Joel Gerdeen obtained a PhD in engineering mechanics and biomedical engineering from Iowa State University, where he started using computers in experimental research. In his first employment as a structural analyst, he developed software to assist other engineers to graphically model heavy machinery. His support of engineering computer usage transitioned into a career of software project management at FMC, Honeywell, and BAE Systems, all of which were Fortune 100 companies. Joel has experienced computing evolution from loading machine code through switches on a DEC minicomputer to booting a Raspberry Pi from a microSD card. He has worked with microprocessors, timesharing, personal computers, mainframe business systems, and latest mobile devices. After 35 years of employment, Joel ventured into mobile software development in 2010, working with a small start-up company and publishing numerous apps on both Apple and Google app stores. After working with separate iOS and Android development environments, he discovered LiveCode and was able to build on his former HyperCard experience. Joel is also active in the mobile development community in Minneapolis and has presented LiveCode at local conferences.
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