Jeffrey B. Appiagyei

PhD Candidate, Data Science & Informatics | PMP | M.Sc.

University of Missouri · Columbia, MO

About Me

I am a PhD candidate in Data Science and Informatics at the University of Missouri, expected graduation May 2027. I design, train, and evaluate machine learning systems with attention to reliability, calibration, and deployment.

My research spans natural language processing, multimodal learning (text + images), time series and anomaly detection, and decision-oriented metrics. I bring hands-on geospatial analytics and health informatics experience applied to telehealth, epidemiology, and environmental monitoring.

I hold a Project Management Professional (PMP) certification and bring an interdisciplinary foundation across economics, engineering, and healthcare. I am skilled in bridging technical and business domains to deliver actionable, data-driven solutions.

Core Specializations

  • Machine Learning: supervised/unsupervised, representation learning, time series, anomaly detection, calibration
  • NLP: transformers, tokenization, weak supervision, LLM evaluation
  • Reinforcement Learning: human-in-the-loop rubric optimization, reward shaping
  • Geospatial Analytics: QGIS, ArcGIS Pro, GeoPandas, Rasterio, land cover classification
  • Health Informatics: telehealth analytics, EMR integration, clinical NLP

Tools & Frameworks

  • Python, PyTorch, TensorFlow, JAX, scikit-learn, XGBoost, LightGBM
  • Hugging Face Transformers, ONNX, TorchScript
  • SQL, Spark, pandas, NumPy, REST APIs
  • Docker, CI/CD, experiment tracking
  • Tableau, Power BI, AWS, Azure

Languages

English · French · Akan

Education

2024 – 2027

PhD, Data Science & Informatics

University of Missouri · Geospatial & Health Certification · GPA 3.67

2022 – 2023

MSc, Agricultural and Applied Economics

University of Missouri · Managerial, Behavioral and Organizational Economics · GPA 3.45

2013 – 2017

BSc, Agricultural Engineering, Minor in Computer Science

Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) · GPA 3.5

Experience

Oct 2025 – Present

MOVE Fellow

Handshake AI · Remote

  • Designed reinforcement learning, human-in-the-loop evaluations for multi-step reasoning in AI models
  • Authored action verb criteria with explicit weights and exemplar answers; failure taxonomies and ambiguity audits
  • Higher evaluation quality at lower review time; clearer signals for model and data changes
Aug 2024 – Present

Graduate Research Assistant

University of Missouri

  • Teledermatology multimodal triage with text + image fusion in PyTorch; IEEE EMBS BHI 2025 poster
  • Community mental health NLP pipeline with transformer + rules, drift checks, REST batch scorer
  • Backorder risk and forecasting with LightGBM/XGBoost; event stream analytics
  • MedGemma analysis; TorchScript export, quantization, pruning trials
Jan 2024 – Feb 2025

Project Manager & Data Scientist

SAYeTECH

  • Device telemetry schema for uptime, gaps, faults; weekly health dashboards
  • Reduced false alerts through threshold tuning and operator feedback
Aug 2023 – Jun 2024

IT Trainer Coordinator & Tableau Creator

Envision LLC, Missouri Dept. of Mental Health

  • Automated ingestion for 750k+ records/month; processing cut from 2 weeks to 10 minutes
  • Executive dashboards, APIs; reproducible runbooks, schema checks
2018 – 2022

Founder & Analyst

SAYeTECH · Kumasi, Ghana

  • Deployed 200+ crop processing machines serving 14,000+ farmers
  • Telemetry and field data pipelines; Power BI dashboards; $1M+ revenue, team of 17
2019 – 2022

Consulting Trainer

USAID Soybean Innovation Lab

  • Co-designed 30+ locally adapted machines; trained artisans across 10 African countries
  • 3D models, 2D drafts; KPI tracking for adoption and economic impact

Featured Projects

Wildfire-Predictor (Prairie Burn Detection)

ML-based wildfire detection and prevention using stacked multitemporal Landsat TM data. Predicts and analyzes prairie burn events for environmental sustainability and community safety.

MLLandsatGeospatial
GitHub →

Geospatial Data Engineering

Geospatial engineering projects: KML processing, spatial coding, and GIS workflows using Jupyter notebooks.

GeoPandasGISPython
GitHub →

Boston Housing Multivariate Analysis

R project analyzing Boston housing data with multivariate statistical techniques—relationships between house prices (MEDV) and features like crime rate, rooms, tax rate.

RStatisticsRegression
GitHub →

first_python_stats

Python machine learning and statistical models—fundamentals through applied ML workflows.

GitHub →

Stats_R

R statistics from 101 to advanced: exploratory data analysis, PCA, regression modeling, reproducible workflows.

GitHub →

Web Scraping & NLP

NLP assignment combining web scraping with natural language processing pipelines.

GitHub →

Crypto Risk Explorer

Volatility and liquidity features from on-chain and exchange feeds; early warning dashboards for risk teams.

Health Outcome Forecasting

Predictive models for cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, and poverty across Missouri counties.

GitHub →

Fraud Detection Pipeline

ML pipeline integrating feature engineering, anomaly detection, and ensemble models to flag high-risk transactions with improved precision/recall.

ANN Retrieval

User and content embeddings with cosine and dot-product similarity; hard negative mining and error slicing to improve ranking.

EmbeddingsRanking

Support Assistant NLP

Intent and entity extraction with calibrated thresholds and human-readable error reports; small batch scorer.

NLPIntent

BLS Labor Market Analysis

R analysis of BLS OEWS data: wage-employment patterns via EDA, PCA, and regression modeling (R² = 0.91). Actionable labor market insights.

RRegressionEDA

Concrete Strength Prediction

Linear and multiple regression in R to predict concrete compressive strength; 59.7% variance explained with reproducible preprocessing and visualization.

RRegressionStatistics

Geospatial AI for Infrastructure Resilience

IBM Hackathon – reinforcement learning for disaster-resilient city planning (St. Louis).

Payments Anomaly Detection Sandbox

Precision and recall tuned to investigation capacity; sampling and alert thresholds co-designed with reviewers; drift monitors.

Anomaly DetectionML

EHR Interoperability Platform

LLM-driven tool to ensure FHIR compliance for hospital and patient data (private repo).

LLMHealthFHIR

Cocoa Price Predictor

Geospatial data & ML to forecast cocoa production trends in Ghana & Ivory Coast.

Farmland Change Detection (Boone County, MO)

ML model investigating farmland changes 2013–2023.

GitHub →

Publications & Presentations

Posters & Conference Presentations

  • IEEE-EMBS BHI 2025. Automated diagnostic analysis of low-concordance teledermatology cases using a multimodal AI model. Appiagyei, J. B., Otu, R., Henry, M., & Becevic, M. (Georgia Tech, Atlanta).
  • HSRD 2025. Automated diagnostic analysis of low-concordance teledermatology cases using a multimodal AI model. (Accepted)
  • AIAEE 2024. An analysis of factors influencing agribusiness success and failure in Accra and Kumasi Metropoles, Ghana.

Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles

  • Adubofour, I., Tabiri, S., Quayson, B. P. Q., Appiagyei, J., & Boateng, I. D. (2024). Sustainable innovation and industrial performance: The case of the United States. Sustainability.
  • Boasiako, T. A., et al., Appiagyei, J. (2024). Innovative bi-cultured lactic-acetic acid co-fermentation improves jujube puree's functionality. Fermentation.
  • Boasiako, T. A., Boateng, I. D., et al., Appiagyei, J. (2024). Harnessing non-thermal pre-processing technologies to enhance mulberry vinegar production. Sustainability.

Full Papers (Submitted / In Preparation)

  • Appiagyei, J. B., Otu, R. O., Henry, M., Casterline, B. W., & Becevic, M. (2026). Multimodal AI decision support for teledermatology in the Dermatology ECHO model. Submitted to IEEE/ACM CHASE 2026.
  • Appiagyei, J. B., James, H. S., Mukembo, S. C., & Clark, K. (2026). Determinants of agripreneurship venture performance in Ghana's metropolises. Advancements in Agricultural Development (submitted).
  • Appiagyei, J. B. (2025). Transformer-based NLP for classifying officer-reported needs in ICTS. In preparation.

Thesis

  • Appiagyei, J. B. (2023). Factors affecting the success and failure of agribusinesses in the Accra and Kumasi Metropoles in Ghana. Master's thesis, University of Missouri. ProQuest

Technical Manuals & Extension

  • Clark, K. M., Appiagyei, J., et al. (2021). Guide to fabricating the multi-crop thresher. tropicalsoybean.com/extension
  • Clark, K. M., Appiagyei, J., et al. (2021). SIL multi-crop thresher operation and maintenance manual.

Awards & Honors

2024

Engineering Concepts & Innovations Award

Practitioners / Projects category · Ghana Institute of Engineers

2023

Africa Youth SDGs Innovation Award

United Nations Economic Commission for Africa

2023

Proven Business Excellence Company

BIZZ Excellence Awards

2023

PAMOJA Award

Bountifield International

2022

Engineering Concepts & Innovations Award

Ghana Institute of Engineers

2022

Global Informing Science Education Start-up Pitch

Association of Ghanaian Industries, Mastercard Foundation, McGill University

2021

Generation Africa Pitch AgriHack

Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa

2021

Opex Prize (Co-winner)

Dalex Finance & CSIR-INSTI

2020

Israel Green Innovation Award

2019

ASME ISHOW Kenya Global Grand Prize

American Society of Mechanical Engineers

2018

Honorary Finalist, Autodesk Design Next Africa

2018

Green Entrepreneurship Award

GIZ & KNUST

2018

2nd Runner Up, WaziHub IoT Award

European Union & Wazihub

2016/17

Most Innovative Student of the Year

National Union of Ghana Students

2016

2nd Prize, Soybean Thresher Design Contest

USAID Soybean Innovation Lab

2016

1st Prize, Engineering Student Design Competition

Technology Consultant Center, KNUST

Certifications

  • Project Management Professional (PMP) · PMI · ID 3884220 · Jul 2024 – Jul 2027
  • Google Cybersecurity Professional Certificate · Coursera · Jan 2025
  • AWS Educate Machine Learning Foundations · Aug 2025
  • CITI Program: Physical Science Responsible Conduct of Research · May 2022
  • CITI Program: Social and Behavioral Research · Mar 2022

Contact

Jeffrey B. Appiagyei

Columbia, MO 65201

+1 (573) 220-7422

jbazr6@umsystem.edu

LinkedIn · GitHub