Miller Tinkerhess—Résumé

This document is available online at millertinkerhess.com/resume
Updated 4/21/2013

Objective: Video Game Engineer

I'm passionate about creating engaging experiences. I believe in interactive software as a tool capable of unlocking a deep sense of wonder, curiosity, and meaning.

I wrote my first text adventure in QBasic when I was eight. I received formal education in computer science and jazz trumpet performance, and have professional experience with game, mobile, and web development.

Most recently I've been doing a lot of work with C#, Unity 3D, Visual Studio, and TFS. I'm also comfortable working with C++, Python, Java, Objective-C, Eclipse, Vim, SVN, and Git. I'm always eager to learn new technologies.

Software Development Engineer, Microsoft Studios
August 2012 - Present, Redmond, Washington

• Worked on a prototype of an unannounced project.
• Collaborated with designers to rapidly implement and evaluate gameplay features, including pathfinding, combat AI, and procedural content generation.

Participant, Sid Meier's Game Design Boot Camp
May 7-18, 2012, Ann Arbor, Michigan

• Worked with two other participants to develop Coriolis Station, a platformer with weird gravity.
• Wrote level editing tools, designed levels, and implemented gameplay features; did all the art, sound effects, and music.

Master's Degree in Computer Science, May 2012.
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Graduate Research Assistant with the Soar group under Professor John Laird.
GPA of 3.787 on a 4-point scale.

• Co-author, A Case Study in Integrating Probabilistic Decision Making and Learning in a Symbolic Cognitive Architecture: Soar Plays Dice, 2011 AAAI Fall Symposium Series.
• Co-author, Online Determination of Value-Function Structure and Action-Value Estimates for Reinforcement Learning in a Cognitive Architecture, Advances in Cognitive Systems 2.
  • Implemented dice game environment and ran experiments dealing with probabilistic decision making and improving performance through reinforcement learning.
  • Used web.py web application framework to coordinate experiments across several computers.
  • Developed companion iOS app Dice Game; supervised contributions of a high school student to the app.
• Presented at the Soar Workshop in 2010 and in 2011.
• Developed a thin-client Android tablet interface for communicating with a server-based robotics simulation using Java sockets and OpenGL ES.
  • Supervised contributions of an undergraduate student to the project.
• Developed an Eclipse plugin for the Soar cognitive architecture.
• Developed an algorithm to generate rhyming poetry in iambic pentameter based on an input document.

Courses taken include Operating Systems, Knowledge-Based Systems, Logic Synthesis and Optimization, Advanced Artificial Intelligence, Natural Language Processing, Machine Learning, Adaptive Dynamics, Advanced Cryptography, and Psychology and Politics of Sense Making.

Mobile App Developer
2008 - 2012

• Released Mechasaur, a turn-based strategy game for Android.
  • Used libGDX game framework; used Soar cognitive architecture for AI.
  • Procedurally generated levels; all my own design, art, and programming.
• Programmed medical reference app Nerve Whiz for iOS
• Programmed Dice Game for iOS, powered by the Soar cognitive architecture.

Research Programmer, University of Michigan Artificial Intelligence Lab
October 2009 - August 2010, Ann Arbor, Michigan

• Worked with graduate students to develop a simulation environment framework for reinforcement learning agents.
• Implemented GUI editor for creating 2D, tile-based experiments.
• Implemented spatial partitioning to improve execution speed.

Web Developer, National Association of College Stores
June 2008 - May 2009, Oberlin, Ohio

• Implemented online credit card processing for donations and membership renewals.
• Found and fixed SQL injection vulnerabilities.
• Researched content management systems for use in Nacs.org redesign.

• Studied with Marcus Belgrave, Wendell Logan, Roy Poper, and others.
• Toured as a member of the Oberlin Jazz Septet.
• Arranged I Can't Get Started for performance by the Oberlin Jazz Ensemble.
• Received the National Merit Award and the Conservatory Dean's Talent Award.

Courses taken include Principles of Computer Science I and II, Computer Organization, Systems Programming, Compilers, and Music Technology.