Professional experience

Philips

Philips is the largest producer of television tubes of the world. The Philips glass factory in Aachen, Germany, produces more than 2 million tubes per year. In the scope of quality assessment I have done a project of 4 months in the development centre of the Philips glass factory. The project comprised the development of the software and hardware of a Laser Deflection Scanner in order to determine the high-gloss quality of television tubes, and the comparison with another method. I wrote the software in C++ for a VME realtime system. The report, in English, containing an elaborate description of the project, the used methods and the scientific justification, is available here. Quote from the review from my supervisor at Philips: "Assessment of the project: excellent. Presentation: excellent."

RWTH, Aachen University of Technology

At the Institute for Professional Rehabilitation, at the Aachen University of Technology, I have worked part-time as a programmer for one year, starting in October 1998. I have developed programmes for visual-motorial tests. Further I developed a VESA graphics driver and an MSDOS driver to simultaneously control two monitors. I have developed the software in C++ and assembler.
Quote from the review: "Mr. Ruijters has always executed his tasks very competently and to our upmost contentment."

ELSA

ELSA emerged from its roots at the Technical University of Aachen in 1980. For more than 20 years now, ELSA has been developing, producing and marketing PC peripheral equipment for computer graphics and data communications. Especially in the area of state of the art 3D graphics acceleration cards, ELSA has proved itself as a global player. I have worked for 7 months in the group Driver Development Multimedia. I have developed there, amongst others, a graphical shell for the compilation process of the ELSA graphics drivers, and implemented several image processing routines in C++.

Activities

Wind orchestra st. Catharina Lemiers, the Netherlands

Abstract:

• Member of the board since 1995.
• 1996 - 2000: responsible for education and youth policy.
• Number of students from 6 to 22.
• Foundation of a youth orchestra.

At the moment the wind orchestra, founded in 1898, has approximately 80 members. The orchestra gives concerts on a regular basis, and participates once every 4 or 5 years in concourses. In 1999 the orchestra won the regional championship, and in 2000 the Dutch championship in the honorary class. Further we participate in activities in the community of Lemiers.
In 1985 I started to take clarinet lessons, and since 1987 I play in the orchestra. In 1995 I became, at the age of 21, member of the board of the orchestra. From 1996 until 2000 I was responsible for the education of new musicians and the youth policy.

A beginning musician needs at least 2 to 3 years of education before he is ready to play in the orchestra. He should practice several hours per week, and take lessons on a weekly basis. After this period he needs at least 5 years of additional education, before he can be regarded a complete musician. As the responsible member of the board it was my task to coordinate this education. Further it was my duty, if necessary, to seek new teachers and contract them.
In the period that I was responsible, the number of pupils rose from 6 to 22. Also, and perhaps even more important, the pupils now keep on practising long enough to reach the orchestra, which was not the case before.
In 1999 we had enough pupils to form a youth orchestra. In this orchestra the pupils have the chance to learn to play together, before they have to meet the high level of the "big" orchestra. Also, it helps to reinforce sense of being part of a group or community. Further we organise also other activities for the pupils.

At this moment I am occupied, besides a supporting role in the youth policy, with the registration and management of the maintenance of the instruments.

A.V. Hollandia

Abstract:

• 03/1999 - 03/2000: vice-president.
• 03/2000 - 09/2000: president.
• Development website.
• Organisation party 115-years jubilee.

Student community Hollandia, founded in 1885, is the oldest club at the Aachen University of Technology (RWTH), Germany. The present goals are, amongst others: the promotion of the RWTH in the Netherlands, the organisation of excursions, cultural education, integration in the German system, the European integration, mutual support and social activities. Especial attention is payed to supporting Dutch freshmen (first year students) at the RWTH, both from a social point of view as in the dealing with the university bureaucracy and Dutch and German authorities.

Besides organising activities and other duties as a member of the board, I have developed designed and maintained the website of Hollandia in 1999 and 2000.

Perhaps also it is worth mentioning the feast we organised in the main building of the university to celebrate Hollandia's 115th anniversary. Because of an excellent advertising campaign this party was visited by more than 400 students, many more than we expected. Besides improving Hollandia's fame, it formed also a considerable financial injection.