Ronald (Ron) Millikan
Houston,USA
Summary
Seasoned Software Engineer and Data Scientist with over 15 years of experience. Seamlessly integrates business and science expertise with cutting-edge software development. Proven ability to quickly comprehend and apply new technologies to meet business needs. Track record of creating and extending machine learning models, minimizing memory usage, and reducing training time. Skilled at optimizing high-performance computing systems, including managing 8-petabyte storage systems and enhancing GPU utilization for atmospheric modeling at NOAA. Success in developing robust Python applications and data pipelines for real-time industrial data processing, resulting in a system efficiency improvement of up to 30% and generating annual cost savings of $200,000 through strategic data management. Deep expertise in machine learning, HPC environments, cloud technologies (AWS, Azure), and geophysical modeling. Bachelor's degree in Computer Science and advanced Geophysics degree from leading institutions.
Overview
2026
2026
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Senior Solutions Architect, Contractor
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
01.2023 - Current
- Architected and optimized atmospheric modeling and machine learning algorithms across hundreds of GPU clusters, substantially reducing processing times and maximizing computational resource utilization on 5 meteorological ML projects
- Delivered strategic technical consultation to meteorological research scientists, resolving critical challenges in Linux, Python, TensorFlow, PyTorch, and HPC environments, enhancing research capabilities and operational excellence
- Developed and delivered 4 comprehensive machine learning presentations on a variety of subtopics incorporating advanced code demonstrations, data analytics, and professional video content, elevating scientific team competencies through targeted knowledge transfer
- Maintained active Public Trust clearance while rigorously adhering to federal data security protocols and compliance standards when handling sensitive government information
- Collaborated with cross-functional teams to ensure seamless integration of new systems.
Senior Software Engineer
Kelvin Inc.
01.2021 - 01.2023
- Architected and implemented mission-critical Python applications processing >10,000 data points per second from industrial IoT sensors, revolutionizing real-time data throughput and system reliability
- Spearheaded comprehensive business intelligence reports analyzing AI-driven productivity gains across hundreds of gas wells, delivering 20% increase in operational efficiency through data-driven insights
- Executed strategic integration of enterprise-grade technologies, including MQTT, InfluxDB, SNMP, and PostgreSQL, elevating platform capabilities and accelerating customer response times
- Designed and orchestrated AWS and Airflow data pipeline infrastructure, achieving 15% improvement in data processing efficiency while enabling real-time analytics capabilities
- Served as the principal technical liaison within a strategic partner's engineering team, enhancing technical standards through mentorship and effective problem-solving, which boosted team productivity and ensured consistent team unity and performance
- Streamlined development workflows to increase team efficiency and reduce time spent on repetitive tasks.
- Delivered exceptional client support by promptly addressing concerns and implementing requested changes or enhancements to software solutions.
- Collaborated with management, internal and development partners regarding software application design status and project progress.
- Coordinated with other engineers to evaluate and improve software and hardware interfaces.
Senior Software Developer
Chevron [Energy Technology]
01.2015 - 01.2020
- Architected and deployed sophisticated Python/Pandas/Bokeh/Django web application managing 8 petabyte HPC storage infrastructure, optimizing enterprise-wide data accessibility
- Engineered robust APIs enabling seamless backend functionality integration, driving system interoperability and user adoption
- Developed intuitive C++/Qt GUI interface for complex subsurface imaging processes, enhancing operational efficiency and user experience
- Optimized C++/OpenMP/MPI subsurface imaging algorithms, achieving 30% performance improvement in processing speed
- Orchestrated international seismic data storage operations with $1.8 million annual budget, ensuring optimal resource utilization
- Designed and implemented Python/Pandas system managing 6 million record seismic survey metadata database, revolutionizing data accessibility and analysis capabilities
- Executed strategic data storage contract analysis and optimization initiatives, generating $200,000 annual cost savings through efficient data transfer management
- Stayed current with industry trends, applying emerging technologies to enhance product offerings when appropriate.
- Consulted with engineering team members to determine system loads and develop improvement plans.
- Created proofs of concept for innovative new solutions.
Velocity Modeler
Chevron [Energy Technology]
01.2014 - 01.2015
- Engineered sophisticated velocity models utilizing advanced geophysical software platforms to revolutionize seismic interpretation and reservoir characterization for high-stakes exploration projects
- Drove cross-functional collaboration with geoscientists and engineers to integrate velocity modeling solutions into exploration workflows, accelerating project delivery timelines
- Moved to geophysical software engineer role following massive corporate reorganization due to oil price collapse
Sabbatical to Complete Master of Science in Geophysics | Chevron Internship Research Experience
Colorado State University
01.2011 - 01.2014
- Applied multi-layer shear wave anisotropy methodologies for broadband array seismic analysis, revealing groundbreaking evidence of lithospheric fabric deformation spanning billion-year timescales in the Archean Wyoming Craton and Proterozoic Yavapai Province
- Taught and then managed Intro to Geology Lab. Developed and delivered multimedia curriculum
Software Engineer
LSI Corporation
01.2008 - 01.2010
- Orchestrated strategic build content prioritization based on comprehensive risk assessment and customer requirements, delivering mission-critical software releases
- Established pivotal technical liaison between engineering teams and customers, facilitating rapid resolution of complex product inquiries
- Implemented robust Java-based solutions to resolve software defects, enhancing product stability and customer satisfaction
E-4, Sergeant, Scientific Measurements Technician
The United States Air Force
- Led 8-person shift operations team monitoring complex seismic, hydroacoustic, and satellite nuclear detection systems, ensuring continuous global surveillance capability
- Orchestrated mission-critical virtual machine infrastructure management, executing advanced event detection algorithms on mainframe systems
- Conducted sophisticated analysis of seismic and hydroacoustic event data, delivering actionable intelligence for nuclear monitoring operations
- Maintained Top Secret Binary Investigation (TSBI) security clearance while managing sensitive national security operations
Education
Master of Science - Geophysics, Focus on Seismology/Geology
Colorado State University
Fort Collins, CO01.2014
Bachelor of Science - Computer Science, Minor. Business Administration
University of Central Florida
Orlando, FL12.1995
Skills
- Proficient in Linux environments
- Proficient in Windows environments
- Proficient in MacOS
- Amazon Web Services proficiency
- Cloud computing with EC2
- S3 proficiency
- AWS Lambda proficiency
- Proficient in Azure services
- Containerization expertise
- Collaborative code versioning
- Infrastructure automation
- PyCharm
- VS Code
- Splunk
- Power BI
- PBS
- Slurm
- KVM
- QEMU
- Multipass
- VMware
- Python software development
- C
- Java
- SQL
- Fortran
- Shell Scripting
- Pandas
- NumPy
- Django
- Matplotlib
- Bokeh
- TensorFlow proficiency
- Skilled in developing models using PyTorch
- Weights and Biases
- HTML/CSS
- MPI
- CUDA
- Bash
- AWK
- Sed
- Regex
- Intel
- ARM
- HPC Environments
- Lustre
- Raspberry Pi
- Arduino
Accomplishments
- Enhanced atmospheric modeling and machine learning code to optimize GPU utilization across hundreds of nodes, significantly reducing processing times at NOAA while maintaining sensitive Public Trust clearance requirements.
- Engineered Python/Django web application managing 8 petabytes HPC disk storage system at Chevron while optimizing C++/OpenMP/MPI subsurface imaging code to perform 30% faster and delivering $200,000 annual savings through strategic data storage management.
- Developed robust streaming data applications processing thousands of data points per second at Kelvin Inc., integrating MQTT and InfluxDB technologies to improve system responsiveness and achieving a 15% improvement in data pipeline efficiency.
- Led AI-driven productivity analysis across hundreds of gas wells, resulting in a 20% increase in overall efficiency and a boost in team productivity through strategic technical training and problem resolution.
- Leveraged machine learning techniques to analyze seismic data during Masters research, successfully demonstrating fundamental lithospheric fabric deformations spanning billion-year timespans in the Archean Wyoming Craton and Proterozoic Yavapai Province.
Phone
cell, 303.834.2832
Professional Training Certifications
- AWS Cloud Practitioner Certification, 2020
- Microsoft Azure Developer Core Solutions & Advanced Solutions, 2019
- KAUST Machine Learning in Geosciences - Python/MATLAB, 2019
- Chevron PetroSkills - Advanced Geophysics Training Program, 2014-2019
- Agile Scientific Ltd. Geocomputing - Machine Learning with Python, 2018
- Rice University HPC Bootcamp - MPI, OpenMP, CUDA, 2016
Certification
- AWS Cloud Practitioner Certification (2020)
- Microsoft Azure Developer Core Solutions & Advanced Solutions (2019)
- KAUST Machine Learning in Geosciences - Python/MATLAB (2019)
- Agile Scientific Ltd. Geocomputing - Machine Learning with Python (2018)
- Chevron PetroSkills - Advanced Geophysics Training Program (2014-2019) - 82 days of comprehensive professional development
- Rice University HPC Bootcamp - MPI, OpenMP, CUDA (2016)
Languages
English
Native or Bilingual
Timeline
Senior Solutions Architect, Contractor
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
01.2023 - Current
Senior Software Engineer
Kelvin Inc.
01.2021 - 01.2023
Senior Software Developer
Chevron [Energy Technology]
01.2015 - 01.2020
Velocity Modeler
Chevron [Energy Technology]
01.2014 - 01.2015
Sabbatical to Complete Master of Science in Geophysics | Chevron Internship Research Experience
Colorado State University
01.2011 - 01.2014
Software Engineer
LSI Corporation
01.2008 - 01.2010
E-4, Sergeant, Scientific Measurements Technician
The United States Air Force
Master of Science - Geophysics, Focus on Seismology/Geology
Colorado State University
Bachelor of Science - Computer Science, Minor. Business Administration
University of Central Florida
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