I have ten years of experience in usability engineering and an academic background in Psychology and Human-Computer Interaction. I also have extensive training from Experience Dynamics, a well-respected user research, design, and consulting firm located in Portland, OR. I am capable of delivering any sort of user-centered design deliverable, including heuristic evaluations, usability test reports, wireframes, and interactive web prototypes. In addition, I am relatively skilled in various web development technologies. I have a strong interest in emotional design, rich social networking, and integrated media technologies, as well as new media politics, collaborative journalism, and technology-enabled civil engagement. I am currently pursuing a Ph.D. In Media Psychology at Fielding Graduate University.

I have ten years of experience in human factors, usability engineering, and interactive design. I am currently the User Experience Manager at NaviNet, a Boston-based healthcare solutions company. This company was founded on the basis that our healthcare industry can be made more inclusive, transparent and cost-effective by connecting providers, health plans, industry partners, and patients in real-time. We have the largest healthcare communications network in the country. We specialize in providing synthesized, timely, and relevant information, within the most effective context, in order to improve quality-of-care and the overall patient experience. Before NaviNet, I worked at IBM as a senior consultant inside IBM Interactive’s national usability practice. IBM Interactive is an agency devoted to building optimized and comprehensive customer experiences for prominent clients across many different industries.

Academically, I have a background in Psychology, Memory, and Human-Computer Interaction. My coursework and research included topics such as computer-mediated communication, the sociology of information, organizational impacts of technological infrastructures, mobile computing, and ethnography techniques for effectively gathering requirements. In addition, I completed a comprehensive usability services training program at Experience Dynamics, a well-respected consulting firm located in Portland, OR that specializes in user-centered design and research.

Through my business and educational ventures, I have gained a considerable amount of internet marketing and web development experience. I am able to develop interactive web prototypes, basic websites, and occasionally more complex web applications using HTML, Javascript, MySQL, PHP, and other various technologies. With all my work, I take a keen interest in bringing business objectives and user objectives inline, with an emphasis on maximizing the ROI. I am very passionate about the field of usability and I am constantly striving to further my knowledge and skills in this arena so that I can improve my overall effectiveness as a usability and media consultant.

My current research interests include the role of emotional intelligence in design and communication, or more specifically, how emotion can meaningfully enrich social media experiences. Moreover, I am interested in the impact of integrated media technologies on the behaviors, beliefs, and decisions of individuals and groups. I am drawn to interactive websites dedicated to new media, such as citizen journalism and collaborative news analysis. I have a strong interest in public policy, international relations, and politics, and I am constantly thinking up new ways to civically engage, as well as inform people via the internet. I also spend a lot of time focusing on the interactive enhancement of UI design deliverables and improving the iterative design/validation process as a whole.

To engage my research interests in media, and achieve my overarching career goals, I am currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Media Psychology. I was accepted into the Fielding Graduate University, a unique school that specializes in psychology, organizational development, and educational leadership. All programs at this school revolve around central themes of social justice, social change, and innovative advancements in organizations, communities, and society. This university is the first institution in the world to offer an advanced doctorate degree in Media Psychology. The university is also unique in that it allows me to continue working full-time while I pursue my degree.

Recreationally, I participate in yoga, basketball, kettlebells, Cross-Fit, and numerous other fitness- and nutrition-related activities. I like to attend theater productions and I am a devoted New England sports fan. Additionally, I enjoy discovering local and independent music bands. My favorite music artists include Chris Cornell (Soundgarden, Audioslave), The Tea Party, Arcade Fire, Modest Mouse, Led Zeppelin, The White Stripes, and Tom Waits.