Maria Gwyn McDowell

I began dabbling in web design at the request of friends in the Theology Department. As a Graduate Web Assistant and Instructional Design Resident I assisted faculty and graduate students who wanted to integrate technology and instruction. I work with individuals, teach workshops, and design in html, php, css, flash-based technoloty, drupal, WebCT (a course management software - now Blackboard). My strength is in creating usable and versatile website layouts and architecture which can be easily maintained by users of a variety of skill levels.

You can scroll through my various projects by clicking the leaf on the right or left of each section.

Non-profit Organizations

• The St. Nina Quarterly

  A journal for and by Eastern Orthodox Women and other interested people. I developed, designed, and continue to maintain this site.
  Features:
  PHP/mySQL
  Powered by drupal
  Unique drupal Theme

• The Orthodox Theological Society in America

  The OTSA site is built entirely in php. It uses a variety of server-side includes which makes updating the site a snap. The site includes Google's handy-dandy site specific Ajax search feature. The most exciting (well, for me, the designer) will be the upcoming use of MIT's Exhibit project to make an interactive bibliography of Eastern Orthodox authors.
  Features:
  PHP server-side includes
  Google site-specific search function
  

• Comparative Theology at Boston College

  An informational site for the Comparative Theology major at Boston College. My first web site! The site is now maintained by Comparative Theology faculty and staff.

Professional Sites

• Structural Healing

  Brandi McLaughlin specializes in structural healing massage techniques. She wanted a simple site to increase her visibility as well as enable prospective clients to learn more about her techniques and download insurance forms.
  Features:
  PHP server-side includes (masked as html)
  Complete CSS control
  Easy user updates

• Research & Instructional Technology - Boston College

  The informational website for the department in which I worked as a graduate web assistant at Boston College. Jeanne Po designed the graphics for the site and I created the background architecture and templates.

Education & Teaching Tools

• The Shelley Project: Variations on a Theme

  The Shelley Project provides a contextual exploration of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein through the art of J. David, Géricault, Delacroix and Turner, and the music of Paganini, Liszt, Brahms, Rachmaninoff, Berlioz, Mozart, Bach, Monteverdi and Gregorian Chant. The flash-based media presentation enables students to interact with the work of each of these artists, emphasizing the relationship of the artists to one another, their art, and the nineteenth century’s philosophical struggle between virtuosity, hubris, and the ‘superb indifference of the universe…’ without God. A collaborative project developed by Prof. Mark O'Connor, Director of the Honors Program, IDeS, and Metaversal Studios, and funded by Davis Foundation Educational Grant.

• The XUL Project

  I created the templates and background architecture for the site using graphics designed by my co-worker Jeanne Po. The site was designed so that content can easily be added by students or faculty with little knowledge of web design.

• Perspectives I & II

  Created templates and architecture for two secure repository sites related to the Perspectives on Western Culture courses. Graphics for Perspectives II were designed by David Prior.

Personal Websites

• Kenneth R. Himes, O.F.M.

  This site started as a supplement to the book Modern Catholic Social Teaching which required a page of links to works of art referenced in the volume. It was designed to reflect Ken Himes role as both an academician and Franciscan Friar. The content is now managed by Ken Himes.