Anthropologist Turned UX Researcher
I started my career studying human behavior as a PhD student in Anthropology—teaching observation methods, managing archaeological systems, and leading my own excavation. After earning my Master’s, I transitioned into applied research and never looked back.
Since then, I’ve worked with teams at WeWork, Ipsos NA, The Home Depot, Charles Schwab, and now Ad Hoc, where I help design healthcare experiences for VA.gov.
What I Do
I specialize in mixed-methods UX research that connects user insights to clear, actionable strategies. Whether it’s usability testing, information architecture, or workshop facilitation, I thrive on helping cross-functional teams make sense of complexity and move forward with confidence.
For me, research isn’t just about collecting data—it’s about storytelling, alignment, and strategy. Every insight should serve a purpose, every decision should be grounded in evidence, and every stakeholder should feel empowered to act.
What Drives Me
I combine the empathy of an anthropologist with the structure of a strategist. I’m passionate about elevating research maturity, mentoring others and creating digital experiences that truly serve people.
Let’s connect—especially if you love turning complexity into clarity.
Summary
Senior UX Researcher and Human-Centered Design practitioner with 8+ years of experience evaluating and improving digital experiences across VA.gov health tools, federal programs, and enterprise platforms. Trained anthropologist and mixed-methods researcher with deep expertise in qualitative and quantitative research, workflow analysis, and translating complex user behaviors into actionable insights. Proven track record conducting interviews, usability testing, UAT, and workshop facilitation with operational and cross-functional stakeholders in federal health environments. Experienced evaluating AI-enabled solutions in real-world use contexts and embedding research into product strategy at scale.
Past Experience
Research Lead, VA.gov Health Portfolio · July 2025 – Present
Ad Hoc, LLC
- Created and own the research roadmap for four interconnected digital health tools used by millions of Veterans, aligning research priorities to product strategy across an 8-person experience team.
- Evaluate AI-enabled solutions in real-world use contexts — piloting AI-assisted qualitative analysis to process 8,000–10,000 monthly user feedback comments and surface actionable themes for clinical, product, and leadership stakeholders.
- Define methodological best practices and frameworks that empower cross-functional teams — including clinical and operational partners — to conduct higher-quality independent research and design.
- Conduct monthly metrics reviews and quarterly deep dives using the Google HEART framework, synthesizing usability, engagement, and task completion signals into strategic recommendations for product and leadership.
- Analyze thousands of monthly help desk tickets to identify and quantify recurring workflow friction points, directly informing roadmap prioritization.
Sr. UX Researcher 2, VA.gov Travel Claims · Jan 2023 – Jun 2025
Ad Hoc, LLC
- Partnered with program management, product, design, and engineering stakeholders to launch a digital claim submission tool on VA.gov and the VA mobile app — now with over 2 million claims submitted — balancing user needs, technical feasibility, and business requirements.
- Led end-to-end usability testing throughout the design phase and user acceptance testing (UAT) at launch, translating findings into go/no-go recommendations for VA leadership.
- Conducted service-wide quantitative analysis of thousands of monthly claims records to surface strategic insights and influence executive roadmap priorities.
Sr. UX Researcher, HHS Head Start TTA Data Hub · Apr 2022 – Dec 2022
Ad Hoc, LLC
- Conducted interviews with 12 users spanning roles from national directors to direct service providers, exploring planning and training workflows to inform platform experience and surface cross-role needs.
- Facilitated a day-long research prioritization workshop in Washington, D.C. with 15+ federal and state program leaders, guiding structured exercises that directly informed the platform's implementation roadmap.
- Planned and moderated qualitative studies — including workflow observations and usability sessions — with Head Start providers to identify experience gaps and drive platform improvements.
Sr. UX Researcher (Contract) · Oct 2021 – Mar 2022
Charles Schwab
- Delivered mixed-methods customer research shaping mobile app and intelligent assistant experiences for investors — with direct exposure to the needs, workflows, and expectations of Schwab's advisory customer base.
- Collaborated with product and design teams to align research insights with platform strategy, ensuring user motivations and pain points drove design decisions.
UX Researcher (Contract) · Nov 2020 – Sep 2021
The Home Depot
- Established the foundation for a scalable research repository tool at The Home Depot by designing a research repository in EnjoyHQ — including taxonomy, standards, and training — adopted across multiple enterprise UX and product teams. Created onboarding and training documentation for multiple user groups.
- Conducted interviews with UX and product employees to map internal workflows and inform product taxonomy and digital discovery strategy for an enterprise platform
- Successfully define and pitched research repository approach to senior level leadership in enterprise UX function
Research Manager · Feb 2019 – Jan 2020
Ipsos SMX
- Managed a bespoke online consumer research panel of 300+ participants for a major grocery retail brand, running longitudinal quantitative surveys tracking purchase behavior and marketing response.
- Designed end-to-end qualitative and quantitative research programs — surveys, diary studies, concept tests — to benchmark and improve customer experience metrics at scale.
- Conducted cross-cultural consumer research for a Japanese beverage brand entering the U.S. market, translating segmentation insights into go-to-market recommendations.
Professor of Anthropology (Graduate Fellow) ·Aug 2014 – Jul 2017
Queens College, City University of New York
Instructed and demonstrated to 250+ students in 100-level undergraduate course how to conduct a range of research methods – secondary analysis, observation, note taking - and analyze observations using social science theories
Communicated complex ideas easily and concretely in twice-weekly lectures I developed and delivered, improving content quality by conducting secondary and primary research on student experience
Education
M.A., Anthropology · The Graduate Center, City University of New York
B.A., Anthropology & History · Smith College
Skills & Tools
Research & Design Methods: User Interviews · Workflow Observation · Usability Testing · UAT · Journey Mapping · Diary Studies · Concept Testing · Survey Design · Consumer Segmentation · Service Design · Stakeholder Research
Quantitative & Analytics: Google HEART Framework · CX Metrics · Google Analytics · DataDog · AI-Assisted Analysis · Large-Scale Survey Analysis · Help Desk Ticket Analysis
Facilitation & Strategy: Workshop Design · Stakeholder Mapping · Research Synthesis · Research Ops · Panel Recruitment & Governance · Strategic Storytelling · Cross-Functional Collaboration
Tools: UserZoom · dScout · Miro · Mural · Figma · Optimal Workshop · EnjoyHQ · Medallia · Jira · GitHub · Claude Cowork · Microsoft Copilot