Brendan Kidwell

Belmont, Massachusetts, USA
resume@glump.net

Web Developer and Application Programmer with 8 years of experience developing desktop and web-based applications in areas such as relational database management, GIS, installers, and web-based front-ends for existing systems. Meticulous attention to detail with an eye for usability, always eager to learn, and self-guided.

This resume is out of date as of September 2008 (and has been for over a year really). As I am not looking for employment at the moment, it may be some months before I get around to updating it.

• Developing, testing, and deploying web applications and desktop applications
• Configuring and maintaining web servers
• Developing clean, usable web content
• Debugging web applcations via network traffic inspection
• Designing and programming relational databases
• Managing and customizing Windows desktop environments
• Technical writing

Abt Associates, Inc. – Cambridge, MA
2004 to present

Web Developer, IT Department  Member of the core team for AbtNet, Abt Associates' Intranet site. This team was responsible for building the technology and content to launch AbtNet in 2005.

• Developed many enhancements to the basic Theme (look and feel) provided by the IBM WebSphere backend web site platform, including:
  • expanding/collapsing menus for the left-hand side navigation
  • popup context menus for Sametime links (hyperlinks to Abt employees)
  • popup windows for Printer Friendly View and Link to this Page
• Collaborated on development of portlets (mini web applications) for:
  • searching Autonomy index of Abt files and data
  • searching the Staff Directory
  • viewing resumes, proposals, reports, etc.
• Continuing development of IT-owned AbtNet content
• Advanced development requests related to content owned and developed by Corporate Communications

GeoGraphics Laboratory at Bridgewater State College – Bridgewater, MA
www.e-transit.org – Cutting edge transportation and geographic information systems research lab.
1999 to 2003

GIS Analyst/Programmer  As GIS Analyst and Programmer for a small academic research lab, developed and maintained several applications for the lab's projects, both for the Windows Desktop environment and for use over the Internet. Provided technical advice to the lab's directors about the feasibility of key aspects of new projects. Kept the lab's geographic data up to date, often writing scripts to perform translation from other data formats to our own.

• Developed and supported Microsoft Access transportation client information database
  • Developed relational database to track clients’ case data at several different sites, for Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission.
  • Developed an automated data transfer module to run once per month to export and encrypt all current data and upload it to a central FTP server
  • Created Nullsoft Scriptable Installation System-based installer to install the database on users’ desktops.
  • Provided technical support to users over the phone.
  • Created monthly summary reports of users' uploaded data.
• Built Cape Cod Advanced Travel Planner web application
  • Created interactive web-based map of Cape Cod using Caliper Maptitude for the Web
    • Included bus routes, street address and common destination locator, locations of bus stops.
  • Created real-time bus location data module using Visual Basic
    • Received GPS stream from buses via radio link, then Internet relay to the Lab.
    • Displayed current bus position on map as an icon (color coded to indicate the route).
  • Created real-time Estimated Time of Arrival algorithm using Visual Basic
    • Tracked buses' GPS data as they passed through zones in their routes.
    • Kept table of current predicted arrival times for each zone in both directions.
    • Displayed prediction data on a web page.
    • Presented paper on the algorithm at the National Conference for Undergraduate Research, 2002.

Bridgewater State College – Bridgewater, MA
1998 to 1999

Desktop Support Technician, Technology Help Desk

• Provided internal phone support to college professors, employees, and students.
• Maintained a high “closed on first call” rate while providing excellent application and networking support.

Bridgewater State College – Bridgewater, MA
B.A. in Mathematics, minor in Computer Science, 1998 – 2003

• Developed strong knowledge of software development, algorithms, and data structures.
• Received Paul Tsongas Scholarship, 1998 – 2001.
• Received James Fitzgerald Memorial Award scholarship for outstanding performance in the mathematics department, 2002.
• Member of Pi Mu Epsilon mathematics honor society.
• Dean's List, several terms.

• A Practical Introduction to GNU Privacy Guard in Windows – a talk in my college Cryptography class that grew into a valuable community resource for the GNU Privacy Guard cryptosystem. Originally typeset using LaTeX, and later translated to simpler DokuWiki markup for integration into my web site.
• Microsoft Access Date Picker – a popular free Microsoft Access module for picking a date value from a calendar, using only intrinsic Access controls, making it very easy to integrate into a project.
• Book design and typesetting for Monster Rules by Jamie Taylor (personal friend) using LaTeX.