About Me

I graduated cum laude from Southern Methodist University in May 2019 with a BS in Computer Science and Mathematics. Currently enrolled at SMU Guildhall pursuing my Masters in Interactive Technology, Software Development. I have worked professionally for BALANCED Media | Technology as a software development intern.

BALANCED Media | Technology

Worked in R&D implementing various image segmentation machine learning algorithms into a prototype game
Developed a screen shot system for designers to capture images for the mobile game Rocks & Runes
Various bug fixes related to the multiplier and timer
Implemented touch controls and user interface elements for the web based The Omega Cluster
Added support for both landscape and portrait play
Updated the tutorial for The Omega Cluster based on the new movement system designed
Various user interface bug fixes on both keyboard and mouse mode & touch mode

SMU Guildhall

Lead programmer for Crystal Call, our largest and most recent team game production
Led 2 other programmers on a team of 10 students
Designed and delegated the players momentum system and heat management system
Designed and developed 90% of the user interface including the dynamic keyboard & controller focus swapping system.
Finalized the build system to work with any Unreal Engine 4 project with a configuration file

Strengths

c/C++

C++ has since become my main focus for improvement since starting at SMU Guildhall. We are currently working on developing a custom game engine entirely in C++ with the goal of having a working 3D game engine by the end of the program.

Python

Used for all my scripting needs. Developed an full build pipeline for UE4 builds. Included a configurable environment for multiple project use and optional run parameters and a logging system.

Software Development

I have been using scrum for four years in both an educational and professional level. I have run scrums and worked with my other leads during sprint review and retros to ensure that everyone knows and participates. I have also used iterative methodologies as well.

Unreal Engine 4

Both Haberdashers and Crystal Call were developed in UE4 with numerous other classes focused on both UE4 and UE4 C++. I used various UE4 techniques to create a automatic versioning system for Crystal Call

Unity

Unity 2019.2.2f1 was used for the development of Neon over the class Team Game Production 1. During the production of Neon, I implemented the player movement system, the sound management system, the game management system including saving data to device for saved game support.

VCS

I am very familiar with both Git and Perforce, and have used both on small scale team projects and large scale industry projects. During that time I also made use of Git LFS for my Git projects. Perforce was used for the entirety of Neon, Haberdashers, and Crystal Call

Project Design

Over the course of SMU Guildhall and my leadership positions, I have been in charge of the development and design of three separate games. Each required a handle on the goals and direction for the game including a decomposition of features, dependency analysis, and prioritization.

Project Management

Over the course of my undergraduate degree and currently in my graduate program, I have been the leader on many software development projects. I was the lead programmer for Neon, Haberdashers, and Crystal Call, and worked with programming teams from 2 to 13 people.

Hobbies

Fitness

At the start of Covid-19, I wanted quarantine to have a positive effect on my personal life. I started working out at home and have continued to try and improve my physical abilities with exercise and much more moderate eating. I enjoy weight training much more than cardio.

Rock Climbing

During high school my friends and I took up rock climbing near a gym next to where I lived. We were immediately hooked. It seemed every week we were at the gym. It eventually got to the point that we got our own gear and started lead climbing. Unfortunately it has been far too long since I have last gone but want to pick it back up.

Xbox and PC Gaming

Xbox 360 was the first console that I remember owning and regularly playing. Since then I have been Team Microsoft if I had to choose between Xbox and Playstation. Later in life I started to transition to PC gaming and have been hopping between both Xbox and PC since then.

Internet of Things Crafts

Once I moved out for college I started tinkering with Arduinos and other devices to create overly complicated but interesting crafts and art pieces. I have created automatic light switches, tables that raise and lower, and a mounted deconstructed Xbox controller that is led back lit. I continue to tinker in my free time

Cooking

Ever since I was young I remember my love for cooking. My mom always tells me were never allowed to have boxed pancake mix, I had to make it from scratch. Since then I have improved my cooking skills and love to make Italian and Asian inspired dishes.

Gardening

With my love for cooking, I have branched out to gardening. I only have simple herb garden right now. When I was living with my parents I remember helping my dad grow tomato, lemons, peppers, and various herbs. I want to improve my garden to fruits and vegetables.

PC Building

At 13, I upgraded the ram in our old family computer. I remember doubling the memory with an additional 512mb stick. I was an old Dell in the off white plastic case. Since then I have built and rebuilt my computers and those of friends several times. My latest PC is completely custom built including a custom CPU/GPU water cooling loop.

Skiing

Ever since I was little I have enjoyed going skiing and snowboarding. Some of my earliest memories have been on the mountain with little tiny skis attached to my feet. As I have grown up I have tried to go skiing at least once a year with my most recent trip to Big Sky, Montana. However, Park City, Utah is the usual mountain of choice. See you on the slopes.

Jake Rowland