As a child, programmer Jeremy Scheff was first introduced to computers by his grandfather, who had an IBM clone running DOS that enabled Scheff to play video games such as Frogger and blackjack. While playing blackjack, however, Scheff noticed a bug in the program, and figured out how to go into the data file, find the offending line and delete it, enabling the game to run properly. In 1996, as the internet age was dawning, the 11-year-old Scheff read an article in Internet Magazine about creating websites and built his first basic HTML site on GeoCities. The experience unlocked a universe of possibilities for the inquisitive Scheff.
An alumnus of Rutgers University — where he studied Biomedical Engineering, earning a BS in 2008 and a PhD in 2013 — and currently a research scientist at Biotechnology HPC Software Applications Institute in Frederick, Maryland, Scheff recently launched Basketball GM, an online basketball simulation in which users take control of a franchise and attempt to guide them to the championship. As the general manager of the team, you control every aspect of the team, including drafting rookies, signing free agents, arranging a roster and adjusting team finances in order to maximize profits. Your goal is twofold: To win, and to make money for your team’s owner. Fail to do either of these, and you could find yourself in the unemployment line.
