CAREER ACCOMPLISHMENTS

  • Led 2 end-to-end UX research projects for an automotive startup and a healthcare academic group focused on individuals with disabilities, providing user-focused solutions by conducting mixed-method research, leading to more intuitive designs and higher user satisfaction.

  • Led over 10 end-to-end research projects focused on UX and education, earning seven awards for exceptional research contributions.

  • Utilized a mixed-method approach, including surveys, interviews, heuristic evaluations, competitive analysis, tree testing, and usability testing, to identify the needs and challenges of more than 15,000 participants.

  • Supervised over 15 junior researchers, coaching them on research best practices.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Lead UX Researcher | McGill University | Los Angeles, CA | (Contract) | Mar 2024 – Present

  • Collaborated with a research team at McGill University to redesign an app for youth with disabilities.

  • Prioritized key research areas in collaboration with stakeholders, developed a research plan, facilitated 3 focus groups, conducted surveys, created personas, and analyzed qualitative and quantitative data to deliver actionable insights that guide design decisions.

  • Conducted usability testing with five users, using both qualitative observations and quantitative measures, including task completion rates and time-on-task analysis. Achieved a SUS score of 85, indicating strong usability and ease of use.

UX Researcher & Designer | Cardan | Los Angeles, CA | (Freelance) | Nov 2023 – Jan 2024

  • Led a user-centric redesign of a car service app for a startup company within an agile framework.

  • Utilized user research, iterative prototyping, and unmoderated usability testing to enhance the overall user experience.

  • Adapted quickly to changing project needs and employed creative problem-solving techniques to overcome challenges efficiently.

  • Collaborated with a cross-functional team to implement design principles, resulting in a 37% reduction in user-reported issues

UX/UI Designer & Researcher | Mount Antero Gallery | Los Angeles, CA | (Freelance) | May 2023 – Sep 2023

  • Designed a user-centric web interface for an online jewelry website, informed by extensive market analysis and user research.

  • Collaborated with a cross-functional team to ensure consistent and accurate application of design principles.

  • Crafted a high-fidelity prototype with a 92% task completion rate.

UX Researcher | Great Start Montessori School | Minneapolis, MN | (Freelance) | Dec 2021 – Feb 2022

  • Led UX research to redesign the website, employing both generative and evaluative methods to understand user needs.

  • Conducted moderated usability tests and provided feedback to designers, leading to an SUS score of 86.5.

UX Researcher & Education Consultant | Southern Illinois University | Carbondale, IL | (Contract) | Aug 2017 – May 2021

  • Collaborated with the Department of Design and Architecture to design educational apps for K-12 students.

  • Conducted desk research to provide age-appropriate content.

  • Applied B2B principles to improve the UX of educational apps, resulting in increased engagement.

  • Worked with the Voice of Customer (VoC) team to design and run an intercept survey using Qualtrics.

  • Analyzed survey data and provided actionable insights to the design team for improvement.

Quantitative Research Instructor | Southern Illinois University | Carbondale, IL | (Contract) | Aug 2017 – May 2019

  • Designed and delivered instructional content on quantitative research methodologies, guided students through data collection, analysis, and interpretation to enhance their research skills.

Mixed Method Research Assistant | Southern Illinois University | Carbondale, IL | (Contract) | Jan 2015 – May 2017

  • Contributed to design experiments, recruiting participants, creating surveys, collecting data, and analyzing results.

  • Performed cluster and regression analysis to identify patterns and relationships within data.

UX Researcher | Southern Illinois University | Carbondale, IL | (Freelance) | September 2024 – October 2024

  • Collaborated with the Voice of Customer (VoC) team to design and execute an intercept survey using Medallia, capturing real-time user feedback from teachers and parents.

  • Developed research objectives, survey questions, and distribution strategies to ensure comprehensive data collection.

  • Conducted data analysis using thematic analysis to uncover user pain points and areas for improvement.

  • Synthesized findings into actionable insights and presented recommendations to the design team, leading to a 20% improvement in user satisfaction scores based on post-survey feedback.

  • Worked cross-functionally with designers, product managers, and engineers to align research insights with product development goals.

Education

Ph.D., Education | Southern Illinois University | Carbondale, IL | 2021

  • Contributed in designing experiments, recruiting participants, creating survey, collecting data, and analyzing results.

  • Developed statistical analysis plans, summarized data, and performed statistical analysis on structured data sets.

Skills

Methods

Qualitative and Quantitative Methods, User Interviews, Survey Design, Experimental Design, Focus Groups, Usability Testing, A/B Testing, Tree Testing, Persona Development, Competitive Analysis, Heuristic Evaluation

Analytics

Thematic Analysis, Content Analysis, Cluster Analysis, Factor Analysis, Regression Analysis

Tools

Qualtrics, Medallia, Usertesting.com, Optimal Workshop, Google Sheets, Airtable, Maze, NVivo, FigJam, Excel