The ECN No Name Newsletter is no longer being published. This is an archived issue.

New ECN Staff

Three new staff members have joined the ECN ranks: Joe Gainey, Larry Kemp, and Jerry Rubright. I asked each of them to write up some biographical information as a way of introducing themselves to ECN users. Writing about yourself is never easy, but I am glad the fellows wrote these articles; otherwise, we may not have known that we had a diver, a sports nut, and a sci-fi freak on staff.

Jerry Rubright

Desktop Support Specialist
rubright@ecn.purdue.edu

In December I joined ECN as Desktop Support Specialist for the Engineering Computer Network, filling the position left vacant by John Le. After completing my education at ITT in Indianapolis in September 1985, I started working for Zenith Data Systems in St. Joseph, Michigan. My responsibilities comprised a variety of areas, including fixing and building production and prototype analog/digital computer components.

Accepting a position with Computer Answers, I returned to Lafayette in 1993. This job offered experience working on a wider variety of systems/peripherals and an opportunity to become involved with the Macintosh. In 1995 I moved on to work for IBM, doing field service.

I am hoping my familiarity with a wide spectrum of hardware products and software applications (and the exposure to different equipment here at the ECN) will make it possible to help the faculty and staff resolve their computing problems.

My spare time is spent with my family, Marlene, Jake, and Joel, playing volleyball and softball, and attending Purdue athletic events.

Please contact me with questions. Send me email at rubright@ecn.purdue.edu, stop by my office--MSEE 172, or call me at 494-4326.

Joseph Gainey

Having completed my undergraduate degree from Purdue in Electrical and Computer Engineering in December 1996, I joined the ECN as a Systems Administrator/Programmer on January 13, 1997 (after slipping in a graduation gift trip to the warm Caribbean for sun and fun). Before joining the professional staff, I was an undergraduate assistant for the ECN, working under the direction of Mike Moya.

My previous position at the ECN kept me busy doing upgrades all over campus, specializing in Sun workstations and in software tools. I hope to utilize my software engineering skills to provide faster and better methods to apply to the everyday network administration problems that can occur at the ECN.

My goal is to decrease the downtime, thus increasing the productivity, that the Schools of Engineering's faculty, staff, and students will experience when using an ECN Sun workstation.

When not answering users' questions, I spend time watching science fiction movies, playing video games, and listening to CDs. My email address is gainey@ecn.purdue.edu, and the URL to my home page is http://www.ecn.purdue.edu/~gainey.

Larry Kemp

In mid-September I began working half-time for the Engineering Computer Network specializing in desktop computer support. This support ranges from simple software installations to troubleshooting PC hardware conflicts to creating installation scripts for routinely installed ECN software.

Private Life
On December 26 my beautiful wife Becky and I celebrated our 9th anniversary. I am very grateful that she is supporting me in going back to school. We have two children, Josiah (7) and Eliyah (4).

I am currently enrolled in the School of Science as a Physics major. I am interested in learning more about network protocols and transferring information across networks.

For leisure, I enjoy spending time with my family. My wife and I are certified PADI divers and enjoy diving together (though we haven't had a chance to dive around here yet). I play the trumpet. I have been playing for about 19 years and get a chance to play frequently in church.

Work History
My first "real job" was with the Navy, where for 8.5 years I was a "Nuclear Electrician." I was an electrical dispatcher for two different nuclear reactors, as well as supervised repairs, both electrical and mechanical, on nuclear reactor components. While in the Navy I was certified as a motor/generator rewinder. I've been to over 20 different countries and have collected coke bottles/cans from each country. I am thankful that I have been able to see how other people throughout the world live, and I am grateful to live in America.

Computers have been part of my life for over 9 years. I have a solid knowledge of any Microsoft-based operating system. Before starting school this fall, I was contracted to General Instrument where I was part of the Research and Development team for a project they call Surfboard. I was in charge of maintaining a 40 node network (NT Server) and also was tasked to install and test the cable modem cards.

If you have a question that I might be able to answer, please contact me. Give me a call at 494-0908 or send me email at lwkemp@ecn.purdue.edu