Summary
Full Stack Developer, Salon Media Group, Inc. Lead Developer, Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media President, Air NetworksInformation
Web: Website AramZS Me Medium LinkedIn Twitter Facebook FourSquare GitHub
Email: aramzuckerscharff@gmail.com
Zip code: 11101
Biosketch
Aram is a content creator with experience in both writing and information technology fields. Focused on creating interactive content for convergent technologies. Experience with web design and development, WordPress, ad tech, fiction writing, journalism, social media, community management, information technology systems, IT security, editing, and game design. Aram has worked to negotiate business contracts.
Aram firmly believes that you have to comprehend the spectrum of knowledge that supports professional techniques in order to create effective and unique innovation. This means knowing the basic elements of how to tell a brand’s story as well as understanding the code and hardware behind the digital systems we use every day.
His approach is to understand where technology and narrative meet. Then we can work together to find the best way to apply that knowledge to strengthen the brand.
Education
George Mason University
Aug. 2005 – Jan. 2011
B.A. English
George Mason University
Aug. 2005 – Jan. 2011
B.S. Information Technology
Experience
Full Stack Developer
Salon Media Group, Inc.
Mar 2015 – Present
New York City, NY
– Launched significant upgrade to backend Content Management System (WordPress).
– Rebuilt front end theme to be fully responsive.
– Built custom platform-agnostic video viewer tool
– Rebuilt metadata and on-page tools to fully comply with social media platforms
– Worked closely with editorial and product to find and build out tools and workflow optimizations.
– Worked on editorial-driven projects, including a live election map.
– Built Gulp-based and Webkit workflows for using SASS and JSX across the entire organization.
– Worked with PHP, WordPress, MySQL, Javascript, Node, YUI, React, Reflux, Redux, and Foundation.
– Worked closely with sales and built significant ad tech and performance improvements.
– Built Facebook Instant Articles plugin and worked with Facebook Live API.
– Built out significant custom analytics for A/B testing, video and general KPIs.
– Built React/Reflux API-driven WordPress theme.
President
Air Networks
Jul 2014 – Present
Leadership on business and marketing strategy. Investigates and brings in talent. Training. Working to form company vision and mission.
New Media, SEO and SMO Consultant, Freelance Web Developer
Jul 2012 – Present
Greater New York City Area
Build websites.
Develop web applications.
Work with clients to build WordPress themes and plugins.
Provide knowledge, advice and training on branding, marketing, social media, new media, search engine optimization and online public relations.
Apply responsive design and user experience improvements to existing properties.
Write freelance on a variety of topics, including video games, narrative, web development, and new media.
Develop narrative designs, including an Alternate Reality Game.
Lead Developer
Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media
Aug 2012 – Present
Greater New York City Area (Remote)
Lead development of the PressForward plugin as the primary author of code for the project.
Content Strategist
CFO
Aug 2013 – Feb 2015
Greater New York City Area
Works with all divisions to leverage new technology, user experience data, and narrative design to improve overall web presence.
Project managed multiple digital journalism projects.
Developed and open-sourced plugins and developer tools.
Trained journalists, marketing and sales staff in digital tools and strategies.
Working with executive staff and sales to optimize digital sales channel.
Designed, tested and deployed tools to increase engagement and create a better user experience.
Chief Technology Officer
Air Networks
Oct 2012 – Jul 2014
Fairfax, VA
Leads development on knowledge management product.
Assistant Director for Marketing and Communications, Office of Student Media
George Mason University
Oct 2011 – Jul 2012
United States
Administrative Faculty
Engage students through social and traditional media. Oversee social media, including 18 Twitter accounts and eight Facebook accounts, to manage and build upon the online community that interacts with the university’s brand and the office’s content.
Manage the onMason blogging and site-building platform to provide much-needed tools to the Mason community, build a greater audience for office content and increase traffic to student media properties.
Engage high school students who are considering George Mason University, both online and in person.
Build search engine and social media optimization into various student media web presences.
Manage marketing and public relations for the office. Work to develop and strengthen outlet brands. Hire and supervise students specializing in these fields to expand reach and effectiveness.
Increase ad sales and leverage non-traditional methods and platforms in order to boost revenue. Manage student ad sales staff.
Represent Student Media in off-campus events and organizations that intersect our interests in order to create opportunities for collaboration, including Social Media Club DC, Online News Association, and DC Twestival. Also to represent Student Media at national and regional conferences and BarCamps, including the College Media Advisors NYC convention, WordCampNYC, BarCamp News Innovation Philly and various THATCamps.
Represent Student Media at on-campus events including orientation, housing, admissions, fairs and conferences. Responsible for the highest number of freshmen signed up to participate to date.
Develop, design, modify, and improve student media outlet websites. Guide students interested in learning and building their own websites.
Technology Manager
The Office of Student Media, George Mason University
Jun 2008 – Jun 2010
Proposed and launched the onMason platform to build cutting-edge content management tools for the Mason community and for Student Media outlets.
Researched, developed and deployed technology solutions for journalism tasks.
Educated users on best practices for new and existing tools.
Aided in the convergence of content.
Developed, deployed and maintained MasonVotes.gmu.edu, a social media-based website built to inform students and residents of Northern Virginia about politics. The project received national media coverage and student contributions were syndicated internationally.
Deployed a full redesign of Drupal-based convergence website Connect2Mason.
Awards and Honors
- Folio’s Notable Technology in Audience Tracking Tool
- Folio Magazine’s 15 under 30
- Top Honors Award for Most Effective Technology Tool for Mason Votes
- George Mason University Honors Student.
- National Society of Collegiate Scholars.
- Dean’s List for 5 semesters.
- Winner of the CHSS Dean’s Challenge Scholarship for 2008-2009
- Received a four-year academic scholarship to George Mason University.
Presentations
Zucker-Scharff, Aram (2012). SEO 101 and 201 for Journalists and Bloggers. BarCamp Presentation at BarCamp News Innovation Philly 2012.
Zucker-Scharff, Aram (2012). White Space and Responsive Web Design. BarCamp Workshop at BarCamp News Innovation Philly 2012.
Zucker-Scharff, Aram (2012). SEO201: A Search Engine Optimized Presentation on Search Engine Optimization. Presentation at College Media Advisors NYC 2012.
Zucker-Scharff, Aram (2012). SEO101: Search Engine Optimization for Journalists. Presentation at College Media Advisors NYC 2012.
Zucker-Scharff, Aram (2012). 50 free tools for journalists in 50 minutes. Presentation at College Media Advisors NYC 2012.
Boyet, Michele and Aram Zucker-Scharff (2012). Brand Me: Using Social Media to Brand Yourself and Your Newsroom. Workshop session at College Media Advisors NYC 2012.
Zucker-Scharff, Aram (2012). Narrative Design in Games and the Classroom. Facilitated Roundtable Session at THATCamp Games 2012.
Boyet, Michele and Aram Zucker-Scharff (2011). Social Media: The Good the Bad and the Ugly. Workshop session at College Media Advisors NYC 2011.
Zucker-Scharff, Aram (2011). What is Search Engine Optimization and where does it live? A crash course for journalists. Presentation at College Media Advisors NYC 2011.
Zucker-Scharff, Aram (2011). From Research to Release: 50 free tools in 50 minutes. Presentation at College Media Advisors NYC 2011.
Panel session (2011). Mobile Use in Higher Education. Social Learning Summit 2011.
Zucker-Scharff, Aram (2011). onMason: student-focused WordPressMU use in an educational setting. BarCamp session presented at WordCampNYC 2011.
Loker, Kevin and Aram Zucker-Scharff (2011). How to use social media. Presentation session for jDay VA 2011.
Loker, Kevin and Aram Zucker-Scharff (2011). Using blogging in your news organization. Presentation session for jDay VA 2011.
Zucker-Scharff, Aram (2010). Using WordPressMU to build community. BarCamp session presented at BarCamp News Innovation Philly 2010.
Zucker-Scharff, Aram (2010). From Research to Release: Using the Free Web to Create Better Journalism. Presentation screen-cast session for Southeast Journalism Conference 2010.
Zucker-Scharff, Aram (2010). onMason: Community-building and blogging at George Mason University. DC Media Makers.
Zucker-Scharff, Aram (2008). Next-generation political coverage with Mason Votes. DC Media Makers.
Selected Publications
Credited in
Wheeler, David (2011). ‘Google Doesn’t Laugh’: Saving Witty Headlines in the Age of SEO. The Atlantic Online.
Israel, Shel (2009). Twitterville (as @Chronotope).
Freni, Danielle (2008). The World Watches Northern Virginia with Help from George Mason Student.Hillel.org.
Published
Zucker-Scharff, Aram (2011). A WordPress Theme for Taking Notes on Your Kindle. Chronicle of Higher Education online.
Zucker-Scharff, Aram (2009). Israel Tweets Gaza Conflict. United Press International. UPI.com
Zucker-Scharff, Aram (2009). Innovative Models: Student Media at George Mason University. CoPress.
Zucker-Scharff, Aram (2008). A History of Virginia in Votes. United Press International. UPI.com
Online Publishing Sites
March 2007 – Present
Zucker-Scharff, Aram. Hack Text. http://hacktext.com.
Personal blog hosting articles and posts examining new media texts, transmedia concepts and related tools. Previously hosted under the name Read, Write and View http://aramzs.me/4w.
June 2011 – Present
Various Authors. Nightmare Mode. http://nightmaremode.net.
Details: Group site for news, and critical examination of interactive narratives and game systems.
April 2011 – Present
Zucker-Scharff, Aram. AramZS’s GitHub. http://github.com/AramZS.
Details: Repository for past, current and future coding and development projects.
Feb. 2010 – Dec. 2010
Various Authors. UPIU Blog. http://blog.upiu.com.
Brand site for discussing journalism and releasing information about the activities of United Press International’s UPIU.
Aug. 2008 – Sept. 2009
Various Authors. Mason Votes. http://masonvotes.gmu.edu.
News site covering elections in Virginia with a focus on the Northern Virginia area.
Dec. 2008 – Jan. 2009
Various Authors. UPI Young Voters Presidential Transition Forum.http://www.upi.com/Features/Voice_Young_Voters/Blog/.
Group blog focused on the hundred-day presidential transition period, published opinion articles on economic policy.
Aug. 2008 – Jan. 2009
Various Authors. UPI’s Voice of Young Voters. http://www.upi.com/Features/Voice_Young_Voters/.
Hub site for student reporting of the 2008 national election. Frequently syndicated content along with independent articles.
