About John-Paul
IT Professional, Educator, and Marketing Strategist with a Focus on Human-Centered Computing, Full Stack Development, and Impactful Digital Solutions
An experienced IT professional with a career spanning roles as a Visiting Lecturer at RIT’s School of Information, an IT Strategist in Enrollment Management, Full Stack Developer, and Consultant. My expertise centers on full-stack development, database management, digital accessibility, and marketing. As an educator, I’ve taught a diverse range of topics to graduate and undergraduate students, from web development and programming to multimedia production and database design.
I’ve managed every aspect of the development lifecycle, emphasizing strong client relationships to ensure tailored, impactful solutions. Previously, I served as an Information Technology Strategist for RIT’s Enrollment Management Division, spearheading projects like The Loop, a social network for new students, and FeedMasher, an open-source content aggregator that powered the RIT homepage for over four years.
As the founder of Bantam Creative, a consulting firm focused on CRM, e-commerce, and social networking solutions
I advocate for open-source technology, contributing to projects like Mozilla’s Popcorn.js and Joomla extensions. I also actively mentor student groups, including RIT’s Women in Computing and the National Society for Black Engineers.
Outside the tech world, I’m the web/technology coordinator for the Rochester Chapter of the American Statistical Association and enjoy skiing, hiking, and keeping backyard chickens.
Resume
Education
Bachelors of Science in Information Technology
Rochester Institute of Technology
Concentration in Web Development. Minor in Psychology
Graduated May 2006
Masters of Science in Professional Studies
Rochester Institute of Technology
Concentrations in Human Computer Interaction & Marketing
Graduated Fall 2015
Industry & Teaching Experience
Consultant / Full Stack Developer
Accelerate Media Inc.
May 2024 – Present
At Accelerate Media, I facilitate strategic initiatives by blending creative and technical expertise to deliver measurable results for clients in marketing, advertising, and development. I oversee full-stack development projects, leveraging tools like WordPress and REST APIs to create responsive, user-driven experiences. My unique combination of technical skills, leadership, and marketing knowledge allowed me to collaborate effectively with SEO professionals, bringing a holistic approach to all my projects.
Mentor (volunteer)
Next Chapter Project
July 2024 – Present
Serving as a mentor to formerly incarcerated individuals as they embark upon a 12 week boot camp; Next Chapter Project helps to empower people with the skills, confidence, and support necessary to transition post-incarceration into meaningful, skilled careers in the tech industry.
Visiting Professor
Rochester Institute of Technology – School of Information
August 2019 – May 2024
- Taught courses to undergraduate & graduate students in the fields of Software Engineering, Web and Mobile Computing, and database.
- Developed curriculum and helped coordinate large multi-section international classes including implementation of an interactive textbook.
- Designed and implemented a Drupal based website to highlight student Scholarly activity in RIT’s School of Information.
- Founded an annual project in which students give back to the community by partnering with small local non-profit https://www.rit.edu/spotlights/code-community-weaving-real-world-non-profit-projects-web-technologies-course
Adjunct Professor
Rochester Institute of Technology
- School of Interactive Games & Media (August 2024 – Present)
Teaching students an upper level course which explores the design and development of media-rich applications. Topics include: typescript, node.js and react. - School of Information (January 2016 – May 2018)
Taught several courses including Rapid Online Presence and Web and Mobile I.
IT Strategist / Technical Lead
Rochester Institute of Technology – Enrollment Management
July 2013 – August 2019
As a technology leader within RIT’s Enrollment Management Division, I have driven the design, development, and implementation of key systems supporting Undergraduate and Graduate Admissions, and Financial Aid. I created FeedMasher, powering a significant portion of RIT’s homepage for over five years, and designed a social networking platform for 15,000 users. I led teams building full-stack applications, spearheaded the adoption of CRM platforms (Oracle and Slate) for enrollment, and served on the RIT Web Advisory Committee, shaping web and infrastructure strategy campus-wide.
Full Stack Web Developer (Web Analyst)
Rochester Institute of Technology – Undergraduate Admissions Office
January 2008 – July 2013
Supported technology and web development in the Undergraduate Admissions Office as a means for assisting with student recruitment and selection efforts designed to satisfy Institute-established freshman and transfer enrollment goals.
Adjunct Professor
Rochester Institute of Technology – School of Information
January 2016 – May 2018
- Taught several courses including Rapid Online Presence and Web and Mobile I.
Founder & Creative Director
Bantam Creative
August 2013 – Present
- A consulting firm that offers branding and web development services.
- Notable Clients:
- National Human Resources Foundation (website migration to Joomla)
- The Learning Tree Daycare Center (full brand and website development)
- Newdigs (developed a WordPress site and WordPress theme)
- Dobber Fantasy Sports Network (e-commerce support)
- Harmony Productions
- Rochester Underground
- October 2005 – July 2008
- Set up a content management system for a humor and local event website. Contains over 10,000+ unique content items (videos, pictures), 4000+ registered users.
Lead Developer
StreamTeam (provider of web development & streaming video services in Rochester NY)
January 2006 – December 2007
I joined a team of developers to provide leadership and coordination, helping guide a talented group of programmers toward more structured goals. I created an MMS message delivery system powered by Microsoft ASP, built a custom CMS in classic ASP and Microsoft SQL, and developed a Joomla CMS for the Rochester Underground website, all while navigating the limitations of server constraints.
Web Developer
Rochester Institute of Technology – Undergraduate Admissions Office
October 2005 – December 2007
Developed the Brick City Ambassador Homepage, a blogging platform for students and staff to share their RIT experiences, first using WordPress and later Joomla. I also created a RESTful API for the platform and built an employee portal for staff to schedule recruitment events, create content, and process forms.
To Learn more about the Projects and things I have worked on please visit the skills explorer on the homepage!