S. Asif Hassan

65 Pearl Street
San Francisco, CA 94103
415.431.8519 (home)
ahassan@alumni.caltech.edu

WORK EXPERIENCE

The 3DO Company, entertainment software developer and publisher.
Mar 98-Sep 98: Lead Designer/Lead Software Engineer, Meridian 59.
Developed quarterly updates to a large-scale online multiplayer roleplaying game, which Computer Gaming World recently ranked highest amongst online RPGs. In addition to previous responsibilities, functioned as the principle technical contact for customer support and information technologies staff. Maintained the game servers, dealt with stability-threatening bugs and repelled hacking attempts.  Supported foreign licensees of the game, providing software upgrades and technical assistance.
Sep 97-Mar 98: Lead Designer/Software Engineer, Meridian 59.
Provided creative direction for a development team of five people. Directed design discussions to gather team input, encouraged group participation in the creative process.  Maintained a coherent creative vision, wrote gameplay and technical documentation for team use. Designed gameplay elements to encourage multiplayer interaction and community building.  Coordinated with the events staff to create a continuously unfolding narrative in the persistent world.
Jun 97-Sep 97: Software Engineer, Meridian 59. 
Implemented gameplay mechanics, contributed to the design process.
Worlds, maker of 3D multiuser virtual environments and the technologies that enable them.
Dec 96-Jan 97: Features Analyst, Shaper Library. 
Coordinated with production and platform developers to round out the set of prepackaged object behaviors to ship with Worlds' next generation of world-building tools.  Specified enhancements to existing behaviors.  Implemented additional behaviors as necessary. 
Aug 96-Dec 96: Application Developer, Prototype Chat Environment. 
Developed a custom application for a major network services provider, using Worlds' next-generation technology.  Kept team apprised of constraints and features of rapidly evolving pre-alpha software platform.
Dec 95-Dec 97: Application Developer, Worlds Chat. 
Worked closely with artists and other developers to bring Worlds' first commercial product, an award-winning 3D multi-user virtual chat space, from conception to market. As sole developer maintaining the software after release, analyzed customer feedback and tailored product accordingly. To smoothly transition user base from an older product to the new product, planned and executed a special event in which the older space station experienced system failures and crashed into a nearby planet.
Aug 95-Dec 95: Application Developer. 
Designed and constructed a number of 3D multi-user environments, implemented the interactive elements.  Projects included a prize-winning virtual awards ceremony for a leading computer magazine, broadcast live via the internet to a 3D multiuser virtual auditorium.
Caltech LIGO Project, a groundbreaking experiment designed to detect the existence of gravitational waves.
Jun 93-Aug 93: Researcher. 
Conducted computer simulations of one arm of the prototype LIGO detector in order to improve its measuring sensitivity.

ADDITIONAL EXPERIENCE

Feb 95-Mar 95: Director, campus production of The Fever by Wallace Shawn.
Mar 93-Feb 94: Interhouse Committee Chairman.  Campus-wide elected office.  Responsible for representing the student body to the campus faculty and administration.
Mar 92-Feb 93: Board of Control Rep at Large.  Appointed by interview.  Representative to a student disciplinary committee which upheld the Institute's Honor System ("no member of the Caltech community shall take unfair advantage of any other member of the Caltech community.") and whose decisions carried the force of the Dean of Students.

SKILLS

  • Quick study, possessed of well-developed analytical thinking skills.
  • Excellent problem solver, skilled at working around logistical constraints to achieve goals.
  • Comfortable working in highly interactive creative design teams.
  • Self-motivating/ directing, able to work solo from design to execution.

RECOGNIZED FORMATS [format: ability]

java:  intermediate.
ACE, Blakod:  fluent.
C/C++:  intermediate.
VRML 2.0:  basic.
HTML/CGI:  advanced.
PERL:  advanced.

EDUCATION

Jun 95:  BS Physics, California Institute of Technology.
Coursework included Relativistic Quantum mechanics, General Relativity, Physics Labs, Hamiltonian/Lagrangian Mechanics, Elementary Chaotic Systems, Calculus of Complex Variables, Elementary Abstract Algebra, Linear Algebra.

PERSONAL

In my spare time I write electronic music, collect records (mostly progressive trance), and spin at the occasional party.  I've also done some Super-8 short films and written short screenplays, poetry, and hypertext fiction.  I also enjoy playing RPGs such as Paranoia and Call of Cthulhu.

Code samples are available here.
References and additional code samples are available upon request.
If you like, you may also download a copy of my resume in Word format.

This document was updated on Thursday, September 20, 2007.