<!wide>Kevin D. Brunner's Vita

• 1999-present Nova Southeastern University Ft. Lauderdale, FL. Working towards a Master's in Computer Information Systems. Degree completion anticipated in June 2000. Six hours of credit per term.
• 1982-1986 Graceland University Lamoni, IA. B.S., Computer Science and Computer Information Systems. Graduated Magna Cum Laude. GPA 3.83.

EXPERIENCE

• August 1998 to present Graceland University Lamoni, IA Instructor of Information Technology * Teaching Visual Basic, SQL and Database, Introduction to Unix, Unix and NT System Administration, Programming using C++, Sr. Systems Project. * Instructing 5 to 25 students per class on current technology. * Utilizing PC lab networked to server(s) for learning.
• January 1998 to July 1998 Cerner Corporation Kansas City, MO Team Leader * Started new team of application developers. * Reengineered software by designing new table relationships and reducing the processing time for updating tables.
• October 1993 to December 1997 Cerner Corporation Kansas City, MO Project Leader / Sr. Application Developer * Led the transition of software development from a mini-frame COBOL based system to a client-server Visual Basic implementation. * Modeled software and process objects with Paradigm Plus. * Developed the physical database table structure with SQL. * Created server application in C++. * Assisted in outlining the methodology for software design and implementation. * Advised a team of 4 programmers and one functional analyst. * Designed software with clients to meet their needs.
• November 1986 to September 1993 Cerner Corporation Kansas City, MO Application Developer / Sr. Application Developer * Maintained and enhanced software in COBOL mini-frame environment. * Supported end users by solving problems on the phone. * Trained users how to implement software

TEACHING HISTORY

• Introduciton to Unix
• Visual Basic Programming
• Database Management and SQL
• Computer Programming I
• Computer Programming I (overload)
• System Development Project
• Network Administration
• Computer Programming II
• Unix System Administration

PERSONAL STATEMENT

Career transitions do not come easily, but I am extremely satisfied with my recent decision to become an Instructor at Graceland University. The Instructor role has been challenging, but I expected that and challenges are what make me grow. Receiving notification of being in the top 10% of the faculty, in the eyes of the students, is a tremendous compliment and one I fully appreciate.

When I came to Graceland to be an Instructor I had a couple of goals in mind. One, I wanted to relate my professional experiences to the students to help them prepare for their careers in the business world and two, listen to the concerns of the students and help them overcome their fears of what might lie ahead as they prepared themselves for the business world. I feel that even in my first year of teaching I have been able to see these goals fulfilled in part. The students are very interested in hearing the experiences I have shared in my work experience, and many times they need someone to lend a listening ear to them for both academic work and personal issues. The past few months have been very rewarding. The faculty and staff have been extremely supportive of my endeavors. I am currently learning more and more about educating students. I am currently co-teaching a course which I find extremely beneficial in observing how my associate approaches education. My mentor has been beneficial and has lent an ear for me whenever I have had questions. My Division Chairperson has been supportive in helping grow in my understanding of educating students.

I am excited to be part of the Social Science division teaching in Information Technology. This field is extremely important. The rapid changes in technology are an interesting and challenging field. I am enjoying equipping our students with the tools to meet the challenges they have ahead of them. As the IT arena continues to expand, I would like to see Graceland at the forefront of educating its students on the importance of using technology. As an educator I have enjoyed being in the class room with the students and feel we connect well together. I sense their ability to open up and discuss the issues and topics we cover as they endeavor to learn.

My involvement with the Graceland community has been exciting. I have shared in committee work, student activities, worship services and even volunteer a little time to assist with my daughter's kindergarten class. Each of these experience provides rewarding relationships and gives me the sense of accomplishment I look for on a daily basis. The students want to learn and I want to help them learn.

My preparation for teaching at Graceland comes from my professional development of over 11 years of software development experience with Cerner Corporation. Cerner is a leading supplier of Healthcare Information Systems and grew from a small private company of a little over 100 associates to a public company with nearly 2000 associates during the time I was with the company. My contribution to the corporation started as an Application Programmer. Programmer responsibilities at that time also included working in the Service Center interacting with clients who were using the system and solving problems they would call and ask questions about. This experience taught me the importance of being precise in my communication and questions in resolving the issues for the clients.

After two years of working with the Cerner software, I was selected as part of a team of developers to start the conversion process of moving our code to a new architecture. This reengineering process included rewriting a significant amount of code to improve its efficiency and remove the modifications that were no longer necessary. I trained several new associates on programming techniques used by the company while serving as a Sr. Application Developer. I spent time helping new programmers understand the importance of knowing the requirements and making sure the implementation met the specifications. I stressed the importance of testing the software to eliminate as many errors as possible prior to its release to the public.

As I transitioned from Sr. Application Developer to Project Leader, I led the implementation of a major transition in software for Cerner's PathNet Laboratory System. Cerner moved from a character based software system to a windows GUI 3-tier client-server architecture. Teleconferencing with clients about requirements and proposed enhancements was used to assist in the development process. Our overall development methodology included extensive use of Microsoft Office products for documentation and scheduling purposes, and communicating to our clients.

My last experience with software development at Cerner included starting a new team. My new team of software developers redesigned some of the Laboratory Management functions that were not running efficiently. The process of leading people to new understandings was a valuable experience at Cerner and started me to think of the importance of giving back to people what I received. In particular, I started to think of giving back what I had received in an educational setting like Graceland. While at Cerner I presented several sessions at their annual Health Conference. I prepared PowerPoint presentations about software in my area of expertise to providing for the clients a vision of what the software would be like when they received it. During these conferences I listened closely to the clients concerns as they expressed their frustrations. I also presented material at internal training conferences for fellow associates. These opportunities to present design concepts helped me organize my thoughts and create presentations that were valuable and informative for the users of the software. The topics I covered in many of these sessions included how the new software enhancements would be implemented and the advantages the clients would receive. I included discussions for clients and associates, helping them understand the more technical terms in a more simplified fashion. I believe I gained valuable experience which helped me develop my presentation, writing and listening skills. I also learned to how to respond to questions in a sometimes hostile environment. My contribution to Cerner is best described as steady, consistent and productive. These are the same qualities that I would like to continue to put forth in my career as an Instructor of Information Technology at Graceland College.

Each of these professional experiences have taught many different aspects about my career and have helped prepare me to teach. My participation in community events over the years has assisted in my development and has been done largely through my church association. I have spent and continue to spend many hours in volunteer ministry to the community. I helped with the implementation of the SHARE food program for the neighborhood where my church was located in Independence, Missouri. The program assisted local people in receiving food for a minimal cost in exchange for their volunteer service back to the community. I have spent time leading groups of people in church projects. I helped with an initiative to pave the church's parking lot. I have prepared class materials and taught many classes for the church education program. I have also benefited from the courses given by my church. The one most noteworthy is "The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People". I learned how to put "first things first" and create a personal mission statement. Each of the concepts I learned from the Stephen Covey Leadership Program helped to organize my life and achieve the goals I have set for myself. I was recognized by the church for my contribution to my local congregation and the leadership I provided.