Human-centered design educator, UX researcher & strategist

Summary: I am a senior UX leader with over 20 years of experience at the intersection of education, human-centered design, and project facilitation. I have a proven track record in developing effective experiential programming for diverse audiences, particularly UX learners; scoping, framing, and consulting on hundreds of pro bono UX research & design projects for clients including entrepreneurs, non-profits, government, and private sectors; and delivering outcomes for projects ranging from Fortune 100 end-to-end design strategies in regulated industries to short-term, grant-funded initiatives for local communities.

Top strengths: Verbal, written, and visual communication; Systems-thinking and service design; User research strategy and facilitation; Project planning and scoping; Co-design and co-creation workshop design and facilitation; Hybrid team management; Hat-wearing and chaos management

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EXPERIENCE

Prime Digital Academy (July 2016–December 2024)

Sr. Director of Research & Strategy (Sept 2023–Dec 2024)

Sr. Director of UX Instruction & Strategy (Oct 2020–Sept 2023)

Director of UX Instruction (July 2016-Oct 2020)

Honeywell International, Inc. (Feb 2015-July 2016)

Sr. Experience Designer

University of Minnesota Twin Cities, College of Design (Sep 2006-Dec 2015)

Graduate Faculty (Sept 2006–May 2009)

Adjunct Faculty (May 2009–Dec 2015)

See my CV for a comprehensive list of teaching engagements, research work, publications, etc

Design & Strategy Consultant (2004-Present)

See select examples of work on my Projects page

EDUCATION

Masters of Fine Arts, Interaction Design | University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, College of Design

Bachelors of Science, Graphic Design | University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, College of Human Ecology

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENTS

UX: Unpacking Experience
Digital Service at Centers for Medicare & Medicaid, Brown Bag Session (Dec 2023)

  • Included data about non-traditional UX hires to bust assumptions about what “experience” can look like

Powering the Possible through Partnerships
Minnesota Technology Association, MN Tech Connect Conference (May 2022)

  • Included hands-on tools for scoping potential internship projects for UX research and/or design interns

Making a Career in UX: Guest Speaker Panel
University of Washington, Psychology of UX course (Oct 2022)

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Accessibility Fundamentals - Disabilities, Guidelines, and Laws (Deque University, January 2025)

Designing an Accessible User Experience (Deque University, January 2025)

Trauma-Informed Teaching Practices for Adult Learners (Literacy MN, May 2021)

Responding to Community Trauma in the Classroom (Atlas, May 2021)

Hmnty Cntrd MasterClass (Hmnty Cntrd, Sept 2020)

So Now You’re a Manager (Plucky, October 2019)