Richard Coy

Richard Coy graduated from UTEP with a BS in CS in December 1999. He went to work for Raytheon Systems in Tucson, Arizona, developing embedded simulation software for missile guidance RF subsystems. Later he worked for an auxiliary company of Texas Instruments called FSI-International, located in Allen, TX, where his work centered on the development of real-time embedded software for photoresist 200/300mm wafer semi-conductor equipment.

He then returned to UTEP for his Master's degree, and did his thesis work on flexible constraint solving with Dr. Ceberio, graduating in 2005. Richard currently works for a local company, MSD Ignitions, developing hard-real time applications in either C or Microchip Assembler ISA for Microchip dsPic30F and Pic18F family of processors. These applications allow customers to control ignition timing to increase engine performance and to obtain engine data at a high sampling rate, all through convenient GUIs. These are used with racing and commercial automobile, ATV, motorcycle, and jet ski engines.

On the side, with his brother he is automating parts of his father's real estate business. He is also setting up a small internet service provider for database applications and teaching Graphical User Interfaces in C# and Compiler Theory at Fort Bliss.

"If there is anything that life experiences have taught me it is that practical work experience can really bring to life the concepts, the methods and the knowledge that you learn while you study computer science. There is one bit of advice that I want to pass on to students who are graduating and who are looking forward to a career in the computer science industry: do not turn down opportunities for professional growth because you think that your engineering background may not suffice. Explore internship and other career oriented activities so that you can make the most of the education that you receive from the excellent computer science professors at UTEP."

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