Dave Smith Biography

I’m Dave Smith, a 25 year old student from Palmerston North, New Zealand. I am studying towards a PhD in Operations Research, having successfully completed an Bachelors Degree (with honors) in Technology five years ago. After working as an industrial scheduler and manufacturing engineer in the automotive industry for three years I was awarded a three year industrial scholarship by the Government to facilitate my PhD studies. My thesis focuses on the application of tabu search methods (these are mathematical heuristics which employ attributes of artificial intelligence) to a “real-world” production scheduling problem at an industrial facility in Christchurch, New Zealand. My primary leisure interest is in music. I have received tuition for piano, guitar, clarinet, vocals and music theory. I have been involved in a range of performance groups, from a jazz big band to garage rock, symphonic orchestra to metal covers band (all funnily enough failing to yield commercial success) although my attention to performance and music composition has dwindled over the past few years. I have contributed to New Zealand student radio throughout the 90’s, running the metal and jazz shows at 99.4FM Radio Massey, and disk jockeying playlist and request programs. My other interests are the “low-impact” activities of reading, writing, golf, power-walking from CD store to CD store and operating remote controls (the stereo remote being a particular favorite). My writing experience is limited to penning scientific papers and mixing metaphors in my journal, although it is my intention to pursue writing as a secondary career path. My fiancee and I shall be marrying moving to Christchurch in two months, where I shall continue my research, saving myself the tiresome task of commuting week in, week out. Upon completion of my thesis, I intend to become involved in manufacturing consulting or Post Doctoral research, either in New Zealand or in the U.K.