What inspired you to pursue a graduate degree?

I’ve always known that I wanted to pursue an advanced degree; the real question was always in what. Ultimately, I was drawn to HCI because I wanted to understand the why behind human behavior, and learn how to use those insights to develop more intuitive experiences. When looking at graduate programs, UCSC stood out because it checked every single box for me: offering strong mentorship, rigorous research opportunities, and a perfect balance between foundational theory and industry collaboration. 

Looking ahead, my goal is to eventually pursue a PhD, and I saw this master’s program as the vital next step to sharpen my research methodology and build a standout foundation for that future. 

"My priority is to stay close to projects I'm genuinely passionate about."

How would you describe your main research focus to someone outside your field?

Right now, because I’m still early in my research career, I’m deliberately exploring a few different spaces rather than boxing myself into just one. My work shifts between analyzing user experiences for cloud computing platforms, looking into AI ethics and mental health, or studying player behavior in video games. I’m also really interested in exploring how AI tools are impacting educators and the future of teaching. My overarching focus is looking at how rapidly evolving technologies impact our day-to-day lives, and I'm using this time to see where I can make the biggest impact. 

What has been the most rewarding or exciting moment in your research so far?

Early on in the program, our campus hosted a "designathon" in collaboration with researchers from Google. The challenge was to design an accessible, trustworthy application tailored for users dealing with high-stress situations, low battery life, and inconsistent internet access. My team created Pathfinder, a resource-matching app designed for unhoused victims of domestic violence.

This was an incredibly rewarding experience because our team ended up winning the “Best Research” award. This was a genuinely pivotal moment for me because it solidified exactly why I went into this field—to deeply understand user needs and use research to design solutions that make a real-world impact.

"I've learned how this field shapes, and is shaped by, emerging technologies, and I am excited to witness how it continues to evolve."

What are your career goals once you complete your degree?

I’ll be graduating with my master’s degree this December, and my goal is to gain some hands-on industry experience before transitioning into a doctoral program. Whether I land in a dedicated UX research role or a broader product space, my priority is to stay close to projects I'm genuinely passionate about. 

Technology is moving at such a rapid pace right now, and I want to use my time in the workforce to build upon my interests in the real world. My hope is that gaining that industry perspective will help me define my specific niche before I return to academia to contribute to the field at the PhD level.