Rana Sen

4902 Forbes Avenue, #196, Pittsburgh, PA 15213
[home] +1.412.363.6541 / [office] +1.412.268.6272 / [fax] +1.412.268.5229
[email] rana@cmu.edu

Objective

To obtain a full-time position in engineering and management of computer systems, with emphasis on

procurement, analysis, and modeling of system requirements,
use of advanced methods, tools, and languages for system design and implemention, followed by delivery.

Education

Ph.D. program, Computational Design, Expected completion in May 98.
School of Architecture, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA.

Master of Construction Science and Management, Aug 92 (Aug 90 - May 92).
Department of Construction Science & Managment, Clemson University, Clemson, SC.

Bachelor of Architecture, Jun 90 (Aug 85 - Jun 90).
Department of Architecture, Jadavpur University, Calcutta, India.

Selected Relevant Experience

Engineering Design Research Center and School of Architecture,
Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, Aug 92 - Present.

Development of a software support tool for architectural programming. Called SEED-Pro, it takes a high level description of a building project, such as building type, occupancy, site attributes, and budget, and helps the user to generate a consistent architectural program with a well-defined scope. It is a part of a larger project that is developing a software environment to support the early phases of building design (SEED). The work includes:

extensive analysis and modeling of user requirements collected from interviews with several architectural firms,
information modeling of key aspects of the early phases of building design like specifications and activitiy-space relationships,
managing the software development process.

Development of HeGeL-II, a heuristic layout generation software equipped with a Nonserial Dynamic Programming Algorithm. This was a joint project between the Graduate School of Industrial Administration and the School of Architecture, Carnegie Mellon University.

Department of Construction Science and Management,
Clemson University, Clemson, SC, May 91 - May 92.

Developed a database application and an assessment process for construction project safety performance, sponsored by the Zero Accident Task Force of the Construction Industry Institute. The work includes:

detail data collection through interviews with multi-disciplinary, on-site project personnel at different levels, like project managers, foremen, and crew members,
development of a procedure to collect data from site interviews and a comprehensive checklist of construction safety techniques.

Computer Skills

Software engineering: advanced knowledge and extensive use of Rumbaugh's Object Modeling Technique (OMT), Jacobson's Object Oriented Software Engineering (OOSE) methodology including use cases, and Design Patterns.
Programming/scripting languages: C/C++, Java, HTML, SQL, Scheme (Lisp), FORTRAN, BASIC, [incr]Tcl/Tk.
Environments, frameworks, libraries: OMTool, SNiFF, Microsoft Visual Basic and C++, MFC, ET++.
Platforms: UNIX (X-Windows and Linux), Microsoft Windows NT/95, Mac OS.
User interface development through behavior modeling, prototyping, and usability engineering.
Selected software: AutoCAD, Primavera, Microsoft Office components, FrameMaker, Photoshop, PageMill.

Additional Experience

Golder Construction Services, GA, Jun 92 - Aug 92.
Quality Assurance Monitor, site supervision of installation of geosynthetic liner systems for solid waste landfills.

Stup Consultants India Pvt. Ltd., Calcutta, India, Jun 89 - Dec 89.
Intern, worked on the design of pedestrian skywalks in downtown Calcutta.

Dept. of Construction Science & Management, Clemson University, SC, Aug 90 - May 92.
Teaching Assistant, for undergraduate courses in statics and strength of materials; graded homeworks/tests and instructed laboratory classes.

Selected Publications

"SEED-Pro: Computer Assisted Architectural Programming in SEED." (1995), ASCE Journal of Architectural Engineering, Vol. 1, No. 4, pp. 153-161, (with O. Akin, M. Donia, and Y. Zhang).

"Navigation within a Structured Search Space in Layout Problems." (1996), Environment and Planning B: Planning and Design, Vol. 23, pp. 421-442, (with O. Akin).

Honors & Interests

Member, Sigma Lambda Chi, National Construction Honor Society.
Student Representative, MS-PhD Committee, School of Architecture, Carnegie Mellon University, Sep 94 - Aug 96.
Member, Dean's Council of Students, College of Architecture, Sep 91 - May 92.
Photography, Travel, Movies, Music, Squash.
Languages (English, Bengali, Hindi, French).

References, copies of publications, and curriculum vita available on request.

[résumé in pdf]