Writing tip:

Some people seem to believe that good writing requires using more words. Quite the contrary. Conciseness and brevity are often the hallmarks of effective writers. Eliminate those "fluff" words and instead choose specific, strong, and action-oriented words.

Professional Experience

Some would say that I've had many career changes; however, these are not discrete changes as much as they are an evolution. My transition from scientist to technology consultant passed through a continuum—technical writer, media designer, and application developer—along the way. Uniting them all has been my passion for technology and my devotion to communicating that passion.

Writing and Editing

Some technical writers are technologists with a few writing skills. Others are writers with a few technology skills. I am both and neither. In academia, the mantra is "publish or perish." Recognition is only achieved when results are communicated to and reviewed by others in the field. Although some researchers view writing as a burden, to me it is a critical and integral part of science.

Highlights:

Over eleven years of technical writing experience
Six years as editor for Promega Notes and Neural Notes
Three years as freelance copy editor for John Wiley and Sons
Board-certified editor in the life sciences (ELS; bels.org)
Past officer of the Society for Technical Communications
Extensive advertising copy writing experience
Proficient in graphic design, typography, layout, and pre-press
Experienced with Canadian, British, and international editing

Science and Biotechnology

In 1992 I was three years into a Ph.D. program in microbiology at Ohio State. Unfortunately, the rigors of being a graduate student were placing undue financial hardships on my family, so I exited the program with my master's degree. For the next twelve years I worked in varying capacities throughout the biotech industry, from large-scale biochemical purification to digital media development.

Information Technology

I am a life-long computer geek, but when I began my college career, computer technology had not yet matured to the point of being a viable career option. As the years advanced, my computing skills became increasingly integrated into my job functions. I now have over a dozen certifications in the field and am nearing completion of a second master's degree in information assurance with a 4.0 GPA.

Professional Memberships

My current professional memberships include:

Board of Editors for the Life Sciences
Council of Science Editors
Society for Technical Communications (renewal pending)
Information Systems Security Association
Int'l Information Systems Security Certification Consortium
Information Systems Audit and Control Association
Computer Technology Industry Association
IEEE Computer Society
Association for Computing Machinery
International Council of Electronic Commerce Consultants
International Webmasters Association-HTML Writers Guild

For more information, visit the Pixelogiq Data Systems about page.