Profile

User experience researcher, completing doctorate in human-computer interaction at the School of Computer Science at Carnegie Mellon University. Industry and research experience designing and evaluating web interfaces. Research focuses on the design, development and evaluation of improved note-taking technologies for active reading. Industry experience conducting usability evaluations and successfully managing small content development teams.

Experience

Graduate Research Assistant, Carnegie Mellon University Aug '02-June '08
Responsibilities: Independently conceive and undertake research into digital note-taking technologies that improve learning. Develop and deliver modular web-based note-taking applications. Conduct design studies using think-aloud and iterative design principles to gather requirements and evaluate interfaces. Deliver concrete evidence of the impact of note-taking elements through controlled experimentation and analysis. Serve as teaching-assistant, teaching usability methods to graduate students.
Select Achievements: Reported award-winning work at major HCI and Educational Technology conferences. Designed, implemented and analyzed 4 experimental evaluations and 1 design study. Conducted additional 3 usability studies at Carnegie Mellon University.

Content Manager, BigFix Inc. Jan '02-Aug '02
Responsibilities: In charge of content development for proprietary patch-management security software. Managed team of 4-7 part-time content engineers. Worked with national computer manufacturer to coordinate custom security content.
Select Achievements: Led on-time completion of first release of Enterprise Security Content. Restructured content development process, shortening initial patch response time from 48 hours to less than 24 hours.

Knowledge Engineer/Usability Specialist, Digital Jones Jun '00-Jun'01
Responsibilities: Conduct usability evaluations of online expert system-based shopping advisors, using think-aloud protocol and heuristic evaluation. Draft specifications for new functionality, and create mockups of revised interfaces. Independently develop advisors through interviews with experienced salespeople. Create demo advisors for sales visits.
Select Achievements: Co-led first site redesign based on user-tests and interviews with salespeople, increasing click-through rate. Created five shopping advisors available on top-ranked comparison shopping website.

Intern - U.S. Embassy, Madrid Jun '98-Sept '98
Conducted in-depth economic research both independently and in response to State Department action requests. Drafted cables based on this research that were dispatched to State Department headquarters in Washington.

Education

Carnegie Mellon University
Ph.D., Human-Computer Interaction, School of Computer Science
June 2008

University of California, San Diego
B.S. in Cognitive Science, 2000
Magna Cum Laude
Minors: History, European Studies (Language and Culture)
Year Abroad: Granada, Spain

Honors

Selected Publications

Key Skills