Hi. I'm the son of an Engineer. Growing up I lived all over Southern California, Connecticut, Alaska, and Idaho. My father is a Civil Engineer, and his father was an Aeronautical Engineer. So after a tour in the Navy (providing Minnesota residency and $$$), I came to the University of Minnesota to become... a Chemical Engineer.
To my dismay, I discovered that I despise the rigorous quantitative analysis that engineering demands. I quickly killed the engineering focus, completed a
Spanish degree in 1996 (fun classes that became a minor, then a major), and finished my
Chemistry degree in 1998. While I enjoy Chemistry, especially
Inorganic Chemistry and it's qualitative analytical focus, I am pursuing the Computer Science field of work. I chose NOT to treat college like a tech school. Instead, I have allowed myself to ask the question of what I want to _do_ as opposed to what do I like to study; the two are (surprisingly) not necessarily the same. I'm very grateful that I realized this truth before I committed myself to working as a Chemist. Computers have been a
hobby that has crescendoed into a career. I cannot think of a greater blessing than to work in a field that I naturally choose to educate myself about during my free time. My fascination with the networking/hardware end of things hass lead me towards system and network administration positions. I am currently the
Computer-Assisted Instruction Manager for the University of Minnesota's Chemistry Department. The majority of my effort concerns the maintenance of the
Microlab. While I am happy/content with my job, I try to keep my
resume
updated. The world changes quickly...
In 1994 I married Karen Newell (maiden name). I can't imagine being married to anyone other than Karen. I try hard not to take her for granted (which is all too easy to do).
In August of 1999 we became homeowners. We had been caretakers of an apartment building for five years. The apartment caretaker gig really helped us prepare for home ownership. The MacEwan clan enjoys the Twin Cities area; we are acclimated to the weather extremes of the four seasons (spring = monsoon, summer = steam bath, fall = tornados, winter = white nights).
In February of 2000 Karen gave birth to Nathan MacEwan via cesarean. He was 10 lbs. 6 oz. at birth. Being a father is amazing. I had no idea how tiring yet rewarding it would be. While it's hard to let go my free time, the rewards (and lessons in selflessness) far outweigh the (selfish) loss. I can't imagine not being a father. It really is that cool.
I am a Christian. I am NOT a member of the Religious Right or the Republican Party. I ascribe to no particular Christian sect. I pursue a living, dynamic, personal relationship with God and go where He leads me. This isn't a matter of religion, but a matter of core identity. It comes with my being your employee, your friend, your boss, etc. I do not crush my surroundings with Biblical citations (go see Pulp Fiction for that). I continue to learn to touch people with a love that is beyond me. My value for people, interpersonal chemistry, group dynamics, relationships, and introspective analysis all follow as a result. Integrity is paramount for me, personal failure is a recoverable but crushing blow, and physical possessions are tools to be used and not items to be loved. As I continue my walk with the Holy Spirit, I am at times called to encourage those around me. The results are, when possible, archived.
Thank you for caring enough to read a quick sketch of my background.