C:/ www.unc.edu/~pgale / about the author /
graphic design
photo graphics
swim bike run
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w. Patrick Gale
Email: This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it
Phone: 919-843-1296
Address:
UNC - School of Public Health
222 Rosenau Hall
CB# 7400
Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7400


Current Positions
Since: 2004 Web Application Developer & Graphic Designer
Instructional and Information Systems, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Public Health


Summary of Research Interests
As a web programmer and design expert here at the School, my main role is to improve the speed, efficiency, effectiveness, and security of information we communicate over the web. In order to make these improvements I must have an interest in a myriad of things such as:
  • Web browser differences
  • Website hacking
  • Graphic design layout
  • Image sizing, cropping, & contrast
  • Usability issues (what users like & do not like)
  • Database management
  • Web scripting
  • Marketing for the web
    • ...just to name a few.

    How these interests relate to my work

    In mid-2006, I became the chief mechanic for the SPH website after performing a major overhaul on it. The overhaul fixed a myriad of problems plaguing the site such as:

    • Doing away with the need for content managers to install or learn editing and ftp software on their computers
    • Extensive broken navigation across the site due to difficult to manage content templates
    • Proprietary software which frequently caused system errors
    While the overhaul fixed the above problems, it added things such as:
    • Instant website template changing (by separating the content from the website templates)
    • Easier website URL mapping and editing
    • Common secure campus authentication so there is no need for password management
    • Faster content editing and updating
    • More effective website searching using the campus Google Search Appliance to handle our website searches
    Since the SPH website contains thousands of pages and thousands upon thousands of website links, the overhauled changes represent a huge savings in management and training time.



    Educational Background
    1997 East Tennessee State University BSc. Design Graphics & Digital Media
    Graphic Design Technology


    Expertise

    I design and manage numerous web applications for the School using PHP and Flex scripting languages. These applications are usually written to communicate with an Oracle or MySQL database which I also design and manage. I am the technical lead on most projects we develop and determine the technology needed to push a particular project.

    When I am not directly involved with a particular project, I step in as a Development Auditor and examine the project design and functionality to ensure high quality in the final product or service. To audit, I rely on my graphic design background to review the composition, choice of graphics, and consistency within our designs. My programming background enables me to find programming and logic holes in our designs. This allows me to offer solutions to design problems and not just point at problem areas.

    Certifications:

  • Brain-bench certified Adobe Photoshop 5.5
  • Brain-bench certified PHP 4
  • Online courses completed: Perl/CGI, Java 2

    Expert in:

  • video and still graphics editing
  • software testing
  • web technologies
  • data storage and manipulation
  • web marketing

    • Awards:


    SPH IIS Department - Godzilla Award for Technical Excellence (April 26, 2007)



    UNC Campus - Information Technology Award (April 17, 2007)

  • School of Public Health - Dean's Award for Quality and Innovation (2007)


    • Previous Positions
    2003-2004Quality Assurance Lead
    Instructional and Information Systems, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Public Health

    1999-2002Web Application Developer & Graphic Designer
    Cisys, Inc.