Michael Rutherford
Software Developer
Austin, Texas
About
I am a software developer based in Austin, Texas, with a strong foundation in computer science and a passion for technology. I earned my Bachelor's degree in Computer Science from Southern New Hampshire University in 2024 and an Associate's degree in Computer Science from Austin Community College in 2021.
Since 2023, I have been working as a Technical Support Advisor for Apple via KellyConnect, where I have used my technical expertise to provide high-quality customer support, troubleshoot complex technical issues, and ensure a seamless user experience.
Throughout my academic and professional journey, I have honed my skills in software development. I am proficient in languages like Python, JavaScript, and C/C++, and I have experience working with various frameworks and tools, such as React and Node.js. I have included a list of skills below.
In high school, I was an early volunteer team member for the Solus Project Linux distribution. In this role, I contributed to developing various components, including the text editor and a prototype rewrite of the OS installer, helping to aid the project in its formative stages.
In my free time, I actively work on personal coding projects and contribute to open-source communities. When I'm not coding, I enjoy spending time with my family, listening to music, exploring nature, and reading books.
Skills
Selected Projects
Conway's Game of Life
An interactive Python implementation of the cellular automaton known as Conway's Game of Life.
A cellular automaton is a discrete model composed of a grid of cells, each of which can be in a finite number of states and evolves according to a set of rules based on the states of neighboring cells.
Users can play, pause, clear, reset, and randomize the grid while exploring the evolution of these emerging patterns.
This program also features simulation statistics and adjustable speed controls.
Licensed under GNU GPL v3.0.
Melody Grid
An interactive web-based music grid that enables users to create and play melodies and chords.
The grid consists of an 8x8 matrix where each cell represents a different pitch within a selected scale.
Tapping on a bubble highlights it, and highlighted cells are played when the play button is pressed.
Users can also adjust playback tempo, select the tonic and scale, clear the grid, or even randomize the grid.
Works on both desktop and mobile platforms.
Licensed under GNU GPL v3.0.
Microbe Simulator
An interactive JavaScript simulation where users can drag and drop different types of microbes (predators, viruses, prey, reproducers) to observe their unique behaviors and interactions. Predators hunt other microbes, viruses infect prey and reproducers, prey move randomly, and reproducers multiply under specific conditions. The code includes collision detection, lifespan management, and real-time updates on microbe statistics.
Shape Art
A website built with JavaScript, HTML, and CSS that generates random abstract geometric art. It creates various shapes, such as circles, squares, triangles, lines, and rings, each with random sizes, colors, positions, and rotations. Users can save their creations as PNG images.
Wordshade
A JavaScript and HTML project that transforms user-input text into poetry by selectively highlighting words. Users can input paragraphs of text, which the application converts into visually distinct passages or phrases. Additionally, the project includes functionality to save the transformed text as a .txt file, facilitating easy sharing.