Douglas S. Ryan
Senior Technical Writer and Instructional Designer
1511 South River Drive, Tempe, Arizona 85281; (480) 804-0215
dsryan@mindspring.com http://www.mindspring.com/~dsryan/resume.htm
Objectives
To expand my expertise in Information Development for software products, emphasizing online and web-based documentation, distributed computing, software analysis and design, and my experience in telecommunications and course design.
To bring to project teams my excellent communication, organizational, and interpersonal skills—as well as my intellectual curiosity and love of learning.
Skills Summary
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Project Areas: software development for
client-server integrated products. Product design, requirements, |
Documentation: document research, planning; technical writing, editing. Formatting, template creation; writing for online help. Audiences from general end-users to software developers. Structured writing; ISO 9000 quality compliance; process documentation. Training Development: instructional systems
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Programming and Design: Courses in Java,
C++, and SAS. Software analysis and design practices such as creation of
basic use cases, class diagrams, sequence
diagrams. |
Systems Used: Windows, Windows NT;
DOS. Hardware Experience: embedded controller boards; telecommunications switch components. Cellular system radio base stations. Desktop PCs. |
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Tools Used: FrameMaker; SGML Adept Publisher; Word; WP. PowerPoint; Excel; Adobe Acrobat Distiller; WinZip. Communicator, IE. MS Project, other project and team mgmt tools. Also Unix vi, E-Macs, Notepad text editors; cross-platform software such as Maestro; configuration management tools such as StarTeam. |
Graphics: product screen captures, labeling in wide range of formats; process flow diagrams. Graphics creation, manipulation, importing with various tools including Paintshop Pro, Corel Draw, Snag-It, Adobe Photoshop. Linguistic: French (fluent); German; Latin; Greek. |
Experience
Technical Writer
Zeosoft Corp. (formerly Buzzeo, Inc.) Scottsdale, Arizona full-time: June 2000 – November 2002
Zeosoft Corporation, as sole technical communicator: May 2001 – November 2002
· Created and edited developer documentation for new software product suite that allows enterprises to create and to remotely deploy and manage light-weight servers on wireless, handheld devices for genuine peer-to-peer computing. Documentation includes procedures and code for deploying and testing enterprise applications for such on-device servers.
· Wrote developer documentation for chronic care management (CCM) software that uses wireless workflow technology to increase patients’ self-management of long-term medical conditions such as diabetes.
· Extensively researched and summarized federal regulations concerning privacy of individual medical records for design requirements of CCM product.
· Regularly participated in software product analysis and design via such methods as use case creation, and functioned as user advocate through GUI reviews and ongoing usability testing.
Buzzeo, Incorporated, as Documentation Project Lead: June 2000 – May 2001
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Coordinated three writers and analysts in developing new software
products. These included the ZEOLogix development and run-time platform for
creation of Enterprise Java Beans (EJBs) used in applications for true,
multi-tiered enterprise computing over Web.
· Documented CORBA Component Wizard (CCW), which lets developers generate objects written in various OO languages and intended for use in networked applications. CORBA is a standard for cross-language, cross-platform interoperability. User Guide includes procedures, code for deploying and run-testing newly-created objects.
· Wrote, tested Online Help items for CCW. Incorporated these into product and tracked Change Requests (CRs) with developers’ configuration management tool. Also gathered, produced long-term product-planning documentation. Helped develop documentation processes, standards, templates as member of Technical Communications team.
Technical Writer
Motorola Semiconductor Products Sector (SPS), Tempe, Arizona contract: June 1999 – October 1999
· Revised SPS software tool developer’s guides for new ON Semiconductor company separated from SPS.
· Produced order fulfillment training materials and process flows for the SPS global, enterprise-wide business processes. Processes integrate all customer service and manufacturing tracking tools, orders to delivery.
Motorola Computer Group (MCG), Tempe, Arizona contract: August 1998 - March 1999
· With engineers, reworked Programmer Reference Guides for embedded microprocessor boards used by range of OEMs. Software used: FrameMaker; also cross-platform, mfg control, and Matrix release tools.
Product Documentor contract: March 1998 - July 1998
Ericsson Radio Base Station and Systems Development, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina
· Created user manuals for new radio base station products bought by cellular telephone service companies.
· Moved ArborText SGML Adept documents from WinNT to Unix with Exceed and Maestro NFS software; used Ericsson document database systems. Worked with teams in Sweden, Texas; solved format issues.
Software Documentor contract: November 1996 - February 1998
Lucent Technologies’ Advanced Software Construction Center (ASCC), Cary, North Carolina
· Helped create task analysis, information development plan (IDP), and documentation for real-time, event-processing software engine for telecom, internet applications. Installed/configured product with Unix vi editor.
· Did documentation planning for new IPO, and wrote overview chapter, new Application Developer’s Guide releases, and all install/upgrade-related Guides. Worked closely with test team in New Jersey and with Customer Service Team in California. Performed similar role for India release of network-related product.
· Followed Lucent InfoWare standards and ASCC’s quality process, including use of quality process and metrics software, in meeting ISO and SEI Level 3 standards. Documents used Information Mapping rules.
Course Developer Imonics, Inc., Cary, North Carolina contract: 1995 - 1996
· Designed, wrote all user training for core application of medical billing system. Delivered courses for review.
· Created task analysis for all product training, documentation, and quality assurance work. Created training/testing database from program tables. Worked closely with programmers and teammates.
Briefer Projects and Previous Positions
Concord Software Development Corp., Scottsdale, AZ Training modules, overview, and template. 2000
Pacific Environmental Svcs., Inc., Research Triangle Park, NC EPA database mgmt system manual. 1996
Northern Telecom, Inc., Raleigh, NC Training course development for hardware testing of DMS switch. 1995
Director of Training and Outreach Nat’l Paideia Center, UNC-Chapel Hill, School of Education 1992-1993
Faculty training. Wrote new course materials, grant proposal drafts, research results for publications. Marketing.
Teacher and Advisor 1986-1992, 1993-1994
Developed, taught courses in most areas of History, Social Studies. Designed, taught new Humanities courses.
Education, Academic Honors
Columbia University New York, New York M.A. in History, 1986.
President's Fellowship, Columbia University Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, 1982-1985.
State University of New York Purchase, New York B.A. with Honors in History, 1982.
Comm College courses: Scottsdale, AZ, Java Language, 2001-02; Durham Tech, NC, Statistics, SAS, 1994-95.
Professional and Community Activities
· Society for Technical Communication (STC), senior member. Chair of Carolina Chapter’s Education and Training Committee. Rebuilt Committee, earning award from International STC, 1997.
· Past President and Board member, Las Brisas Homeowners Association, Tempe, Arizona.
· Phoenix Java Users Grp; Amer Soc for Training & Development; Nat’l Soc for Performance & Instruction.