Katie Kearns

Web and Documentation Tools Developer

San Francisco Bay Area

Current
  • Technical Writer (through PRO Unlimited) at Juniper Networks
Past
  • Software Engineer at Cisco Systems
  • Technical Writer at Cisco Systems
  • Graduate Fellow at Johns Hopkins University
Education
  • The Johns Hopkins University
  • The University of Texas at Austin
Connections
86 connections
Industry
Internet

Katie Kearns’s Summary

I do front-end web development and tools development, typically for technical documentation teams, but I'm open to any interesting project. I have extensive experience using, testing, designing and implementing documentation tools and processes. I specialize in issues with online help, XML, modularity and reuse, usability, accessibility, and localization. I'm equally comfortable leading teams and taking orders. I have excellent communication skills and excel at meeting with clients to discuss their requirements and challenges. I can quickly teach myself just about anything.


Katie Kearns’s Experience

  • Technical Writer (through PRO Unlimited)

    Juniper Networks

    (Public Company; 1001-5000 employees; JNPR; Computer Networking industry)

    May 2008Present (6 months)

  • Software Engineer

    Cisco Systems

    (Public Company; 10,001 or more employees; csco; Internet industry)

    June 2005August 2007 (2 years 3 months)

    Key member of a team working to build an XML authoring and publishing system—includes updating DTDs, customizing the XMetaL user interface (by writing CCS, VBScript, and Jscript), writing XSLT to generate HTML output, and writing XSL-FO to generate PDFs using AntennaHouse Formatter.

    Lead of the XML rendering team, which involves tasks such as determining implementations, writing specifications and design documents, tracking development, assigning bugs to team members, and giving input about the development schedule.

    Meet with the client users to determine needs and requirements of the new system and work with them to verify that features function as expected.

    Design HTML for our customer-facing website, Cisco.com, conforming to company accessibility and web site development parameters.

    Developed a simplified front end to the bug tracking program to allow easier access for users. Coded in HTML, Javascript, and PHP.

  • Technical Writer

    Cisco Systems

    (Public Company; 10,001 or more employees; CSCO; Internet industry)

    August 1999June 2005 (5 years 11 months)

    Designed an XML-based online help system used on millions of Cisco IP Phones and wrote end user and administrator content for the system. Also, wrote XSLT and XSL-FO to generate Excel spreadsheets, HTML, and PDFs (using FOP) to assist in writing and reviewing the help system's content.

    Key contributor to the Cisco online help system: defined requirements, reviewed specifications, tested prototypes, updated WebWorks templates, and ran usability tests. Also, trained writers and engineers across Cisco to use, integrate, and troubleshoot the help system.

    Investigated and implemented new doc tools and processes for content sharing, localization, accessibility, and content management.

    Wrote a wide range of administrator and end user documentation in print, HTML, and online help formats.

    Wrote perl scripts to analyze survey question data and system log data of phone help button use and to manage bugs.

    Created interactive multimedia tutorials using Macromedia Flash.

  • Graduate Fellow

    Johns Hopkins University

    (Educational Institution; Biotechnology industry)

    August 1998July 1999 (1 year)

    Researched Monte Carlo and genetic algorithms to simulate protein folding. Wrote programs in C++ and FORTRAN to model biophysical processes and interpret experimental data. Contributed to research involving homology modeling of a superhelical protein, armadillo and to a theory of following protein folding and binding using circular dichroism (CD).


Katie Kearns’s Education

  • The Johns Hopkins University

    Fellowship, Biophysics, 19981999

    Wrote programs in C++ and FORTRAN to model biophysical processes and interpret experimental data. Researched Monte Carlo and genetic algorithms to simulate protein folding. Contributed to research involving homology modeling of a superhelical protein, armadillo. Contributed to a theory of following protein folding and binding using circular dichroism (CD).

  • The University of Texas at Austin

    BS, Molecular Biology, 19931998

    Research Assistant (1997-1998) duties involved site-directed mutagenesis and protein crystallization to investigate protein homology of histidine decarboxylase.

    Activities and Societies:
    Spent semester abroad in Moscow, Russia, at the Moscow Linguistic Institute.

Additional Information

Katie Kearns’s Groups:

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Katie Kearns’s Contact Settings

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