I am the Computing Manager in the School of Mathematical and Computer Sciences at Heriot-Watt University. As such I lead the IS/IT support team in the School, supporting teaching, research and all other aspects of the School's functioning.
We support over 400 desktop PCs running Windows (XP mostly) and Linux (CentOS 5.x) and various servers - Web, file servers, application, X11 and terminal servers - mostly running CentOS and supporting Windows through Samba.
I graduated from Edinburgh University in 1986 with a B.Sc.(Hons.) in Physics. I then went to Manchester University, where I completed a Ph.D. in Nuclear Structure Physics (Octupole Correlation Effects in Nuclei around N=88 and Z=56) in 1992. My Ph.D. involved helping to run Nuclear Physics experiments both in the UK and abroad and involved a great deal of computing for experimental modelling and data analysis, first on a GEC4190 mini-computer and later on Sun workstations, which is how I became interested enough in computing to apply for and get a job as the system administrator for the Nuclear Group after the grant money ran out in 1990. I came to Heriot-Watt University in October 1993.
In my spare time I read, buy DVDs and Blu-Rays and sometimes even watch them, look after our one remaining cat (no pictures, you'll be glad to know), and fail to finish remodelling our kitchen.