Career Objectives
I look for work that lets me apply some combination of my skills in web design and development, information architecture, technical writing, editing, online training, and neurolinguistics research.
Education
Ph.D. with Honors (Neurolinguistics), McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
M.S., Education, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana
B.S., Music and Business, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana
Career Highlights
Website designer/developer
I designed and created my first website for my editing business in 1997. Since then, I have created many small websites for myself and friends with businesses and nonprofits. I started using WordPress a few years ago and currently develop storefront websites for small businesses in my community.
Information architect, technical writer
I worked as a technical writer and information architect at various Silicon Valley high-tech companies from 1999-2015. In my most recent positions at Sun Microsystems and Oracle, I wrote tutorials and guides about how to use the Java programming language and related technologies. My proudest accomplishment was collaborating with a usability designer to design, sell the idea, write, and publish a how-to website that presented short code examples to accomplish specific tasks. I gradually moved from writing to serving as an information architect for all of the Java technologies and Oracle Fusion Middleware, earning three promotions and several quarterly awards during that time.
Online curriculum developer, trainer, teacher
After getting my Master’s degree in Education, I taught English as a Second Language at the college level for 8 years in Japan, where I learned how to use grammatically simple sentences to convey complex material and to speak and read Japanese. In 1995, I started a business as an English coach for high-tech professionals in Silicon Valley. In 1998, I was hired as a contractor for an Irish software company to develop online training that taught students, admins, and developers how to use their product, which itself was a platform for creating online training software.
Editor
In 1997 I started a web-based editing business. Because of my science and linguistics background, I grew a reputation for editing international academic papers and grad school resumes.
Neurolinguistics Researcher
I did research at the Montreal Neurological Institute while writing my Ph.D. dissertation, then moved to two different neurolinguistics research labs at Massachusetts General Hospital, doing research in cognitive neuropsychology. During that time, I held appointments at Harvard Medical School and the MIT Center for Cognitive Science. See my ResearchGate profile at for books and publications I wrote or co-authored during that time.