David S. Owen, Software Engineer

• Brought runtime of a schedule planner from astronomical to less than 60 seconds, by using A* search with a limiting beam width, and stopping if finding a terminal state within 10% of the heuristic's current best guess. Also optimized the Python version to achieve another 10x speed-up.
• Cut time to run a database report from over 20 minutes to under 30 seconds, simplifying the code and removing over 200 lines in the process.
• Cut session storage of a high-traffic webapp by 90% by optimizing session-creation and use of test-cookies.
• Estimated one year of a particular team's work to within 5% of subsequent actual performance, using an estimation model and schedule planner I developed.
• Took over an existing MRI registration system; found and corrected defects that caused rotational parameters to result in skew; implemented MIP-mapping and other optimizations that cut runtime by 50%.
• Repeatedly identified and corrected deadlock and race conditions in a payment processor, before they became problems in production.
• Developed an SQL-migrations system to version-control, coordinate, and automate schema upgrades across multiple developers and systems.
• Ported an existing image-registration and analysis system from C to Java, developed a dynamic web front-end, and added a new optimization algorithm for more reliable convergence.
• Added multi-server, multi-head rendering to the iRun system, selecting a much simpler TCP & threads approach over the anticipated MPI approach; results were included in a published paper.
• Identified and eliminated several difficult-to-find bugs by adding integrity constraints to the database, sometimes adjusting the schema to make the aspect constrainable.
• Solid history of picking up struggling projects and optimizing staffing levels, coordinating teams, and doing the work to bring them to successful completion, including the first time a major project was delivered largely on time and on spec (as spoken by a VP) in a company of several hundred developers, my management being specifically cited as a key reason. Interacted with developers, managers, and VPs including Finance and Legal.
• Ported several existing systems from Windows to Linux, and used free tools (such as valgrind) to find previously unlocated and unknown bugs.
• Culture:
  • Introduced the practice of one-on-one interviews, increasing employee satisfaction in the process. I started by conducting them with whomever reported to me. I then explained them and their benefits to my boss (the CEO), and asked that he start doing them with me. One-on-ones now happen regularly throughout the company.
  • Introduced code-reviews. Several developers were vociferously opposed. I directly addressed their concerns, and lead out by asking others for reviews of my own code. The practice became not only established, but well-entrenched.
  • Started and ran weekly training programs for devops staff and general development staff. Maintained schedule of topics according to training needs, project priorities, and staff interests.
  • Trained others how to identify good candidates for conversion from ORM to SQL. One developer ended up converting a migration that would have required 20 hours to run in production, but the SQL version ran in only 20 seconds.
• Implemented automatic local & remote backups of key data resources.
• Created and administered several LXC & Linux-VServer containers (similar to OpenVZ).
• Administer several Linux systems, including the following services:
  • Application (Python, PHP, & Lisp app-servers; previously Apache Tomcat for Java)
  • Web (lighttpd: FastCGI, CGI, & static files; previously Apache)
  • Database (PostgreSQL, previously MySQL)
  • E-mail (exim, Mailman; previously qmail)
  • DNS (djbdns, incl. tinydns & dnscache)
  • File & printer (NFS/NIS, Samba, CUPS)

Python: Major work on several complex Django-based webapps; a team & project scheduler using an A* search algorithm; and, involvement and presentations for Utah Python User Group.

SQL: Including database functions and triggers in PL/pgSQL.

R: Modeling and prediction. Basic competence of the language itself.

ANSI Common Lisp: Text-processing and generation; database conversions; business, scientific, and web applications.

Java: Web development; wrote a framework while at Arkona that sped development significantly. Developed for embedded Javelin Stamp systems with limited memory and no GC, for robotic control. Also taught Java at Westminster College as a Tutor and Supplemental Instructor.

C/C++: System-level interaction, foreign-function interfaces (for Java and Lisp), AI data structures and search, numerical methods and scientific visualization.

JavaScript, TypeScript: Significant use for interactive sites. Experience with Vue, React, and jQuery.

x86 assembly: 16-bit, 32-bit real, and 32-protected modes. Hardware interfacing including IRQ handling and DMA; performance optimizations (mostly graphics).

Favorite tools: at, {a,de}ttachtty, awk, bash, bzr, cron, diff, emacs, gcc, grep, gs, make, patch, postgresql, rdiff-backup, rsync, sbcl, screen, sed, slime, ssh, tex, trac, vim.

DevQuant	Owner
Atomic Jolt Logan, UT	DevOps Manager, Senior Software Engineer Feb 2016–Jun 2021
Canonical Lexington, MA, US; Douglas, Isle of Man, UK	Software Developer & Project Manager May 2010–Mar 2014

Bachelors B.S. Computer Science & Mathematics Westminster College, Salt Lake City, UT Admitted Spring 2001 Graduated Spring 2004 cum laude