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Interview

• Please describe the most interesting project you have worked on.

The most interesting project I have worked on is almost certainly the study management and data collection application I have built for the BRTC lab at the UW. It started as a simple proof-of-concept application that I suggested as a student employee. After wrestling with the back-entry and data cleaning systems and debugging the multiple extant desktop applications and spreadsheets, I proposed a web-based solution that would, at that time, encompass primary data entry. The wheels moved slowly, consultants were brought in, and eventually a set of design documents was created for a much larger project. I developed the different components - starting with simple forms and a data store and eventually incorporating participant management, multiple studies, form logic, a drug and urinalysis portion, and most recently adaptations to function for a new study at another research lab. The most interesting aspect of this project was the continually changing design requirements as the study progressed and the resulting need for flexibility in the underlying design. Furthermore, as the project progressed I learned new techniques and skills and was able to immediately apply them to the project as it developed.

• Please describe the least interesting project you have worked on.
• Describe a situation where you were faced with adversity while working on a project. How did you approach addressing this adversity? Was the project ultimately successful?

A very notable point of adversity occurred early in my major project at the BRTC. Shortly after the project began it became clear that the consultants were not going to be able to deliver code as promised, and we terminated their agreement early, leaving myself and the other in-house programmer with the reins of the entire project.

• How would past working colleagues describe you and your work?

I am known for being a hard worker that strives to find the correct long-term solution for difficult problems, often seeking out novel or creative solutions. Additionally, I communicate well, both easily articulating and rapidly assimilating new concepts and ideas. My work tends to be technically respected - I am quick to adopt and develop consistent best-practices, make reasonable design decisions, and document the 'clever bits'.

• What do you find most exciting about this particular opportunity?

From what Lizza described to me, it sounds like it would be an opportunity to work on a project similar to what I have been doing in the past but with additional resources, and a chance to develop a project that I think really meets a direct need. Furthermore, in my previous interactions with DatStat I've been impressed with the quality of work in previous projects and I am excited to work with a new group of highly-skilled peers.

• How would you describe your ideal working environment (both physical and cultural)?

Physically my ideal work environment is anywhere with a chair and a couple of monitors, with the occasional field trip with a laptop to a cafe or other change of venue. Culturally, I enjoy working with a group of intelligent peers who value asking the right questions, taking risks, and encouraging excellent work. I prefer the energetic, passionate culture of a startup or small business to the bureaucracy of a large corporation, but also value a life based on only very occasional pizza- and caffeine-fueled all-nighters. I admire meritocracy and ethical business practices, and I roll my eyes at marketing mumbo-jumbo.

• What are your long term career goals?

My long-term career goal is to find a position that lets me fuse my passion for science with my technical abilities. I hope to constantly be learning and developing my skills while working in an environment that has varied challenges and opportunities. I also want to maintain a work-life balance that will allow me to deliver my best work in the moment without compromising my long-term quality of life.