Paul Jay Ruderman

Summary of Skills & Qualifications

• Skilled Perl programmer, working with the language for 11 years.
• Developed applications in Perl, PHP, JavaScript, Java, C, UNIX shell, as well as older languages like VisualBasic, FoxPro, and QuickBasic (qb). Acquainted with the basics of Ruby, Python, and Scheme (LISP).
• Familiar with object-oriented programming, interprocess communication, SQL databases, and interaction with network services like email and instant messaging. Developed applications to handle intricate binary file formats and complex specifications like AMA, EMI, and CDR203 telephone formats.
• 9 years as a web developer using Perl, PHP, CSS, JavaScript, AJAX techniques, templating engines, XML and XSLT. Developing web sites since 1995.
• 6 years developing applications using relational databases, including MySQL, Oracle, Microsoft SQL Server, RetrievalWare, and FoxPro. 3 years experience MySQL database administration.
• 7 years experience as a UNIX/Linux systems administrator for ISPs. Experience with Linux distros including Red Hat, Debian, and Ubuntu. UNIX variants including Sun Solaris, FreeBSD, OpenBSD. Microsoft Windows (3.1 - Vista). Macintosh (System 6 - OS X Leopard).
• Knowledgeable about LANs and WANs. Have planned and managed a new Vermont statewide ISP dial-up network serving 10,000 users. Familiar with a wide range of network services and protocols. Familiar with traditional telephony, PSTN routing, VoIP, and end-user, access, & reciprocal compensation billing.

Work Experience

• Working on a team of programmers at the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) to support scientific research of the human and animal genomes.
• Designed and implemented a "Compensatory Time for Travel" application, which helps government employees follow complicated regulations by questioning them about their official travel activities using a decision tree, computing vacation time earned, and tracking that vacation time as it is later used. The system uses mod_perl, Template Toolkit, Date::Time, DBI, an Oracle database, and AJAX techniques.
• Currently overhauling NHGRI's outdated system of government-facing web sites for individual cores (departments)--bringing them up-to-date with new content, a new unified format, and a new CSS-driven theme. Re-worked legacy CGI applications to separate Perl code from HTML using Template Toolkit in order to allow a site theme transition.
• Have created small web applications such as custom photo galleries, random ID generators, and online academic course applications. Creating more such applications as needed.

• Helped a small Vermont-wide ISP move into the CLEC (competitive local exchange carrier) telephone business. Developed Perl software to process CDRs (call detail records) from telephone switching equipment and from other telephone carriers in order to create telephone bills for customers and reconcile carrier access and reciprocal compensation billing between Sovernet and the other carriers.
• Developed a new subscribers' area for the company's website under Perl and Mambo, interfacing with the existing 3rd-party billing and provisioning system. The application allows users to view their subscription, billing, and current balance information, and to request service changes to their telephone and ISP service.
• Developed call center monitoring software in Perl to probe Cisco VoIP telephone equipment, display call queue status on a wallboard, and alert managers to call queue congestion via Jabber (XMPP) instant message.
• Implemented software to generate executive reports highlighting costs and revenue resulting from carried telephone traffic. Searched for discrepancies and for potential new sources of untapped revenue.

• Contributed to iterations of the company's flagship website software--a Java-based, historical document search engine--connecting NewsBank's subscribers to large repository of American newspaper articles, United Nations documents, and other document archives stored on a RetrievalWare database cluster.
• Designed product web page templates, using XSLT to render HTML from an XML data tree assembled from database data.
• Optimized search time using Perl to design and run stress tests on various host cluster network and software configurations.

• Created and used Perl tools to monitor servers and networks to maintain operation within security and performance specifications.
• Managed regional SMTP/POP and NNTP Usenet news servers on machines running IBM AIX.
• Provided telephone and email support to server users.
• Helped others in my group debug and optimize Perl and shell scripts.

• Helped create a new ISP for a small, established ILEC--the telephone company providing the dial tone to 14 towns in southern Vermont. Worked in a team of three to plan, promote, launch, support, and bill the new service, taking the new ISP from concept to trial to revenue-generating service.
• Worked with telephone engineers to plan and develop a new statewide dial-up network over frame relay circuits. Designed the IP network using BGP and RIP dynamic routing protocols. Configured and managed Cisco routers and 3COM dial-up access devices to serve the network's 8 dial-up points-of-presence (POPs).
• Planned and implemented a server infrastructure to support email, web hosting, DNS, and network authentication.
• Developed a customer management system written in C with Perl components to control and manage UNIX servers and Cisco routers.

Education

• Computer Science Major
• Music Minor
• Spanish Language Concentration
• Alpha Pi Epsilon, Computer Science Honor Society

Federal Security Clearance

I currently hold a Public Trust Security Clearance via the National Institutes of Health, part of the Department of Health and Human Services.