Hey there, my name is Chris Traver. I've been interested in web development, videography, and information technology since I was a small child. It was this curiosity about the power of technology that led me to pursue an Information Science degree at Cornell University. In the process, I developed extensive experience in both designing and developing web applications, as well as building user interfaces that are intuitive and simple to use. Now I work at Wayfair as a Software Engineer.
I am also the founder of a digital media company, East Hudson Media, Inc, which I started in 2009 with a friend of mine, Carlton Sargeant. Since then, we have worked on a variety of different projects, ranging from corporate and not-for-profit promotional videos, to sports highlight reels, music videos, short films, weddings, and more.
Check out my portfolio below for some examples of projects that I have worked on.
Thanks for visiting my website!
| Course | Coding Languages | Concepts | Tools |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web Design and Programming | HTML, CSS, PHP, JavaScript, JQuery, AJAX, SQL | Responsive Design, CRAP Principles, Database Configuration, Interactivity | Komodo Edit, phpMyAdmin, MAMP, CyberDuck, Git |
| Introduction to Python | Python | Whitebox Testing, Blackbox Testing, Algorithm Implementation, GUIs | Komodo Edit |
| Data Driven Web Applications | D3.js, SVG, JavaScript, JQuery | Data Visualization, Data Storytelling, Application Development | Sublime Text, MAMP, D3.js |
| Object Oriented Programing and Data Structures | Java | Whitebox Testing, Blackbox Testing, Algorithm Implementation, GUIs | Eclipse IDE, DrJava |
| Introduction Data Science | Python | Discrete probability, Bayesian Methods, Graph Theory, Power Law, Markov Models | iPython Notebooks, Anaconda |
| Communication and Technology | Latex | Computer Mediated Communication, Human-Computer Interaction, Deception | WordPress, Drupal |
| Languages & Tools | Concepts |
|---|---|
| HTML, CSS, PHP, JavaScript, JQuery, AJAX, SQL | Responsive Design, CRAP Principles, Database Configuration, Interactivity |
| Python, Komodo Edit, phpMyAdmin, MAMP, CyberDuck, Git | Whitebox Testing, Blackbox Testing, Algorithm Implementation, GUIs |
| Latex, Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel | Graph Theory, Strong Triadic Closure, Social Behavior, Game Theory |
| Java, Eclipse IDE, DrJava | Whitebox Testing, Blackbox Testing, Algorithm Implementation, GUIs |
| WordPress, Drupal | Behavioral Psychology, Perception, Developmental Psychology |
| Cameras | Video Editing Software | Graphics Software | Other Equipment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sony HDR-FX7 | Final Cut Pro 7 | Adobe Photoshop | Rode VideoMic |
| Sony NX30 | Final Cut Pro X | Adobe InDesign | Shure Wireless Microphone |
| Canon T2I | Adobe Premiere Pro | Apple Motion | Full Studio Lighting |
| Cameras | Video Editing Software | Graphics Software |
|---|---|---|
| Sony HDR-FX7 | Final Cut Pro 7 | Adobe Photoshop |
| Sony NX30 | Final Cut Pro X | Adobe InDesign |
| Canon T2I | Adobe Premiere Pro | Apple Motion |
In 2013, I received the honor of being selected as a finalist in the Intel Science Talent Search. For my research, I tracked noise levels in my local community with the help of citizen science volunteers. My early fascination with smartphones inspired me to investigate how cellular devices could be used to collect noise data. Throughout my study, volunteers collected noise samples from their surroundings using an app called WideNoise. I then overlayed the noise sample results onto a map of the local geography, and created visualizations that I hope will enable policymakers to better manage community noise levels. I believe that my findings show how qualitative perceptions are an important aspect of noise pollution. For example, I noticed that a softer but unpleasant sound is more likely to cause distress than a louder, more tolerable sound.
In 2014, I worked with Professor Jeffery Hancock and another undergraduate student to conduct research on the effects of eye primes on deception. Our paper aimed to reveal whether or not eye priming has any effect on levels and frequency of deceptiveness online in incentivized tasks. In our study, 405 participants were asked randomly to either roll a dice and report the number rolled or flip a coin six times and report the number of heads; the participants were simultaneously exposed to either an image of eyes or an image of flowers. In all conditions, participants were offered a higher amount of money for a higher reported result. Our results revealed that participants who were exposed to an image of a pair of eyes displayed less deception than those participants who were not exposed to any such images during the same task involving incentivization.
During my time studying abroad in London, I collaborated with professors at City University London to help create, implement, and evaluated JUICE, a new digital prototype to support creative thinking by journalists during the early development of news stories. Emerging from a user-centred design process, JUICE is implemented as a simple add-on Sidebar and Dialog Box in Google Docs that a journalist can invoke when developing news stories. Interviews with experienced journalists were used to elicit 6 strategies that JUICE uses to guide its users to generate different angles on news stories using creative information searches and interactive creativity support. In the paper we describe the information search algorithm and new interactive support to create news stories with one of these strategies – the individual human angle on the story – then report a first evaluation of JUICE implemented with the algorithm and support during its use by journalism students.
