Stuart William Coulson
Address:Allenshields Cottage Date of Birth: 28th January 1984 Phone: 01434 675 218 Mobile: 07788 593 014 E-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Website: www.stucoulson.com PERSONAL PROFILEA recent graduate with two masters degrees including a distinction in Computer Games Technology from Abertay Dundee, looking for programmer position within a games development studio, particularly within the area of AI. Possessing of a broad range of technical, mathematical and problem solving abilities, with strong proficiency in C/C++ and Java programming. Having worked for the Blanchland Community Development Organisation Ltd and on group projects during my degrees have gained superb teamwork, organisational and communication skills. Quick learner and keen to work in the games industry, with the goal of becoming a lead AI programmer on a big budget title.
EDUCATIONUniversity of Abertay Dundee, Dundee, Scotland (September 2007 – December 2008) Course expanded on previous knowledge, specialising in topics directly related to computer games development. Subjects covered include Game Physics, 3D mathematical techniques, Artificial Intelligence, DirectX programming, Console development and background on how the industry is structured and the issues it faces.
Research Project: “Investigation into using online evolutionary techniques to dynamically control Artificial Intelligence difficulty in games” Implemented a number of evolutionary algorithms using Java that bred AI behaviours and integrated these into the Robocode game environment. Designed and carried out a set of experiments to evaluate the success of each technique.
University of York, York, England (October 2002 – June 2006) Modules taken include Logic Programming and Artificial Intelligence, AI for Games, Adaptive and Learning Agents, Computer Graphics and Visualisation, Real-time systems, Algorithms and Data Structures and Mathematics for Computer Science. The course also involved a number of team-based projects that involved working in groups to solve engineering problems in collaboration with industry. Research Project: “Animation of Sorting Algorithms using the Lego Mindstorms System” TECHNICAL EXPERIENCE(Bold indicates good working knowledge) Programming Languages:C/C++, Java, C#, Prolog, XML/XHTML/HTML/CSS, ActionScript, PHP, MySQL, Scheme, Assembly Language, Linux Shell Script APIs and Software:Microsoft DirectX, Microsoft Visual Studio, Microsoft XNA, OpenGL, Ageia PhysX, Ogre3D, GNU Compiler Collection, Adobe Hardware:PC (Windows and Linux), Playstation 2 (Linux), XBox, Lego Mindstorm RCX, ZiLOG Z80 PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCEBlanchland Community Development Organisation Ltd., Blanchland, Northumberland (November 2006 – December 2008) Solely responsible for creating and maintaining a website to promote the village of Blanchland and it’s surroundings. Was also the first point of contact for the public and other businesses on issues relating to the website and tourism in general. Work achieved great success as site currently receives over 1000 hits a month. Gained experience developing Flash, PHP and other web-based programs. Further developed communication and organisational skills.
Prudhoe Community High School, Northumberland, England (June 2003) Tasked to develop a student database. Used communication skills to discuss requirements with the client, organisation skills to ensure the project was completed within the time available and problem solving to identify a method of completing the project using existing technology so as to minimise time and costs. KEY SKILLSAI KnowledgeWithin both of my degrees have studied and implemented a variety of AI techniques of both an academic and game-specific nature. Areas of knowledge include A* pathfinding, rule-based systems, finite state machines, steering behaviour, artificial life, natural language processing and evolutionary algorithms. Problem SolvingGiven the nature of my degrees, the vast majority of work involved problem solving to some extent, i.e. being presented with a set of requirements and having to engineer a final solution. As such have considerable experience in this area. Two major examples during my first degree involved working with teams on real-life problems presented by large companies including Thales UK and Norwich Union/Orange. In both cases devised solutions which the companies praised highly. Communication & TeamworkThrough general study and my work with the Blanchland Community Development Organisation dealing with queries, have acquired strong written and verbal communication skills. Working on group projects, such as the examples mentioned previously, has helped me develop the listening and negotiating skills needed to effectively work as part of a team. Organisational SkillsHaving carried out a large amount of course work, including two dissertations, have developed the skills needed to ensure that all the work required gets done within the deadlines set. These include identifying important targets, prioritising workload and the ability to manage time effectively. ADDITIONAL INFORMATIONQualifications & Awards
Spoken LanguagesGerman (GCSE Level Grade A) HOBBIES AND INTERESTSAm an avid computer gamer with an interest in all types of games especially racing, adventure and retro titles. Regularly visit the cinema and was a member of the York Student Cinema helping to put on screenings. Also enjoy reading fiction books, cycling and am a fan of motorsport. REFERENCESAvailable on request |
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