About
A little about me
At 13 years old, I came across a site called CSS Zen Garden. On this site, people showcase their web design skills by submitting style sheets. The content of the site stays the same, but the look and feel of the website dramatically changes. I found these sites to be incredibly beautiful. Inspired by the creativity and the technical challenge, I signed up for the computer science class at my high school. When my teacher had us build a video game in visual basic, I was immediately hooked on programming, design and all things computer science.
I started building websites and learning other coding languages. I endeavoured to become what was once called a Web Designer: Someone who can not only work in graphics programs to design and prepare assets for a site, but who can also build the website or application from the ground up. This includes figuring out the front-end, back-end and how to host it. These days I go by Web Developer or Full-stack Developer. No matter what I’m called, I’m still as hooked on programming as I was at 13.
Western University
Western University has played a huge role in my life. I attended Western for my undergrad and obtained a BSc. in Computer Science there in 2012.
While I was attending school I was also working for Western Technology Services: first as part of the WTS Helpdesk, and then later as part of the Instructional Technology Research Centre. Both of these were formative learning experiences. I was able to help instructors with the technology in their courses, but I was also able to learn hundreds of things about human relations, design, film production, programming and more.
After I had been out in the start-up world for a few years, I returned to Western as an eLearning Technology Specialist, where I continued much of the work of the ITRC but in a mentor/supervisory capcity. I also was responsible for the introduction of some campus-wide technologies such as clickers and CSS templates for the learning management system.
In 2022, I took the opportunity to take on a Web Developer role for the Faculty of Education. Between the main faculty and the Centre for Research and Education on Violence Against Women and Children (CREVAWC) I maintain 28+ sites using various Content Management Systems, programming languages and hosting systems.
Life-long learning
I am committed to keeping my skills sharp. Whether that means 11-course programs like the Meta Front-End Developer Certificate or tutorials to learn a specific skills, I always want to stay at the forefront of what’s happening in my field. Currently, with the rise in AI, that means learning about what technology is out there and how to best work with it.
Awards
I’m proud to say Western has recognised me for my work. In 2018 I was nominated for the Dave Loveless Employee Award of Merit, and in 2019 my four colleagues and I were awarded the Western Award of Excellence. This is the highest honour available to Western staff.
Diversity and Inclusion
In 2018 I attended my first accessibility conference. Since that time, I have committed to ensuring that WCAG 2.2 guidelines are followed. I have developed and presented training on accessibility principles and in 2023 I earned the A11y Collective Accessible Code Certification.
Coding For Good
They say that with great power comes great responsibility. I think that the power of the technology that we choose to use needs to be weilded for good. To that aim, I started the London Civic Tech Club. A weekly meetup where a group of techie individuals get together an program to better the London community.
Fun and Games
I do more than just code. I enjoy writing poetry, playing D&D, and most recently I have become a huge fan of performing improv comedy. I reached the level of masterclass with Shut the Front Door, and now participate in weekly jams.
“If you can’t give me poetry, can’t you give me poetical science?”
– Ada Lovelace
The worlds first computer programmer
