Resumé of Bret D. Whissel

I wish to work in a research environment, specializing in computer programming and computer resource administration. Though I have extensive skills and experience as a system administrator, I am most engaged and productive when I am solving problems by writing and improving software.

Bachelor of Arts: Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida. Major in Computer Science, minors in Music and Mathematics. Distinctions include the Dean's List, enrollment in the Honors program, and a Certificate of Computers in Music.

Note: The FSU Computer Science Department now offers a Bachelor of Arts degree with a reduced math emphasis. In contrast, my B.A. is the equivalent of the Bachelor of Science with additional courses in humanities and languages.

Completed coursework toward a Master's Degree in Computer Science with interests in Real Time Systems, Neural Networks, Artificial Intelligence, and Speech Recognition.

In short, when it comes to computer-based issues, I am a problem-solver. I am adaptable, I love to learn, and I am tenacious, all of which make me well-suited to becoming quickly proficient in technically challenging and changing environments. I am most productive when faced with a new challenge, especially if the solution requires programming of some sort. I am a self-acknowledged computer geek/nerd/dweeb, but I hide it well by possessing a decent sense of humor and diverse interests in addition to being intelligent and personable.

Information and Technology Services, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida
Position: Technology Specialist, Unix Team
(November 2015 -- Present)

• Install, configure, upgrade, and monitor FSU infrastructure Unix/Linux servers
• Develop scripts to assist with monitoring and daily tasks
• Assist with optimizing server loads and debugging operations
• Provide support to other ITS teams as needed
• Campus-wide author/maintainer of LaTeX macros for FSU thesis/dissertation production

Department of Computer Science, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida
Position: Manager of System Administration
(April 2013 -- July 2015)

• Supervise up to 15 students and full-time staff
• Advise and oversee purchases of technology products
• Establish policy and procedures pertaining to IT operations in cooperation with faculty
• Maintain firewall, routing, and switching infrastructure (Cisco) with multiple VLANs
• Manage mail server and spam filter, installed new mail server
• Wrote parser and Java modules to optimize student shift scheduling
• Wrote user database/application for managing card swipe locks
• Wrote application to screen-scrape student registration data to create student login accounts
• Re-wrote application for student login accounts to use new student registration information
• Wrote application to print mazes for student projects
• Led department's website re-design project (in progress)
• Manage servers providing student programming resources and departmental infrastructure
• Installed new server OSes, configured and integrated with department-wide authentication
• NFS client/server debugging and performance tuning
• Wrote scripts for user account creation, management, and upgrades
• Manage property inventory
• Upgraded student computer lab
• Active Directory management
• Secure Certificate management
• Wireless LAN management

Department of Meteorology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida
Position: System Administrator
(June 2001 -- April 2013)

• Designed cloning system for rapid simultaneous workstation updates over network
• Deployed department-wide LDAP authentication mechanism
• Campus-wide author/maintainer of LaTeX macros for FSU thesis/dissertation production
• Project manager for computer classroom installations
• Coordinate the support and networking of over 400 machines
• Respond to the computing needs of 250 faculty, staff, and students
• Plan and deploy hardware and software upgrades and replacements
• Monitor network and machine security
• Configured e-mail server, providing secure IMAP, SMTP, and web access
• Designed and implemented two departmental websites
• Managed software licensing and compliance
• Maintained real-time meteorological data ingest and distribution
• Taught FORTRAN and computer use to Meteorology undergraduate students
• Wrote software for managing a local weather-forecasting contest
• Designed hash-table file format for simultaneous read/write access via NFS

Mesoscale Meteorology Group, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida
Position: Assistant in Research
(June 1989 -- May 2001)

• Programming:
• Created a language to generate flowcharts
• Algorithms to discern meteorological features for NEXRAD radars
• Programs for gridding NEXRAD radar data
• X window environment for the development of hurricane-related algorithms
• Database and statistics-gathering routines
• An algorithm to convert fax images to efficient PostScript (now part of libtiff/fax2ps)
• Programs producing population density maps from census data, with tornado correlation
• A "pretty" printer/reformatter/indexer for FORTRAN language programs
• MIME-enhanced GUI e-mail reader
• Writing, Presentations, and Demonstrations:
• Technical reports describing newly-developed radar algorithms
• An article for the pre-prints of an international meteorological radar conference (co-author)
• Software demonstrations for National Hurricane Center and NEXRAD Technical Advisory Committee

Up With People, Tucson, Arizona
Position: Production Assistant -- Music
(July 1988 -- April 1989)

• Planned and executed rehearsals for band, soloists, and chorus of 120 college-aged students
• Critiqued and refined over 70 performances of a 2-hour musical revue in six countries
• Maintained synthesizer equipment and sequencer programming
• Taught seminars in vocal techniques and synthesizer technology

Center for Music Research, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida
Position: Computer Software Specialist
(February 1982 -- July 1988, excluding IBM terms below)

• Programming:
• Graphic system for motion analysis
• Keyed data storage/retrieval system using B*-trees
• Music synthesis and a music language compiler
• Calendar management and programming aids
• Character set design and printing utilities
• Neural network simulation
• Inter-user communication facility (similar to news groups)
• Teaching:
• Survey of Computers in Music: an introduction to programming in C
• Advanced C Programming for Musicians: algorithms
• Writing:
• User's manuals for programming utilities
• An article on terminal emulation for the C Users' Group (now C/C++ Journal)

IBM, Boca Raton, Florida
Position: Computer Programmer (temporary)
(January 1984 -- June 1984 and January 1985 -- May 1985)

• Programming:
• Time management/leave time scheduler
• Systems Network Architecture (SNA) implementation for Series/1 under EDL
• Test programs for a new operating system
• Other:
  • Published an article on melody programming in assembly language for the IBM PC
  • Presentation on the time management software for department managers
  • Telephone support technician for PC customers

Community Involvement: Composer/accompanist for a community children's chorus; accompanist for high school musical productions; music director/actor/accompanist in community theater musical productions; substitute organist/pianist/choir director for area churches; member of Tallahassee Community Chorus; former accompanist for Tallahassee Civic Chorale; former volunteer at Leon County's Adult Education Center.

Faith Presbyterian Church: Deacon; Member of Chancel Choir, Handbell Choir, and Adult Ensemble; substitute organist and choir director. Group-study leader. Accompanist for youth and children's choirs, children's choir director, and chaperone for several youth activities. Participant in inner-city mission trips to Washington, D.C. and Atlanta. Adult Sunday School co-leader. Served on Congregational Care committee, Commitment committee, Community Outreach committee, Habitat House committee, Music committee, and Organist Search committee.

Other:

• Florida State University Chamber Choir
• Montreat Worship & Music Conference Faculty 2005, 2006
• Montreat Worship & Music Conference Planning Committee 2016
• Upsilon Pi Epsilon -- Computer Science Honor Society
• Up With People International Alumni Association, Board of Governors
• Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF)
• American Guild of Organists (inactive)
• Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) (inactive)
• Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) (inactive)

• FSU 20-Year Service Commendation (2010)
• Everyday Hero Award, Up With People International Alumni Association (2003)
• Guardian Ad Litem Exemplary Service Award (1993)