Degrees: BSc/BA in Psychology / English (double major), minor in Philosophy

Current Position Title and Affiliation: Product Designer at 2U

Summary of Position:
I work alongside a team of 12 other designers to support 2U's mission of delivering high quality online learning to a global audience. In my role, I primarily design web and mobile applications for both business customers and for instructors who create the content on our platform, including everything from conducting initial discovery research to delivering pixel-perfect designs that our engineering team builds. I also work closely with other teams to develop our strategic vision for the products and services we offer.

Future Goals:
I hope to transition into industries that I have more personal connection to (healthcare, finance, real estate, infrastructure) and grow as a leader to build and manage a team of designers.

What do you love most about this career path?
I sincerely enjoy getting to connect with our users to understand their perspective, the challenges they face, and devise creative ways that we could make their lives easier. Getting to work with a small team who are very focused on this problem is incredibly rewarding as we have a deep sense of collaboration, camaraderie, and belonging. I like that I can balance both artistic/creative work with more logical/analytical work as both are important to who I am and make me feel that I am bringing my full self to my professional life.

How did UMass and/or Psychological and Brain Sciences help prepare you?
A key part of what I do is research and I believe that the foundations of scientific research that I learned and exercised while at UMass have paid significant dividends in providing me the frameworks and tools to be successful in problem solving and analysis.

Tips for Current Undergrads:
There are tons of career opportunities out there that may not be directly related to your major, but you will be able to leverage the skills you develop at UMass. Be open-minded as you begin to explore your career path. Don't be afraid to change careers, I did so many times when I first graduated. Most of all, ruthlessly pursue passion in your work.