Our programmer of the Month for April consistently ranks in the global top 5 in CodeChef Challenges. Ask him to introduce himself and he’ll say “computing machine, my window into the world, rainbow of keystrokes” A professional from Durham and an adventurous soul, here’s David Stolp, better known to you as pieguy!

Name: David Stolp
Age: 24
Institute: California State University, Chico
Userid: pieguy

How/When did you start programming?
I took a couple programming classes at university (taught in C++) while I was still in high school, but initially found it boring and even failed one class.  It wasn’t until I started programming in C that I really began to enjoy it.

What do you do when you’re not programming?
Unless I’m sleeping or cooking, I’m almost always at my computer, except for the occasional hiking trip (just got back from Death Valley).

What do you like most about CodeChef?
The contest format.  I like having multiple problems to work on simultaneously instead of having to focus on a single task until it’s finished.

How many hours a day do you program?
Probably around 8 to 10.

What’s your favourite book and why?
The Art of Computer Programming.  I’ll take Knuth over Tolkien and Rowling any day.

If you could eat dinner with any famous person (past or present), who would it be and what dish would you have?
Megan Fox.  If she’s not available, Richard Stallman.  Couldn’t say what the dinner would be, but the dessert would be pie.

What are your plans for the future?
I’ve recently been accepted into a master’s program, and I will likely pursue a PhD after that.

The CodeChef team wishes PieGuy all the best!