Video Game Programmer / Designer

I'm looking for my first job in the game industry as a programmer or designer. I wrote my first text adventure in QBasic when I was eight. I have formal education in both computer science and jazz trumpet performance, and professional experience with web and mobile development. I'm currently a Graduate Research Assistant at the University of Michigan working with the Soar cognitive architecture and will graduate in May 2012.

I recently released Mechasaur, a turn-based strategy game for Android devices. It features enemy AI powered by Soar, a symbolic rule-based production system. It uses the libGDX game framework.

Most of my programming experience has been in C++, Java, Python and Objective-C. I have also used a variety of other languages including Common Lisp, Prolog, C#, Javascript, and SQL. I have experience with OpenGL graphics programming and socket-level network programming. I use Git, Vim and Eclipse.

Master's Degree in Computer Science, to be completed May 2012.
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Graduate Research Assistant with the Soar group under Professor John Laird.
Current GPA of 7.166 on a 9-point scale.

Highlights:

• Co-author, A Case Study in Integrating Probabilistic Decision Making and Learning in a Symbolic Cognitive Architecture: Soar Plays Dice.
  • Implemented game environment and ran experiments dealing with probabilistic decision making and improving performance through reinforcement learning.
  • Used web.py web application framework to coordinate experiments across several computers.
  • Developed companion iPhone app; supervised contributions of a high school student to the app.
• Developed a thin-client Android tablet interface for observing and communicating with a server-based robotics simulation.
  • Used Java sockets and OpenGL ES.
  • Supervised contributions of an undergraduate student to the project.
• Developed an Eclipse plugin for the Soar cognitive architecture.
  • Provides syntax highlighting, error checking, auto-completion, indentation, and rule templates.
  • Graph-structure datamap editor does consistency checking with Soar rules.
• Developed an algorithm to generate rhyming poetry in iambic pentameter based on an input document.
• Presented at the Soar Workshop in 2010 and in 2011.

Courses taken include:

• Operating Systems
• Knowledge-Based Systems
• Logic Synthesis and Optimization
• Advanced Artificial Intelligence
• Natural Language Processing
• Machine Learning
• Adaptive Dynamics
• Advanced Cryptography
• Psychology and Politics of Sense Making

Bachelor of Music in Jazz Trumpet Performance, May 2008.
Oberlin Conservatory of Music, Oberlin, Ohio.
Graduated May 2008 with a GPA of 4.07 overall on a 4-point scale and a 4.16 in computer science courses.

Highlights:

• Studied with Marcus Belgrave, Wendell Logan, Roy Poper, and others.
• Toured as a member of the Oberlin Jazz Septet.
• Arranged I Can't Get Started for performance by the Oberlin Jazz Ensemble.
• Received the National Merit Award and the Conservatory Dean's Talent Award.

Courses taken include:

• Principles of Computer Science I and II
• Computer Organization
• Systems Programming
• Compilers
• Music Technology

Research Programmer, University of Michigan Artificial Intelligence Lab
October 2009 - August 2010

• Worked with graduate students to develop a simulation environment framework for reinforcement learning agents.
• Implemented GUI environment editor for creating 2D, tile-based experiment environments.
• Improved ease of use by simplifying API and developing example projects to demonstrate capabilities of the framework.
• Improved execution speed using Netbeans profiling tools; implemented spatial partitioning schemes for both discrete and continuous environments.

Mobile App Developer
October 2008 - Present

• Recently released Mechasaur, a turn-based strategy game for Android.
  • Used libGDX game framework; used Soar cognitive architecture for AI.
  • Procedurally generated levels; all my own design, art, and programming.
• Have published several of my own apps and games for iOS and Android.
• Programmed medical reference app Nerve Whiz, which has been downloaded over 33,000 times.

Web Developer, National Association of College Stores
June 2008 - May 2009, Oberlin, Ohio

• Implemented online credit card processing for donations and membership renewals.
• Found and fixed SQL injection vulnerabilities.
• Researched content management systems for use in Nacs.org redesign.

Computer Lab Assistant
February 2007 - December 2007, Oberlin College, Oberlin, Ohio

• Assisted students with Java programming and Linux software questions.

millertinkerhess.com
mechasaur.com
github.com/mtinkerhess