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Edward G. Boyle BSc. PG Dip.
Home address
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[email protected]
http://homepages.ed.ac.uk/eboyle1/
17 years experience of working in demanding and highly technical IT environments, mostly in
higher education institutions but also in commercial and government establishments
Large range of IT skills, primarily software engineering (Perl, PHP, ColdFusion, JavaScript,
Java EE), RDBMS administration and development (MySQL, PostgreSQL, Microsoft SQL
Server, Oracle PL/SQL), systems administration (Unix, Linux, Windows) and website design &
development (XHTML, CSS, XML, Apache, Drupal, Dreamweaver, Photoshop)
Strong analytical, numerate, problem-solving and troubleshooting skills
Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written
Extensive experience of working on many and varied technical IT projects involving large
teams but also small individual projects, and delivering outputs within a framework of managed
timescales and deliverables
Strong belief in participation in the complete software application development lifecycle
involving rapid prototyping methodologies to build web-based products that fulfil project
objectives, enable wider institutional goals (e.g. teaching, learning & research), create dynamic
and interactive knowledge communities and provide a useful user-focused service
Self-motivated and flexible, able to learn new IT skills quickly and able to manage workload
and deliver outputs without supervision
Work Experience
Apr 11 – Oct 11; Web Developer (grade UE06), School of History, Classics and Archaeology,
University of Edinburgh
I worked on a six-month contract building a new web-based staff profile system for the School.
This used MySQL/PHP/Apache on a Linux server to offer web-based editing forms and public
web pages containing text and images, utilising CSS layouts, JavaScript and third party software
(CKEditor). Major goals were integrating the system with the university’s Content Management
System (Polopoly), authentication/authorisation system (EASE) and central research and student
data services. I worked closely with academic and support staff in the School to gather
requirements and feedback on prototypes, and to generate documentation for the system. The
system was delivered on time with all the required functionality and can be seen at:
http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/history-classics-archaeology/about-us/staff-profiles
Jan 11 – Apr 12; Freelance IT
These IT projects were undertaken on a freelance basis (this work is currently still ongoing):
- Student Recruitment & Admissions, University of Edinburgh. ColdFusion web forms and
FileMaker Pro database development and bug-fixing.
- Development of two research consortium websites (http://www.commnet.ac.uk and
http://www.ukchinab4g.ac.uk) in collaboration with academics at the University of Edinburgh and
Heriot-Watt University. Both websites use the Drupal Content Management System (CMS) and
use was also made of Adobe Creative Suite applications (Dreamweaver, Illustrator, Photoshop).
- Maintenance and technical support of the ERPem website.
- Technical advice to Heriot-Watt University for the development of the School of Engineering &
Physical Sciences website.
Aug 09 – Aug 10; Computing Officer (grade UE07), School of Engineering, University of Edinburgh
Responsibility for developing and improving the School of Engineering website
(http://www.eng.ed.ac.uk/), and implementing a new website platform using the Drupal CMS,
alongside evaluation of the university’s Polopoly CMS. This used many of the same techniques
that were used to develop the ERPem website, particularly in terms of Information Architecture. I
was also responsible for providing technical support to the administrative databases in use within
the School, involving ColdFusion and Microsoft SQL Server.
Aug 07 - Aug 09; Project Officer (grade UE07), ERPem, University of Edinburgh
Responsibility for all technical aspects of the development of the Edinburgh Research
Partnership in Engineering and Mathematics (ERPem) website (http://www.erp.ac.uk/), including
requirements gathering and design of the information architecture and interface, standards and
legislation conformance (accessibility, FOI, data protection), search engine optimisation and
security. This involved the use of Adobe Creative Suite applications such as Dreamweaver,
Photoshop and Illustrator as well as the building of the website using the Drupal CMS, MySQL
and Perl scripts, and the evaluation of the Polopoly CMS. I was also responsible for gathering
content for the website and creating CMS interfaces to allow non-technical staff to edit the
content.
May 02 – Aug 07; Software Engineer (grade UE07), Edina National Data Centre
(http://www.edina.ac.uk/), University of Edinburgh
Main responsibility was software engineering for the development and maintenance of many
projects and services. These were heavily Internet-based and involved a large variety of Internet
technologies and languages, including Perl, Java and PHP. Use was regularly made of all of the
following extensively: XML, Z39.50, Apache, Tomcat JSP/Servlets, Web Services (SOAP),
MySQL and PostgreSQL.
Major projects were the JISC-funded Go-Geo (http://www.gogeo.ac.uk/) project and the AGI
Gigateway service (now decommissioned). Go-Geo is an academic-orientated portal offering
access to datasets (from sources such as the Ordnance Survey and the British Geological
Survey) having a geospatial element or of possible interest to the GIS community. For both of
these projects I built web-based keyword, placename and graphical map-based search tools and
Z39.50 metadata search engines, using Isite and YAZ indexing software, MySQL databases,
XML, OAI-PMH, SOAP and RSS.
Connected to these projects, I developed web-based graphical mapping applications using UMN
MapServer, GDAL/OGR, and the Google Maps and OpenLayers APIs. I also developed
applications that implemented geographic information specifications from international bodies
including the FGDC, OGC and ISO, as well as UK governmental standards. I also worked with
the NeSC investigating the use of Grid technologies (Globus Toolkit and the OGSA-DAI project)
and the integration of large, disparate and heterogeneous datasets.
Other responsibilities: presenting technical papers and demonstrating software at national and
international conferences; XSLT and J2EE training courses; development of applications for
service usage statistics and monitoring; writing project reports and technical documentation,
development of Python-based extensions for an internal Plone/Zope intranet/CMS application,
technical support for the e-learning Jorum project (http://www.jorum.ac.uk/) which involved
evaluating IMS metadata specifications and repositories (DSpace, Fedora and Eprints);
development of a DSpace repository for the GRADE project (http://edina.ac.uk/projects/grade/).
Feb 02 - Apr 02; Web Developer (Admin grade AA2), Finance Department, University of Edinburgh
Developed a range of web-based financial services including web forms for training registration
and updating of databases of financial information using ColdFusion, MS IIS and NT server.
Jan 00 - Jan 02; Web Developer (Research grade AR1A), University of Edinburgh
Responsible for all aspects of technical development for an academic e-learning project called
the Scottish electronic Staff Development Library (SeSDL), a cross-university initiative
developing an online library of digital training and teaching resources. This included management
of a SunOS/Apache web server, writing Perl CGI scripts (incorporating DBD/DBI interfaces),
writing HTML (including web forms and JavaScript), developing databases (MySQL, ColdFusion,
MS Access), dealing with metadata (IMS specifications) and controlled vocabulary issues, writing
Java programs using Sun JDK and Borland JBuilder, and creating and processing XML and XSL
documents. I also developed the ScotCIT project parent website using ColdFusion and MS
Access.
Aug 99 - Jan 00; Computer Programmer, School of Computing, Napier University, Edinburgh
General IT support for staff and students, including desktop PC and application support, NT
Workstation lab support and management of NT Server, NetWare and Unix accounts. Creation of
webserver (SunOS/Apache) HTML pages using Perl CGI scripts, Unix shell scripts, JavaScript
and Java applets.
Apr 99 - Jun 99; IT Support, Institute of Chartered Accountants Scotland, Edinburgh
Sep 96 - Apr 99; Network Services Programmer (ALC grade 2), Computing Services, Heriot-Watt
University, Edinburgh
Responsible for all aspects of network infrastructure across the university, including sole
responsibility for the provision of network facilities to two large student halls of residence on
campus with 500+ network connections and also the university’s 56k modem dial-in system
giving students and staff full remote access to the university network.
Other responsibilities: management of TCP/IP network facilities including IP address allocation,
DNS, BootP/DHCP and the university's connection to JANET; network monitoring, management
and security and the production of network diagrams; maintenance and troubleshooting of the
campus FDDI ring and associated Ethernet segments; router/firewall administration and
faultfinding; acquisition of new network hardware and dealing with vendors, and the expansion
and upgrading of the campus network into new buildings and departments, including
implementation of Gigabit Ethernet, ISDN modems/routers and ATM switches/Cellstacks for
videoconferencing.
Mar 95 - Jul 96; Unix C Programmer, Solcom Systems, Livingston
Aug 94 - Sep 94; Researcher, Knowledge Tree Systems, Napier University, Edinburgh
Jan 92 - Sep 92; Full-time Administrative Assistant, Benefits Agency, Edinburgh
Education and Qualifications
Sep 2011
Sep 10 – Dec 10
Apr 2010
Sep 93 - May 94
Oct 89 - May 92
Oct 88 - Jun 93
Sep 81 - Jun 88
ITC Certificate in Outdoor First Aid
University of Edinburgh; MSc. Geographical Information Science (one
semester); modules completed: Spatial Analysis, Spatial Modelling,
Distributed GIS, Principles of GIS, Water Resource Management, Research
Practice & Project Planning; practical assessments: ArcGIS, Perl, Oracle,
SVG
NNAS Gold Navigation Award
Napier University, Edinburgh; Postgraduate Diploma in Information
Technology
Edinburgh University Officer Training Corps; Military Training Qualifications
One and Two (MTQ1 & MTQ 2)
University of Edinburgh; BSc. Astrophysics
Queen Victoria School, Dunblane, UK; Ten SCE O grades and five SCE H
grades
Full and clean UK driving licence since May 1992 (car owner)
Interests
Travel, photography, mountaineering and the mountain environment. I have been a member of the
Mountaineering Council of Scotland since 2008 and the John Muir Trust since 2012, and am currently
working towards the MLT Mountain Leader Award qualification. I have climbed extensively in Scotland
and climbed at high altitude in the Sierra Nevada of California, the Sierra Nevada and Canary Islands of
Spain and the High Atlas of Morocco. I have lived in Germany, lived and worked in Belgium (in the
summer of 1988), worked in the USA (in the summer of 1989), have travelled extensively in the USA &
Canada, and have visited Norway, Sweden, Spain, Germany, France, Switzerland, Cyprus & Morocco.
In 2009 I completed the Edinburgh Marathon and In 2011 I climbed my 200 th Munro summit. I have my
own personal website and blog at http://www.edwardboyle.com/.
References
Ms Karen Howie, eLearning & Web Development Officer
School of History, Classics and Archaeology, University of Edinburgh
Room 2.33, William Robertson Wing, Old Medical School, Teviot Place, Edinburgh, EH8 9AG
Telephone: +44 (0)131 650 9110
Email: [email protected]
Professor Peter Grant, Emeritus Regius Professor of Engineering
School of Engineering, University of Edinburgh
Room 2.04, Alexander Graham Bell Building, King's Buildings, Mayfield Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3JL
Telephone: +44 (0)131 650 5569
Email: [email protected]
Mr David Stewart, IT Services Manager
School of Engineering, University of Edinburgh
Room A116, Alrick Building, King's Buildings, Mayfield Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3JL
Telephone: +44 (0)131 650 5647
Email: [email protected]