list data containing over 300 characters from websites and Google Sheets.
![notion-youtube-player]()
Featured Project
notion-youtube-player
Made a set of Python scripts that imitates a music player app utilizing the YouTube Data API and Notion API, using YouTube to play songs and Notion to store song data. Created a simple UI using Keyboard Maestro to map keyboard shortcuts to Bash commands and run relevant Python scripts.
Solving a War Strategy Game with AI
A reinforcement learning system that masters tactical combat through self-play. Built a grid-based battle engine simulating Conquest of Elysium 5 combat mechanics, then trained a Maskable PPO agent to discover optimal army compositions. Through curriculum learning and thousands of simulated battles, agents learn winning strategies against diverse opponents across varying budgets.
bobashare
Developed during BobaTalk's 2024 hackathon, and won third place! BobaShare is an app dedicated to help groups and nonprofits fundraise money for buble tea purchases in order to run events. The site partners with local bubble tea shops and small businesses in order to allow local shops to gain more traction.
sip & play redesign
Made as part of Codedex's Summer 2024 Hackathon. Overhauled Sip & Play’s site to enhance its speed, streamline its design, and integrate it with a CMS to allow the owners to easily add new content.
genshin-deck-builder
A web app that acts as a deck manager for users, allowing them to build new decks, download current decks and share it with others using the [MERN stack] (MongoDB, Express, Node.js, React) with a [React, Bootstrap and Redux frontend] for global state management and responsive UI.
cq-hero-db
Created a wiki and tier list website using React, JavaScript, and SCSS for users to easily find ratings and info for specific characters. Utilized Python to scrape tier list data containing over 300 characters from websites and Google Sheets.
notion-youtube-player
Made a set of Python scripts that imitates a music player app utilizing the YouTube Data API and Notion API, using YouTube to play songs and Notion to store song data. Created a simple UI using Keyboard Maestro to map keyboard shortcuts to Bash commands and run relevant Python scripts.
What’s Next?
Get In Touch
I'm always looking for new opportunities and people to meet, so let's link up! Whether you have a question or just want to say hi, feel free to reach out!
Say Hello