My Journey to UX Research

My career in UX research began while volunteering as a Research Assistant at San Francisco State University and serving as a Warm Line Counselor at the Mental Health Association of San Francisco (MHASF). At MHASF, I provided emotional support and crisis intervention, over the phone, to individuals facing mental health challenges. These experiences sparked my interest in UX, as I saw an opportunity to combine my passions and help improve the systems and things we interact with on a daily basis. To pursue this goal, I completed a 400-hour UX design immersive at General Assembly and then joined Glu Mobile (acquired by Electronic Arts) in October 2018. While at EA, I enrolled in the part-time graduate program in Human Factors at Bentley University, where I studied the science of human behavior and its application to the design of systems, products, and technology. During this time, I transitioned to Ancestry in October 2021, where I contributed to empowering users on their journeys of self-discovery. In March 2024, Ancestry was impacted by layoffs including the UXR team. One month later, I reconnected with a former manager from EA, who was hiring at 2K Games. I joined the team in June 2024 and have been excited to help build and shape the growing research function at 2K from the ground up. I’m fascinated by how people interact with emerging technologies, advocating for users, learning new ways of working, and finding creative opportunities to tackle any research challenge big or small.

Fun Facts

• Originally from Atlanta, I have been living in San Francisco since 2009

• First generation American, my mother was a refugee during the Vietnam War

• Two older brothers (one in Atlanta and one in Germany)

• Hiked up and down Mt. Fuji in 10 hours

• Enjoys gardening and has excellent fine motor skills

• Traveled to 5 countries (Netherlands, India, Maldives, Mexico, Japan)

• Cat mom of two