Welcome
to Coquitlam College and to the world of computer programming!
A few words
about myself... I arrived here
from Yorkshire, England in the spring of 1995. I became a Canadian citizen in 1999, and am very proud to be
Canadian. My first job in Canada
was Program Coordinator / Programming Instructor at a private college in Burnaby,
where I developed and delivered programming courses. I have been employed as a Computer Science Instructor in
this region since early 1996, and as the Head of the Computer Science
Department of Coquitlam College since 1999.
My
main interests are computer programming and the Internet. My current passions
are the Linux operating system and Internet programming using XHTML, MySQL and
PHP.
Programming
is not a static science. It
changes almost daily. Just when
you think you understand it, it changes.
You have to constantly update your skills if you want to keep pace with
the rapidly changing technology.
It may not always be easy, but it will always be interesting. As well as loving my subject, I also
like to talk about it – especially to a captive audience. As a certified
teacher of adults, I also have an avid interest in passing my knowledge
on.
My
employment background is varied. I
graduated from university with a degree in Biological Chemistry, and went on to
do a Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry.
It was during my work as a Ph.D. student back in the early seventies
that I started to use computers.
At that time, the single university computer required its own building
and air conditioning system (which was always breaking down).
My
interest in chemistry was soon matched by my interest in computers and
programming, and in 1988 I took a Masters degree in Computer Science. I was later able to combine my
interests while working at the Departments of Surgery and Chemical Pathology at
the University of Leeds, England.
There I was a member of a team developing an Expert System to diagnose
acute chest pain. Part of my work
in Leeds involved giving lectures to students at the university in statistics,
biochemistry and programming.
During this time I was given the opportunity to attend a one year,
full-time course of instructor training for adult education specialising in
Computer Science.
At
Coquitlam College, as Head of the Computer Science Department, I am very lucky
to be able to combine my love of programming with my love of teaching. I look forward to helping you attain
your own goals in this exciting world of computer technology.
On a
personal note, my hobbies include: computer programming, horseback riding,
walking my dog, camping, canoeing, and listening and dancing (badly) to country
music.