Russell Alleen Willems
About Russell Alleen Willems
Russell Alleen Willems is a software developer at Wizards of the Coast, where he has worked since 2020. He has a diverse background in archaeology and digital technology, having held various roles in environmental consulting, user experience research, and academic positions.
Work at Wizards of the Coast
Russell Alleen Willems has been employed as a Software Developer at Wizards of the Coast since 2020. In this role, he has developed a multi-user playtesting tool for card games that supports real-time networked play, improving the efficiency of the playtesting process. He has also contributed to the customization of a digital asset management tool, which serves as a centralized repository for product images, art, and multimedia assets. Willems employs both Kanban and Scrum methodologies within the Agile software development framework to enhance project management and team collaboration.
Previous Experience in Software Development and Archaeology
Prior to his current position, Willems worked in various roles that combined software development and archaeology. He served as a Digital Archaeologist and FileMaker Specialist at SWCA Environmental Consultants from 2016 to 2018. He also held the position of User Experience Researcher at UpTop from 2015 to 2017. Additionally, Willems worked as a Digital Archaeologist at Diachronic Design from 2013 to 2019, where he applied his technical skills to archaeological projects. His experience spans several years and includes positions that emphasize both software development and archaeological practices.
Educational Background in Anthropology and Software Engineering
Russell Willems holds a Master of Arts degree in Anthropology with a focus on Applied Archaeology from Northern Arizona University, where he studied from 2010 to 2012. He also earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Anthropology with an emphasis on Archaeology from Western Washington University, completing his studies from 2005 to 2007. In addition to his degrees in anthropology, Willems has pursued further education in software engineering, obtaining a Full Stack Web Development Certification from Free Code Camp from 2016 to 2020 and a VR Nanodegree from Udacity from 2017 to 2018.
Roles in Archaeological and Environmental Organizations
Willems has held various positions in archaeological and environmental organizations throughout his career. He worked as an Archaeological Technician at AMEC Earth & Environmental, Inc from 2007 to 2009. He also participated in AmeriCorps as an Environmental Conservation Corps Member in 2010. His experience includes serving as a Collections Manager at the WWU Archaeology Lab for one year in 2012 and as an Archaeological Collections Volunteer at the Museum of Northern Arizona in 2010. These roles have contributed to his expertise in both archaeology and environmental conservation.