Curriculum Vitae

My current position is as a research assistant at the University of Leeds, focussing on architectural engineering and Life-cycle modelling for systems of systems to realize Networked Enabled Capability (NEC), funded by the NECTISE project. In addition, I am currently awaiting viva for my PhD thesis from the University of Hull, where I previously received a BSc (hons) 2-1 degree in Internet Computing. Supporting this are a range of skills in systems design and engineering, which in part includes computer programming with emphasis on Object Oriented programming languages for desktop and SOA computing environments. In the area of server side scripting languages for web-based content, I possess a comprehensive working knowledge of PERL, RUBY and PHP.

Research Interests

• Context-Aware Intelligent Agents and Semantic Web Technologies:
  • During the next decade, and beyond, the Semantic Web will begin to exist alongside and hopefully replace the current web as we know it today. The Semantic Web allows machines not only to communicate data, but to understand it. To enable this, intelligent agents will pose a viable solution to performing not only machine processing and understanding, but to help bridge the two Webs together. In addition, Web 2.0 takes a pragmatic bottom-up approach to helping us realize a future that is similar to the Semantic Web using current technology to assist us in describing and visualizing web information. Work from my research in this area has been presented at national and international conferences including WWW2006.
• Trust Systems in the Semantic Web:
  • As we, as humans, become increasingly reliant upon computing and web technologies for tasks in our daily lives, which often require us to divulge sensitive personal or financial information in areas such as e-business, the development of trust systems offer us hope in an increasingly deceptive and monetary orientated web.
• Asynchronicity in Systems of Systems and SOAs:
  • We are moving from a world of stovepiped products and companies, into a world where services take priority, particularly in the case of networked services. With this paradigm shift, architectural patterns for a distributed architecture need to be managed with clearly defined interfaces. The area of my interest is that of managing development and procurement life-cycles in an environment which is by nature asynchronous.

Engineering Skills

• System of system engineering, with particular emphasis on Service Oriented Architectures (SOAs).
• Life-cycle modelling and management for software and networked systems.
• System integration in SOAs, with focus on integration processes and life-cycles for legacy systems.
• Modelling systems through life, including software systems.
• Agile and incremental software development methodologies that adapt to changing and incomplete stakeholder requirements and priorities.
• System modelling with UML, and limited experience with SysML and architecture frameworks (MODAF, Zachman).
• Project design with usability theory and practical issues.
• Practical experience developing scalable, reliable software systems as a major part of my PhD experimental work.

Technical Skills

• Eight years of Java programming language experience, including terminal, GUI, Object-Oriented, RDF/XML processing and network programming with Java.
• RSS web feed news syndication practical (and research) experience, including the development of Java-based podcast software.
• C and Objective C programming language with Open Source tools.
• Mobile agent-based systems using the LEAP compatible JADE framework for the Java platform.
• SQL databases including PostGreSQL and Access.
• Website implementation management including managing the Apache web server under the GNU/Linux environment.
• Ten years of hand coded HTML skills in addition to Dreamweaver, web interface design and disability accessibility skills.
• Famiarity and extensive experience with W3C XHTML/CSS standards.
• JavaScript and AJAX for client side scripting in addition to Web 2.0 technologies.
• PHP scripting for dynamic web page generation and database querying.
• PERL and RUBY scripting for use with web server CGI.
• Experience with graphics software such as Photoshop, GIMP and Inkscape in addition to W3C SVG.

Writing Skills

• Practical experience in writing, preparing and publishing academic research papers to conferences and journals.
• Working knowledge and experience with technical report writing, internally and externally to organizational boundaries.
• Mapping of business requirements to research questions and validation through focussed stakeholder engagements.
• Experience with minutes recording.

Group Skills

• As part of my work within NECTISE, I have gained much experience working and collaborating within a multi-disciplinary distributed team. During this phase, I have employed a number of collaboration environments, including group wikis, video conferencing software and being prepared to physically to travel to national group meetings and conferences.
• Have comprehensive working experience in organizing and conducting focus groups with BAE industrial partners and meeting stakeholders.
• As part of my degree's coursework I have worked with and lead groups to achieve goals.
• Have lead a group expedition as part of my Duke of Edinburgh's Award.

Operating Systems Administration and Package Familiarity

• Windows NT (NT4, 2000, XP, Vista) and 9x families.
• GNU/Linux family of Operating Systems with emphasis on system administration from both console and GUI perspectives.
• Mac OS 9.0, 10.2 - 10.4
• Legacy and hobbyist systems including AmigaOS, AROS and Atari TOS/GEM.
• Word processing with Microsoft Word and Apple Pages.
• Presentation with Microsoft PowerPoint and Apple Keynote.
• Spreadsheets with Microsoft Excel and Gnumeric.
• Administering and upgrading blogging software, such as Wordpress and TypePad.
• IBM Eclipse and ArgoUML for software system engineering and development.

Personal Interests

• I have completed my Duke of Edinburgh's Bronze award and have been working toward my Silver and Gold awards.
• I practice and posess a yellow belt in Aikido.
• Sports, including squash and weekly gym fitness sessions before taking up aikido.
• Electric and acoustic guitar playing and music theory learning. In addition to guitar work, I have has some limited experience with audio mixing and mastering, through Audacity and Apple GarageBand.
• Amateur Fantasy and Science Fiction writing.
• I also have an interest in games and graphics demo writing using open source tools.

Professional Work

• 2006 onwards - Research Assistant for University of Leeds, working on life-cycle modelling for systems of systems engineering for networked enabled capability. The project is jointly funded by BAE Systems and EPSRC.
• 2003-2006 - Lab demonstrator for the University of Hull, Scarborough Campus, under the Centre for Internet Computing. In this period I have covered modules involving web design and usability, along with MSc Java for Internet Programming.
• 2003-2004 - Tutoring for A-Level C.I.T. at Scarborough College.

Voluntary Work

• From 2004 onwards I have been an active member of the Scarborough Linux User Group
• During 2003/2004 I was an organizing committee member of the BCS Humberside branch.
• I have spent two years between 1998-2000 teaching internet and general computing skills at a local primary school in Barnsley.

Other Formal Education

• BSc (Hons) (2-1) in Internet Computing from the University of Hull.
• 60 credit PhD training scheme completed from University of Hull.
• 9 GCSEs in Maths(A), Physics(B), Chemistry(A), Biology(A), English Language(B), English Literature(A), Systems Design & Technology(A*), Geography(B), German(C).
• 3 A-LEVELS in Maths(D), Physics(D) and Chemistry(N)
• Cambridge RSA Level 1 certificate in Information Technology

Additional Information

• I currently hold professional membership (MBCS) status within the British Computer Society (BCS)
• I have a full clean driving license, which I have held for nine years.