carolyn ray, ph.d.

Have a SCHOLAR Bookmarklet. Drag this link to your bookmarks bar. Then go to www.google.com, do a search, and use the bookmarklet to send the search terms to scholar.

http://www.supersaturated.com

write electronically to carolyn

CAREER SUMMARY

Interested in slippery, unweildy problems, preferably those involving daunting philosophical difficulties. Enjoy inventing new programming methods and creatively misusing standard techniques when necessary to get the job done. Extensive training and wide experience in logical analysis and problem solving, including formal methods. Excel at translating difficult concepts. Current work interest focused primarily on system design in an intellectually stimulating and collaborative environment.

COMPUTER-RELATED RESEARCH, EMPLOYMENT, AND EDUCATION

Designer and Programmer, Genetic Algorithms on the Web

Research and programming project, Samurai Crab Project, July 2008 to present. Uses the web site and the internet itself, including search results, as part of the algorithm to develop web pages on the basis of hits to a randomly-generated web site. A variety of standard and unique genetic algorithms are used. Currently under development at http://sensiblechaos.com/samurai.html

Designer and Programmer, Artificial Intelligence

Independent research project, 2003 to present. Ultimate Goal: Creation of a self-conscious, thinking being, using currently available hardware. Method: Imitate human mental processes and animal behaviors, ignoring peculiarities of wetware. Implementation: An object-oriented Perl application that exemplifies novel, proprietary theories of intelligence and linguistics. Depends in part upon programming techniques widely accepted/documented to be impossible or wrong. Database and code compactness, low-resource usage, and code clarity and maintainability are emphasized. Statistics, brute force computations, search algorithms, central control, and prediction are avoided. Personal motivating factors include the development of intermediate applications to facilitate the education and protection of children. Toy model currently learns natural language by reading plain text books.

Program Designer, Programmer, Project Lead, Site Management Tools

Enlightenment, 1999 to 2003, minimal admin 2003 to present. Designed and implemented cgi programs to easily manage, edit, and publish content to Enlightenment's web site and web library, aimed at serious scholars, designed for fast download of up to 20 gigabytes of material per day. Supervised contributing (10%) C/perl/linux programmer. Responsible for all visual design, bandwidth considerations, content acquisitions and decisions, editing, and site organization. Site currently holds approximately 6 million words. http://enlightenment.supersaturated.com

Program Designer and Programmer, Online Journal and Writing Program

Supersaturated Journals, 2000 to present, full telecommute to remote server. Designed and implemented cgi program and database for multiple users of online writing program that takes the weblog to a more intelligent and useful level. Program was originally created for my own writing and organizational needs. One-click creation of new user accounts. User interface allows one-click creation and immediate use of personalized persistent topics. Other users may click to cross-reference responses in their own journals. All journals can be sorted by user, personal topic, and multiple user threading. Uploads pictures from user's computer. Cookies allow user to maintain log in state for multiple operations for up to one month. Publication program sends the day's title and topics to subscribers via email. http://www.supersaturated.com/journal/caro

Program Designer / Programmer, Online Resource Directory

Earth Communications Office (ECO), 1999 to 2002. Contractor, full telecommute to remote server. Example project: Designed and implemented custom cgi scripts and a database to enable an environmental organization to edit its large directory of resource links, addresses, and phone numbers. This organization's web site is hosted by a third party which does not allow telnet access, making editing difficult for non-technical people. Due to the difficulty, data had been accumulating, unused, over the course of a year using plain Word documents, without regular formatting. The data included some or all of the following for each of thousands of organizations, in no particular order and without field names: organization name, phone, fax, description, url, email address, street, city, state, country. Given the large amount of data, it was necessary to automate its extraction from the Word files using several additional custom perl scripts. From this data a flat-file database was generated. The cgi script displays the contents of the database to the internal user via the web and allows the content to be edited, updates the database, and generates static pages for public use. All work is done from my home office via internet.

Perl/CGI Instructor

San Diego State University Technical Extension, 2000. Taught Perl/CGI for linux web administrator certification program, 25 students. Prepared all course materials, lessons, and lectures. Approximately 50 hours in class. Additional 30 hours lecture and exercise preparation.

Web Programmer

Bomis, Inc. San Diego, CA, 1998-1999. Example project: Designed and implemented a web-database CGI interface for Majordomo in perl on linux (one-click list creation, web interface for list configuration and management, integration into Bomis search engine and membership features.) Most work done from home office via internet.

Programmer/Analyist and Custom Programmer/Installer/Support Technician

Corrugated Technologies, Inc.-- Technical Services Division and Development Division, San Diego, CA, 11/1996 to 6/1997. Wide variety of duties and projects: Installed proprietary software and required hardware on site in a manufacturing environment, adding custom programming (ObjectPAL and Paradox) where necessary. Fielded and resolved customers' technical difficulties via phone. Documented existing Client/Server TCP/IPmessaging system (Delphi) and helped evaluate its usefulness and stability. Developed system specifications for software change reporting system (Delphi). Constructed event tracings for various configurations of modularized software system to create a training set for new developers and to help preserve the functionality of the old system (Delphi, Visual Basic, ObjectPAL). Also responsible for maintaining the company intranet knowledge base and software library (HTML).

Programmer/Technical Writer

Bloomington, IN, 5/1996 to 10/1996. Independent Sub-Contractor, for Sabbagh Associates, Inc., on Department of Defense engineering software project. Designed, wrote, and implemented on-line help system for entire project, approximately 300 indexed and cross-linked hypertext documents (HTML). Creativity, self-reliance, independent research were chief requirements. Samples available upon request.

Computing Consultant

University Computing Services, Bloomington, IN, 1996. Emphasis on problem-ownership, resourcefulness, teamwork, investigation and research in a hectic customer-service environment. Used slow time to learn new software, contribute solutions to University Computing on-line knowledge base.

LANGUAGE, PLATFORM, AND SOFTWARE KNOWLEDGE

Languages and Related Tools

Proficient with Perl/CGI and HTML, experienced with Delphi with Access Database, Visual Basic with Access Database, ObjectPAL with Paradox database, Crystal Reports, Closeup 6, PCAnywhere, industrial machine-scheduling software, university-level courses in C++, Scheme, and interpreters.

Platforms and Software

Development experience on linux, DOS and Windows 95/98

User of MacIntosh, PC, SUN Workstation, Ultrix, X-Windows, X-fig, Ghostview, Windows 95/98 and 3.x, DOS, PPP, ftp, telnet, LAN WorkPlace, Netscape, Lynx, Mosaic, emacs, PINE, elm, Word, Word Perfect, Visio, MacIntosh and PC scanners, Ofoto, Photoshop.

Familiar with VAX, VMS, Logic machine controller, Semantic Cafe, UNIX shell scripting, AOL.

OTHER INSTRUCTING AND UNIVERSITY EXPERIENCE

Education

Ph.D., Philosophy, 1999, Indiana University. Thesis: Identity and Universals: A Conceptualist Approach to Logical, Metaphysical and Epistemological Problems of Contemporary Identity Theory. This research and additional papers form the basis of my theory of intelligence, and can be read online at http://enlightenment.supersaturated.com/essays/authors/carolynray.html

B.A. cum laude 1985 Hollins College. Overall GPA: 3.85/4.0. Major GPA: 3.85/4.0. Major: Philosophy.

Instructor

Indiana University, Bloomington and Indianapolis Campuses, IN, 1986-1995. Taught traditional and continuing education students how to think and how to teach themselves. Performed all duties involved in development of courses, from clerical work to lecturing. Feedback from students cited excellent listening and interpretation skills, concerned attitude, and breadth of knowledge. Courses taught: Symbolic Logic, Critical Thinking, Ethics, Introduction to Philosophy.

Logic Courses Completed

Indiana University: Symbolic Logic (predicate calculus), Formal Semantics/Set Theory (deductive and inductive proof), Philosophy of Logic (lambda calculus).

Creator and Moderator

Objectivism and Computer Science e-mail list, 1996. Voluntary community service to foster discussion of conceptual issues surrounding object-oriented software development; compiling an annotated bibliography. Active list participants included Tom Radcliffe and Raymie Stata.

Moderator

Moderated Discussion of Objectivist Philosophy (MDOP) e-mail list, 1995. Volunteered to resurrect this list on behalf of busy owner. Learned through hands-on experience about UNIX and list server operations and problems. Assisted subscribers, directed daily discussions, judged submissions, organized distribution schedule. Always reviewed and published submissions on schedule.

OTHER ENTREPRENEURIAL EXPERIENCE

Owner, A Bit of Earth, 1999 to present. Self-employed horticultural stylist. Design, consultation, diagnostics, and expert care of exotic gardens in La Jolla, California. earth.supersaturated.com

Owner, Peace of Mind, 1986 to present. Philosophical consultant and life coach specializing in individual happiness and workplace improvement. mind.supersaturated.com

INTERESTS AND HOBBIES

Horticulture. Harpsichord performance. Cooking, nutrition, physiology. Body-building, running, rollerblading, camping, hiking, step aerobics, yoga. Reading science fiction, classic literature. Shark-watching, animal behavior.