Get to Know Me
A former stage manager, research consultant, people analyst, and biologist, I've zigged and zagged my way into the world of social sciences. I first worked in clinical studies on alcohol, but found my passion for social psychology while researching sexism in the wake of the #MeToo movement. I earned my PhD at the University of Edinburgh where I focused on social emotions and relationships--what does it mean to truly connect with others? Particularly, I study how the emotion of feeling "moved" of "touched" contributes to how we relate with our loved ones and communites.
I have nearly 10 years of research experience, particularly utilizing quantitative methods ranging inferential univariate statistics (regressions, t-tests, logistic regressions) to advanced multivariate methods (factor analyses, structural equation modeling, multi-level modeling, cross-lagged panel models etc). I have earned awards for teaching statistics, where I have 4 years of experience teaching at the undergraduate and postgraduate level. I've applied such data analytics expertise to a variety of academic research topics, but also to many projects in industry working with the likes of Blue Origin, The Institute of Physics, The Institute for Public Policy Research, WSDOT, and more.
The past few years, I've also been interested in user research and how people engage with different products, services, and designs. Particularly, I've been practicing my skills by evaluating video games because they offer an interesting mixture of high user engagement along with varied product designs, business models, and mechanics. That's why you'll see some of my projects, blogs, and usability reports focusing on games!