Brooks Mershon

Software Engineer at UNAVCO, working on neat Earth-science stuff.

Chief Pilot and a Brand Ambassador for Mile High Gliding at Boulder Airport.

Co-owner and pilot of Boulder Pilot, LLC, which offers transition training, ferry pilot services, and experimental flight test consultation based out of the Boulder/Denver area.

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

# 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.