A full-time DevOps engineer, BSc graduate, Master's student, teaching everything computing!

Find out more about Alex

• Can you tell us about your first experience using a computer?

  My first experience using a computer was very young, earlier than I can really remember. Both of my parents were software developers, so we had one of those big bulky Compaq Deskpros with the big CRT display, and I loved it. The earliest thing I can remember is being fascinated by it and the internet, and recall playing Runescape with my neighbour.

• What is the technological evolution that has marked you most and what will be, in your eyes, a turning point in this field?

  Generative AI models have changed the game in every field, not just computing. It's ability to create connections and results we don't anticipate will, and already has, changed the field of computing forever. I believe it will accelerate research and development into stronger computing architecture. It does not come without its downsides though, as almost all of my students used AI models to help with their classwork before our lessons, and it's caused many of them to miss learning some key points in computer coding that I've had to correct.

• Explain your expertise, your interest in it and, more broadly, its importance in the computer world.

  My expertise is definitely cloud computing, and the server administration that comes with it. I accidentally got a job as a DevOps Engineer out of university, when applying to be a Software Engineer at various companies, and now I'll never look back. I love the flexibility and speed you can build entire computer networks at, which is also its strength in the wider industry. Server administration also ties in with my interest in computer security, as I have completed many security competitions in New Zealand, and love exploiting and fixing bugs in computer systems.

• Do so-called 'visionaries', such as Bill Gates, Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerberg inspire you or do you have other role models?

  I'm not much one for celebrities, however there are a couple of figureheads that stand out for me in the field, of having achieved things of incredible value, with which none of us would have computers today if they hadn't.
  Ada Lovelace - regarded as the creator of the first computer algorithm alongside Charles Babbage
  Alan Turing - father of the general purpose computer
  Linus Torvalds - the creator of Linux and git, two of the most widely used pieces of code across the world, and one of the largest contributors to open-source software

• Provide a valuable anecdote related to your subject or your days at school.

  My favourite is just a saying, but when I interviewed for my DevOps role, I was worried that I didn't have much experience with cloud, and that I would have to learn on the job a lot.
  The team knew that would be the case, and was confident that from the little self-learning I had taken on, I would be great.
  My manager said at the end - A good engineer knows the answers, but a great engineer knows where to get them.

• What would you say to an uncomfortable person in front of a screen who says that "IT is too complicated"?

  I'd start by validating their feelings of being overwhelmed, as technology can definitely be complicated if you aren't familiar, and everyone had to learn at some point, and then offer to help them, by breaking down their task into smaller more manageable pieces that they're familiar with.

• What are your other passions, related or non-related to computers?

  In my spare time I love to play video games, work on personal coding projects, get outside to play some tennis, snowboard in the winter, and ride my motorbike with friends on the weekends.

• What makes you a Superprof in IT?

  I'm a Superprof in IT because of my comprehensive background in coding, computer science and cloud, my previous experience teaching, and a passion for all things electronic.