Self Introduction

Name: Ross Peterson
Email:

• University: rosscpeterson@neo.tamu.edu
• Gmail: rosspeterson06@gmail.com

Major: Computer Science
Year: 2nd Year Masters (Non-Thesis), last semester
Undergraduate Education: Texas A&M University, College Station



Why I'm Taking the Class: 

1. Dr. Hammond is a great professor. She covers a wide range of material, knows the literature, is active and respected in the fields she teaches, and runs a fun class. I should know since this is the 4th class I've taken with her.
2. I've been developing an educational sketch recognition based program called Kanji Storyteller that acts as a learning space for students of foreign languages. Currently, it only supports Japanese and only recognizes a small set of kanji. When I first started working on it, I was working with a group of students from Dr. Hammond's Sketch Recognition Lab and I was pretty dependent on their contributions for the recognizer. I want to improve the recognizer and free myself from dependence on others for future development. (more about that project later.)

Experience / Expertise I bring to the class:
I won't claims expertise in any particular area but my skills include:

Programming Languages:        C++/C, Python, Java, Javascript, C#, PHP, ,NET, WPF, XML, XAML, Haskell, Lisp, Prolog, MySQL

Natural Languages:                  English, Spanish, Japanese

Other Skills/Experiences:

Multithreaded Programming, Windows and Unix System Programming (GUI, inter-process comm., threads, sockets), Agile Methods: Scrum, Game Development in Unity3d

Professional Life Goals:

1. Make a memorable game, preferably fun.
2. Develop a top-tier educational tool for learning languages.
3. Find work in the video game industry for a time.

Personal Life Goals:

1. To serve God and others well
2. To love God and others fully
3. To  live wisely
4. To learn many languages well and visit and experience many cultures

What I want to do after I graduate:

• Get a good job (pays reasonably with fun coworkers and fulfilling work) and earn enough to have a great wedding and honeymoon in October

What I expect to be doing in 10 years:

• One can never be sure, but hopefully learning a new language and living out my personal and professional goals.

What do you think will be the next biggest technological advancement in computer science?

• Proliferation of nano-machines for sensing, communication, and environment alteration (maybe that's the next after next after next advancement)

If you could travel back in time, who would you like to meet and why?

• C.S. Lewis - The man is simply brilliant. He writes very succinctly and has a very discerning mind. He sees what everyone sees in any particular matter and then drills past assumptions and hits what is really the heart of the matter. His logical approach to theology results in balanced and sound stances on anything he approaches.

Describe your favorite shoes and why they are your favorite?

• I suppose that I enjoyed a pair of  leather boots with a belt style buckle that looks similar to harness boots. They had a rounded toe look. They were heavy and you felt like you could command a presence without being forcibly stylish or vain.

If you could be fluent in any foreign language that you're not already fluent in, which one would it be and why?

• Either Mandarin or German, I think. I like their history, art, food, culture, and way their languages sound.

Something Funny / Interesting:

• I had no idea what programming was when I started studying computer science.