Education
My initial degree was a BA in English literature, a choice I've never regretted, despite its limited 'marketability.' The skills I acquired studying English (particularly critical thinking, rhetoric, communication and editing) have been an asset in every position I've held and are often cited as favorable differentiators in the science-dominated world of IT. My realization that I had a passion for technology came later in life, prompting me to return to school for an education in computing. Since then I have completed a BS and MS in Computer Science and am now (Spring, 2009) contemplating the pursuit of a Ph.D. Interestingly, the marketability question surfaced again concerning the choice of a CSci Masters over an MBA or MIS degree. While I'd like to strike it rich as much as the next guy I am more motivated by the pursuit of knowledge itself and the empirical achievement it represents.
Publications
This is an area I am looking forward to devoting more time to in the future. In 2006 I proposed a new benchmarking scheme for data warehousing which, time permitting, I may eventually rework and submit for refereed publication. My article on Radio Frequency Identification was published in the Encyclopedia of GIS, a 1200+ page volume released by Springer in December, 2007. In 2008 I followed up my earlier research with a paper examining RFID convergence with other networking technologies. Finally, this recent proposal for a youth-oriented public participation GIS project further reflects my interest in blending GIS and RFID with other technologies, in this case the One Laptop Per Child project.
Industry Credentials
In 2003 I became a Sun certified Java programmer (SCJP) and am currently preparing for the Sun certified web component developer (SCWCD) exam. There are several other industry accreditations I am interested in (e.g. CBIP certification) and hope to pursue these in the coming years.
