Rachel A. Pildis e-mail: rachel@pildis.com
312 Wisconsin Ave, #2N http://www.pildis.com/rachel
Oak Park, IL 60302

Summary:

With a history of learning new technology quickly and providing clean, workable, and well-documented solutions for a variety of problems, I provide speedy, high quality, leading-edge solutions.

Employment History:

Morningstar -- Chicago, IL 2012 - present
Developer
  • Created dynamic PDF fund reports in a wide range of styles using data aggregated from multiple sources. The XSLT stylesheets used to create the reports were customized for retirement as well as asset management clients, and a range of investment types from open-end mutual funds to ETFs to separate accounts and private funds.
  • Supported over 70 clients with over 20 deployments a month. Problem statement, development, and deployment were often same-day.
  • Developed multiple C# applications to aggregate data from disparate sources for PDF and HTML reports, automate database updates, and streamline project tasks. Acted in DevOps capacity for database, development, QA, and production servers hosting these applications.
  • Supported HTML report generation and Java code.

Holly Hunt -- Chicago, IL 2010 - 2011
Microsoft Developer
  • Developed a multi-source Microsoft Analysis Services cube used for business analysis throughout the enterprise.
  • Designed and implemented a highly customized SharePoint 2010/C# application for the in-house design department to manage new furniture design and manufacturing.
  • Worked on a variety of projects including SSIS data transformation, hybrid Access/SQL Server applications, and FTP data exchanges.

AdGooroo, LLC -- Chicago, IL 2006 - 2010
Senior Application Developer
  • Optimized and expanded our search engine advertising data collection software (C# and VB.NET), increasing both throughput and coverage by a factor of 8.
  • Created C#/VB.NET applications to consume XML web services, process data, and analyze data quality.
  • Monitored and optimized a 2.5 Tb SQL Server database along with a daily 10 Gb data load and aggregation program.

Leo Burnett USA/re:Sources USA -- Chicago, IL 1999 - 2006
Development Consultant - 2003-2006
Applications Analyst - 1999-2002
  • Took a lead role in the design and development of the intranet/extranet for Leo Burnett using an N-tier structure, VB.NET/ASP.NET languages, and a SQL Server back end.
  • Worked extensively with XML web services, including design and creation of a suite of database services consumed by several business units, XML schema validation, and synchronous and asynchronous use and integration of external services.
  • Created automatic XML/XSL/XPath processes to synchronize data between Lotus Domino, Oracle, and SQL Server databases.
  • Designed and led development on repeated C# and VB.NET intranet/extranet projects.

Business Logic Corporation -- Chicago, IL 1997 - 1999
Internet Application Developer
  • Acted as Development Lead for the company's online 401(k) product on Edify (a 4GL package for web and voice response units), which was installed at over five major 401(k) provider institutions.
  • Worked as a developer on a range of other online banking applications for leading banks and credit unions, using Edify and Java/XML/SilverStream.

Northwestern Univ., Dept. of Physics & Astronomy - Evanston, IL 1996 - 1997
Research Associate
  • Maintained and enlarged a large database of astrophysical information; created computer simulations to determine galaxy cluster detection rates.

Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics - Cambridge, MA 1995 - 1996
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
  • Designed and directed research, including writing articles for refereed journals.

University of Michigan, Dept. of Astronomy - Ann Arbor, MI 1990 - 1995
Graduate Student
  • Designed own thesis project, including the development of new X-ray and optical data reduction techniques and the modeling of galaxy formation.
  • Coordinated additional project that involved maintaining a large database of heterogeneous information for collaborators across the country.

Computer Skills:

Operating Systems: Windows, Linux, UNIX, DOS, OS/2, VMS
Languages/Skills: C#, SQL, XML/XSD/XSL/XPath, ASP.NET, JavaScript, HTML, CSS, regular expressions, Visual Basic.NET, Java, Perl, FORTRAN
Databases: SQL Server, Oracle, ODBC, DB/2
Programs: Visual Studio.NET and .NET Framework (all versions 2003 to present); Microsoft SQL Server (all versions 2000 to present); Microsoft SQL Server Analysis Services; Git & Stash/Bitbucket; Microsoft Team Foundation Services; Subversion; Microsoft Reporting Services; Visual SourceSafe; Lotus Notes/Domino; Microsoft Project; standard Microsoft Office packages; numerous astronomical packages

Education:

Ph.D., Astronomy
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
Thesis: Compact Groups of Galaxies
 1995
M.S., Astronomy
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
 1991
B.A. summa cum laude, Physics
Carleton College, Northfield, Minnesota		 1989

Memberships and Awards:

Invited speaker, 227th meeting of the American Astronomical Society: "Astronomers as Software Developers"
Awarded the Claritas® Investment Certificate (2013)
Jeopardy! champion - 3/15/2010
awarded the 1996 Ralph B. Baldwin Prize in Astrophysics and Space Sciences (University of Michigan)