top of page

Resume

I'm a User Experience researcher and recruiter with 4 years of applied research experience. I have formal training from Georgetown University's Communication, Culture, and Technology program where I concentrated on design and research for social impact. During my time at the University of Pittsburgh, I studied psychology and communications. I like to inform and inspire decision making, innovate on methods, and promote a user-centered culture at companies with big impact.

Research Experience

Jan 2021 - Present

UX Research Recruiter

Upwork

San Francisco, CA

Insight

Creating artifacts is the easy part. Socializing your work is where you should spend more time. 

At Upwork, I am the liaison between our Design Operations and UX Research teams. I am responsible for creating surveys, usability studies, A/B tests, and scheduling interviews with a diverse set of audiences.

 

I create processes and artifacts for the research team that allow them to spend time on conducting and synthesizing their research. I also empower Product and non-Product stakeholders to conduct their own user-centered research. 

Nov 2020 - Feb 2021

Researcher

Jobs for the Future

Boston, MA

Insight

It is extremely difficult to find out if a program is accredited or not. Most program websites do not directly list their accreditation.

As a researcher for JFF, I sourced upskiling programs for professionals affected by COVID-19 in collaboration with our Market Analyst. We focused on low-cost, high reward programs that created greater opportunities to find a job.

 

I was responsible for creating and iterating on a framework used to qualitatively and qualitatively score programs according to career path and for conducting content analysis. 

Aug 2020 - Jan 2021

Research Assistant

Tech Executive Leadership Initiative

San Francisco, CA

Insight

When people have been doing a task a specific way for a long time, it's difficult to change their ways. This doesn't mean they aren't willing or they don't care, but they instead require more attention and creative problem solving.

As a research and teaching assistant, I was able to assist tech executives transitioning from the private sector into the public sector. 

Through survey analysis and ethnographic observation, I was able to shape the curriculum of the pilot program and programs that follow. Collecting this information, I was able to inform my work at the Beeck Center for Social Impact + Innovation.

Jan 2020 - Dec 2020

Research Analyst

Beeck Center for Social Impact + Innovation

Washington, D.C. 

Insight

It is extremely difficult to find out if a program is accredited or not. Most program websites do not directly list their accreditation.

As the lead UX researcher for the Public Interest Technology Workforce project at the Beeck Center, I studied workforce development for emerging government digital service professionals and public interest technologists.

 

Using prior frameworks from colleagues and my own research, we supported agencies in teaching a younger generation digital service skills to actively challenge systems put in place that require modern solutions. 

Aug 2018 - Dec 2019

Communications Assistant

New America

Washington, D.C. 

Insight

Sometimes simplicity is better. Users often preferred simpler designs and language over more complex, regardless of education.

As the first Communications Assistant on the Education Policy team, I was able my own initiatives and best practices. I focused on redesigning artifacts using A/B testing and creating user guides for newly incorporated software.

May 2017 - Dec 2018

Directed Research Assistant

University of Pittsburgh Center for Learning in Out-of-School Environments

Pittsburgh, PA

Insight

Transportation was the most commonly referenced barrier to having a successful literacy program and/or STEM education.

As a directed research assistant, I was able to assist a post-doctoral candidate in their research regarding the study of nature. I collaborated with museum directors, scientists, and education researchers to enhance and modify a"21st Century Naturalist" framework. I interpreted on-the-floor observations of summer camps into insights.

I also coded and transcribed interview data to better understand how rural literacy programs and maker's spaces can foster digital literacy, STEM, and creativity. 

Education

2018 - 2020

Georgetown University 

Master of Arts 

Washington, D.C.

I studied social impact design and research in the Communications, Culture, and Technology (CCT) program. 

My thesis focused on understanding anxiety within users of digital platforms. I explored the relationship between mental health and user experience by conducting my own research with college-level users and interviews of leaders in the fields of digital accessibility, technology policy, media psychology, and research. 

2015 - 2018

University of Pittsburgh

Bachelor of Science

Bachelor of Arts 

Pittsburgh, PA

I studied Psychology and Communication and the intersection of the two. This is where I was able to identify what I was doing and find a field that had a name for it: User Experience. 

Learning more about digital spaces and user-centered design, I found my interests shifting from a very physical, visitor experience towards online experiences.

 

My learnings from conducting on the floor observations, survey analysis, and ethnographic research further inform my understanding of human behavior online and offline. 

Professional skillset

UX research methods

Human-centered design

Discovery research

Digital Analytics

Participant recruiting 

Empathy 

Change management

Curiosity 

Technical communications

Research operations

Software

UserTesting.com

Qualtrics

Figma

Jira

Google Suite

SPSS

Miro

HTML, Java, CSS

bottom of page