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• Website Development |
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mduke@u.washington.edu |
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Greetings and best fishes to you! I am the Webmaster, Editor, Information Specialist, and Archivist for the University of Washington School of Aquatic & Fishery Sciences. My actual job title is Public Information Editor, but as the Philistine said about the abstract painting, "What does it mean?" Here's a run-down of what I do at the school.
Marcus the Web Geek
I develop and administer the School's website, including the homepage and numerous other components (e.g., personnel lists, publication citation lists, research profiles, research program sites, faculty homepages). In addition to helping faculty and staff with website development and troubleshooting, I also can assist students to a limited extent. Along with rendering graphics, I also do a limited amount of Javascript and Perl programming.
Websites Built (and Sometimes Designed) by Me
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SAFS |
Extensive use of multi-dimensional navigation menus (internal/external), random image swapping (homepage) |
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SAFS Faculty Website (homepage) |
Uniform template w/varying color schemes for all SAFS faculty |
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Birdfish Lab |
Design for Julia Parrish’s bird and fish behavior lab |
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SAFS Endowments |
Use of MySQL database and PHP to manage and display current SAFS endowment recipients |
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SAFS Endowment Data Management Web Interface |
Enables Student Services staff to sort, insert, update, and delete student recipient data for endowment databse |
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SAFS Hatchery |
Simple site, completed in under 20 hours. |
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Alaska Salmon Program |
Large site, including data resources (see following), searchable photo gallery |
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Alaska Salmon Program data request |
PHP/MySQL validated form with error checking; populates database and send data to managers via email |
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Gallucci Shark Lab website |
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Northwest Science Writers Organization |
Pro bono private sector for non-profit org |
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UW Marine Biology |
Comprehensive information on UW resources pertaining to marine biology |
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UW Program on Climate Change |
Done for Jim Murray in Oceanography |
Marcus the Information Specialist
Someone called me an "Information Broker," once, but I decided that wouldn't work because then I should get paid by the piece—at up to 1,000 queries annually, I'm not sure who would lose on that kind of arrangement.
My 23+ years at Aquatic & Fishery Sciences has given me a perspective that has proven very useful in terms of filtering and directing queries to the people and resources that will most likely give the information being sought. So, you want to know why some salmon turn red when they shift into their spawning phase? You want to know where to get information on starting a pond aquaculture venture? You want to know who to call when you need to identify an aquatic species? Well, if I don't have the answer immediately at hand, I can almost always find it through my network of resources.
Marcus the Editor
I am responsible for writing, editing and producing school publications. Currently, this mostly entails (1) promotional and informational (e.g., newsletters) literature for the web and print, and (2) technical reports (see following). In the past, I have edited peer-review articles and produced about 8 books from 1987 through 1997 (see References below). In 2002, I started work on a book for faculty member Bob Wissmar that focuses on restoring rivers.
I also produce the longstanding School of Aquatic & Fishery Sciences (formerly Fisheries Research Institute) SAFS-UW technical report series, which dates back to 1973 and contains hundreds of titles.
References
Wissmar, RC, PA Bisson (eds.), M Duke (tech. ed.). 2003. Strategies for Restoring River Ecosystems: Source of Variability and Uncertainty in Natural and Managed Systems. American Fisheries Society, Bethesda, Maryland.
Pikitch, EK, DD Huppert, MP Sissenwine (eds.), M Duke (assoc. ed.). 1997. Global Trends: Fisheries Management. American Fisheries Society Symposium 20. Bethesda, Maryland.
Pikitch, EK, MP Sissenwine, DD Huppert, M Duke. 1997. Summing up: an overview of global trends in fisheries, fisheries science, and fisheries management. Pages 275-278 in Pikitch, EK, DD Huppert, MP Sissenwine (eds.), M Duke (assoc. ed.), Global Trends: Fisheries Management. American Fisheries Society Symposium 20. Bethesda, Maryland.
Stouder, DJ, PA Bisson, RJ Naiman (eds.), M Duke (assoc. ed.). 1997. Pacific Salmon and Their Ecosystems: Status and Future Options. Chapman & Hall, New York.
Stouder, DJ, KL Fresh, RJ Feller (eds.), M Duke (assist. ed.). 1994. Theory and Application in Fish Feeding Ecology. Belle W. Baruch Library in Marine Science 18. Univ. South Carolina Press.
Marcus the Computer Maven
I used to manage a small computer lab for the school that provided graphics programs like Photoshop, PageMaker and FreeHand, as well as a flatbed scanner. While the facility itself is likely to be discontinued soon, I still provide consultation regarding use of Adobe and Microsoft programs.
And while I also know my way around network tasks such as ftp and email issues (e.g., attachments), I recommend you address all queries regarding network administration to help@fish.washington.edu.
Cathy the Computer Graphics Maven
Working with me is the venerable Cathy Schwartz, master of FreeHand and Photoshop graphics production. The boffo layout and graphics that festoon many school publications can be credited to Ms. Cathy. She is available to work on graphics for research and school budgets and is also a very capable editor (we call her the "Terminator" because she can make 2 words work for 10!). She also can assist students and others in rendering graphics and publications in the Publications computer lab. You can email Cathy as follows: cathys@u.washington.edu
Marcus the Archivist
No, I'm still not done! I also am responsible for managing the School's archives, wherein are retained copies of technical reports and peer-review publications (journal articles, book chapters, etc.), as well as numerous datasets dating back over 50 years (e.g., fish scales, otoliths; field research logs on various indices including temperature, streamflow).
Pet Site—A Word a Day
By far one of my favorite websites is Anu Garg's "A Word a Day"—a veritable treasure trove, nay, a virtual cornucopia for linguaphiles. For your entertainment, I've linked to their daily offering page below; click the link to get the definition and to access other parts of this most excellent site:
Does Marcus Have a Life?
Chyeh! Despite the long hours at Aquatic & Fishery Sciences, I do find time for other activities. I've been a performing musician for nearly 40 years. I studied classical piano as a youth and all my schooling was at institutions specializing in music (Performing Arts High School [featured in the movie "Fame"], Juilliard School of Music, and Mannes College). But, since the late '60s, I have mostly played rock/r&b (mostly on electric bass), jazz, and for the last 15 years or so, have focused especially on reggae, latin (Afro-Cuban, Brazilian), and African styles. Currently, I play with the group Talismen , which plays reggae, ska and Afro-pop rhythms with jazz/blues flavors (we have a website, but it's not kosher to link to it from a public institution webpage, so if you want to find the site, search for "Talismen" and "reggae").
I released three instrumental records of my own, with the group "Nothin' Sirius," in the '70s when I was a studio musician in LA, performed on about a dozen other records, and also released a CD with an instrumental group—Somewhere In Between—in 1991. Currently, I have been dabbling with acoustic steel-string finger-picking for my own pleasure (much easier to carry a guitar around then electric keyboards, yaknow), and pattern my style somewhat after such masters as Bruce Cockburn, Michael Hedges, and the master of them all, Ralph Towner.
I'm also an avid outdoor recreationalist, and have kayaked all over the Pac NW and even hauled our aging Klepper foldboat to the Everglades and Hawaii. And finally, I am a total nut for palindromes. Favorites include the evocative, Dali-esque "Emil asleep, peels a lime," and the reference to Napolean's island exile, "Able was I ere I saw Elba." Palindrome resources on the internet are available, but if you want to read some extraordinary, creative and I believe truly original examples, read Barbara Kingsolver's Poisonwood Bible.
Earth Calling Marcus!
If you wish to contact me, try any of the following:
Tel: 206-543-4678; Fax: 206-685-7471
Email: mduke@u.washington.edu