The McGowan Company

> Web development, design, analytics, and solutions.

An IT company dedicated to providing the highest quality web solutions to our clients. Based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, we provide remote services and consultations to clients on a freelance and/or contract arrangement. Reach out to us below, and we'll be happy to connect with you. Thank you kindly, and have a great day.


Skills

Programming Languages
Web Development Tools
Networking
Workflow
  • Mobile-First, Responsive Design
  • Cross Browser Testing & Debugging
  • Remote & Distributed Teams
  • Scrum & Agile Project Management Workflows
  • Canada.ca Information Architecture Specification & Style Guide
  • Goverment of Canada Standards of Web Accessibility, Web Usability, Web Interoperability, & Optimizing Websites and Applications for Mobile Devices

Experience

Web Developer; Team Lead

  • Re-code current Web Experience Toolkit 3 (WET3) websites to new WET4-framework.
  • Assist in the migration of department content to Canada.ca.
  • Standardize the data structure of profiles and create XML files using department data.
  • Document the process taken and the structure of the new XML database.
  • Organize and maintain content of EOSS maintained websites in preparation for migrating all content to the new Web Experience Toolkit (WET4).
  • Assist in migration of the EOSS maintained websites from WET3 to WET4 and Canada.ca.
  • Liase with external departments and teams to coordinate the completion of various projects.
June 2015 - Present

Technical Support Consultant

Provided technical support for Adobe Enterprise products, such as Adobe Experience Manager (AEM) and Adobe LiveCycle, as well as enterprise applications built on Adobe's platform to clients in Canada and the United States.

July 2014 - June 2015

Form Developer / Quality Assurance Tester

Developed static and adaptive PDF forms using Adobe LiveCycle Designer. Conducted extensive QA testing on developed forms to ensure the highest quality product.

March 2014 - July 2014

Education

Algonquin College

The Internet Applications & Web Development is a two-year Ontario College Diploma designed to provide students with an education in Internet technologies, Internet programming, and the analysis and design of enterprise Internet applications solutions interacting with databases. The program prepares students to become Internet project architects, with expertise in developing software applications such as e-commerce websites and specialized intranet solutions.

  • Dean's Honours List, June 2014, Faculty of Technology and Trades, Algonquin College
    Awarded the Dean's Honours list for oustanding academic achievement during the Winter 2014 term. The Dean's Honours List recognizes students who have demonstrated academic excellence by achieving a term grade point average of at least 3.60.
September 2013 - May 2016

Carleton University

Studied the intersection of Music and Culture, specifically the impact of popular music and technology. The program provided a strong interdisciplinary approach to critical readings of music, ranging from sociology, linguistics, critical theory, feminism, cultural studies, Marxist theory, and ethnomusicology.

  • Masters of Arts Thesis, May 2012, Carleton University
    Successfully defended my graduate thesis, which explored the intersectionality of Auto-Tune - a vocal modification software - on genre-based notions of vocality in pop music, rap/hip-hop, and popular culture.
September 2009 - May 2012

Trent University

Excelled in the study of semiotics, cultural theory, continental philosophy, and ancient philosophy. Wrote a thesis on the semiotics of modern popular music in the early 2000s. Editor-in-chief of Absynthe Media, as well as Production Manager, Columnist, and weekly public radio host.

  • President's Honour Roll, June 2008, Trent University
    Graduated from Trent University with an Honours Bachelor of Arts Double-Major degree in Philosophy & Cultural Studies with a recognition of outstanding academic achievement.
  • Cultural Studies Department Student Colloquium, March 2007, Trent University
    Presented a 2,500 word paper, with audio and visual components, as a part of one of my double-major’s annual student colloquium.
  • Dean’s Honour Roll, April 2006, Trent University, Lady Eaton College
    Recognized as a member of the 2005-2006 Dean’s Honour roll for outstanding academic achievement.
September 2003 - May 2008

Certifications & Accreditations

Professional
  • Google Analytics Essentials Training
    Lynda.com, Issued: February 2019
  • Drupal 8 Essential Training: 2 Building Out Your Website
    Lynda.com, Issued: February 2019
  • Drupal 8 Essential Training: 1 The Basics
    Lynda.com, Issued: January 2019
  • Drupal 8: Configuration Management
    Lynda.com, Issued: February 2019
  • Web Development Foundations: Full-Stack vs Front-End
    Lynda.com, Issued: February 2019
  • Team Treehouse Achievements
    (229 Achievements, 20,835 Points)
    Team Treehouse, Issued: December 2014 to May 5, 2017

Interests

Matthew McGowan

Born and raised in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, I have been a life-long lover of music. When I was 10, I got my first electric guitar, and I've been in love ever since. Throughout my high school years, I played in a number of school and garage bands, and developed a propensity for improvisation (which lead me to discover my favourite band, Phish). This love for music propelled me into graduate school in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, where I studied music from a cultural studies perspective.

After graduating from the M.A. program at Carleton, I decided to make a career change: rather than continuing on in my studies to a Ph.D program, I instead enrolled in the Internet Applications and Web Development program at Algonquin College. Rather than a career in academia, I wanted a career in a sector where growth, demand, and change were a constant. I'm happy I made the change, as a career in IT has been deeply rewarding, challenging, and exciting.

In my rare free-time, I enjoying watching professional wrestling and Star Wars, playing video games (especially Red Dead Redemption 2), walking my two miniature schnauzers around the neighbourhood, and having a quiet night at home.


© The McGowan Company Inc., 2019.