T. Michael Keesey

Senior Software Engineer/Technical Lead

portrait

Contact

Los Angeles, California

Expertise

Lead software engineer specializing in web applications, with particular emphasis in front-end development.

Work Experience

Lead Software Engineer Live Nation Entertainment Beverly Hills, CA Feb 2019–present
  • Leading a team of front-end web engineers
  • Communicating closely with Product, QA, other engineering team leads, and other teams.
  • Built a completely new version of LiveNation.com.
  • Maintaining LiveNation.com after launch, adding major new functionality.
  • Conducting interviews for hiring team members.
  • Working on additional websites
Technologies Used
  • Amazon Web Services
  • GraphQL
  • Jest
  • Next.js
  • OpenAPI
  • React
  • Storybook
  • TypeScript
Engineer/Architect/Founder PhyloPic Los Angeles, CA Feb 2011–present
  • Built a popular biological illustration resource, used by thousands of research articles.
  • Ran a successful crowd-funding campaign to engineer a new version in 2018.
  • Architecting application structure and implementing functionality.
Technologies Used
  • Amazon Web Services
  • Image Magick
  • Inkscape
  • Mocha/Chai
  • Next.js
  • Node.js
  • OpenAPI
  • Postgres
  • React
  • Serverless
  • SQL
  • TypeScript
Front-End Lead ZED Connect Calabasas, CA Feb 2018–Nov 2018
  • Led a front-end team in developing a portal for truck fleet managers.
  • Assisted in hiring of team members.
  • Evaluated technical solutions and workflow methodologies.
Technologies Used
  • JavaScript
  • Material-UI
  • Mocha/Chai
  • React/Redux
  • Webpack
Senior Software Engineer Cast & Crew Burbank, CA Aug 2016–Dec 2017
  • Developed web applications for entertainment staffing and payroll.
  • Acted as UI lead for certain products.
  • Reviewed code and assisted in hiring and management of team members, local and offshore.
Technologies Used
  • Aurelia
  • JavaScript
  • React
  • Webpack
Senior Web Developer Wells Fargo & Company Santa Monica, CA Mar 2011–Aug 2016
  • Developed web applications for internal usage by the Capital Finance division.
  • Acted as UI lead for team.
  • Reviewed code and assisted in hiring and management of team members, local and offshore.
  • Worked with business analysts to formulate development goals.
Technologies Used
  • Angular
  • Flex
  • Gulp
  • Jasmine
  • Kendo UI
  • SQL Server
  • TypeScript
Freelance Web Developer DigiSynd Burbank, CA Sep 2009–Mar 2011
  • Employed a variety of technologies, both front- and back-end, in creating social marketing applications for Disney content.
Technologies Used
  • d3
  • Facebook Platform
  • Flash/Flex
  • JavaScript
  • MySQL
Freelance Flash Developer Hello Design Culver City, CA Jun 2009–Jul 2009
Freelance Flex Lead McManus Consulting Glendale, CA (remote) Jan 2009–Jun 2009
  • Worked on the user interface for an application to be used by hospitals.
Technologies Used
  • Crystal Reports
  • Flex
Freelance Developer Ignited Minds El Segundo, CA Oct 2008–Jan 2009
Director of Technology Exopolis Los Angeles, CA May 2006–Aug 2008
  • Headed the technology department for a boutique advertising agency.
  • Reorganized development workflow, implementing code frameworks, version control, QA, and documentation processes.
  • Oversaw hiring of employees, part-time and full-time.
  • Acted as technical lead, developer, and information architect.
Technologies Used
  • Flash/Flex
  • JavaScript
  • MySQL
  • PHP
Freelance Developer Los Angeles, CA Sep 2004–Apr 2006
  • Did freelance web development (primarily Flash) for several clients, including BIG Interactive and Exopolis.
Paleo Technician Wyoming Dinosaur Center Thermopolis, WY May 2004–Sep 2004
  • Led customers on fossil digs and museum and site tours.
  • Worked on museum exhibits, including display design.
  • Engaged in fossil preparation and molding/casting.
Technical Director Media Revolution Santa Monica/Culver City, CA Mar 2001–Oct 2003
Flash Developer Distant Corners Entertainment Group Los Angeles, CA Sep 2000–Jan 2001
Artist Vir2l Studios/ZeniMax Media Rockville, MD/Culver City, CA Jul 1999–Aug 2000
Animation Captain/Programming Counselor TIC Computer Camp Washington, DC Summers 1995–1998

Projects

PhyloPic Website

PhyloPic is a website with freely reusable silhouette images of animals, plants, and other life forms, with phylogeny-based search functionality. A public RESTful API is provided.

Technologies Used
  • Amazon Web Services
  • Image Magick
  • Inkscape
  • Mocha/Chai
  • Next.js
  • Node.js
  • OpenAPI
  • Postgres
  • React
  • Serverless
  • SQL
  • TypeScript

Paleocene (Keesey Comics) Comic Book and Website

Paleocene is a comic book set shortly after the great extinction that ended the “Age of Reptiles”.

Technologies Used
  • Next.js
  • PayPal services
  • React

Publications

Iriarte, J., M. J. Ziegler, A. K. Outram, M. Robinson, P. Roberts, F. J. Aceituno, G. Morcote-Ríos & T. M. Keesey (2022). Ice Age megafauna rock art in the Colombian Amazon?. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B 377(1849):20200496. DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0496
Kane, J., E. Willoughby & T. M. Keesey (2016). God's Word or Human Reason?: An Inside Perspective on Creationism. Inkwater Press. 424 pages. ISBN-13: 978-1629013725; ISBN-10: 1629013722; ASIN: 1629013722
Keesey, T. M. (2007). A mathematical approach to defining clade names, with potential applications to computer storage and processing. Zoologica Scripta 36(6):607–621. DOI: 10.1111/j.1463-6409.2007.00302.x
Hone, D. W. E., T. M. Keesey, D. Pisani & A. Purvis (2005). Macroevolutionary trends in the Dinosauria: Cope's rule. Journal of Evolutionary Biology 18:587–595. DOI: 10.1111/j.1420-9101.2004.00870.x

Societies

International Society for Phylogenetic Nomenclature (Webmaster)

Education

University of Maryland Baltimore County Graduated Cum Laude 1999

Bachelor of Arts in Visual Arts, emphasis in Imaging and Digital Art