Paul A. Davis
Ph.D. candidate with the Dept. of Computer Science, Texas A&M University. His interests are in the engineering and science of very large software and information systems. This means 1) Web-based information systems, 2) interaction design, and 3) software engineering. Research for dissertation is about characteristics of the Web and how people use it. More narrowly, it is about the detection and prediction of parts of Web sites that people will find to be easy or difficult to use. The study should then extend out to test regions of the Web itself. A proposed benefit of the dissertation is a method by which software professionals can use their time more efficiently and cooperatively when searching for usability problems in large Web sites. As a characteristic of the Web, usability is meant broadly. It includes but is not specific to accessibility.
Career directions are in research, administration, and teaching.
Committee members are Dr. Dick Simmons (co-chair,) Dr. Frank Shipman (co-chair,) Dr. William Lively, and Dr. Marietta Tretter (INFO.)
Educational Background
Conferences
Publications
Experience
2007 - present. Office of Information Technology, Texas A&M Health Science Center, Texas A&M University System.
Currently serving as co-Project Manager in a team charged to replace OASIS, which is a student information management system, with SCT Banner, from SunGard Higher Education, for the Texas A&M Health Science Center (Colleges of Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy, Nursing, Rural Public Health, and graduate school.) As Lead Developer, worked with management to analyze the current system, generate project estimates, compare systems, and evaluate alternatives. Participated in preparations and work for Data Transfer and Loading from old to new systems. Engaged also to have the TAMHSC join the Lonestar Education and Research Network (LEARN) trusted federation and enable single sign-on by installing middleware from Internet2 called Shibboleth. In July, 2008, assisted at LEARN Shibboleth 2.0 "Install-Fest" to instruct system administrators about how to install Shibboleth at their home institutions. Maintained and supported the existing student information management system, OASIS. To do this, programmed using Microsoft SQL Server, SQL scripts, and ASP.NET code.
2006 - 2007. New Technologies, Operating Systems Group, Computing & Information Services, TAMU.
As Project Coordinator with the New Technologies section, brought Shibboleth to production at TAMU. Worked with the Texas Digital Library Initiative (TDL) to enable use of Shibboleth for authentication against the central openLDAP directory service. Through TDL, enabled A&M and UT-Austin to become members of the same federation, which means that people at both universities can access digital libraries at either school through their own university's login page (NetID for A&M and EIT for UT-Austin.) With Shibboleth running, enabled TAMU to join the national InCommon Federation. Practiced administration and configuration of SuSE Linux, authentication software, SAML, Shibboleth, Tomcat, and Apache.
2004 - 2006. Infrastructure Applications, Operating Systems Group, Computing & Information Services, TAMU.
As IT Manager at CIS, applied project management and software engineering to support design, development, and delivery of TAMU-wide middleware applications. Introduced and supported managed software development through project planning. Leveraged use of a central code repository, requirements documentation, testing, and issue tracking. Introduced policy of accountability for developers, encouraging communication and adherence to standards to carry out projects. Initiated and/or lead design and delivery of enterprise-level systems and numerous applications and services considered robust and crucial to the needs of the university. Applied and developed management skills.
TAMU email, called Webmail. In 2004, the project of highest profile was replacement of the first generation, university-wide email client called Neo.
Aggie Gateway. While evaluating a replacement for the original Neo client, it became apparent that administrative and self-service applications that change or control accounts should not be buried inside the e-mail client. A new site called Aggie Gateway raised these self-serve apps out of Neo and up to a one-click level for people.
2003 - 2004. FSIS Project Management, TAMU.
As Systems Analyst, customized and took to release a Web-based version of commercial, off-the-shelf (COTS) software called Computer Associates Unicenter ServicePlus Service Desk. Analyzed, designed, and modified the user interfaces to ease searches and entry of information. Wrote programs to consolidate data feeds from Oracle® and Microsoft® SQL Server databases, which were located at governmental organizations, to FSIS databases. Worked with Microsoft® Windows server, Microsoft® SQL Server, PHP, ASP.NET, MySQL, and IIS.
1999 - 2003. Texas Transportation Institute, TAMU.
As Systems Analyst, led a small design and development team in a software project that produced a published document called "Requirements Specification for DMS Message Optimization Software Tool (MOST)", which was compliant with the IEEE 830 recommendations. Also led this small team in the implementation of software based on this document. Submitted software to the TAMU Office of Technology Commercialization, which designated it as an original work. In other tasks, designed and built a Web-based information delivery system using Microsoft® and Oracle® products. Gathered and stored data from Cisco Systems® switches and brought streaming video to sites. Identified needs, and set up a Linux cluster as a pilot project to support work with simulation. Developed using Perl, .NET, Real® streaming media, and Macromedia® Cold Fusion.
1998 - 1999. Dell Computer.
As a Programmer, worked within team to implement an Intranet-based change order management system. Developed and deployed ActiveX server-side and client-side components. Performed extensive testing.
1995 - 1998. Raytheon, Inc.
As Software Systems Engineer, designed and built a data transfer and load (DTL) distributed system using HP® UX servers to capture files from multiple, automated data collection points on a manufacturing floor. Designed and made an auto-processing, server-based daemon to transform data into suitable formats for uploading into Oracle and SAS databases. Trained and served as Oracle database administrator. Applied tcl/tk, PERL, C++, shell scripting, and programming for Microsoft® Windows. Applied software configuration, version control, and company's standard software engineering practices. Maintained Apache Web server.
1992 - 1995. Ocean Drilling Program (now called the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program at Texas A&M University,) TAMU.
As a Graduate Research Assistant, supported data archiving to databases and tape. As programmer, wrote scripts to automate archiving. Wrote a coring depth calculation program for the engineering group. Developed first Web site for the organization, www-odp.tamu.edu. (They let me sail aboard the JOIDES Resolution research ship as a technician to a project off the coast of Cote d'Ivoire after graduation.)
1992. IBM.
As a Cooperative Education Student in Austin, participated in software builds and maintained SAS scripts to track software defects. Most memorable moment was being present when the gold build of OS/2 LAN Server v. 2.0 was sent via Internet to an IBM product packaging facility in Ireland. (Two people from TAMU were competitive in getting the scant few co-op assignments at IBM during that rough year for the company. They thought I had done well on a programmer's aptitude test.)
Scholarships
Other Recognitions
Professional Organizations
Other Activities
Courses Completed
Ph.D. Program:
CPSC 606 - Software Engineering
CPSC 610 - Hypertext
CPSC 625 - Artificial Intelligence
CPSC 634 - Intelligent User Interfaces
CPSC 671 - Computer-Human Interaction
CPSC 672 - Computer Supported Collaborative Workgroups
CPSC 675 - Digital Libraries
CPSC 681 - Seminar
CPSC 689 - Computers and New Media
CPSC 689 - Generic Programming
CPSC 689 - Human Centered Systems & Information
CPSC 689 - Large-Scale Internet Data Management
CPSC 691 - Research
INFO 621 - MIS Project Management and Implementation
INFO 689 - XML in Business
Other:
INFO 432 - Software Quality & Measurement Inf
INFO 438 - Information Technologies
Masters Program:
BANA 620 - Systems Analysis for Business Data Processing
BANA 628 - Information Management
CPSC 441 - Computer Graphics
CPSC 604 - Programming Language Design
CPSC 608 - Database Systems
CPSC 607 - Software Models and Metrics
CPSC 613 - Operating Systems
CPSC 629 - Analysis of Algorithms
CPSC 632 - Expert Systems
INEN 630 - Human Operator in Complex Systems
OCNG 689 - Special Topics, Scientific Ocean Drilling
Applications and Systems
13 July, 2008