Joshua Golub
Bio
Josh, the founder of Finite Wisdom, has been a professional software developer for over 25 years.
During his first decade, he focused on relational database systems for the desktop, workgroup and enterprise. During his second decade, he focused on web applications. Now in his third decade, he has turned his attention to cloud computing and the development of massively distributed applications.
With undergraduate degrees in Mathematics and Philosophy and a graduate degree in Computer Science, Josh brings a unique blend of insight and creativity to the software engineering process.
Education
Josh graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 1987 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Pure Mathematics and Philosophy. His senior project in mathematics focused on winding numbers, fundamental objects of study in algebraic topology. In philosophy, his senior project focused on the ontological status of numbers -- roughly speaking: do numbers have an objective existence independent of human consciousness?
After receiving his Bachelor of Science degree, Josh proceeded to the University of Wisconsin - Madison, graduating in 1989 with a Master of Science degree in Computer Science. His thesis project focused on the automatic indexing of databases based on actual query patterns. Since that time, similar features have appeared in commercial database products including Google's BigTable and Amazon's SimpleDB.
Personal
Born and raised in the New York metropolitan area, Josh spent a dozen years in the Midwest before relocating to Richmond. He and his wife Alison (a hair stylist) have four sons, all pursuing careers in the STEM fields, and two dogs — Sophie Grace (a Scottish terrier) and Oliver (a Boston terrier).