Professional Information

Company: INL - Idaho National Labs
Human Factors and I & C systems
Title: Systems Programming & 3D Modeling
Web: Idaho National Labs
Phone: (208)526-42Something (I never call myself, how do you expect me to remember it.)
E-mail: alan.r.mecham(at)inl.gov

School Information

Master of Computer Science
Bachelor of Computer Science
Østfold University
Halden, Norway
Associate of Natural Science
Rick's College
Rexberg, Idaho

Personal Information

E-mail: a.mecham@gmail.com

Current Events

As of December 2006 I have once again returned to live in the United States. Oddly enough ending up in Idaho yet again, I believe there is a freak black-hole that suck people back here no matter how far they try to go to get was from this place. ;) 

I lived in Norway from December of 1999 to December 2006. While there I attended Østfold University (HiØF) to obtain a BS in Computer Science and later a MS in Computer Science as well. Their program was new when I arrived in Norway but they were eager to have me, and I was eager to go. I began class two weeks after arrival and understood no Norwegian. Lucky for me my literature for the courses was all written in English.

In February 2001, my first son was born, then in July of that same year, I quit my job at a pizza place and I began working for IFE in their VisIT division (Visual Iterface Technologies,) also known as the Halden VR Centre. I was hired as a systems programmer with the understanding that I would be doing more 3D modeling that programming. Though my programming would be used occasionally for creating script to control object behavior, I was to be mainly used on the 3d modeling side of things for projects. I didn't complain, this was my dream . . . almost.

I had my second son in July of 2003 and began to think heavily on furthering my education. In the fall of 2004 I began a partial sabbatical in order to return to HiØ F and work on earning a Master's of Science Degree in Computer Science. I expected to complete this work in the spring of 2006, I completed in in the early fall of that year, only four month a school record. In April while laboring on my thesis my wife was laboring on having my third son (I took that month off for all the obvious reasons.)

My wife is a saint. She put up with my low paying job, my long working hour at school and work; My darling children, three boys with more energy the a nuclear reactor at full power output; My friends, she is amazed that (1) I actually have time for friends, and [b] that they are into the same stuff I am (she assures me this is very rare and she only tolerates it cause it doesn't worry her).

What ever else lies ahead will always be opportunity for learning, growth and adventure. (Awe man I hallmarked it. . . I'll have to look at re-writing this now.)