Introduction

I’m a web developer specializing in JavaScript, front & back. With 6+ experience, a background in physics, data analysis/visualization, & 5+ years of professional web development–specializing in JavaScript–I’ve cultivated a diverse skill set. Working among some of the most talented designers, artists, engineers, executives, as well as my own clients, I prioritize delivering efficient, optimized applications, emphasizing beauty and style, as well as accessibility, implementation of the latest web technologies, and best practices.

My skills may be described as ‘full stack’–though I find this term minimizes my emphasis on aesthetic design & the importance of the user experience. By continuously expanding my knowledge of front & back-end development I have the unique ability to create intuitive, cohesive applications that take full advantage of the interactive nature of the web—always elegant, efficient, & engaging. Formally educated in physics, mathematics, computation, music composition, and digital art, my multi-disciplinary approach to problem-solving delivers creative solutions to complexity.

I graduated from Reed College (B.A. Physics, 2015) and authored thesis over the entirety of my senior year. I sought to quantify subjective visual characteristics (e.g. ‘naturalness’) of timevariant patterns formed by computed nonlinear chemical reactions first discovered by Alan Turing (‘reaction-diffusion’). Utilizing new & increasingly complex mathematical methods known as ‘homology’, I performed multi-dimensional computational analysis of resulting patterns topology (Python/C). Communicating mathematically complex research in a clear & engaging way presented a challenge.

I looked to the web as an interactive canvas–I built a webpage to present the computer generated graphics alongside interactive JS data visualizations. The satisfying reward of seeing those with no formal math/physics education (i.e. mom) gain an intuitive understanding of my work ultimately led me to pursue a career in the web. The accessibility of my work has inspired continuing research on this topic by successive Reed students. The full text & interactive visualization are available at thesis.joel.fm.