| . | J. Neal Richter Montana State University Doctoral Student, Computer Science |
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Updated September 2009
JAMES NEAL RICHTER Belgrade, MT 59714 (406)-579-2887EMail: richter@cs.montana.edu
CAREER OBJECTIVES
To research, design, and create Artificial Intelligence software products in
industry or academia. I currently specialize in Machine Learning, Data Mining
and Search Engines. Particularly how search engines, advertising platforms and
recommender systems can actively learn from each interaction using ML and DM
methods.
EDUCATION
PhD Student - All coursework completed, 95% thesis.
Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717
Specialization: Artificial Intelligence
Minor in Mathematics
Will complete PhD Fall 2009
Dissertation Topic: Theory of Evolutionary Algorithms
MS in Computer Science 2003
Utah State University Logan, UT 84322
Specialization: Artificial Intelligence
Thesis: Fuzzy Evolutionary Cellular Automata
BS in Computer Science, 1998
Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717
Minors: Math and Computer Engineering (unofficial)
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS AND SUMMARY
I have thirteen years of full-time work experience as a software engineer, and two
as a manager of other engineers. For the past ten I have been working
actively on AI related software and how it can be applied to solve problems.
Currently I work for the Rubicon Project focusing on computational advertizing.
Essentially using data to make internet advertizing perform better for publishers via
optimization oftargeting, relevance and yield. Rubicon acquired OthersOnline.
At Others Online, I was in charge of implementing a data mining system for a new
kind of web analytics and computational advertising system. We launched a new product
enabling web publishers to better understand their audience of users at the topic
level. The system actively learns a a user interest model in order to enable better
advertisement targeting as wel as auto-recommend relevant content and peer users to
the current user. Topic models can drive both keyword targeting as well as optimize
display advert targeting via the use of a topic classification/summarization scheme.
I also designed and built the central data warehousing framework for analytics using
both SQL and MapReduce systems.
At RightNow Technologies, I focused on improving the performance of the Customer Portal
(the Knowledgebase) within their CRM software suite. Doing so involved the use of
reinforcement learning, machine learning, data mining, text clustering, natural language
processing, and information retrieval techniques with a singular focus on developing a
software system that is able to utilize every interaction with the portal as a part of a
learning algorithm to enable subsequent users from benefiting from previous users
activities. In addition I implemented a data warehousing and analytics framework for
RNT's Sales-force Automation package. The system is currently handling in excess of
300M user sessions per month on a cumulative index size in the tens of billions of
documents. I also implemented the group's first use of text clustering to bootstrap the
main reinforcement learning algorithm. I also built version one of a system to recognize
and classify the emotional level, positive to negative, of textual input to the system.
While at RightNow, I also supervised the rebuilding of the open source HtDig search
engine to replace major sub-components with a Lucene based IR engine. Once Solr was
announced I initiated a prototype project to transition to Solr as the ase IR system
while layering on a “learning to rank” system on the top.
I have worked in various development environments including Linux and
Windows utilizing Java, C/C++, PHP, C#, JSP, AJAX, Javascript, and SQL/MySQL
within servers, the browser, and rich-client apps. Data mining software in C/C++,
perl, Java, Hadoop, Hive and various specialized packages.
CURRENT SKILLS
*AI
Taught Undergrad AI class at MSU Fall 2006.
Strong foundation in Artificial Intelligence concepts and methods
Fuzzy Logic, Neural Networks
Genetic Algorithms and Adaptive Genetic Algorithms
Machine Leaning and Data Mining
Text Clustering and Classification
Tagging and Social Software Systems
Information Retrieval & Search Engines (SQL, HtDig, Lucene, Solr)
Natural Language Processing
Ant System and Reinforcement Learning
Artificial Life and Cellular Automata
Intelligent Agents and User Interfaces
Experience with Qualitative and Quantitative methods for Non-Linear Dynamics
Strong math background
* Web Technologies
Apache, Tomcat and other servlet containers
AJAX, Yahoo YUI, JQuery etc.
SQL, MySQL
Hadoop, Hive, MapReduce
Memcached, memcacheq, memcachedb
Amazon EC2 & S3 + RightScale
*Open Source
Apache, Solr, Lucene and Mahout lurker
Member of HtDig Board of Directors (open source search engine)
Member of CLucene development group (open source search engine)
WORK EXPERIENCE
the Rubicon Project http://www.rubiconproject.com
1925 S. Bundy Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90025
May 2009 - present (Tele-commuting from Bozeman, MT)
Job Description: Data Scientist
(Acquired OthersOnline)
Use of computational advertising, reinforcement learning, machine learning,
data mining, text clustering, natural language processing, and information
retrieval techniques. Focused on improving all aspects of advertizing optimization,
lift, relevance, targeting and analytics.
Others Online http://www.othersonline.com
2101 Ninth Ave, Suite 201, Seattle, WA 98121
Sept 2007 - May 2009 (Tele-commuting from Bozeman, MT)
Job Description: The Science Guy
Use of computational advertising, reinforcement learning, machine learning,
data mining, text clustering, natural language processing, and information
retrieval techniques with a singular focus on developing software able to
utilize user interactions as part of a learning algorithm to enable subsequent
users to benefit from previous users' activities.
RightNow Technologies, Inc http://www.rightnow.com
77 Discovery Drive, Bozeman, MT 59718
RightNow Labs http://labs.rightnow.com
Nov, 1999 - Sept 2007
RightNow is a leading CRM software provider delivering hosted software-as-a-service
solutions. I worked for 'RightNow Research Labs' (http://labs.rightnow.com).
We conducted applied research and development into how the suite of AI techniques
could be used to enhance the CRM system. Via these techniues we built software
allowing customers to better find information, provide predictive and intelligent
analytics and most importantly how to actively learn from every user interaction.
January 2007 - Sept 2007
Research Team Project Manager & Sr. Machine Learning Researcher
Manage daily functioning of research team
Work with management to define project goals and scope
Develop detailed designs and requirements (with Research Director)
Develop and Execute resulting project plans.
Continuation of duties below.
Nov, 1999 - Dec 2006
Sr. Researcher, Machine Learning Lead
Research, design and implement AI techniques to enhance products
Supervise and mentor one junior engineer
Open Source license compliance & auditing for 100 person software development team
Implement Knowledge networks, text clustering and classification,
Create Data Mining and Forecasting Tools
Implement Natural Language Understanding, Information Retrieval
Development & Deployment of site-search engine feature
Recruit new development employees
3 Patents, 5+ pending
Driversoft - Salt Lake City, Utah
February 16, 1999 - October 1, 1999
Duties:
Software Engineering contract with Iomega,
Linux software for Zip and Jaz drives
Hopkins Imaging Systems
1812 Flower Avenue
Duarte, CA 91010
Tel. (626) 305-8833
September 16, 1998 - February 15, 1999
Duties:
Software Design & Documentation of new Digital Medical X-Ray system.
NT device drivers, Visual Basic programming of GUI. Network Administration
Software Integrators
53 Evergreen Dive
Suite A
Bozeman, MT 59715
(406) 586-8866
April 1, 1996 - September 15, 1998
Supervisor: Joe McCarthy, President
Duties/Projects:
Application software, Device Driver and BIOS programming for VGA graphics cards.
Assist in hardware design team of the new Gemini series graphics cards.
Windows NT and Linux device drivers
Internet WWW site administration & internal network.
STANDARD COMPUTER SCIENCE SKILLS
(These are keywords for the resume search engines)
-Technologies
Various languages high level & assembly
C/C++, HTML, PHP, CGI, Java and JavaScript Programming
Apache, HTTP
Perl, Bash
Data warehouse and Analytics Infrastructure
Maple, Mathematica
Network Programming (sockets & TCP/IP)
Experience with Device Driver programming in Windows NT, Unix & Linux
Knowledge of Unix (Linux, BSD, SRV4) Architecture
-Hardware
Understanding of CPU technologies & parallel processing models
Assembly Language motorola & intel
Experience programming PCI devices at a low level
Experience with micro-controller programming and application design
Familiarity with GNU tools and their use in embedded applications
Knowledge of video hardware & low-level software technologies
Knowledge of SCSI programming under Unix
-General
Experience with team oriented tasks & public speaking
Knowledge of Language & Compiler Design
Familiarity with current networking/internet technologies
Knowledge of C/C++, Pascal, FORTRAN, LISP, and various assembly languages
Knowledge & experience with software encryption techniques
Solid basketball skills in guard and forward positions
PATENTS
Temporal updates of relevancy rating of retrieved information in an information search system.
USPTO #6,434,550 Issue date: Aug 13, 2002
Method for routing electronic correspondence based on the level and type of emotion contained therein.
USPTO #7,289,949 Issue date: Oct 30, 2007
Method for clustering automation and classification techniques.
Patent No. 7,478,103. Issue date: January 13, 2009
5 Others Pending
PUBLICATIONS
B. Wall, N. Richter, R. Angryk, "Generating Concept Hierarchies from User Queries",
T.Y. Lin, A. Wasilewska, F. Petry, Y. Xie (Eds.), Data Mining: Foundations and Practice,
Series: Studies in Computational Intelligence, Springer-Verlag. 2009. ISBN 978-3-540-78487-6.
J. Neal Richter, Alden Wright and John Paxton. "Ignoble Trails - where crossover is provably harmful", PPSN X 2009. 10th International Conference on Parallel Problem Solving From Nature.
Stephen D. Durbin, Doug Warner, J. Neal Richter, and Zuzana Gedeon "Organic Knowledge Management for Web-based Customer Service", In Knowledge Management: Concepts, Methodologies, Tools, and Applications, M. E. Jennex, Ed., IGI Global, 2008, pp. 1971-1986.
J. Neal Richter, Anthony Arnone "Refactoring the HtDig Search Engine"
WWW 2007, Banff, Alberta, Canada May 2007
Alden Wright, J. Neal Richter "Strong Recombination, Weak Selection, and Mutation"
GECCO 2006, Seattle, WA July 2006
Bob Wall, Neal Richter, Rafal A. Angryk, "Generation of Concept Hierarchies
from User Queries in IR Systems", Workshop on the Foundations of Semantic Oriented
Data and Web Mining, The Fifth IEEE International Conference on Data Mining
Houston, Texas, November 2005
J. Neal Richter, John Paxton. "Adaptive Evolutionary Algorithms on Unitation,
Royal Road and Longpath Functions." To Appear, IASTED Computation Intelligence
Conference, July, 2005 Calgary, Alberta
J. Neal Richter, Alden Wright, John Paxton. "Exploration of Population Fixed Points Versus
Mutation Rates for Functions of Unitation", Workshop on Evolutionary Computation Theory,
GECCO-2004 June 26-30, 2004 Seattle, Washington
Stephen D. Durbin, Doug Warner, J. Neal Richter, and Zuzana Gedeon "Organic Knowledge
Management for Web-based Customer Service", in Organizational Data Mining: Leveraging
Enterprise Data Resources for Optimal Performance, H. R. Nemati and C. D. Barko, Eds.,
Idea Group Inc., 2004, pp. 92-108.
Stephen D. Durbin, J. Neal Richter, and Doug Warner, "A system for affective rating of
texts", in Proceedings of the 3rd Workshop on Operational Text Classification, 9th ACM
SIGKDD International Conference on Knowledge Discovery and Data Mining Washington, DC. 2003.
Stephen D. Durbin, Doug Warner, J. Neal Richter, and Zuzana Gedeon, "Information
Self-Service with a Knowledge Base That Learns," AI Magazine, 23(4): Winter 2002, 41-50
J Neal Richter and David Peak, "Fuzzy Evolutionary Cellular Automata," Intelligent
Engineering Systems Through Artificial Neural Networks,Proceedings of International
Conference on Artificial Neural Networks In Engineering (ANNIE 2002) : Smart
Engineering System Design: Neural Networks, Fuzzy Logic, Evolutionary Programming,
Artificial Life and Data Mining, Saint Louis, Missouri, USA, vol. 12, pp. 185-191,
November 10-13, 2002.
Neal Richter, Zuzana Gedeon, Stephen Durbin, Doug Warner, and Bikramjit Banerjee,
"Fuzzy Adaptive Clustering and Classification for Browsable Document Directories,"
Intelligent Engineering Systems Through Artificial Neural Networks,Proceedings of
International Conference on Artificial Neural Networks In Engineering (ANNIE 2002) :
Smart Engineering System Design: Neural Networks, Fuzzy Logic, Evolutionary
Programming, Artificial Life and Data Mining, Saint Louis, Missouri, USA, vol. 12,
pp. 185-191, November 10-13, 2002.
Stephen D. Durbin, Doug Warner, J. Neal Richter, Zuzana Gedeon: RightNow eService
Center: Internet Customer Service Using a Self-Learning Knowledge Base. AAAI/IAAI
2002, pp 815-821.
Doug Warner, J. Neal Richter, Stephen D. Durbin, Bikramjit Banerjee: Mining user
session data to facilitate user interaction with a customer service knowledge base
in RightNow Web. KDD 2001, pp 467-472.
REFERENCES
Mike Myer
CTO RightNow Technologies
RightNow Technologies
Bozeman, MT 59718
(406) 522-1450
Doug Warner
RightNow Technologies
Bozeman, MT 59718
(406) 522-1479
Dr. John Paxton
Professor, Computer Science
Montana State University
Bozeman, MT 59717
(406) 994-4780
Dr. Gary Harkin
Emeritus Professor, Computer Science
Montana State University
Bozeman, MT 59717
(406) 994-4780
Employment references on request