Vladimir Silva holds a master's degree in computer science from Middle Tennessee State University. He worked for four years at IBM as a research engineer, where he acquired extensive experience in distributed and grid computing research. Vladimir is a highly technical, focus-based individual and team player. He belongs to two national honor societies, has published many computer science articles for IBM, and is author of Grid Computing for Developers (Charles River Media, 2005) and RCP Practical Projects (Apress, 2008).