I am a user researcher and information architect in Research Triangle area in North Carolina. I’ve worked on a variety of projects, from higher ed to government to marketing websites.
Before working in UX, I worked in museums like the Smithsonian Institution Archives, the National Archives, the Dance Heritage Coalition, and the Historic New Orleans Collection. I didn’t know it at the time, but my a lot of the same interests that led me to user experience led me to museums. I was interested in people and how they interacted with and experienced history and learning.
Eventually, I returned to UNC-Chapel Hill to complete a master’s degree in Information Science. I focused on Human-Computer Interaction and conducted studies on how people interact with intelligent assistants (such as Siri) and chatbots.
I consider myself lucky to have taken a circuitous route to user experience. My history background shines through when I’m comparing evidence and synthesizing information into a narrative. My museum work helped me become more comfortable presenting information to people and also helped me learn to manage group workshops.
I’m also very grateful to have had the graduate experience I had at UNC-Chapel Hill. Aside from user research, my experience at UNC also led me to develop interests in search engines, natural language processing, and intelligent assistants.