Curriculum vitae

After nearly forty years in and around the computing and engineering industries, I have now retired. I am no longer seeking regular employment, but I remain open to the possibility of interesting, short-term freelance and consulting work.

About me

I'm a broadly-educated software developer, electronic engineer, and teacher, with nearly than forty years' hands-on experience – originally in the medical sector (I'm a patent-holder in medical imaging), but more recently in general IT. I've worked with programming languages as diverse as Ladder Diagram Language (back in the '80s), Fortran, and Prolog; but most of my work has been with C/C++ and Java. I've designed electronic equipment ranging in size from artificial heart pacemakers to industrial switchgear. I've written dozens of scientific papers and a couple of books.

When I'm not working I'm usually managing the family woodland, playing music (I'm a workmanlike classical pianist and singer), or supporting outdoor events for a number of national charities.

Skills

Java, C, and C++ development I've worked extensively with these languages for more than twenty years. My work with open-source software over the last ten years or so has given me particular experience in maintaining software written by other people. For examples of my programming interests, see my GitHub repositories. I primarily work on Linux.
Middleware technology I work every day with middleware application servers, webservers, and development frameworks like Camel and Spring Boot. I'm very familiar with integrating these technologies with messaging and database products
Mathematics and mathematical computing I've done a lot of work on mathematical modeling, particularly in biology and medicine, over the years. I'm currently studying for an MSc in mathematics.
Cloud and virtualisation technology I'm working every day with OpenShift and Docker, particularly as hosts for middleware infrastructure.
Technical writing I've written a great deal over my career, from scientific papers to magazine articles. I take pride in my writing and my communication skills.
Teaching I'm a qualified teacher; I've taught in universities at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, and more recently for commercial training organizations.

Posts held

2014-2024: Principal software maintenance engineer, Red Hat (now a division of IBM)
2011-2014: Principal engineer, Java development support, Oracle Inc
2003-2011: Consultant engineer, Sun Microsystems Ltd
2000-2003: Principal instructor, Sun Microsystems Ltd
1997-2000: Senior lecturer in computer science, Middlesex University
1995-1997: Manager, Electronics and Computing unit, University College London Department of Physiology, and honorary lecturer in medical sciences
1989-1992: Senior systems programmer, Royal Brompton Hospital, London
1987-1988: Graduate trainee electrical engineer, GEC Industrial Projects Ltd

Education

I hold university qualifications in engineering, law, teaching, music, and life sciences.

2018: Certificate in the Practice of Music-Making (distinction), Trinity-Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, London
2017-: MSc mathematics, Open University
2013: CertHE (distinction) in Musical Composition, Birkbeck University, London
2005: LLB (2:1) Laws, University of London
1999: PGCert(HE) in Education, Middlesex University
1995: PhD in Biophysics, University College London
1989: BEng (1st class) in Electrical and Electronic Engineering, University of Surrey

Accreditation and membership

2000: Accredited as a teacher in higher education under the SEDA scheme. Elected member of the Institute of Learning and Teaching (now Advance HE)
1999: Elected corporate member, British Computer Society
1997: Elected corporate member, Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine

Selected Publications

A full list of my academic publications is available on request.

2002: Textbook – ''Applied Enterprise JavaBeans Technology'' Prentice Hall (ISBN: 0130449156) (More details on Amazon)
1997 – Commissioned article: ''Imaging with Electricity – Report of the European Concerted Action on Impedance Tomography'', Journal of Medical Engineering and Technology 21 201-232
1995: PhD Thesis – ''The possible use of applied potential tomography for imaging action potentials in the brain'', University of London