Ben Hocking Phone: 434-923-8599 Email: hocking@virginia.edu

EDUCATION

Ph.D. in Computer Science, Expected 2009

University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA

Dissertation: “Bridging the Divide: Inserting Neurophysiological Details into Cognitively Focused Models of the CA3 Region in the Hippocampus”

M.C.S., Computer Science, 2003

University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA

Thesis: “Parallel Optimizations of Neural Networks”

M.S. in Physics, 1999

Concentration in Astronomy

Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA

Thesis: “Analysis and Discussion of Alternative Space-Time Metrics”

B.S. in Physics, 1990

Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA

Honors: President’s Scholar, National Merit Scholar

RELATED EXPERIENCE

Software Engineer

Mustard Seed Software, LLC, Charlottesville, VA, October 2008 – Present

Duties: Update and create various academic and research software

Research Assistant/Programmer

Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, Fall 2008 – Present

Duties: Develop various software for psychological experiments

Research Assistant/Programmer

Department of Anthropology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, Fall 2005 – May 2008
Duties: Assisted with database design and implementation for the Chaco Digital Initiative, traveled on-site to New Mexico to create ad-hoc network and assist in downloading historical information

Software Developer

Restaurant Technology Inc., Marietta, GA, July 1995 - July 2001
Duties: Developed tested, migrated, and maintained software dealing with payroll applications, labor scheduling, electronic data interchange, communications, and menu management for fast food restaurants

TEACHING/advising EXPERIENCE

Teaching Assistant – Introduction to Business Computing

University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, Fall 2001, Fall 2002

Duties: Administered and scored examinations, tutored students

Teaching Assistant – Methods in Computer Software Development

University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, Fall 2003, Spring 2007

Duties: Taught weekly laboratory, assisted in the development of exam questions, administered and scored examinations, tutored students

Teaching Assistant – Introduction to Artificial Intelligence

University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, Fall 2002-3, Spring 2008

Duties: Taught as a guest lecturer, assisted in the development of exam questions, administered and scored examinations, tutored students

Teaching Assistant – Introduction to Astronomy Laboratory

Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, Fall 1998, Fall 1999

Duties: Taught weekly laboratory, graded laboratory assignments

PUBLICATIONS AND PAPERS

Hocking, A. B. & Levy, W. B. (2007). Theta-modulated input reduces intrinsic gamma oscillations in a hippocampal model. Neurocomputing, 70(10-12): 2074-2078.

Hocking, A. B. & Levy, W. B. (2006). Gamma oscillations in a minimal CA3 model. Neurocomputing, 69(10-12): 1244-1248.

Hocking, A. B. & Levy, W. B. (2005). Computing conditional probabilities in a minimal CA3 pyramidal neuron. Neurocomputing, 65-66, 297-303.

Levy, W. B., Hocking, A. B., & Wu, X. (2005). Interpreting hippocampal function as recoding and forecasting. Neural Networks, 18(9), 1242-1264.

Drewry, D. T., Gu, L., Hocking, A. B., Kang, K., Pfaltz, J. L., Schutt III, R. C., & Taylor, C. M. (Unrefereed Publication) Current State of Data Mining. University of Virginia, Department of Computer Science, Technical Report.

CONFERENCE POSTER SESSIONS AND PAPER PRESENTATIONS

Hocking, A. B. (2006). Theta-Modulated Input in a Hippocampal Model with Intrinsic Gamma Oscillations. Annual Meeting of the Organization for Computational Neurosciences, Edinburgh, Scotland.

Hocking, A. B. (2005). Gamma oscillations in a minimal CA3 model. Annual Meeting of the Organization for Computational Neurosciences, Madison, WI.

Hocking, A. B., (2005). Establishing the Viability of a Uniform Model of Hippocampal CA3 Functionality. Data-Driven Modelling and Computation in Neuroscience, Hohenwart Forum, Hohenwart, Germany

Hocking, A. B. (2004). Computing conditional probabilities in a minimal CA3 pyramidal neuron. Annual Meeting of the Organization for Computational Neurosciences, Baltimore, MD.

Last Updated: January 2009