Matthew Terry Young

309 E John St.

Champaign, IL 61820

217-721-8452

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Interests

I am currently finishing work on a Masters degree in Computer Engineering at the University of Illinois, with a focus in artificial intelligence. My specific research is the use of description logic to encode virtual worlds, primarily with regard to architectural details of buildings. The goal is to create a framework that is consistent with the real world, able to expand automatically by retrieving information from an external data source, and able to perform fast inference. My thesis will be completed in December of this year.

I am also interested in math, science, and technology education. I have been active as a teaching assistant, having taught four semesters of the lab portion of an introductory class in Electrical and Computer Engineering. In this role, I have also been a key part in redesigning the structure of the course, updating it to be current with the latest technology. I have also worked for three years at the Office for Math, Science, and Technology Education, an outreach-focused office which helps math and science teachers use technology to teach more effectively.

Education

  • Currently pursuing a M.S. degree in Computer Engineering with a focus in Artificial Intelligence at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Currently carrying a GPA of 3.55.
  • Received B.S. degree in Computer Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign with a GPA of 3.84.

Research Papers

  • M. T. Young and E. Amir, Building Knowledge about Buildings, AAAI Fall symposium workshop on Semantic Web for Collaborative Knowledge Acquisition, 2006.

Computer Languages

Proficient in: C, C++, Awk, PHP, JavaScript, HTML, SQL, XML/RDF/OWL

Semi-proficient in: Java, Python, Matlab, x86, MIPS Assembler, VHDL, OpenGL

Work Experience

Summer 2003, Summer 2004, Summer 2005: Intern at Raytheon Missile Systems, Tucson AZ. I served for three summers as a member of the Product Data Support team. In this capacity, I helped to convert an old database of information about the structure of built products into a new database by writing software which converted information stored in the old database format into the new one. I also helped to redesign an online database interface for a variety of different business units, allowing easier access to information through the use of Javascript. Additionally, I have written a variety of report generating utilities that organize information from the product database into a readable and deliverable format for audits and sending information to customers. Writing these reports involved using a combination of HTML, Javascript, Unix commands, Awk, and SQL.

September 2003 - Current: Web Programmer/Technical Support for the Math, Science, and Technology Education Office at the University of Illinois. I perform a variety of different jobs for MSTE. These include: authoring database-driven web applications, integrating and presenting data from different sources, website design, graphics design, fixing/building new computers and other technology. I have co-authored a fully featured website content management system with support for calendars, course management, teaching resources, and editable design templates. All work done is with the focus of providing technology solutions for math and science teachers.

August 2004 - August 2006: Teaching Assistant for Introduction to Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign. Each week I helped students to complete a three-hour lab exercise, with the ultimate goal of creating a small autonomous car that can follow a white tape. Tasks included preparing a short opening introduction for each lab, helping students to learn to use the instruments, helping students to debug their circuits and designs, guiding students with explanations of difficult material, and weekly grading of 15-30 lab reports. In Fall 2005 and Spring 2006 I also served as the Head TA. My responsibilities in this role included overseeing other TAs, providing insight and advice as well as hands on training to the TAs, and writing new experiments for students to perform in the laboratory as part of a general course restructuring.

Awards/Honors

  • Recipient of the Robert C Byrd Scholarship
  • Recipient of the Milton Chang Scholarship (University of Illinois)
  • Two-time recipient of the Frank C. Mock Scholarship (University of Illinois)
  • Recipient of the General Motors Scholarship in Engineering (University of Illinois)
  • Graduated as a Chancellor's Scholar (University of Illinois)

Relevant Coursework

Math Courses

  • Calculus of Multiple Variables, Differential Equations
  • Discrete Mathematics
  • Linear Algebra and Matrix Transforms
  • Probability and Statistics
  • Hypergraphics (Mathematical Applications of Computer Graphics)

Lower Division Electrical/Computer Engineering Courses

  • Computer Engineering 1 (Logic, Gates, MSI, Simple Architecture)
  • Computer Engineering 2 (Medium-level Architecture, x86 Assembler)
  • Analog Signal Processing
  • Data Structures and Algorithms
  • Electromagnetic Fields
  • Digital Systems Laboratory (including VHDL)
  • Introduction to Numerical Theory

Upper Division Electrical/Computer Engineering Courses

  • Computer Architecture (Low-level, VHDL)
  • Solid State Design
  • Computer Graphics
  • Database Systems
  • Control Systems
  • Digital Signal Processing

Upper Division Artificial Intelligence/Computer Vision Courses

  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Computer Vision
  • Introduction to 3-Dimensional Geometry in Computer Vision
  • Pattern Recognition and Machine Learning
  • Knowledge Representation and Reasoning
  • Computational Models of Cognitive Processes

Other Activities

  • Member of various Christian organizations on campus: Excel Christian Fellowship (2004-Current), Chi Alpha Christian Fellowship (2000-2003, held position of President in Fall 2002/Spring 2003, Treasurer in Fall 2001/Spring 2002), Koinonia Christian Cooperative House (2000-2003, held position of Chaplain in Fall 2001/Fall 2002, Secretary in Spring 2002/Spring 2003).
  • Member of various chess clubs: Illini Chess Club (2000-2003), High School Chess Team (1996-2000, President in 2000).
  • Member of various symphony orchestras: Illini Symphony Orchestra (Fall 2000, Fall 2001, Fall 2002), High School Orchestra (1996-2000), Regional Honor Orchestra (1998-1999), local church orchestra (1995-2000).