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Erik Ostrom, Software Developer in Minneapolis, MN, United States
Erik Ostrom

Software Developer in Minneapolis, MN, United States

Member since April 25, 2019
Erik has been developing web applications for over 20 years, mostly with startups, solo entrepreneurs, and small nonprofits. He values clear communication, good design, mutual responsibility, and efficient use of time and money. He has worked extensively with Ruby on Rails and with a variety of front-end tools including Vue.js, Angular, D3, Electron, React, and TypeScript.
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Portfolio

Experience

Location

Minneapolis, MN, United States

Availability

Part-time

Preferred Environment

Git, RubyMine, MacOS

The most amazing...

...project I've worked on is a platform to help K-12 teachers understand the needs of their communities and improve their teaching to meet those needs.

Employment

  • Web Developer (Contract)

    2015 - PRESENT
    Teaching Excellence Network
    • Developed chart UI using Highcharts, Vue.js, and Vuex.
    • Improved performance through SQL query tuning, view caching, etc.
    • Replaced overengineered SPA with simple Rails app (but kept SPA-style fluid interaction for features that needed it).
    • Upgraded applications from Bootstrap 3 to 4.
    • Added automated tests and code quality checkers to legacy codebase.
    • Developed data model and UX for community surveys.
    Technologies: Bootstrap, HTML, CSS, Sass, MySQL, Highcharts, Angular, Vue.js, Ruby on Rails (RoR), Ruby

  • Web Developer (Contract)

    2013 - PRESENT
    Software for Good
    • Developed tool to generate XML file for pharmaceutical regulatory information.
    • Developed app to generate instructions for liquid handling robot.
    • Added features to crowdsourced real estate application.
    • Mentored interns in Ruby on Rails development.
    • Updated ActiveAdmin to work with Rails 4.
    Technologies: R, CSS, HTML, JavaScript, Ruby on Rails (RoR), Ruby

  • Web Developer (Contract)

    2009 - PRESENT
    Erik Ostrom
    • Built web sites and applications for various clients.
    • Learned new technologies as needed to support client needs.
    • Made architectural decisions for web applications.
    • Performed devops services as needed.
    • Managed projects to identify key requirements and ensure they are delivered on time.
    • Developed visualization for decision intelligence system with Vue.js and D3.js.
    • Developed cross-platform desktop scheduling app with Electron and Vue.js.
    Technologies: Java, GraphQL, REST APIs, MySQL, PostgreSQL, Sass, CSS, HTML, jQuery, GatsbyJS, D3.js, Electron, Angular, Vue.js, JavaScript, Ruby on Rails (RoR), Ruby

  • Web Developer (Contract)

    2012 - 2017
    South Arts
    • Integrated Salesforce on customer signup and updates.
    • Simplified billing and subscription system implementation.
    • Added automated tests to legacy codebase.
    • Developed payment history feature.
    • Added admin CMS features including outgoing email previews.
    Technologies: HTML, CSS, Sass, MySQL, jQuery, JavaScript, Ruby on Rails (RoR), Ruby

  • Web Developer (Contract)

    2010 - 2011
    Art+Culture
    • Developed eCommerce app for high art collection and acquisition.
    Technologies: HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Ruby on Rails (RoR), Ruby

  • Web Developer (Contract)

    2008 - 2008
    Ask.com
    • Developed prototype for list-building app.
    • Implemented rules for user-generated content and sharing.
    Technologies: HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Ruby on Rails (RoR), Ruby

  • Software Engineer (Contract)

    2005 - 2006
    Mirapoint
    • Improved UX for advanced webmail app.
    Technologies: CSS, HTML, JavaScript, C

  • Software Engineer (Contract)

    2004 - 2004
    Lightbridge
    • Developed UI and infrastructure for web-based instant messaging and teleconferencing app.
    Technologies: CSS, HTML, JavaScript, Java

  • Senior Web Engineer

    2000 - 2003
    PlaceWare
    • Developed UI features for web conferencing application in Java and JavaScript.
    • Investigated and fixed deep browser bugs.
    Technologies: HTML, CSS, JavaScript, C++, Oracle SQL, AWT, Java

  • Senior Web Engineer

    1998 - 2000
    Liquid Audio
    • Developed eCommerce web application for downloadable digital music.
    • Developed web application for international exchange of voice auditions for a major animation studio.
    Technologies: MySQL, CSS, JavaScript, HTML, Perl

  • Member of Technical Staff

    1996 - 1998
    AT&T Labs
    • Served as a member of the user interface research group.
    • Developed GUI toolkit for multi-user real-time interaction.
    • Developed voice-controlled tools for programmers with repetitive stress injuries.
    Technologies: Emacs, C, MOO, Java

Experience

  • Teaching Excellence Network

    This web application used community surveys to help define classroom priorities for teachers, and to help teachers see whether they were meeting those needs. I improved the code quality and performance of a legacy codebase while adding features and upgrading the design. Technologies included Ruby on Rails, Angular, Vue.js, SASS, and Bootstrap.

  • Time Management Desktop App

    My colleague and I designed and developed a time management tool for professional photographers, helping them organize and visualize the tasks and activities that make up a typical work week. Our implementation used Vue.js/Vuex in an Electron desktop app, with a custom design using CSS Grid.

  • Exercise Tracking App

    Mobile-friendly app for recording progress at assorted weight-training exercises. Implemented with Angular, TypeScript, Ruby on Rails, and Bootstrap.

  • erikostrom.com
    https://www.erikostrom.com

    My current web site. An experiment in design. Built from the ground up with Gridsome, GraphQL, Vue, PostCSS, and Ramda.

Skills

  • Languages

    Ruby, JavaScript, ECMAScript (ES6), HTML, CSS, Sass, R, GraphQL, Java, C++, C, Perl, MOO, SQL

  • Frameworks

    Ruby on Rails (RoR), Capybara, Angular, Bootstrap, Vuetify.js, RailsAdmin, Jest, Electron

  • Paradigms

    Object-oriented Programming (OOP), Test-driven Development (TDD), Behavior-driven Development (BDD), REST, Functional Programming

  • Other

    Debugging, Web Accessibility, Vue-router

  • Libraries/APIs

    Vuex, Vue.js, jQuery, REST APIs, Highcharts, AWT, D3.js, GatsbyJS

  • Tools

    RSpec, Cucumber, Git, RubyMine, Emacs

  • Platforms

    Web, MacOS

  • Storage

    MySQL, PostgreSQL, Oracle SQL

Education

  • Master's degree in Computer Science
    1994 - 1998
    Northeastern University - Boston, MA, USA
  • Bachelor's degree in Computer Science
    1992 - 1994
    Gustavus Adolphus College - St. Peter, MN, USA
  • Courses in Liberal Arts
    1990 - 1992
    Williams College - Williamstown, MA, USA

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