What was your favorite part about your UseIT experience?

I'd say that while the most entertaining part of the UseIT program would have to be the field trips, the real meat of the program, and therefore my favorite part, is the team development process. I've learned a ton about test-driven development. I've also learned a lot generally about working with a large group towards a goal.

What is your overall impression of the facilities and equipment?

Very good. The rooms are kept cool, which is a bonus in the hot Southern California weather. The computers are fast and up-to-date. The GeoWall (our 3-d projector system) is pretty amazing, too.

What is the atmosphere or working environment like?

While laid-back, the work environment is very goal-oriented. Nobody simply sits down and chugs along aimlessly; every day, people are making quantifiable improvements to the software. Overall, we've made tremendous progress towards creating an "Earthquake Monitoring System", which is what the current goal of our program is.

What about the friendships you've made while staying here?

I've made a few good friends, and I've also learned a little more about the type of people I enjoy being around. I've also learned about the type of people I don't enjoy being around. Spending 5 to 6 hours a day with the same people teaches you a lot about them, and about yourself, too. I think this has prepared me pretty well for a real-life workplace, certainly.

Has this program influenced or affected your plans for a career? If so, how or why?

Not exactly. However, it has confirmed an earlier decision of mine not to go into computer science. I really find the process tedious and repetitive. I'm becoming an electrical engineer, with the eventual aim of working with nanoscale applications, and while I enjoy programming as a little hobby, working in an actual development environment isn't what I would consider an ideal job for myself. This program has been good in part because I've gained a better understanding of that.

What have you done in the UseIT program this summer?

I've worked on displaying new 3-d fault models under California. Jadd Jennings and I have implemented the USGS 1996 dataset and the NSHMP "dot-curtain" dataset (which is essentially USGS 2002 in a different display setting). These datasets are used by scientists to create Natural Seismic Hazard Maps, and to aid in hazard analyses for Southern California. The USGS96 model already existed in our old software, "LA3D", so importing it to SCEC_VDO was a fairly simple matter. The NSHMP model was certainly different, but it worked on similar principles. Edgar Evangelista has considerably refined the visuals and GUI for our projects, as well.