Matt[hew] Niznik [PhD]

I am a[n]...

human being (after all)
artist
game creator
number cruncher

What sets me apart?

Sensible Communicator

My introspective nature and training equip me to help others understand both obstacles and solutions.

Gritty Pathfinder

I'm not afraid to try something outlandish or question anything.

Eclectic Bibliophile

I read a great deal to explore new ideas and keep my skills up-to-date.

Bio

I'm actively rethinking my previous bio section - much has changed in the past year or two.

Check back in the future!

Fun Facts

While I can play many instruments, I am most strongly connected to cello (including a 13-year hiatus) and piano.
My wife and I love board and card games; some of my favorites are:
- Ticket to Ride (particularly US and Pennsylvania)
- Wingspan
- Azul
- Mysterium
- Love Letter
- Quirkle
My wife and I each built gaming computers for ourselves; it's not that hard, you should try it!
I have owned the following game consoles (* = current):
- SEGA
- Nintendo
- Microsoft

FAQ

1) Wait, you have a PhD? Why are you doing web development?

Why not? Yes, I have a PhD, but at this stage in my life a career working with technology is a better fit. I may write an article about my experience at some point in the future.

2) But don't you want to be a professor?

Yes, I did at various points in my life. But a lot of people I've talked to are unaware that a PhD doesn't guarantee you a job as a professor. Here's a simple example that might illuminate why:

Let's say a professor mentors about 10 new PhD students (in 30-ish years) before retiring. Even if the number of academic positions doubled or so with each generation, 80% of those PhD graduates have to find something else to do. The other 20% have to really want it and I admire the commitment and sacrifice they make. But that life turned out not to be for me.

Some of it came down to personal choice. I wanted a career with less travel that would allow my family to choose where to settle down. Like many others, I'm also fortunate enough to have numerous interests.

This article from the New York Times explains the situation fairly well. I also like this one from The Economist.

3) Bitter much about #1 and #2?

No, I just have strong feelings about academia and the stigma around leaving it. I know people who are too afraid to leave and pursue a new career primarily because they don't want to disappoint advisors, family, etc. That's not healthy for anyone.

4) You've been a web developer since 2016; why have none of your job titles had "web" in their names?

Your guess is as good as mine.

Matthew Niznik, PhD

Email: matt@[thisSite]

Skills

Languages: Python (SciPy, Numpy, Matplotlib, Jupyter), JavaScript, PHP, Java

Research: Data Visualization, Numerical Modeling, Statistics, Technical Writing

Web: Laravel, Symfony, Django, MySQL, Bootstrap, HTML5, CSS, Apache, NGINX

Testing: Selenium, PHPUnit, Laravel Dusk, Codeception

Support: Git, Atlassian (Bitbucket, Jira, Confluence), GitHub, Jenkins, Bash scripting

OS: Linux (Ubuntu), Unix, Windows, MacOS

Education

Rutgers University (2010-2015)
Ph.D./M.S. in Atmospheric Science (3.94)
Dissertation

University of Miami (2006-2010)
B.S. in Computer Science and Meteorology/Math (3.99)

Employment

(Web) Application Programmer
Stowers Resource Management, Inc.
(Supporting Stowers Institute for Medical Research)
(2017 - Present)

Responsible for building and supporting a custom web-based Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) used by the Institute
Lead developer on one of two teams upgrading older LIMS modules using legacy technology to our current tech stack (ExtJS & Symfony)
Advocate/mentor for increasing our automated test coverage using Selenium/Codeception

(Web) Application Developer
Rutgers University
(2016 - 2017)

Responsible for designing, building, testing, and deploying web applications that increased productivity and reduced costs for the Division of Continuing Studies
Lead developer on a purchasing application that assists in tracking division inventory and spending habits
Managed application servers and automated deployment process (Git/Jenkins)
Enforced testing standards using PHPUnit and Laravel Dusk/Selenium

Post Doctoral Associate
University of Miami
(2015 - 2016)

Designed and built ClickHist, an open-source, modular data analysis tool
Performed statistical analyses of simulated extreme rainfall events across the globe

Tempt Your Fortune

Try it out here! [Source Code]

A JavaScript prototype of a classic game - can you avoid the Whomper?

Pastel Stalactites