Education
Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
Bachelor of Sciences: Information Science, May 2022
GPA: 3.68/4.3
Bristol Community College, Fall River, MA
Associate of Arts in Liberal Arts and Sciences: Behavioral and Social Sciences Transfer, May 2018
GPA: 3.98/4.0
Honors: Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, Commonwealth Honors Program, Dean's List
Awards: Bristol Community College Newman Civic Fellow, Phi Theta Kappa All-USA Community College Academic Team, President’s Award Mace & Shield, Sceptre and Scroll Award
Publications
Understanding How People with Visual Impairments Take Selfies: Experiences and Challenges: Accepted poster to appear in ASSETS ‘22 (59% acceptance)
Ricardo E. Gonzalez Penuela, Paul Vermette, Zihan Yan, Cheng Zhang, Keith Vertanen, & Shiri Azenkot.
Selfies are a pervasive form of communication in social media. People with visual impairments (PVI) want to participate in social media just like their sighted counterparts, so it is important to ensure that selfie-taking is accessible. We contribute design guidelines that researchers and designers can implement for creating accessible selfie-taking applications.
Research Experience
Cornell University September 2021 to May 2022
User Research and Design Lead - Design by Biomedical Undergraduate Project Team
• Lead user research that fills knowledge gaps for biomedical engineering product prototypes.
• Work closely amongst a variety of engineers to strengthen communication and R&D methods.
• Conduct various user tests to better products.
Cornell University January 2020 – May 2022
Research Assistant - Collaborative Technology Lab & Smart Computer Interfaces for Future Interactions (SciFi) Lab,
• Conducted user interviews with visually impaired smartphone users to enhance the selfie-taking experience
over four months and prototyped technical solutions.
• Ran usability tests for visual impaired users with a prototypical application designed by the lab.
• Implemented designer training modules that improved the quality and consistency of solutions
output.
• Sketched design ideas for possible telepresence drones, replacing a person in a scenario with a
drone.
• Co-designed futuristic search and rescue drones with city/town paramilitary.
• Created low and high-fidelity prototypes testing cognitive overload on users creating schedules and
followed them with usability studies that found that users prefer to plan further ahead of their day's
overload.
• Conducted user interviews for a biomedical engineering project team to better understand the user
needs of doctors and patients for numbing retaining devices.
• Worked as the sole User Experience lead on a biomedical engineering project team and trained
team members on UX in the medical field.
Work Experience
Booz Allen Hamilton, McLean, VA June 2022 to Present
User Experience Designer
• Work in an agile business environment and executed business goals while maintaining user
experience fundamentals.
• Facilitate contextual interviews with DoD users to improve user interface.
• Create digital blueprint designs for customer/employee facing products.
• Train non-UX teammates on UX principals and how to conduct user interviews.
• Design prototype for Navy interface and UsaSpending.gov
• Produce journey maps for a new IT system with customer facing and employee facing UI.
United States Air Force, Buzzards Bay, MA November 2017 to Present
Staff Sergeant, Geospatial-Intelligence Imagery Analyst
• Oversee up to ten airmen in a high-speed environment.
• Interdisciplinary teamwork across unit, working with up to five different career fields on the same project.
• Carry a wide-ranging experience in the acquisition, processing, and exploitation of satellite data for the generation of value-added products.
• Possess a top secret, sensitive compartmented clearance.
• Proficient in Bae Systems.
Related Skills
Human-Centered Design Process
Data Analytics
Methodology Selection
Stakeholder Collaboration
Qualitative Research
Quantitative Research
Field Experience
Design tools – Figma, Adobe XD, Sketch, etc.
Interdisciplinary Communication
Intellectual Curiosity
CAMPUS LEADERSHIP
Cornell Undergraduate Veterans Association January 2020 – June 2022
Bristol Community College Student Senate President January 2017-June 2018
Presidential Transition Team June 2017-June 2018
PUBLIC SPEAKING
Bristol Community College Commencement June 2018
Bristol Community College President’s Inauguration May 2018
Certified Toastmaster May 2017
HOBBIES & INTERESTS
Hiking
Cycling
Traveling
Cinema
Concerts
Football
Snowboarding
Space Travel
Learning Spanish
DIY Projects