Résumé

Karen Hope

3440 Granite Rd.

Woodstock, MD. USA 21163

Home Phone: (410) 922-8505 Mobile Phone: (410) 440-8626

e-mail: karenHope@att.net; karen@beckEngineeringLLC.com

Work Experience:

August 2004 – January 2005:

Principle, Beck Engineering LLC

Subcontracted to IBM to develop and deliver training materials on IBM Server Smalltalk and Web Services to major bank in Caracas, Venezuela. Material delivered include implementation of Web Services in Smalltalk, Introduction to Java, Introduction to Eclipse, HTTP, RMI, XML, SOA (including WSDL, UDDI, and SOAP) and deploying Server Smalltalk IC’s. Delivered two one-week courses in Caracas, VE, in November, 2004 and December, 2004.

Summary of the Business Foundation System (BFS) Application: Full life-cycle support (quote, issue, endorse, renew) commercial Business Owners Property and Liability and Worker’s Compensation insurance policies. Distributed Service-Oriented Architecture includes a browser-based user interface (dynamic HTML, JSP’s, Javascript frameworks) communicating to Java servlets running under Websphere communicating using XML over RMI to Server Smalltalk domain. Java servlet rating engine accepts both company-specific domain object models and ACORD XML. Original client/server application was deployed January 1996; over 35 subsequent production releases; supports more than 7500 users in over 3200 locations. It manages over 150,000 policies with policy premiums totaling over $750,000,000; 99% uptime; cycle time for rating reduced from 12 seconds to 2 seconds as a result of architecture improvements.

July 1994 – July 2004:

2002 – 2004 Employed by St. Paul/Travelers (frmr. St. Paul Companies) as Application Architect.

As Application Architect and Technical Lead, performed architecture analysis, design, and implementation of Smalltalk – Java conversion to reimplement rating “engine” for application described above in Java using WSAD 5.0. Specific responsibilities: designed re-architecture of Smalltalk to Java application; wrote frameworks and custom tools to generate Java from Smalltalk domain classes; rewrote major Smalltalk frameworks in Java; lead team of eight senior developers during the rewrite of existing rating code to operate on (ported) Java domain objects serialized from Smalltalk using RMI.

1998 – 2002 Employed by St. Paul Companies (frmr. USF&G Insurance) as Application Architect.

As Application Architect and Technical Lead, performed architecture analysis, design and implementation of next generation architecture for application cited above. Architecture improvements involved harvesting subsystems within rich-client VSE application, porting to Server Smalltalk, and implemented frameworks to enable communication with distributed objects using Websphere, Java Servlets, RMI, XML, HTML. Specific responsibilities included implementing distributed communications, runtime environment, domain refactoring, Smalltalk code porting (VSE - VAST), and performance improvements.

1994 - 1998 Employed by USF&G Insurance as Senior Technical Specialist.

As Frameworks Team Lead, responsibilities included analysis, design, implementation and enhancement of a Smalltalk VSE application running on Windows95/NT workstations used to write policies for Commercial Business Owners insurance policies. Client/Server technology includes a PARTS GUI front-end through TOPLink to Sybase System 11 database. Technical team leader for Object-Oriented Frameworks analysis and design, object coding, integration and testing. Major responsibilities also include developing and delivering Smalltalk training to new hires, mentoring, design review boards, developing and promoting coding standards, and performing code reviews. Performed technical analysis of alternative Smalltalk dialects for eventual evolution of application from two-tier to n-tier architecture.

January 1982 - July 1994:

Employed by Westinghouse Electric Corporation as a Senior Manufacturing Engineer.

September 1992 - July 1994:

Design and implementation of program management tool implemented for major radar contract. Client/server technology includes Smalltalk/VisualWorks front-end to Oracle database on UNIX file server. Pilot (16 workstations) deployed on Macintosh and Windows clients 3rd quarter 1993, propagated to additional 50 workstations 1st quarter 1994. Areas of concentration include Object-Oriented design and implementation, Macintosh/Windows compatibility issues, and tool selection.

January 1990 - September 1992:

Project lead for a distributed financial Executive Information System used by top-level management to assess their business area’s performance. Prototype delivered June 1990, and ultimately had 35 users. Client/server technology includes Macintosh Hypercard front-end to Oracle database on UNIX file server.

November 1988 - January 1990:

Designed, developed and implemented custom Macintosh applications in Hypercard. Implemented an executive productivity aid which included calendar, action items, rolodex, etc. Distributed system used by secretaries to maintain executive calendars. Had 20-25 active users; Westinghouse marketed to Pentagon for DoD use in 1993. Also, designed, developed, and implemented a Hypercard application for managing information used in producibility analyses. Application used to evaluate alternate system configurations, perform cost roll-ups, provide extensive reporting capabilities, and track manufacturing issues.

June 1987 - November 1988 :

Performed systems simulation analysis activities in SIMAN for automated Test facilities. Study involved line-balancing and throughput analysis. Also performed SIMAN simulation study of production facility for a large Defense contract to examine machine and worker utilization.

January 1982 - June 1987 :

Designed, coded, and implemented control software for automated insertion station of digital components in printed circuit boards. Coded and implemented control software for an automated storage and retrieval system. Involved distributed computer networks as well as direct control of hardware devices. Principal software written in FORTRAN 77 and Assembly language. Provided engineering support in meeting production requirements at manufacturing facility in College Station, Texas.

Education:

Received Master of Science in Industrial Engineering, Texas A&M University, August, 1989. Emphasis on Operations Research/Simulation.

Received Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from University of Maryland, Balto. County, in December, 1981. Overall grade point average of 3.74 / 4.0.

Technology Experience:

Eclipse, WSAD, VisualAge Smalltalk, IBM Server Smalltalk 6.0, Java, RMI, XML, Synchrony Systems’ SMT and SMT/J, Visual Smalltalk Enterprise/TeamV/PARTS, TOPLink (Smalltalk), Smalltalk/VisualWorks, some PERL, Sybase System 12, Oracle, Hypercard/Hypertalk, SQLWindows, Gupta, some UNIX, some C, FORTRAN 77, Pascal, SIMAN, some Ada, Assembly Language, LISP, GPSS, SLAM II.

Windows XP, Windows NT, Windows 3.1, Apple Macintosh, Sun microcomputers, VAX 11/780, PD.-11 series, HP 1000 and A600 series, Univac 1180.

Articles, Awards and Achievements:

Presenter Smalltalk Solutions 2006, “Translating Smalltalk to Java: The Good, the Bad, and the Unbelievably Ugly” about converting the rating engine from Smalltalk to Java. Copies available upon request.

Presenter OOPSLA 2001 in Tampa, Florida, “SPCQuote: The Evolution of a Client Application to Distributed Service Processing “. Technical paper published in proceedings. Copies available upon request.

Presenter OOPSLA 1997 in Atlanta, Georgia, “Foundation: A Model for Concurrent Project Development.” Technical paper published in proceedings. Copies available upon request.

Presenter AutoFact Europe, 1984 in Basel, Switzerland. Technical paper published in proceedings. Copies available upon request.

While working as Architect, the St. Paul/Traveler’s Business Foundation System application received the following awards:

1997 Smithsonian Institution Innovator Award

2001 ACORD Early Technology Adopters Award

2002 ACORD Trading Partners Award

2002 ACORD Business Process Reengineering Award

2003 Business Integration Award ACORD

2003 Finalist, Innovator Award Application Development Trends magazine

Named as USF+G I/S Principle 1996 and 1997.

Named as software inventor in U.S. Patent application filed by Westinghouse.

Received 4 Creative Software Awards from Westinghouse. Received Corporate ISAC (Information System Advisory Council) award 1993 (1 of 2 awarded).

General Information:

Citizenship: U.S.A.

Highest Clearance: Secret (inactive)

References, articles available upon request.