I was born in Fontana, California, grew up in Rancho Mirage (Just outside of Palm Desert & Palm Springs) and Covina (a small city between Pasadena and Pomona). While I’m a born-and-raised son of So-Cal, I lived for 5 years in Boston while I earned my undergraduate degree in electrical engineering from Boston University. I lived in Chicago for a year, and have traveled all around North America. After my current home, Humboldt County’s Redwood Coast in true Northern California (only 2 hours from Oregon), my next favorite place on this continent is Burlington, Iowa. I’m an urban man with an appreciation for Americana and the many histories of this country.

     My masters degree is in International Development of Technology. Many people wonder what this means. The answer is not easy, but the idea is to carefully analayze the how technologies work in different societies in order to come to an understanding of the appropriateness of different technologies.

      In particular, geographic information systems and the digital age are changing the way people think about their world and describe it to others. Maps are becoming increasingly important as people rely more on the internet for information about the world. Having worked in consulting firms, and having a background in engineering, I have a strong appreciation for the value of visual information. I see the development of a new important field centered around numerical analysis and visual communication. I hope to find solutions for the world's problems that put self-realization and appreciation of social and biological diversity at the center of development discourse. I believe sincerely that such thinking will be increasingly necessary in my lifetime as humanity reacts to increasingly limited natural resources and the affects of growing social inequality.

       I have been interested in computer graphics since the first time I saw a new Amiga computer in the local Software Etc. Since I first got a computer I have been learning a broad range of skills: professional document development, desktop publishing, graphic design, mapmaking, engineering, animation, audio production, programming . . . To me the computer seems to provide nearly limitless potential for any person to communicate. Processes that used to cost a fortune and require a specialized selection of staff and equipment can now be done at home by industrious users for minimal cost. Both art and science can expect new talent to blossom anywhere and anytime thanks to the empowerment provided to the general public by advances in computer hardware and software.

       I’m working hard to improve my media development skills. My work on bubblechamber.tv is an example of my creative expression, which helps me to learn new graphics tricks for this my professional passions.

       The present environmental crises underscore the need for scientists and engineers to have open dialogs with the general public. I hope to facilitate ease of communication between scientists and non-scientsits, engineers and non-engineers, technicians and non-technicians. Science offers awareness; ethics offers understanding; story-telling offers appreciation; engineers offer action.

Thank you for taking the time to read these general thoughts. Contact me with questions or comments!

Joseph M Russavage

jmr74@humboldt.edu

www.humboldt.edu/~jmr74