Experience
Professional Experience
UI/UX Design and Systems Engineer
createTank
Privately Held; 11-50 employees; Computer Software industry
September 2009 – Present (2 years 9 months)
DoD Top Secret Clearance - Active
Work onsite on a government contract providing data integration support for National Data Exchange (N-DEx). I write applications that transform data presented in XML format to a standard format using XSLT, PL/SQL, T-SQL, some Java and C#. I regularly work with Oracle, MS SQL Server, Firebird databases.
Additionally, I coordinate and develop any UI/UX projects that the client requests.
Freelance Web Design, Development, and Consulting
Sarah R. Barnes
October 1997 – Present (14 years 8 months) Morgantown, WV
I provide web design, development, and consulting services to a wide variety of clients.
I regularly work with HTML (and HTML5), CSS (and CSS3), XML, MySQL, PHP, WordPress, ecommerce (PrestaShop, Miva Merchant, some Magento), blogs, social media. I use Aptana, Eclipse, and XAMPP for local development before deploying to production.
Professional Technologist - OIT Web Coordinator
West Virginia University Office of Information Technology
Educational Institution; 5001-10,000 employees; Higher Education industry
December 2005 – September 2009 (3 years 10 months)
WEB DEVELOPMENT & PROJECT MANAGEMENT: Researched, planned and coordinated a strategic website overhaul over a three and a half year period. Project entailed three main stages that included revamping the administration, navigation, and content of the website. A complete redesign and implementation of standards. And finally a complete conversion from a static HTML site to a content management system (WordPress MU). Our team converted over 10,000 static pages in the process.
In my role as OIT web coordinator, I was responsible for managing, coordinating, and developing all web projects under the OIT purview. This included developing HTML/CSS, custom WordPress themes, graphic design, XML, database creation and administration (MySQL, SQL), PHP, WordPress MU, also some ASP.NET and ColdFusion front-end design customization.
I regularly worked on long-range planning for communications and public relations with the Communications Coordinator with public relations. Part of that included creating, editing and coordinating a departmental blog.
WEB STANDARDS: It was my responsibility to ensure compliance with W3C web standards for usability and Section 508 accessibility standards. I was responsible for apply and oversee style standards according to OIT and WVU web policies.
EVENT PLANNING: I served on the on the planning committee for WV Higher Ed Technology Conference for 2 years.
Adjunct Professor
West Virginia University P.I. Reed School of Journalism
Educational Institution; 5001-10,000 employees; Higher Education industry
August 2003 – December 2008 (5 years 5 months)
Teach Public Relations 319 (Editing and Design) - a 16 week class on desktop publishing and graphic design in a public relations context. Students learn how to design logos, letterheads, business cards, advertisements, brochures and newsletters.
Program Manager
WVU Center on Aging
August 2003 – November 2005 (2 years 4 months)
This position was a combination of web developer, graphic designer, and public relations coordinator all in one. My responsibilities included everything from managing all of our web projects to planning events and designing print publications.
I was the project administrator for the WVSeniors Project, which was funded by a grant from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation. This project created a website and database that provided information on every senior-citizen related service in the state of West Virginia. The promotion of the website and the project were integral to the project’s success so a lot of our efforts required in house design for web and print. This included newsletters, brochures, posters, postcards, business cards, reports and other publications, displays for exhibits at fairs and conferences, etc.
I also regularly wrote press releases, edited articles for newsletters, advertising copywriting, created presentations, press kits, media advisories, grant proposals and reports.
Web Developer
WVNET
September 1999 – August 2003 (4 years)
WEB DESIGN & DEVELOPMENT: I managed and developed all special web projects sharing duties with the other in- house web developer. I developed a plan for marketing web services and other marketing tools and represented WVNET at conferences and events. My web design and development duties included designing graphics for web and print and ensuring website usability and Section 508 accessibility standards. A portion of my duties also included customer support and writing help documentation.
EVENT PLANNING: Helped plan and provided support for four IT conferences over 5 years. Presented and moderated sessions and created and coordinated a “Web Development Track.”
Web Designer (started out as office help and was promoted)
Labyrinth Solutions Inc.
Privately Held; 1-10 employees; Internet industry
August 1996 – October 1997 (1 year 3 months) Morgantown, WV
When I returned from my semester abroad the summer before my senior year at WVU in 1996, I got a job at a new Internet Service Provider in town (Labyrinth Solutions). I started out as office help and helped with billing, answering phones, etc.
Later the company got into the web design business and hired a teenager to work on them. He told me that "girls can't design web pages," So I decided to prove him wrong and taught myself how. Eventually he annoyed a client and they promoted me to take over the web design responsibilities.
This job included web design, graphic design, advertising, marketing, technical support, and customer service. I also handled promotions and advertising.
Intern
Stella Möbelwerk
January 1996 – March 1996 (3 months) Lippstadt, Germany
Junior year abroad during my foreign language studies at West Virginia University.
This internship allowed me to develop further familiarity with international business and German language and culture. I worked in both the bookkeeping department and on the factory floor.
Skills
- Advanced CSS
- HTML
- Wordpress
- XML
- jQuery
- PHP
- XSLT
- SQL
- User Experience
- User Interface Design
- W3C
- Section 508
- PrestaShop
- Adobe Creative Suite
- InDesign
- Illustrator
- Photoshop
- Fireworks
- Aptana
- Eclipse
Education
West Virginia University
Bachelors, Foreign Languages (German), History
1993 – 1998
3.52 G.P.A., Cum Laude
Preston High School
1989 – 1993
West Virginia University
Masters (all but thesis), Journalism
2003
3.91 G.P.A.
I am currently on hiatus from pursuing this degree. With the arrival of our fist child in 2005, our second in 2008, and working on building my freelance business, I have not had time to complete the final stages on my graduate project.
Activities and Societies: Kappa Tau Alpha
Languages
-
English
(Native or bilingual proficiency) -
German
(Professional working proficiency) -
Spanish
(Elementary proficiency)
Additional Information
- Websites:
- Honors and Awards:
-
DHA Quarterly Awards of Excellence (Individual Recognition by Team): March 2011
DHA Quarterly Awards of Excellence (Individual Recognition by Customer): June 2011
DHA Quarterly Awards of Excellence (Team Recognition by Customer): September 2010, December 2010, March 2011, June 2011, September 2011, December 2011
2007 SIGUCCS Communications Awards: Award of Excellence for WVU OIT Website (http://oit.wvu.edu), Best of Category (Quick Reference Guides) for WVU OIT Wireless Brochure