To bridge the gap between the aesthetic and the technical by creating high-level tools allowing for the ideal blend of algorithmic flexibility and human-generated beauty. To develop procedural approaches to creating rich large scale interactive environments.

MFA, concentration ACE (Arts, Computation, Engineering) University of California, Irvine 2005

BFA (electronic and time-based media) Carnegie Mellon 2001

I'm currently working as a web developer for Linden Lab, the makers of Second Life.
I'm a member of the creative services team, where I spend most of my time working on web applications for internal use.

Maya/MEL Instructor

• Taught introductory and advanced classes in 3d animation and scripting in Maya, game scripting with Python and UnrealScript, and game programing with C++ at both the undergraduate and master's level, flying from southern California to San Francisco once a week during grad school
• Developed curriculum for new classes (game scripting with Python, game programming with C++)
• Served as advisor for masters students
• Ran study halls and provided one-on-one tutoring
• Created online classes (both written materials and video demos) for Maya 1, Maya 2, and MEL scripting
• Taught online classes – introductory and advanced Maya, MEL scripting
• Served as one of two faculty adivisors for the Game Development club, providing advice and mentorship for a student-led game project

Thousands of hours of helping students to understand what 3d media is, how it works, and how to produce it for both real-time and pre-rendered applications.

The Glyph project, led by Celia Pearce, is a platform for the creation of 3d interactive environments via natural prose, intended both to reduce the barrier to entry for creating 3d content for students, as well as to teach good writing practices. I served as a consultant, providing guidance in the design and programming of the project to undergraduate student researchers based at UC Irvine.

Created a wide range of digital materials for the OmniCircus robotic/synthetic performance group, including pre-rendered and interactive 3d animation and various promotional materials. Created custom “virtual puppet” (VRpit) demos using OpenGL. I also performed in regular Saturday shows, running lights and digital effects, and playing electronic saxophone.

Taught classes in digital media production, including the development of web-based games, using Photoshop, Illustrator, and Flash. Responsible for curriculum development and grading as well as in class lectures and labs.

Co-Taught a class in interactive media production using Macromedia Director, along with Frank Garvey. I was responsible for the more technical material, including using Lingo to add custom behaviors to content.

Created a range of biomedical animations using Maya for use in an planetarium-based project to teach junior and senior high school students about tissue engineering. Developed MEL-based tools both for importing scientific data as well as previewing animations. Also coordinated the efforts of undergraduate animators

Provided mentorship and tutoring to high-school students in digital imaging and web design using Photoshop and Flash, as well as basic HTML

Guided students in the learning of 3d content creation tools (3d Studio, Deep Paint) for use in real-time virtual reality applications. Also helped to build custom input devices.

Created objects, environments, and animations both pre-rendered and real-time (using ActiveWorlds), for use in an 3d Internet application for the elderly

I gave a short presentations on creating games with Python/pygame on an ongoing basis as part of the guerrilla studio event at SIGGRAPH 2005.

Presented an overview of game engine technologies applicable to developing games based on Earth visualization technology as part of a design session sponsored by the Buckmister Fuller Institute

Presented the IVM file format and approach as part of the fall 2004 Seminar on Computer Graphics and Visualization at UC Irvine

Presented the Infinicity project (real-time simulation of an infinite urban expanse) as part of a art/technology gallery exhibition

Shows at the OmniCircus theater featuring digital content created by myself and based on the paintings of Frank Garvey. In addition to creating and operating digital content, I also performed (dance and electronic saxophone)

Played electronic saxophone and sang in productions of the music of Declan Burke in both San Francisco and New York venues. I also developed a custom OpenGL slideshow program to provide backdrop imagery for the shows.

Won an international award for The Mound, an animation based on the works of Frank Garvey and created along with Mike Rankin and Jeremy Bietler. I was responsible for all of the character modeling.

3d modeling, texturing, and animation
(Maya, 3d Studio, Truespace, Photoshop, Deep Paint)
Programming
(C++, OpenGL, )
MEL scripting
Python/ pygame scripting
Web design
(Flash, Director, PHP/MySQL, Javascript)
Digital media instruction
Technical writing
Welding, metal fabrication

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