Allan Olley
E-mail: allan_olley@yahoo.ca
Education:
2011 Received Phd in history and philsophy of science (thesis defended in October 2010), at the Institute for the
History and Philosophy of Science and Technology (IHPST), University of Toronto.
2003 Received MA in history and philosophy of science, at IHPST, University of Toronto.
2002 Received 1st Class Honours BSc, combined Major Honours Physics
and Honours Great Books Liberal Studies Program, Brock University, St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada.
Dissertation:
Just a Beginning: Computers and Celestial Mechanics in the work of Wallace J. Eckert. PhD dissertation, IHPST, University of Toronto, 2011 (available here).
Refereed Publications:
"A Task that Exceeded the Technology: Early Applications of the Computer to the Lunar Three-body Problem." Revue de Synthèse, 139 (2018, 3-4), pp. 267-288 (Author's submitted version: available here).
"Existence Precedes Essence - Meaning of the Stored-Program Concept." in History of Computing: Learning from the Past, A. Tatnall (Ed.), IFIP Advances in Information and Computer Technology, 325 (2010), pp. 169–178 (Author's version: available here).
Non-Refereed Articles:
"Digitizing Measurement: Automating Scientific Table Making." in
Proceedings of the XXVth Scientific Instrument Symposium, Jagiellonian
University Museum, Krakow, Poland, 2006, pp. 289-293 (Author's version: available here).
Book Reviews:
"Martin Campbell-Kelly; William Aspray; Nathan Ensmenger; Jeffery R. Yost. Computer: A History of the Information Machine." Isis, 105 (3), September 2014, pp. 622-623. (available here with subscription)
"Paul E. Ceruzzi. Computing: A Concise History." Isis, 104, No. 3 (September 2013), pp. 640-641. (available here with subscription)
"Atsushi Akera. Calculating a Natural World: Scientists, Engineers, and Computers during the Rise of U.S. Cold War Research." Scientia Canadensis, 33 (2), 2010, pp. 137-139. (Available here from publisher without subscription)
"David Alan Grier. When Computers Were Human." Isis, 99 (4), December 2008, pp. 870-871. (available here with subscription)
Published Reports and News:
"SHOT, 4S, and HSS Collocated Conference Report." IEEE Annals of the History of Computing, 34 (1), 2012, pp. 88-89. (Available here with subscription)
Public Talks:
-June 19th-22nd, 2019. The Fourteenth Biennial History of Astronomy Workshop, University of Notre Dame, South Bend, Indiana, USA. Gave a talk entitled "Early Mechanical Recording of the Measurement of Astronomical Images."
-May 31st-June 2nd, 2019. MCMP-Western Ontario Workshop on Computation in Scientific Theory and Practice, Munich, Germany. Gave a talk entitled "Wallace J. Eckert on Scientific Machine Computation and the Machinery of Science."
-October 14th, 2018. Special Interest Group in Computing, Information, and Society (SIGCIS) annual conference, St. Louis, Missouri, USA. Gave a talk entitled "Revisiting Grosch's Law."
-November 9th-12th 2017. History of Science Society Annual General Meeting, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Gave a talk entitled "Wallace Eckert and Pure and Applied Science at IBM."
-May 27th-29th 2017. Canadian Society for the History and Philosophy of Science Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Gave a talk entitled "Measurement by Analysis of Gravitational Perturbation: The Case of Pluto's Mass"
-December 3rd 2016. Canadian Mathematical Society Winter Meeting, December 3rd, 2016. Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada. Gave a talk entitled "Celestial Mechanics as Applied Mathematics".
-July 3rd-6th 2014. British Society for the History of Science annual meeting, St. Andrews, Scotland, UK. Gave a talk entitled "Developing Astrodynamics at the JPL from Conic Sections to Numerical Integration".
-May 24th to 26th 2014. Canadian Society for the History and Philosophy of Science, St. Catharines, Ontario. Gave a talk entitled "Personal Astronomical Computing: Exchanges 1984-1994". Part of the panel I organized "Microcomputers in Academia: This Time It's Personal". (program and abstracts)
-November 21st to 24th, 2013. The History of Science Society 2013 Annual Meeting, Boston, MA, USA. Gave a talk entitled: "The Dawn of Celestial Mechanics at the JPL." (abstracts)
-July 21st to 28th, 2013. The 24th international Congress of the History of Science, Technology and Medicine (iCHSTM), Manchester, UK. I gave a talk entitled: "A task that exceeded the technology: early applications of the computer to the lunar three-body problem."
-July 1st to 5th, 2013. Computability in Europe 2013, Milan, Italy: Informal workshop on the History of Early Programming Practice. I gave a talk entitled "Programming the IBM SSEC."
-July 5th to 6th, 2012. International Symposium on History and Philosophy of Programming (part of AISB/IACAP World Congress 2012 - Alan Turing 2012), Birmingham, UK. Gave a talk entitled: "Is plugged programming an Oxymoron?." (extended abstracts)
-May 27th to 29th, 2012. Canadian Society for the History and Philosophy of Mathematics, Waterloo, Ontario. Gave a talk entitled: "Automating Mathematics before the Computer: Some of the early work of Wallace J. Eckert" (program and abstracts
-May 27th to 29th, 2012. Canadian Society for the History and Philosophy of Science, Waterloo, Ontario. Gave a talk entitled: "The Hollow Moon: Inference in Celestial Mechanics." (abstracts)
-November 6th, 2011. SIGCIS Workshop 2011: Cultures and Communities in the History of Computing, Cleveland, Ohio, USA. Gave a talk entitled: "Punched Card Table Libraries as a Communal Resource." (abstract)
-September 20th to 23rd, 2010. World Computer Congress 2010, Brisbane, Australia, History of Computing. Gave a talk entitled: "Existence Precedes Essence - Meaning of the Stored-Program Concept." (see also publications above)
-August 25th to 28th, 2010. The Society for the Social Studies of Science 2010 annual meeting. Gave a talk entitled: "Roles Played in a Scientific Controversy: The Attempt to Revive Ampčrean Electrodynamics." (program and abstracts)
-August 23rd, 2010. Invited talk at the University of Kyoto, Kyoto, Japan, entitled: "Wallace J. Eckert`s Approaches to Machine Computation."
-January 13th to 16th, 2010. Joint Mathematics Meeting. San Fransico, California, USA. AMS-MAA Special Session on the History of Mathematics 2010. Gave a talk entitled:"If Brute Force Does Not Work You Are Not Using Enough: the Rise of Numerical Integration in 20th Century Astronomy."
-October 15th to 18th, 2009. Society for the History of Technology 2009 annual meeting, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. Gave a talk entitled: "The Right Job for the Tools: Transitioning to the Computer Age."
-July 4th to 6th, 2008. Three Societies Conference 2008, Oxford University, Oxford, UK. Gave a talk entitled: "Wallace J. Eckert: Trader on the Computer Frontier."
-October 19th to 21st, 2007. Society for the History of Technology 2007 annual
meeting, Washington, D.C.. Gave a talk entitled "Charles Babbage: Famous Object
of Neglect."
-May 28th to 30th, 2007. Canadian Society for the History of Science 2007 annual
meeting, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Gave a talk entitled:
`"In the most accurate way and by the shortest path." E. W. Brown and calculating
machines.' (abstracts)
-September 10th to 14th, 2006. XXV Scientific Instrument Symposium,
East and West: The Common European Heritage, Scientific Instruments
Commission of the International Union of the History and Philosophy of
Science, Krakow, Poland. Gave a talk entitled:
"Digitizing Measurement: Automating Scientific Table Making." (abstracts see also publications above)
-May 29th to 31st, 2006. Canadian Society for the History of Science, York
University, Toronto, Ontario. Gave a talk entitled: "Savour of
Extravagance: Punched Card Accounting Machines in Science, 1928-1945." (abstracts)
-July 21st to 23rd, 2002. 1st MERCURY Conference in Computational Chemistry, Hamilton College, Clinton, New York. Presented a poster on computational work in calculating properties of atomic Berylium.
-June 20th to 22nd, 2002. 7th Annual Humanity and the Cosmos Symposium,
Brock University, St. Catharines, Ontario. Gave a talk comparing the work
of Galileo and Aristotle.
Work Experience:
-October 24th, 2022, Assistant Deputy Returning Officer Ballots for Elections Oakville for the October 28th, 2022.
-May 29th to June 2nd, 2022, Supervising Deputy Returning Officer for Elections Ontario during the June 2nd, 2022 election.
-August 27th to September 20th, 2021, Deputy Returning Officer (at normal poll) and Information Officer (at Advance polls) for Elections Canada, September 20th, 2021 election.
-October 21st, 2019, Deputy Returning Officer for Elections Canada, October 21st election.
-October 22nd, 2018, Tabulating Officer for a polling station in the Oakville 2018 municpal election.
-September 1st to December 22nd 2017, instructor for HPS283: The Engineer in History at the University of Toronto.
-January 1st to April 26th 2016, instructor for HPS 283: The Engineer in History at the University of Toronto.
-October 5th to October 19th 2015, poll clerk for Elections Canada, October 19th election.
-May 16th to June 12th, 2014, poll clerk for Elections Ontario, June 12th election.
-January 30th to 31st, 2013, guest lecturer: one class of PHL 355 Philosophy of Science, January 30th 2013 at University of Toronto, and one class of PHL 346 Philosophy of Mathematics, January 31st, at University of Toronto. Standing in for Professor Jim Brown.
-September 1st to December 23rd 2007, Teaching Assistantship for HPS 210
Scientific Revolutions I, work consisted of marking exams, tests and
quizes.
-September 1st to December 22nd 2006, Teaching Assistantship for HPS 210
Scientific Revolutions I, work consisted of marking exams, tests and
quizes.
-January 1st to May 8th 2006, Teaching Assistantship for HPS 211 Scientific
Revolutions II, work consisted of heading a tutorial and marking exams and
assignments.
-January 1st to April 30th 2004, Teaching Assistantship for HPS 211
Scientific Revolutions II, work consisted of heading a tutorial and marking
mid-term exams.
-Septermber 15th 2003 to September 1st 2004, research assistant for the Iter middle
ages and renaissance project doing data entry and library searches.
-May 1st to August 20th 2002, research assistant in the lab of Professor S. Rothstein
continueing work on Monte Carlo simulation of atomic Berylium as part of
an NSERC Undergraduate Student Research Award (USRA).
-May 8th to August 17th 2001, research assistant in the lab of Professor S. Rothstein
at Brock University; research on Monte Carlo simulation of the
polarizability of Berilium.
-May 15th to September 1st 2000, research assistant in the lab of Professor F.S.
Razavi at Brock University, Department of Physics, as part of an NSERC
Undergraduate Student Research Award (USRA); research focused mainly on
the synthesis of Bismuth Copper Oxide high-Tc superconductors using solid
state reactions and fabrication of Silver Clad Superconducting Wire.
- June to August of 1999 at Bericap Inc. in Burlington, Ontario; summer intern, working on a box making machine.
- 1 day in fall of 1997 and 4 days in the summer of 1998 working at
Twinpack Inc. in Brantford; working on the computer invoice system.
Academic Service
- Peer review for the Journal IEEE Annals of the History of Computing in 2007, 2012, 2014, and 2016.
- Peer review for the journal Spontaneous Generations in 2008 and 2009.
- Editorial and proof reading work for the 2011-2014 editions of Spontaneous Generations.
- Assisted in the assembly of information for the University of Toronto Scientific Instrument Collection exhibit on Staging Science May 2015 to April 2016 writing a description for the EAI TR-20 PACE computer.
- Assisted in the assembly of information for University of Toronto Scientific Instrument Collection exhibit on the Transit of Venus April-June, 2012 writing a poster on Measuring the Astronomical Unit.
- Helped organize 2005 and 2006 graduate conferences of HAPSAT, the student society of the IHPST, University of Toronto.
Professional Development:
Attended 2012 Reading Artifacts Summer Institute, August 13-17th at the Canada Science and Technology Museums Corporation.
2016 Teaching Effectiveness Certificate from Humber College, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Professional Associations:
Member of the Society for the Social Studies of Science, 2010-2012.
Member of the Archaelogical Institute of America, Niagra Canada
Chapter, 2000-2021.
Member of the History of Science Society (HSS), 2005-2021.
Member of the Society for the History of Technology (SHOT),
2005-2021.
Member of the Philosophy of Science Association (PSA),
2006-2021.
Member of the Canadian Society for the History and Philosophy of Science
(CSHPS), 2006-2021.
Volunteer Work:
- Webmaster for the Canadian Society for History and Philosophy of Science website 2017-
-April 16th to May 2nd 2008, acted as CRO for the Canadian Union of Public Employees local 3902 (CUPE 3902) executive election.
-April 2006 to August 2008, member of the CUPE 3902 finance committee.
-September 2005 to August 2007, member of Graduate Student Union of the
University of Toronto (GSU) finance committee.
-Febuary 2005 to April 2005 Chief Returning Officer for the GSU (Paid
work).
-September 2003 to August 2006, Course Union representative to GSU of
Toronto for the History and Philosophy of Science and Technology
course union (HAPSAT)
-September 2002 to August 2003 and September 2006 to August 2007 Coffee
Coordinator for HAPSAT, purchasing coffee and other items for use of IHPST
faculty and staff and collecting fees.
-1995-1996, Fairshare Annual Thanksgiving Food Drive, 1995-1996, helped
collect and sort food.
-1994-1997 Salvation Army and Century 21 Annual Christmas Food Drive
Oakville, helped with preparation for the drive, door to door food
collection and sorting of food.
-1992-1994, Sunlife Nationals, runner delivered balls towels etc.
to court before and during play, and helped organizers with miscellaneous
tasks.
Academic Achievements:
- SSHRC CGS Doctoral Scholarship 2004-2007
- Declined an Ontario Graduate Scholarship 2004-2005.
- University of Toronto Fellowship 2003-2004
- Ontario Graduate Scholarship 2002-2003
- University of Toronto Fellowship 2002-2003
- Distinguished Graduates Student Award: Great Books/Liberal
Studies, 2002.
- Physics Department Book Prize, 2002.
- NSERC Undergraduate Student Research Award for Summer of 2002.
- Flexia Corporation Scholarship 2001-2002
- Brock Deans' Honours List for 2000-2001
- Returning Student Scholarship fall/winter 2000-2001.
- Flexia Corporation Scholarship 2000-2001
- NSERC Undergraduate Student Research Award for Summer of 2000.
- Brock Deans' Honours List for 1999-2000.
- Brock In-course scholarship fall/winter 1999-2000.
- Flexia Corporation Scholarship 1999-2000.
- Brock In-course scholarship fall/winter 1998-1999.
- Brock Deans' Honours List for 1998-1999.
- Brock Honours entrance scholarship 1998.
- Twinpack Scholarship 1998-1999.
- T. A. Blakelock Honour Roll for each term from 1994-1998.
- Awarded a certificate of excellence in recognition of outstanding
achievement in the 1997 University of Toronto Ontario Biology
Competition and designated an Ontario Biology Scholar
- Ranked in the top 25% of contestants in the Euclid Mathematics contest
for Grade 12 students.
- Ranked in the top 25% of contestants in the Fermat Mathematics contest
for Grade 11 students.
- Achieved highest results at New Central School in the CHAMP Grade 9
Written Mathematics Contest.
Interest Groups/Extracurricular Activities:
- Oakville Choral - Choir - 2018-2022, singing bass in various concert and events.
- Hart House Singers - Choir - 2004-2022:
- . Acted as Webmaster, 2008-2022, updating website, managing e-mail list and producing and managing midi files.
- . Sang Bass in April 2022 - Burst into Song
- . Sang Bass in November 2019 - Verdi's Requiem
- . Sang Bass in July 2019 - Journeys
- . Sang Bass in March 2019 - Zadok the Priest and others
- . Sang Bass in November 2018 - Through the Eyes of a Child
- . Sang Bass in July 2018 - Love Life! R&B and Music Theatre songs on Life
- . Sang Bass in March 2018 - Music for Choir and Brass: A Concert!
- . Sang Bass in November 2017 - This Land: In Music and Song
- . Sang Bass in July 2017 Concert - Oh, Freedom!: Spirtuals and Classical works.
- . Sang Bass in March 2017 Concert - Beethoven: Mass in C
- . Sang Bass in November 2016 Concert
- . Sang Bass in March 2016 Concert - Bruckner's Mass in E minor
- . Sang Bass in November 2015 Concert - L'Extase
- . Sang Bass in July 2015 Concert - Let the Games Begin
- . Sang Bass in November 2014 Concert - Songs of Passion, Songs of Grace
- . Sang Bass in March 2014 Concert - Mozart's Requiem
- . Sang Bass in December 2013 Concert - Pas: Songs on Peace
- . Sang Bass in March 2013 Concert - Dvorák: Mass in D major
- . Sang Bass in December 2012 Concert - Celebrate!
- . Sang Bass in July 2012 Concert - Sacred and Profane
- . Sang Bass in March 2012 Concert - Fauré's Requiem
- . Sang Bass in December 2011 Concert - Sacred Winter
- . Sang Bass in July 2011 Concert - Summer Rosé
- . Sang Bass in March 2011 Concert - Antonin Dvorak's Stabat Mater
- . Sang Bass in November 2010 Concert - Poet's Corner
- . Sang Bass in July 2010 Concert -Folksong Festival II
- . Sang Bass in March 2010 Concert -Brahms' Ein Deutsches Requiem
- . Sang Bass in November 2009 Concert -The Same Sunshine: Songs of Light
- . Sang Bass in July 2009 Concert - Folksong Festival
- . Sang Bass in March 2009 Concert -Coronation Mass and Coronation Anthems
- . Sang Bass in December 2008 Concert -Seasonal Fantasias
- . Sang Bass in July 2008 Concert -Renaissance Gems
- . Sang Bass in March 2008 Concert -Stravinsky's Symphony of Psalms and Bach's Magnificat
- - Sang Bass in December 2007 Concert -Soulful Songs of the Season
- - Sang Bass in July 2007 Concert -Such Songs as Dreams Are Made On
- - Sang Bass in April 2007 Concert -Mozart's Requiem
- - Sang Bass in December 2006 Concert - Joys of the World
- - Sang Bass in August 2006 Concert - Summer, Spirit and Song
- - Sang Bass in April 2006 Concert - Magnificent Mozart
- - Sang Bass in December 2005 Concert - Wolcum Yole!
- - Sang Bass in August 2005 Concert - Sweet Summer Somethings
- - Sang Bass in April 2005 Concert - Beethoven's Mass in C Major
- - Sang Bass in December 2004 Concert - Make We Joy Now
- Brock University Anime Fan Club- AL@B 2000-2002.
- Brock Model United Nations 1998-2000:
- - Participated in the 2000 SAGE Conference at University of Western
Ontario as a Delegate.
- - Participated in the 1999 North American Model United Nation
Conference at University of Toronto as a Delegate.
- Brock Physics Club 1998-1999
- Brock Debating Club 1998-1999
- TA Blakelock Student Opportunities Association 1996-1997
References:
Available on request.
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Last Updated November 17th, 2022.