Home
The Vessel
The People
Michael Wolf
>CV
>Medical Info
>History
>Philosophies
>Blog
>Personal Statement
Zachary Watson
The Life
The Idea
The Perspective
The Reasons
Save The Planet
Michael Wolf
Captain, M/S The Disperser
disperser.info


Formal Education
Bachelor of General Studies: University of Idaho. May 2009
Coursework: rangeland management and ecology, animal science, computer science, physics, programming (PASCAL), statistical design of experiments, also participated in the first Laser certification courses at Pasadena City College (1991-1993) including design and construction, fiber optics, holography.
Training
Wolf Handling with Veterinary Perspectives San Diego, California. January 2000: Four day intense course which taught chemical immobilization, field capture, vital statistics, and first aid. Included theory and application of chemical immobilizers and procedures for storage and handling; techniques for capture of wild and captive animals; measuring, monitoring and recording of vital statistics; and field first aid techniques and basic triage. Involved estimation of immobilizing chemical amounts for application to live wolves, and live lab monitoring and maintaining health of animal. Also involved live capture (captive animals), blood draw, and vaccination of several wolves; also took charge of situation when wolf was overdosed.
Canon Field Service Certification Los Angeles and Orange County, California. 1991-1997: Completed several training courses for Canon Color Laser and NP copier field service. Youngest technician trained on color laser machines, first trained exclusively on color laser machines. No technical training or experience before obtaining positions.
Honors and Organizations
McNair Scholar, University of Idaho, 2005-2009
Xi Sigma Pi Honor Society, University of Idaho, 2008
American Mensa, 1994
Sports Car Club of America, 1991-1998
Research Interests
Climate change mitigation technologies including carbon scrubbing, sequestration, natural mitigation, closed-loop concepts, novel technologies, atmospheric processing. Especially interested in resequestration and carbon availability
Evolution and genetics related to human origins and potential, especially interested in cracking DNA/Protein 'programming language', genetic transformation, harnessing of 'cancer', senescence, stem cells
Self-sufficiency especially related to environmental self-sufficiency such as for deep-sea, contaminated environment, and space travel
Intergalactic Space Travel and technologies including propulsion, stasis, vessel design, shielding, materials, low-resource-cost launch technologies
General Interests
Research, science, nature, self-sufficiency, philosophy, moral development, human potential, wolves, oceanography
Skills
Practical skills: Welding: microwire steel and galvanized, arc, oxy-acetylene; metalworking in general; blacksmithing (forge and anvil); basic metallurgy; woodworking: framing, finish, and cabinetry; engineering: mechanical, electrical, optical, reverse, and acoustical; plumbing; AC wiring; DC wiring; circuit design, construction and repair; drafting and computer aided drafting; automotive repair, maintenance, modification and performance driving both amateur and professional; typing and 10-key; experienced with ferro-cement and laminated ferro-cement including development of repair techniques and patentable armature design, also constructing 4m tender of ferro-cement and utilizing novel armature design; sail repair - hand and machine; rigging; sailing (67' cutter ketch, singlehanded without autopilot); electronics troubleshooting; typesetting and graphic design; color theory; operation, design, and construction of gas and solid lasers; hologrophy; spectrometry; interferometry; race car suspension design, engineering and construction; medical skills including advanced first aid, trauma medicine, minor surgery, and microbiological diagnosis; experienced with various methods of extraction and purification of primarily plant extracts;
Special Skills and Training: Automation and test equipment technologies and engineering and systems integration. Incorporated an array of skills to provide complete automated test equipment incorporating commercially available technologies integrated into a complete and novel system for automated testing. Specialized in easy-to-use interfaces and accurate and complete instructions and operation manuals.
Machine competence and experience: CNC mill, lathe, drill press, arbor press, commercial sewing machine, heavy duty sewing machine, Technical and Masters level HAM operation certification (USA), skiploaders/tractors (4 cylinder)
Programming languages (self taught except Pascal): BASIC, COBOL, Pascal, C, C++, LabVIEW, Visual Basic
Other Computer Skills and Software: graphical and other user interface design, HTML, CSS, PHP, web design in general, photo-manipulation and editing software including Photoshop, graphical design including Pagemaker, video editing, 3-D modeling; GIS; database and SQL; some experience with networking; video editing and publication;
Musical Instruments:Violin, trumpet, french horn, baritone, tuba, sousaphone, mellophone, bass guitar, trombone, f-clef trombone, some percussion, guitar, keyboards.
Languages: English (fairly competent), Spanish (competent), French (learned, no experience), ASL (learning)
Notable Accomplishments
The Disperser: Circumstances suggested life aboard a sailboat in July 2012, Purchased large ferro-cement ship despite no experience with boats or sailing. Learned all and did all work on my own, alone. Completed preparation of ship which was never previously finished nor sailed. With only green crew, sailed from Stockton, California to Mexico via Bodega Bay. All despite significantly diminished function (G.A.F 40-50). Even survived being swamped by 15' rogue wave on first voyage at sea.

Programming Career: In 1997, sought work at Cymer to work with lasers. Found an ad for a agency which I believed was for Cymer which required LabVIEW experience and asked the agency what LabVIEW was. A week later, had put together a computer and acquired a copy of LabVIEW and attained sufficient competence in the programming language to get the job, which began a very lucrative programming career despite my lacking a degree or experience.

Digital Color Copiers: Began work as field service engineer at age 20 with neither training nor experience. Chosen for job because of experience with one of the first digital color copiers in the shop I managed. After 6 months, was made technical lead responsible for fixing machines other technicians could not, and also put in charge of sensitive and problem accounts.

Automobile/Mechanical Skills:At 17 years old, rebuilt my first vehicle after a childhood spent tinkering alone with tools and engines around home. Since then, have always maintained my own engines and other mechanical devices. In 1991, began racing/autocrossing. Built several race-prepared vehicles and campaigned them. In 1994, participated in national autocross event, taking trophy in unfamiliar car.

Eearly Career:In 1990, at the age of 19, applied for a job after walking into a print shop in downtown Pasadena which had a graphic design program running on their computer. Aked about it, described my experience with similar software, and was offered a job as a typesetter. Within two months, was made manager of this small print shop and within two further months, tripled their monthly gross income.

Early Scholastic Accomplishments:Taught self to read to high school level in second grade. Honor roll every year. Passed California Achievement Test with overall average score of 12.9 (12th grade, 9th month) in sixth grade. Anchored Academic Decathalon team to state victory in high school. While still in high school, secure position as sole groundskeeper for an industrial chemical manufacturer and was the highest paid student in my high school.
Field Experience
Various Locations 2012-present. Purchased and began refit of Fibersteel Valeo, custom-made manufactured laminated ferro-cement sailboat to provide my own permanent home with the goal of creating a self-sufficient life for myself. Have learned how to sail while continuously working on various elements of the vessel while gathering resources in order to completely rebuild this vessel.
Williams, Oregon 2009. Worked on an internship at Howling Acres Wolf Sanctuary. Had planned to purchase facility, but research demonstrated this to be non-feasible largely due to infrastructure and current owners' attitudes towards animals (facility shut down not long afterwards). Internship provided valuable insight into unsuccessful wolf sanctuary operation and associated methodologies/attitudes. Interacted with numerous donors and networked with other sanctuaries.
Salmon, Idaho 2006. Worked on the Muleshoe project as a field researcher. This ongoing project is a research project of the University if Idaho to determine the effectiveness of low-moisture supplement blocks on reducing livestock impact on riparian areas in public grazing allotments. Worked on hypotheses regarding behavior of livestock in capacity of summer research experience with McNair Scholar program at University of Idaho.
Dworshack Resevoir June through August 2005, near den site of "Chesimia" wolf pack and on grazing allotment of Tom and Susan Beale. Preliminary research. Spent summer camping in grazing allotment on Idaho State Forest lands. Interacted with rancher, agency personnel, local residents, local sportsmen and recreationalists experiencing activities, attitudes, and ecology of active wolf terrirtory. Conducted observation of activities including grazing in order to ascertain research ideas.
Central Idaho wolf recovery area, June and July 2003, April 2000, April 1999, September 1998. Informal research experiences. Visited this center of wolf controversy on numerous occasions investigating poaching and illegal control actions; experiencing scenery and local "color"; interviewing ranchers, business owners, and residents; tracked wolves; examined range; interacted with agency personnel; photographed area; investigated den and rendezvous sites (abandoned.)
Southwest Wolf Recovery Area, December 1999. Informal research experience. Visited communities and recovery area for the Mexican Wolf species to interview local residents to gain knowledge of personal views of wolves and wolf recovery, including interview with later-convicted poacher of wolf. Examined range, investigated poaching incidents, interacted with agency personnel, photographed area, and experienced activities and locale of this diverse region in northwester Arizona.
Pro Se Legal Experience
Defenders et. al. vs. US Fish and Wildlife Service et. al. CV-09-77-M-DWM US District Court District of Montana Missoula Division. 2008: Drafted and filed amicus brief, motion for leave to file, and reply to opposition to motion and brief. Brief not utilized in decision.
Perry et. al. vs Schwarzenegger et. al. CV 09-2292 VRW US District Court for, District of N. California. 2008. Drafted and submitted amicus brief. Argument, that Proposition 8 violated the first amendment's guarantee of freedom from religion, was later argued in the US Supreme Court.
Social Security Disability and other benefits. 2004-2014: Completed several steps of three separate disability applications over 10 years including appeal of federal decision to appeals council, and self representation at two administrative hearings which were favorably decided. Also wrote numerous appeals and petitions as well as proposal to reform SSDI especially application process. Also managed dozens of administrative and judicial procedures related to other state and federal benefits.
Project Experience
"Buff" - A diesel/hydraulic hybrid pickup truck. 2003. University of Idaho. Contributed control software, research, and engineering services to a project from the mechanical engineering program at University of Idaho

"L3 Engima" - a diesel/electric hybrid car. 2001-2002. Donated US$40,000 worth of programming to rewrite DOT simulation software for this hybrid electric vehicle project

Honeywell Gas Valve Tester. 2001 Took over project to create four-station gas valve tester for Honeywell for their Mexico test facility. Rewrote software to create successful tester for four valves simultaneously in a multi-threaded application in LabVIEW running on Windows NT (a feat in and of itself) then translated user interface to Spanish

Kyocera Smart Phone ATE. 2001. Took over project to create machine vision testing of screens of the first smartphone including creating a patentable algorithm to test contrast of a monocolor liquid crystal display

MILES AWES Radio Test Fixture. 2000-2001. Worked as consultant on test rig for radio units for a simulated war games technology. Worked with GPS under military specifications when consumers were limited to 1/100th accuracy of GPS systems
Presentations
Addressing Shortfalls of Wolf Recovery Presented at "Frontiers of Wolf Recovery", October 2005
Wolves and Wolf Recovery Presented at various conventions nationwide since September 2004
LabVIEW Programming Guidelines Presented at LabVIEW Power Users' Group, September 2001
Publications
Journalistic articles. 2010-2013: Published several journalistic articles on Yahoo Contributor Network and later Reader Supported News. Portfolio available. Publications unavailable due to closure of YCN and censorship by RSN.
Deploying Applications by Using a Loader. September 2002. Published on "Developer Insights" on ni.com, National Instruments' website
LabVIEW, Rules to Program By. 2001. Precontract for book with Pearson detailing organized programming guidelines for the visual programming language. Contract was not concluded due to 9/11 attacks and book never published.

Volunteer Experience
Wolf Ranch Foundation, California and Idaho. March 2000 to June 2012: Founder. Created charitable organization dedicated to education about wolves and wolf recovery, and to creating a research facility. Maintained educational website, gave presentations and educational seminars, conducted fundraising, advocated policy and practices, conducted research, interacted with agencies and politicians.
Garfield Street Pet Clinic, Moscow, Idaho. March 2004 to June 2004: Intern. Assisted with surgery and care/treatment of animals in this private practice veterinary clinic as part of coursework for animal science.
Wolf Mountain Sanctuary, Lucerne Valley, California. March 2000 to December 2002: Volunteer. Occasionally volunteered for this wolf rescue facility. Included assisting with care and maintenance of over a dozen wolves.
California Wolf Center, Julian, California. September 1998 to August 2001: Volunteer. Served as a staff volunteer for this education, research, and wildlife conservation center. Duties included public relations, technical support (computer), general labor, and care and feeding of over two dozen wolves.
Work Experience
Advanced Test Engineering, California and Idaho. February 2002 to June 2004: Founder. Founded consultation business providing programming, systems integration, education, staffing services.
Ascendco Scientific Incorporated, San Diego, California. April 2001 to February 2002: Manager. Managed Automated Test Equipment division and served as lead programmer/systems engineer.
Cubic Defense Systems, San Diego, California. August 2000 to April 2001: Independent consultant. Senior software engineer for Automated Test Equipment.
Cymer Incorporated, San Diego, California. October 1997 to August 2000: Research Scientist Assistance. Programmer and technical assistance for laser chamber engineering. Included research, automation programming, computer setup, technical support of engineers and scientists, laboratory work and maintenance.
Closed Loop Concepts, California and Arkansas. November 1994 to October 1997: Founder. Owned and operated this independent business selling and servicing copiers, primarily color laser copiers.

Canon field engineer. Fall 1991 to November 1994. Worked for various Canon copier dealers and corporation servicing copiers, especially digital and digital color ink and laser copiers. At first dealer, was youngest color laser/digital field service engineer and first trained exclusively on digital/color/laser machines. At Canon-owned dealer, second largest in America, was in charge of sensitive and problem accounts and handled technical problems other team members could not solve.

Printing and copying retail. 1988 to Fall 1991. Managed print shop for two years then worked part time at Kinkos during college (laser) courses.

KROQ Radio Pasadena, Los Angeles California. 1988. Interned for six months mostly answering phones but also working with various persons, personalities, and in various roles to get a taste of the radio industry and primarily for the experience and exposure. Highlights included airtime afterwards while visiting and assisting in a gag with several now famous personalities.

Disneyland, Anaheim, California, 1987-1988. Graveyard custodial in various areas of the park. Highlights included witnessing major propane leak without expected explosion behind It's a Small World; and injuring my back due to overworking and improper training and subsequent legal and political fallout.

Pilot Chemical, Santa Fe Springs, California, 1986-1987. Sole landscaper for chemical component manufacturer. Well paid and respected and complimented as having given the business a landscape that was praised by other businesses in the area. Was highest paid worker in high school and already living on my own.
Patents
Patent Number 6,466,602 Gas discharge laser long life electrodes (partial). Developed two concepts for electrode design for eximer lasers.