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My data story

01 Top Facts
Austin Native born in 1986
20 years experience in creative & design
Passionate about interdisciplinary approaches


02 R&D Areas of Interest
Value-Sensitive Design • Ethical AI • Accessible and Inclusive UX • Health Informatics • Animal-Computer Interaction • Eco-Centric Design

03 Future Goals
Get published • Live abroad • See the Northern Lights
Skills
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I believe we can address socio-technical challenges through ethical frameworks, robust data, and informed UX strategy.

Background

Since 2003, I've navigated various creative landscapes, from agencies and startups to a global firm and non-profits. My skills encompass big-picture thinking, research, user-centered design, and visual communication. I earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Communication Design with a minor in anthropology from Texas State University in 2010. Currently, I am pursuing a Master of Science in Information Studies (MSIS) with a focus on human-computer interaction at The University of Texas at Austin (expected graduation May 2024). Having shifted from graphic design to user experience design, I realize the importance of ethical user-centric design decisions. I also recognize the challenge of harmonizing societal interests, technology, and business demands.

I'm deeply committed to ethical innovation, advocating for holistic design thinking to address social challenges. I believe that combining insights from robust data with effective storytelling drives better solutions; and robust data can only exist when we faithfully collect information from multiple perspectives, including from marginalized voices. At my core, I'm a problem-solver, passionate about empowering society towards better outcomes.

 

Austin has been home for most of my life, with a brief 3-year stint in NYC before the pandemic. I cherish global travel, seeking cultural experiences, wildlife encounters, and stunning views. Recent adventures include solo exploration in Kauai in 2021 and a 6-day hiking pilgrimage in Spain in 2022. My diverse interests encompass the arts, history, science, philosophy, and nature. While I lack official pets, I care for my backyard critters and affectionately name the regulars (shout out to Gus-Gus and Jean-Luc).

Soft Skills

Connecting the Dots

Spearheading Initiatives

Big Picture to Small Details

Strategizing Process

Multiple Hats

Team Coordination

Quick Pivots

UX Advocacy & Education

Uncovering Resources

Relevant Experience

Graduate Research Assistant, The University of Texas at Austin (2023 - Present)
  • Human-AI Interaction Lab (May 2023 - Present)

  • Texas Extreme Weather and Urban Sustainability Lab (Jan 2023 - Aug 2023)

Lead UX Designer, Evernorth (2022 - 2022)
  • Healthcare Insurance Provider's Data and Analytics Platform (July - Oct)

Senior UX Design Lead, EY Tax Lab (2019 - 2022)
  • ESG Multi-party Platform Concept, Forced Labor Use Case (Dec 2021 - June 2022)

  • E-Invoicing Platform Concept (Sept 2021 - Nov 2021)

  • TaxGrid Multi-party Platform Concept and Demo Report (Nov 2019 - August 2021)

  • Global Trade Origin Multi-party Platform Concept (Nov 2019 - Dec 2021)

Independent/Contract UX Designer (2011-2019)
  • Design Leader of lean marketing team for financial services firm in NYC (Aug 2019 - Oct 2019)

  • UX Designer for Duke Farms App (Jan 2019 - June 2019)

  • UX research and strategy contributor for SeedPray app (Feb 2018)

  • UX architect of custom CMS for Billboard Hot 100 Music Competition App (Jan 2018 - Feb 2018)

  • Creative Director for a start-up PR agency (2017 - 2018)

  • UX Consultant at NYU Steinhardt EdTech Accelerator Program (Oct 2017 - Dec 2017)

  • Designer at Texas Hospitals Association (2017 - 2019)

  • UX contributor at NetSpend (2015 - 2016)

Domain Skills

Information Science

Subject Analysis

Classification Systems

Schema Design

Controlled Vocabularies

Database Informational Design

Data Collection & Analysis

Data Storytelling

Research Methods

Competitive Research

Observational Research

Survey Design

User Interviews

Usability Research

Remote Testing

IRB Human Subjects Research

Info Architecture & Design

Navigation Structure

Content Strategy

Usability Design

User Interface Design

Data Visualizations

Accessible Design

Descriptive Graphics

Domain Skills

Curriculum Vitae

Information Science
  • Perspectives on Information

  • Organizing Information (Schema Design; Classification; Taxonomy; Databases)

  • Datafication (Emotion-AI; Data Literacy; Workshop Interventions)

  • Health Informatics (AI in Healthcare; Consumer Health Apps; Patient Empowerment; Challenges)

  • Blockchain (Smart Contracts; Zero Knowledge Proof; Confidentiality; Distributed Ledgers; Understandability) 

User Experience
  • Accessible User Experience (WCAG 2.2, ADA, Digital and Physical, A11y Reports)

  • Usability (Mixed Methods in UX Research)

  • Serving and Understanding Users (HCI; Human Factors; Empathy; Animal-Computer Interaction)

  • Information Architecture and Design (Graphic Semiotics; Usability Reviews and Readouts; Current Topics)

  • Rapid Ideation and Prototyping

  • Workshop Design and Facilitation

Artificial Intelligence
  • Human-AI Interaction (Current Topics; Emotion-AI in Hiring and Self-Assessments)

  • Ethics of AI (History of Global Ethics and AI)

  • Independent Study of Emotion-AI in Hiring and the Disability Experience

  • AI in the Legal Sector, Health Sector, and Public Sector

  • Operationalizing AI Ethics

Climate Change and Urban Sustainability
  • Data Storytelling of Local Climate Data

  • Accessibility of Climate Science

  • VR Experiences of Local Climate Data

Eco-Centric Design
  • Design Frameworks for Animal-Computer Interaction and Interspecies Co-Creation

Communication Design
  • Branding, Packaging, Environments, Wayfinding, Web Design, Illustration, Typography

  • Histories of Art and Graphic Design

Anthropology
  • Cultural Anthropology, Physical Anthropology, Archeology

R&D Areas of Interest

How can we leverage value-sensitive design and robust UX research methodologies for ethical innovation in artificial intelligence? How can we improve data literacy among stakeholders to enable better accountability?

In my next full-time role, I'd like to work on an innovative team exploring ethics in design and technology, including methods for promoting and enabling equitable value-sensitive design. I'm most interested in:

 

  1. Strategies for implementing co-designing workshops

  2. How to faithfully include true perspectives of marginalized voices

  3. Accessibility and inclusivity in response to embedded algorithmic biases

  4. Awareness of datafication processes on the data stories we tell and resulting decisions

  5. Animals and environmental ecology as stakeholders in technology design

Area of Interest

What's next?

My capstone goal for Spring 2024 is to collaborate with a small company or non-profit organization to operationalize AI ethics through proactive role-based artifact design that can easily integrate into existing workflows. 

 

After graduating with an MS in Information Studies with a specialization in HCI, I'd like to continue my career in design research and ethical innovation consulting addressing my R&D areas of interest within healthtech, artificial intelligence, or sustainable development.

 

While I always hope my contributions help teams meet their deadlines, or help organizations achieve targets, or help colleagues in the spirit of shared learning—my primary goal is to improve the lived experiences of the humans, animals, and environments that are impacted by our design work as we move towards a more sustainable and equitable future. 

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