Brooks Mershon

Software Engineer at UNAVCO, working on neat Geodesy stuff.

Brand Ambassador for Mile High Gliding at Boulder Airport.

Owner of Boulder Pilot, LLC, which offers transition training, ferry pilot services, and experimental flight test consultation based out of the Boulder/Denver area Asheville, North Carolina and surrounding airports.

I currently own and operate a Pitts Special S-1S, competing in the Rocky Mountain Chapter 12 of the International Aerobatic Club.

→ Flight Instruction

→ Flickr

→ YouTube

→ Reading

→ Résumé [PDF]

🆕 Projects

See my latest work on Observable.

# Grid Cycles

# The Little Schemer Code

# From Mathematics to Generic Programming

# Category Theory (self-study module) [Wiki]

# SIGGRAPH 2016: A Wide-Eyed Account [PDF] [SRC]

# Hofstadter Sequences

# Equidecomposability

# Laplacian Mesh Editing

# Shape Descriptors

# Procrustes Alignment of 3D Meshes

# Specular Reflections (Echo Simulator 2016)

# WikiBlocks [VIDEO] [SRC]

# Context Sensitive Label Placement

# Reid’s Conservation Legacy

# 2015 Cy Young Tracker

# Teaching Topology with Code [PDF] [SRC]

# Flickr [Medium]

🛩️ Aviation

FAA 4034486

EAA 1271516 (Flight Advisor)

IAC 440213

See www.boulderpilot.com

💻 Code

• GitHub repositories for longer projects. Some repos are actually teaching materials organized in the spirit of a software project, because teaching is programming. And I love teaching and explaining as I’m learning while leaving a record beind, if only to help externalize memory.

• bl.ocks.org for interactive visuals, code snippets, and bite-sized explainers. Often made to teach myself. These are updated frequently and more often than not reflect a day’s effort at playing with a new idea. In the same veign as Mike Bostock’s examples, these blocks help me to break a larger project into smaller self-contained explainers. It’s a good day when I can upload another one of these; like building blocks, these tend to be part of larger and more involved structures.

• Observable Notebooks. I have recently started producing interactive educational content on this platform in parallel with the material that I am currently self-studying. I learn best by examples. Observable helps me build examples that keep on giving to both myself and others.

🌎 Publications

• Static and Interactive illustrations for The Washington Post.
• Pratt Education: The Online Revolution in Duke Engineer Magazine (2013).

📜 Essays

selected entries

• A Coding Maxim
• SIGGRAPH 2016 - A Wide Eyed Account
• Wendi
• Flickr

📚 Catalog

Books, essays, films and other resources I have found to be particularly great or enriching. Updated frequently.

📷 Camera

Flickr, YouTube, Vimeo.

🎓 Education

Duke University

BS in Computer Science

May 2016

Durham, NC

Cum. GPA: 3.74 / 4.0

Duke Cycling Team Member

New York University

Writers in New York 2014

🕔 Experience

UNAVCO

Software Engineer III

April 2021 - Present

Boulder, CO

Mile High Gliding

Chief Pilot and Brand Ambassador

April 2021 - Present

Boulder, CO

• Staff training in Piper Super Cub, Citabria, Schweizer 2-32 and 2-33 gliders.
• Curriculum development for instruction at MHG, interfacing with Wings Over the Rockies scholarship programs for students learning to fly gliders.
• Sponsored aerobatic pilot, Pitts S-1S, representing Journeys Aviation and Mile High Gliding.

Boulder Pilot, LLC

Co-Owner and Pilot

March 2020 - Present

Boulder, CO

• Started an aircraft ferry services and transition training LLC with an emphasis on experimental aircraft, biplanes, and other demanding tailwheel aircraft with a Fedex Express and Air National Guard Pilot.
• Developed the website, branding, merchandizing, and billing practices for the Boulder Pilot brand.
• Long term contract test pilot for an Experimental Ryan ST replica. All new, CAD from the ground up, kitplane design being brought to market.
• Formed long term relationship for flight test, design consultation, marketing, video production, and technical documentation with Timber Tiger Aircraft.

Mile High Gliding

Manager and Pilot

January 2018 - April 2021

Boulder, CO

• Experienced commercial glider and tow pilot. Scenic glider rides, transition training, and primary flight instruction. Responsible for staff pilot training.
• Rebranding and implementing advertising and web presence under new ownership and merging with Journeys Aviation.
• Organizing restoration of existing gliders and acquisition of new aircraft.
• Overhauling facilities and modernizing scheduling and billing practices.

Trimble SketchUp

Software Developer

July 2016 - January 2019

Boulder, CO

• Significant engineering and design involvement bringing SketchUp Web to the EDU market, including integrating online file saving with Google Drive.
• Focused on improving the look, feel, and usability of the SketchUp Web user interface, specifically the search for Commands.
• 90 percent front-end work, 10 percent core geometry engine work.
• Won Best Presentation and Best Overall Hack at internal 2018 hackathon.

The Washington Post

Graphics Intern

June 2015 - August 2015

Washington, D.C.

• Designed graphics for print and online publication using Adobe Illustrator.
• Developed interactive graphics that were published online on subjects including baseball statistics, historical U.S. nuclear testing, and environmental conservation.

Duke University Press

Books Editorial Intern

January 2015 - May 2015

Durham, NC

Versal

Software Engineering Intern

May 2013 - August 2013

San Francisco, CA

• Developed simulations related to optics, epidemiology, image processing, and geometry as the company launched.