I’m a code-curious biologist and work with a lot of biology-curious coders. I started my career as an ecologist and realized they needed to learn genetics. Then I became a geneticist and learned that they needed to learn bioinformatics. Then I became a bioinformatician and realized they needed to learn data science and research computing. 15 years later, I started working for CyVerse to deliver data science, cyberinfrastructure (computing resources), and advanced data visualizations to ecologists, geneticists, and other life scientists.

Afterwards, I realized I wanted to create teams and manage them to enable researchers. I moved to a leadership position as the Assistant Director of Research Computing at the University of Arizona to create teams of data scientists, research software engineers, and system admins that enable research through high performance computing, cloud computing, and data management plans. Recently, I’ve moved to the University of Alabama at Birmingham Research Computing team to do the exact same thing for the UAB research community.

After hours, I shoot pool, ride motorcycles, study zymurgy, spearfish, scuba dive, and travel.

I was a listener in woods
I was a gazer at stars
I was blind where secrets were concerned
I was silent in a wilderness
I was talkative among many
I was mild in the mead-hall
I was stern in battle
I was gentle towards allies
I was a physician of the sick
I was weak towards the feeble
I was strong towards the powerful
I was not stingy lest I should be burdensome
I was not arrogant though I was wise
I was not given to promising though I was strong
I was not venturesome though I was swift
I did not deride the old though I was young
I was not boastful though I was a good fighter
I would not speak about any one in his absence
I would not reproach, but I would praise
I would not ask, but I would give
For it is through these habits that the young become old and kingly warriors.

• Cormac Mac Cuileannáin translated by Peter Berresford Ellis