I'm a web developer and occasional professor of Ancient Philosophy who transforms precise, logical syntax (both modern and archaic) into meaning and ideas. I work primarily with .NET applications and JavaScript frameworks. My languages of choice are JavaScript, C#, SQL, HTML, CSS, Latin, and Ancient Greek.
I leverage my background in higher education and the humanities to improve the whole development process. My knowledge of ancient languages and MA in English have habituated me to the complex syntax and granular linguistic detail of coding. Years of experience as an Oxford-trained professor of philosophy makes the high-level problem solving, conceptual abstraction, and skill in logic demanded of developers natural to me.
I'm proficient in front-end tech (React, Blazor, jQuery, jQuery UI, Bootstrap, Materialize, Kendo UI), back-end tech (Node, Express, ASP.NET MVC, SQL, Entity Framework, Firebase, MongoDB), Git version control, and Azure DevOps, with a special focus on smoothly interactive UI components. I've graduated from the University of New Hampshire's Full Stack Web Development program, Oxford University (MSt in Ancient Philosophy), and the Catholic University of America (MA in English). I currently work as an Application UI Developer at P&R Dental Strategies.
// Click the name of each project to view more info
my."PORTFOLIO" = {
"2-Player Image Labeler": {links: ["demo", "code"], fullStack: true},
"Ancient Greek Declensions Quiz": {links: ["demo", "code"]},
"Bug Invaders": {links: ["demo", "code"]}
"C.S. Lewis Letter Search": {links: "demo", passwordProtected: true},
"Clivi Hamiltonis Opera Obscura": {links: ["demo", "code"]},
"Magi Nation Booster Pack Simulator": {links: ["demo", "code"]},
"Node Movie, Song, & Concert Search": {links: "code"},
"Node Storefront": {links: "code"},
"Plato Texts (npm package)": {links: ["demo", "code"]},
"Pokemon Booster Pack Simulator": {links: ["demo", "code"]},
"React Memory Game": {links: ["demo", "code"]},
"Sequelize Me Captain!": {links: ["demo", "code"], fullStack: true},
"Super Coin Collector": {links: ["demo", "code"]},
"Superhero Dating App": {links: ["demo", "code"], fullStack: true},
"The Office Character Guessing Game": {links: ["demo", "code"]},
"Virtual Backlog": {links: ["demo", "code"], fullStack: true},
}
2-PLAYER IMAGE LABELER
TECH: Firebase, Bootstrap, jQuery, AJAX
DESCRIPTION: Instead of making a rock-paper-scissors app for my first attempt at online multiplayer, I wanted to recreate on a small scale the old Google Image Labeler. Accordingly, this is a full-stack cooperative multiplayer game that challenges each player to submit matching words when presented with a random GIF from the GIPHY API. To play, make sure both players have each opened the link or refreshed the page before entering their names.
ANCIENT GREEK DECLENSIONS QUIZ
TECH: jQuery, HTML, CSS
DESCRIPTION: Built to solve two problems: 1) to create randomly generated quiz questions, instead of fixed and predictable ones; and 2) for practice with the setTimeout() and setInterval() methods. Hence the app reinforces knowledge of all regular Greek nouns with time-based, programmatically generated parsing questions. Designed for desktop, but mobile compatible.
BUG INVADERS
TECH: Scratch
DESCRIPTION: Inspired by Space Invaders and Star Fox 64, this shoot-em-up game pushes Scratch's lo-fi tech to its limits. Players can use laser upgrades and bombs, and are rewarded with a special ending for finishing the game without losing any lives. Designed for desktop.
C.S. LEWIS LETTER SEARCH
TECH: XML, jQuery, Materialize
DESCRIPTION: Using Google Books or Amazon's "Look Inside" feature to search through massive, multi-volume works is too fragmentary and inefficient. After writing a custom parser to convert the data to something machine-readable, I then built the search engine and mobile-responsive UI. Searches can be performed for word matches as well as any combination of recipient, year(s), volume(s), and archival location.
CLIVI HAMILTONIS OPERA OBSCURA
TECH: React, Materialize
DESCRIPTION: This bibliography is an exhaustive collection of all published works by C.S. Lewis, however fragmentary, that are, for the most part, not available in the many well-known and accessible volumes of his writings edited by Walter Hooper. Texts are sortable by year, title, reference, and type. Types (prose, letters, blurbs, diary entries, and poems) are also filterable.
MAGI NATION BOOSTER PACK SIMULATOR
TECH: Vanilla JS (+ a bit of jQuery), HTML, CSS
DESCRIPTION: A passion project to capture the experience of opening new packs of the best CCG there ever was.
NODE MOVIE, SONG, & CONCERT SEARCH
TECH: Node, Spotify API, Axios, Moment
DESCRIPTION: Built to integrate asynchronous API calls from the back end, this command line Node app allows the user to search for info on movies, songs, and upcoming concerts. Searches are saved in a .txt file and can be recalled. Demo video link provided; to run it yourself, download the GitHub repo and run npm install in the terminal.
NODE STOREFRONT
TECH: Node, MySQL (npm), Inquirer
DESCRIPTION: Built for practice with back-end database management, this command line Node app simulates a storefront, using the MySQL and Inquirer packages. Features customer and manager views, allowing purchasing, inventory restocking, and adding new products.
PLATO TEXTS
TECH: Node, JavaScript, XML
DESCRIPTION: An npm package that returns the Greek texts of Plato from the Scaife Viewer API in XML, converts them to JavaScript objects, and gives the text to the user. Dialogues can be searched by precise Stephanus number, and common abbreviations for all dialogues can be used.
POKEMON BOOSTER PACK SIMULATOR
TECH: Vanilla JavaScript (+ a bit of jQuery), HTML, CSS
DESCRIPTION: The only way to open original packs of actual Pokemon cards is either to spend hundreds of dollars on eBay or to watch YouTubers enjoy the process for you. I wanted to recreate that experience virtually and for free. It's now one of the most viewed sites on Neocities. Mobile responsive.
REACT MEMORY GAME
TECH: React, Bootstrap, CSS, HTML
DESCRIPTION: A front-end app built for practice with foundational React concepts: components, props, children, importing/exporting, dynamic component creation with the map method, conditional rendering, and others. Each logo may only be clicked once; clicking the same one twice results in a loss. Special ending given for a max score.
SEQUELIZE ME CAPTAIN!
TECH: Sequelize, MySQL, Node, Express, Handlebars
DESCRIPTION: Built for practice making a clean and efficient full-stack application, with all that that entails: custom routing, server building, database schema creation, AJAX calls, CRUD operations, jQuery event listeners, a front-end templater, and UI/UX design. The end result is this delightfully silly cereal tracker. Add your favorite cereal to the collection! Mobile friendly.
SUPER COIN COLLECTOR
TECH: jQuery, jQuery UI, HTML, CSS, JS
DESCRIPTION: The boot camp challenge was to build a simple game using the Math.random() function. Instead, I practiced not only Math.random(), but also mouse-controlled animation, boundary boxes, collision detection algorithms, and sound design. The result is a tribute to Nintendo's most iconic character. Designed for desktop.
SUPERHERO DATING APP
TECH: Node, Express, Bootstrap
DESCRIPTION: Built to learn form submissions and algorithm building. This is a survey-based dating website, which matches you with your dream superhero date. Designed for desktop, but mobile-compatible.
THE OFFICE CHARACTER GUESSING GAME
TECH: Vanilla JS, HTML, CSS
DESCRIPTION: Early in my coding career, I challenged myself to create this hangman-style game as a single JavaScript object. I also just wanted to entertain my friends who love the show. Players can choose whether to guess full names or first names only, and are given one hint per round. Using relative and absolute positioning, players are presented with a GIF of the corresponding character on the TV display.
VIRTUAL BACKLOG
TECH: React, JavaScript, HTML, CSS, Bootstrap, MongoDB, Mongoose, Express
DESCRIPTION: Game collectors love to display, show off, and track their physical library on a shelf, but the same isn’t possible for digital collections. To solve the problem, David Banville and I created a full-stack MERN app to store and display a videogame collection (digital, physical, or both) in 3D. Any game can be added to the user’s library by title search or by barcode scanning; games can be edited and sorted on the fly to the user’s liking (by system, title, favorite, etc); and custom links are provided for collectors to show off their library to anyone, whether they have an account or not.