Summary
I attended Iowa State University and earned a bachelors degree of fine arts. During my time there I was fortunate enough to hired at the Virtual Reality Applications Center (VRAC). I then was hired on a contract at Iowa State University to work on a grant project known as Meta!Blast which was initially funded by the VRAC. Soon after, I was hired full time to work there for a couple more years until 2016. Working with RFA Engineering, I moved to work on site at a Caterpillar facility in Rapid City, SD. I've gained much of my knowledge of creating 3D models for VR apps here. I moved to another agency called Populus Group doing similar work in 2020. I then got hired on with Caterpillar and eventually moved to a Texturing Lead position where I work as a hybrid role with Caterpillar creating 3D models and environments for customers within and outside our organization.
Skills
Software proficiency
Experience
- Texturing Lead at CaterpillarRapid City, United States of AmericaApril 2023 - Present
I lead our texturing team which consists of 2-3 people, and divide out work between them while making sure tasks and project deadlines are met. I work directly with our team lead to provide input on how our projects will be made depending on what pipeline is needed to achieve our customer’s goals. I check my team’s work for accuracy and completeness, and I give feedback to help them learn and grow to become better 3D Generalists. I also pitch in and do the same work I was doing in my previous position when needed.
- 3D Generalist at CaterpillarRapid City, United States of AmericaAugust 2021 - March 2023
I’m an asset to our team by knowing and being able to complete every part of our pipeline which includes 3D hard surface modeling, texture creation, UV mapping, rigging, animating, and game engine setup while ensuring I meet our highest quality standards. I continue to act as a mentor for our new hires and provide development opportunities to enhance their skills. I have team members who work on and offsite, so using strong communication skills is a daily activity. I’m responsible for putting the finishing touches on all of our larger projects and make sure we meet customer satisfaction and exceed our quality, accuracy, efficiency, and cost savings goals. I also continually refine our pipelines, documentation, and texturing technologies to ensure we stay current in our field.
- 3D Generalist at Populus GroupRapid City, United States of AmericaJuly 2020 - August 2021
I was required to move to another agency while keeping my past duties and responsibilities from my previous employer. Being a 100% work from home position, strong planning and communication skills were highly necessary. We were able to achieve our goals and collaborate with each other in the same fashion as we did when we were in office.
- 3D Generalist at RFA EngineeringRapid City, United States of AmericaAugust 2016 - July 2020
I worked onsite with Caterpillar and use 3DS Max, Maya, Substance Painter, and many other programs to create optimized 3D geometry to be used in augmented reality, virtual reality, and other apps made with Unity 3D and Unreal Engine 4. I was also required to use various types of rigging techniques for machines and animate them to customers specifications. I was a mentor for the last 2 years that taught our processes and the software we use to 8 new hires. As our processes changed with the use of new programs and ideas, I helped my team lead by making sure all process documentation was accurate and up to date. I also was responsible for checking part of all texturing and rigging work we complete and give any feedback needed to ensure our products meet our quality standards.
- 3D Generalist at Iowa State UniversityAmes, United States of AmericaJune 2013 - December 2015
This position was created for me to continue working on Meta!Blast. I created 3D models, textures, UV layouts, animations, rigs, game designs, and 3D environments while making sure it’s as biologically accurate as possible. I was responsible for working within the engine to design gameplay sequences, setup triggers and actions, and compose cutscenes. I also supervised and delegated responsibility between our interns while providing feedback when needed.
- Animator at Iowa State UniversityAmes, United States of AmericaNovember 2012 - May 2013
I was hired to work on the grant project called Meta!Blast. I use Maya, Adobe Photoshop, and various other programs to create animations and 3D models which consist of, many different organs of a plant cell, proteins, and futuristic robotic hardware. These animations and models are optimized to be used in the video game engine Unity 3D. With the new models, I've created 2 new unique game environments. While working on site, I am supervising up to 4 undergrads and help them or giving feedback with art related problems.
- Digital Artist at Virtual Reality Applications CenterAmes, United States of AmericaMay 2011 - May 2012
I worked independently with self-motivation and cooperatively with developers, engineers, and other artists on various projects to better understand the strengths and weaknesses of virtual environments and video game engines in certain situations. I supervised and helped train a new digital artist that eventually replaced me after I graduated from Iowa State University. My daily tasks included rigging and animating characters, reworking or creating new 3D models, and converting file types to easily be transferred between different programs.