ABOUT ME

Like most UXers, I took the scenic route to discover User Experience. Here's the abridged version of my journey...

It started in 1997 in San Antonio, Texas at Trinity University where I enrolled in my pre-med classes. I enjoyed learning about the intricacies of the human body, but quickly realized I was most fascinated by the brain and human behavior. I changed paths and decided to focus on psychology but wasn't quite sure what to do with that after graduation. I wanted to find a way to still help people, stay involved in the health care industry, and put my OCD organizational skills to good use. A career in health care administration seemed like the perfect fit. That same semester I took a course co-taught by my advisor and a Computer Science Professor called: Human-Computer Interaction. My mind was blown! I didn't know that was a thing! I had been bitten by the UX bug, but I stuck to my plan to enter health care upon graduation.

In 2001 I packed my bags and headed to St. Louis, Missouri to start a Masters in Health Administration at Washington University School of Medicine. After lots of group presentations and many long nights in the computer lab, I felt armed and ready to tackle the complex and ever-changing US healthcare system. I worked as a consultant, account manager, and practice administrator for 8 fulfilling years. Throughout those years I realized that I consistently gravitated towards operational improvement projects - particularly those that had human-computer touchpoints. Shortly after that revelation I started to hear a nagging voice in my head telling me revisit the concept of HCI I studied in college. I knew I needed formal training and I began researching graduate programs.

I took the plunge and enrolled in the Human Factors and Applied Cognition doctoral program at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia in 2009. I had the opportunity to work under the advisement of the incredible renaissance man, Dr. Raja Parasuraman. I dabbled in all sorts of fun research projects that involved human-automation interaction, distracted driving, eye-tracking, and situation awareness. When it came time to buckle down on my dissertation I decided to combine what I learned about human limitations in working memory to better design human-automation systems. Six years, 1 million paper cuts, and several reams of data later, I graduated. I couldn't wait to apply what I learned to the "real world."

On the way to completing my doctoral studies I focused how I could apply my human factors knowledge to improve tech product design. Internships provided a fantastic sneak peek into that world; I had the privilege to complete 3 internships at Pros Pricing, Google, and Dell. After graduation, I moved to the San Francisco Bay Area to accept a position as a UX Analyst at Renaissance Learning, an educational tech company, and I've been enjoying the ride ever since.

When I'm not conducting user research I'm binge-watching crime dramas exploring the Bay Area with my family and mini-Schnauzer, cooking, or concocting my next travel adventure.

What's your UX journey?