Research Center

DAN

Hometown: : Born in Hoffman Estates, IL, but raised in McHenry, IL  

Major / Minor: Computer Science

Extracurricular Activities @ U of I: ACM Gamebuilders, an organization that designs and implements some really cool games. Currently we are working on submitting our game to the Independent Games Festival in November.

Favorite Class @ U of I:  CS 242:  Programming Studio: It's a fast-paced course, but you get to work on a wide variety of different projects with complete creative control and learn some very useful time-management and code organization skills.

Hobbies: Tennis, music production/mixing, video directing/editing, video games, writing

Favorite Quote: "Would I rather be feared or loved? Um, easy: both. I want people to be afraid of how much they love me." -Michael Scott (The Office).

Hero/Role Model:  Blake "Jesus" Giles

Favorite Restaurant in C-U: Za's (on Neil), Qdoba, Green Street Café and Dos Reales since this last summer

Favorite Music: It’s a long, long list that starts with Led Zeppelin, Nine Inch Nails, The Who, AC\DC, Queens of the Stone Age, ZZ Top, The Rolling Stones, Guns ‘N Roses, Filter, Blink-182, Black Sabbath, Rage Against the Machine, Iron Maiden, Jimmy Hendrix, Judas Priest, Modest Mouse, Muse, Pixies, R.E.M., Rush, Tenacious D, The Ramones, … mostly classic and alternative rock/punk, I guess

Favorite Movies: All Mel Brooks movies, especially Blazing Saddles, Knocked Up, Superbad, Pineapple Express, Dr. Strangelove, and Burn After Reading was HILARIOUS

Favorite TV Shows: The Office, 30 Rock, Top Gear, Firefly, Arrested Development and the Adult Swim block (Family Guy, Futurama, Venture Bros., Metalocalypse, etc.)

Best college advice:  If you're struggling with a class, make time and GET HELP!

Project Work @ RC: I am working on the State Farm "Green Game." It’s a Flash-based internet game where the player takes control of a company and has to make certain choices that affect both the environment he or she works in and the morale of his or her employees. It has a very colorful, cartoon-y, unfinished feel to it right now.

What brought you to the RC? I knew some friends that had worked and/or are working here, and they love(d) it.

Best thing about working at the RC: Snacks and flexible hours.

Most surprising thing you’ve learned about State Farm: We have a whole lot of computerstuff.