About Timothy McGowan
I am a graduate student at the University of Houston–Clear Lake, currently pursuing a Master of Science in Data Science while maintaining a 3.778 GPA. I earned my undergraduate degree — a B.S. in Information Technology (Summa Cum Laude, 3.902 GPA) — from the same institution, with a Major in IT Management & Administration and a Minor in Cyber Security.
My work sits at the intersection of enterprise IT leadership, data science, and applied AI. Over more than 25 years in the field, I’ve led infrastructure programs, managed federal IT teams, designed ITSM workflows, and negotiated SLAs at scale. On the research and applied side, I’m deepening my skills in machine learning, natural language processing, and I’m pushing that work further with hands-on local AI experimentation outside the classroom.
My research interests include local-first AI — specifically how large language models behave when deployed outside of cloud environments and on constrained, consumer-grade hardware. I run Qwen3 locally on my own gaming rig, which gives me a hands-on feel for things like inference performance, prompt sensitivity, and model behavior that you just don’t get from an API call. That practical layer sits alongside my academic work in machine learning and natural language processing, and honestly, the two feed each other in ways I didn’t expect going in.
🎓 Education
M.S. in Data Science (In Progress) — University of Houston–Clear Lake
Coursework: Machine Learning, NLP, Data Visualization, Database Systems, Applied Statistical Methods
B.S. in Information Technology (May 2025) — University of Houston–Clear Lake
Graduated Summa Cum Laude | Major: IT Management & Administration | Minor: Cyber Security
Relevant coursework: Ethical Hacking, Computer Security & Disaster Recovery, Scripting I & II, Forensics, IT Project Management, Database Development
🔧 Technical Skills
| Area | Skills |
|---|---|
| Data Science | Python (pandas, numpy, scikit-learn), Machine Learning, NLP, Data Visualization, Statistical Analysis |
| Local-First AI | Local LLM deployment (Qwen3), prompt engineering, model evaluation |
| Service Management | HP Service Manager (HPSM), ITIL v3 Foundation, SLA development, ITSM process design |
| Security | CompTIA Security+, Cyber Security, Ethical Hacking, Forensics, Disaster Recovery |
| Networking | TCP/IP, DNS, DHCP, Cisco, Firewall Administration, Windows & Solaris administration |
| Development | Python, JavaScript, Bash/PowerShell, SQL, Visual Basic |
📬 Contact
Feel free to reach out at tbm0929@gmail.com or connect through my profile links above.