|
|
|
The following feature story appeared in the campus publication MOSAIC in May, 1996.
Bryan Horling '96
A knack for turning obstacles into solutions
If something doesn't work, Bryan Horling '96 likes to fix it. When a commercial software package he was using on a senior biology project wasn't performing well, he simply developed a new one. "Bryan created an exceptional computer software program to analyze biological growth in organisms and to monitor their developmental habits," said Professor Craig Schneider of the biology department. "This computer program is far better than any commercial program available-certainly better than the one the professors in the biology
department have used in the past."
Horling, a senior from Orange, Conn., first became interested in the intricate workings of computers during his freshman year at Trinity. His own personal computer then was often "on the fritz," he said. The continual computer problems he experienced prodded Horling to explore the uses of his computer, and his exploration soon became his passion. This year's President's Fellow in computer science, Horling has developed remarkable credentials and impressive achievements on the road to earning honors in both computer science and biology, his dual majors.
Horling's interest in using computing to explore biology snapped into focus during his sophomore year. He enrolled in a computing course coordinated with an independent study to combine both biology and computer science. His interest was in exploring "Lindenmayer-Systems" in algae, which later became the basis of his senior thesis. It was in his thesis research on the development of algae that Horling bumped into a balky software package that was supposed to help him monitor the development of algae.
At first, Horling experimented with minor changes. When tinkering didn't produce satisfactory results, "he set himself to the task of creating a better program, one which was easier to use and which had fewer problems-and he did it," Schneider said.
Horling said he has been busy this year "writing another new software program for [his] thesis to see if the development of algae can be modeled with a more robust computer system." Horling explained that this system "entails the study of algae and how it grows during development." The software package monitors growth and gauges the effects of biological interactions within the plant form.
In the experiment, Horling develops a set of production rules to compare with an abstract, computer-generated representation of the algae's development. With these rules and data generated, he is able to compare results with studies of other organisms and to discover potential evolutionary similarities in biological growth patterns. One major goal of Horling's research is to determine if the type of algae he is using can be modeled at all. If this turns out to be possible, Schneider plans to continue the research after Horling leaves Trinity.
"Bryan has made a valuable and useable tool that will be very useful to faculty and undergraduate students nationwide in the fields of both biology and chemistry," Schneider said. "There have already been requests for Bryan's program and he has been willing to make it available for other scientists to use."
At Trinity, Horling has been exploring computing at many levels. As a freshman, his urge to solve his own computer problems lured him into becoming a student computer consultant. Almost immediately, he was promoted to become head student consultant, and he has stayed on at the Computing Center over the last three years to continue this work.
Horling played a key role in establishing Trinity's Internet website, which he maintains. The hypertext site, which combines words, photos and graphics to introduce visitors to Trinity, its people and programs, is a valuable reference source and Trinity's welcome mat on the World Wide Web. "Our website is where we establish our first contact with an increasing number of people, especially potential students," said Linda Campanella, the College's vice president for marketing and public relations.
"The website has become an important tool," she said. "As the College seeks to expand its geographic reach, it is vital that we diminish our reliance on paper correspondence and enter the world of electronic communication with a vengeance. Bryan's contributions in this realm have been very valuable."
Horling's computing activities extend beyond the realms of science and institutional advancement. Last summer, he and a group of friends established a business on the World Wide Web called WebToad Advertising. Horling, who is involved with the technical aspect of the business, said that the company has attracted some clients and is approaching others. Horling has been a teaching assistant (TA) for six biology and computer science classes studying at Trinity. He has maintained a GPA of 3.75 and is a member of Phi Beta Kappa.
Horling is in the process of weighing his plans for the future. He has received a job offer involving systems and network administration programming, and has also been accepted at a number of graduate schools. Eventually, Horling plans to earn an advanced degree in computer science, which he hopes to then combine with his biology interests for a career in research.
- Monique Lee '97