User:Troy D Williamson

The account of this former contributor was not re-activated after the server upgrade of March 2022.

I have a varied background, although there is a "central element" involved. After high school I served in the United States Air Force, where I was trained as a computer programming specialist--mostly COBOL and ForTran. I worked in data processing for about ten years, including the positions held following my military duty. I began taking college courses to study management (and completed my associate's degree in that field) as I was promoted in my job--and rediscovered my "roots." I went on to earn my bachelor's degree (majoring in philosophy, minoring in mathematics and English), and then my master's degree (majoring in philosophy, minoring in mathematics).

I intended to pursue my doctoral degree immediately after completing my master's--but ... life happens. I surrendered to the ministry at that time, and spent eight years serving as a pastor. During that time, I took several courses toward a theology degree, but that degree was never completed. After eight years of ministry, I found my way back to the classroom.

I am currently teaching at the college level--I am at a two-year college, so all of the courses I teach are lower-division undergraduate courses. The courses I teach most often are ethics and logic, with an occasional mathematics course thrown in.

So computer science, mathematics, philosophy, theology--I am a logician at heart. That is, I suppose, my greatest strength.

Currently, I am interested in virtual worlds--particularly for the educational opportunities which they may afford. Most of my virtual experience has been in Second Life. I have found my old programming skills helpful (writing LSL scripts), and have found that even a left-brained logician can be creative, in a limited sort of a way. I enjoy working puzzles--particularly those involving numbers (I am currently working on the puzzles posted at the Truth Tree website--http://www.truthtree.com/mathdoor.html). I've also had a long fascination with ciphers--although I cannot claim any particular expertise in that area.

I am not widely published--my workload is not conducive to research and publication. I hope to be involved here, though, and to lend what little expertise I might claim in those areas where I can be helpful.