Office hours
Term 1 2024:
BSc help session, Mondays 16:35-18:25 in Hatherly B12
Tuesdays 14:30-15:30 in Hatherly B8a
Email me to arrange bespoke meetings. I will try to accommodate your schedules.
Mr David Hein-Griggs
Senior Research Fellow
Physical Geography
University of Exeter
Hatherly Building
Prince of Wales Roa
Exeter EX4 4PS
About me:
I am the Geography Department's dedicated scientific software expert and IT helpdesk facilitator. I can assist with GIS enquiries (ESRI ArcGIS software as well as the open source QGIS software). I can help with all scientific software questions, including coding in Python and other programming languages, and I can facilitate other technical needs (procurement and installation of PCs and laptops, software licensing, virtual machines, and PC repair and fault diagnosis). My role is something like that of a lab technician ... when the laboratory is a computer.
My background is in scientific software engineering, with a special expertise in climate modelling and climate data analysis. I helped to design an easy to use regional climate model and taught researchers around the world how to utilize it for climate change impacts studies. I am a Linux enthusiast and expert in Unix shell scripting.
I’m originally from the state of Kansas in the United States. I moved to Europe in 1998, first to the Czech Republic where I worked as a secondary school teacher and then to England in 2001. I’ve lived in Exeter since 2003.
I love travelling and have visited over 100 countries. I also enjoy reading, running and journaling.
Interests:
Broad research specialisms:
Scientific Software Engineering
Regional Climate Modelling
Scientific Data Analysis and Visualisation
Teaching
Linux & Unix Shell Scripting
Python programming
Fortran programming
Virtual machines
Website Design and Deployment
Scientific & Technical Support
PC Systems Design & Administration
Qualifications:
BSc Mathematics & Computer Science (University of Arkansas, USA), 1996
Postgraduate Certificate in Theological Studies (Columbia International University, USA), 1998
MSc Weather & Climate Modelling (University of Reading, UK), 2008
Career:
Secondary School Teacher, Gymnazium Na Zatlance, Prague, Czech Republic, Aug 1998 - Jun 2001
IT Helpdesk technician, Henley College, Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, Oct 2001 - Apr 2002
Scientific Software Engineer at the Met Office, May 2002-July 2017
Postdoctoral Researcher, Exeter University, Aug 2017 - December 2017
GIS & Scientific Software Specialist, January 2018-Nov 2022
Senior Research Fellow (Geospatial Software Engineering), Nov 2022 -