Computer Science

Related Works and Experience:



Background:

Although I have a vast array of interests that are frequently changing, computers have had a significant impact on my life over the years while remaining a continuing area of fascination. From early childhood I was a very adventurous and leadership driven individual, tackling projects and learning skills that many would "leave to the professionals". Not only does this describe my personal life where I have renovated homes, restored antique motorcycles, and fed my fascination with early 20th century history, but it perfectly describes my academic and professional livelihood.

As a child, I was blessed with the opportunity of having a computer in our household from my infancy. I first used one of these devices as a toddler, playing educational games and creating what only a parent would consider "art" in an early iteration of MS Paint. Little did I know, my life would later revolve around these power hungry boxes of metal and silicone. At around 9 years old, I disassembled and fixed my first electronic device and was captivated by the maze of intricate components. Within the year, I gathered a small library of introductory computer software and hardware books in addition to pulling an obsolete Gateway 2000 machine out of storage to experiment on. By the age of 12, I had already set up a home network with printer and file sharing using an old Dell OptiPlex that was set for disposal by a local corporation. This same year, I used my textbook and hands on knowledge to design and build my very first custom computer. I would consider this the point in my life where I truly became engrossed in this hobby. Once entering into Junior High, I joined the technology department to assist with network maintenance and computer repair. I working here straight through to graduation, picking up many valuable skills along the way.

As a high-school graduation requirement, all seniors needed to complete a final project. I teamed up with my friend, Devin Boyer, to develop a body mass calculating program called the "Body Composition Calculator" to replace the failing legacy system the school was still using in their PE classes. This software is still being used in 2014 as a supplement to the health curriculum. During the final years I attended high-school, I took AP Computer Science as my first introduction to a formal education in the topic. I decided that software was not enough to curb my curiosity. To expand my knowledge, I pulled nearly a mile of brand new CAT5e through the walls of my parents house providing 10/100 Ethernet in every living space along with the access points placed throughout the property for good wireless coverage. With this setup I was able to allow VoIP and video distribution throughout the house.

As a bachelors student at Allegheny College, I worked as an intern for two years at ABB Power T&D, and one year at the Carnegie Mellon Software Engineering Institute. This opened new worlds, giving me the opportunity to manage and lead a full renovation of a server room, design and install a new guest network, time clocks and many other large projects. In addition I used my programming and network knowledge to analyze network trends in Splunk, write robust scripts in PowerShell, and create complex document templates using LaTeX. While at Allegheny, I also took the initiative to push beyond the scope of a typical senior thesis project and developed a storage efficient image sharing site built using several variants of existing image comparison technologies. In order to control as many variables as possible, I decided it would be best to perform tests locally on my own server, which I completed building the month before as a necessary home network upgrade. This website you are viewing right now is actually being hosted on said hardware! Please see the links at the top of the page to learn about these projects and more!

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