Get to Know the Avalon Team: Chris Colvard

In our new series "Get to Know the Avalon Team," we're providing a closer look at the individuals who are working each day to develop the Avalon Media System.

Chris Colvard

Chris is the lead developer on the Avalon project at Indiana University. Previously, he worked on the Variations Digital Music Library leading to its being open sourced with over a dozen institutions adopting the system. Chris graduated from DePauw University and has worked for the Digital Library Program since 2006.

Can you talk a bit about your role in the project?

I evaluated technology choices for the Avalon planning grant. With the current grant, I developed a prototype and set up the testing environments while the other developers were coming on board. Now I continue to manage some of the testing infrastructure and am often a point person for developers at IU. When programming, I float between all parts of the code but tend to focus on Matterhorn and the backend.

What is a typical work week like for you?

Meetings, trying to keep up with the Matterhorn and Hydra software communities, coordinating with Avalon developers and product owners, and writing code.

What apps/software/gadgets can't you live without? 

None ideally, but I really love my record player and FM radio.

When you’re not working, what can you be found doing?

Living and learning with my wife and three kids. Learning about and trying to be a part of the Catholic Worker Movement. Cooking, volunteering, and watching Anime and Korean dramas.