Curriculum Vitae (CV)
PhD candidate with 6+ years of experience in mixed-methods research, data analysis, and human-centered design. Experienced in leveraging user research, prototyping, and usability testing to create impactful, resilient design solutions. Skilled in cross-functional collaboration and mentoring, with a proven track record of driving user-centered improvements in academic and industry settings.
Skills
Research Methods: In-depth Interviews, Surveys, Participatory Design, A/B Tests, Prototyping, Observations
Data Analysis: Thematic Analysis, Affinity Diagrams, Statistical Analysis (Python, Excel), Data Visualization
Design & Prototyping: Figma, Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, Photoshop), Miro
Software: Qualtrics, Dovetail, Quirkos, Mixpanel, Jira, Trello, MS Office (Excel, Word)
Programming: Python, JavaScript, HTML, C#
Communication & Collaboration: Cross-Disciplinary Collaboration, Project Scoping, Task Prioritization, Documentation and Reporting
Languages: Spanish (intermediate), English (fluent), German (native)
Experience
Human-Computer Interaction Researcher | 10/2020 - Present
University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA
Design and execute mixed-methods research studies to encourage resilience, reflection, and empathy through technology in the context of failure
Lead in-depth interviews, develop surveys, and create prototypes to explore innovative designs
Perform quantitative and qualitative data analysis of large data sets to drive design ideas
Mentor undergraduate research assistants in data collection and analysis
UX Researcher | 06/2021 - 09/2021
Wellspent, Berlin, Germany
Collaborated cross-functionally with designers, engineers, and product managers to improve the user experience of a mobile behavior change app
Conducted surveys, interviews, A/B tests, and user flow analyses to inform product strategy
Created wireframes and mockups for alternative navigation flow
Increased in-app onboarding completion rate by 30% via usability and design improvements
Web Development Intern | 03/2020 - 09/2020
Ayoka Systems, Arlington, TX
Developed front- and backend code in JavaScript and C# for a data management web platform
Streamlined code and data structures for improved project organization
Worked in an agile team of engineers and product managers to deliver product in a timely manner
Organizational Psychology Research Assistant | 08/2019 - 08/2020
University of Texas Arlington Workplace e-Behavior Lab, Arlington, TX
Contributed to the research design and execution of a study examining success predictors of social media influencers
Developed web scraping tools and Qualtrics surveys for data collection and processing
Conducted literature searches within the field of organizational psychology, social media, personality, and online behavior
Human-Computer Interaction Research Assistant | 01/2018 - 07/2019
University of Texas Arlington Human-Centered Computing Lab, Arlington, TX
Partnered with students to develop an AI-powered mood-detection smartwatch application
Developed interview and survey protocols to identify user needs and assess prototype usability
Conducted literature reviews on current mood detection methods
Authored and presented multiple research papers at the 2019 PETRA conference
Cognitive Psychology Research Assistant | 08/2017 - 12/2017
University of Texas Arlington Cognitive Psychology Lab, Arlington, TX
Read, evaluated, and presented research papers in the field of cognitive psychology and decision-making
Used E-Prime software to design and develop computerized experiments for data collection
Social Psychology Research Assistant | 01/2018 - 07/2019
University of Southern Mississippi Existential Psychology Lab, Hattiesburg, MS
Secured $5,000 in university funding to develop and execute an original study investigating the impact of different metaphors on self-perception and body image
Designed experimental protocols, created and administered surveys, recruited 100+ participants and analyzed data using quantitative methods
Presented research findings at a university-wide conference
Mentoring & Teaching
Teaching Assistant | 10/2020 - Present
University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA
Create and execute inclusive lesson plans for undergraduate game design courses, utilizing various learning activities
Mentor students on game design and project management topics, providing individual support and troubleshooting technical and interpersonal issues
Assess student work and deliver timely, constructive feedback to foster learning
Collaborate with faculty to assess and improve course syllabi
Science Internship Program Mentor | 06/2023 - 08/2023
University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA
Create immersive research experience for high school students participating in the Science Internship Program at UCSC
Mentor 3 students to learn about mixed methods research by reviewing how behavior change apps address failure
Manage advancement of the research project while simultaneously ensuring student skill development
Education
Doctor of Philosophy in Computational Media
2020 - present
University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA
Bachelor of Science in Psychology
2017 - 2019
Publications
A wearable system for unobtrusive mood detection
Lietz, R., Harraghy, M., Brady, J., Calderon, D., Cloud, J., & Makedon, F. (2019). A wearable system for unobtrusive mood detection. In Proceedings of the 12th ACM International Conference on PErvasive Technologies Related to Assistive Environments (PETRA '19). Association for Computing Machinery, New York, NY, USA, 329–330. https://doi.org/10.1145/3316782.3322743
Survey of mood detection through various input modes
Lietz, R., Harraghy, M., Calderon, D., Brady, J., Becker, E., & Makedon, F. (2019). Survey of mood detection through various input modes. In Proceedings of the 12th ACM International Conference on PErvasive Technologies Related to Assistive Environments (PETRA '19). Association for Computing Machinery, New York, NY, USA, 28–31. https://doi.org/10.1145/3316782.3321543
A review of wearable heart rate sensors in research
Harraghy, M., Calderon, D., Lietz, R., Brady, J., Makedon, F., & Becker, E. (2019). A review of wearable heart rate sensors in research. In Proceedings of the 12th ACM International Conference on PErvasive Technologies Related to Assistive Environments (PETRA '19). Association for Computing Machinery, New York, NY, USA, 315–316. https://doi.org/10.1145/3316782.3321550
Volunteering
GradPath Mentor | 10/2023 - 06/2024
University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA
Help undergraduate students interested in pursuing graduate school in 1:1 meetings with advice and resources on applications, finding suitable programs, and getting involved in research
Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Advocate | 06/2022 - 06/2023
Monarch Services, Watsonville, CA
Completed certificate for Peer Counseling on Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault, and Human Trafficking
Actively participate in training to support survivors of domestic violence
Support prevention workshops at a local high school
Assist in updating program websites and creating informational materials
Graduate Student Peer Mentorship Program | 09/2022 - 06/2023
University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA
Completed Student Success Mentor Certificate
Provided guidance and mentorship to first-year UCSC graduate students on academic and professional development
Proactively sought resources and engaged in training to improve mentorship abilities
Sexual and Relationship Violence Advocate | 10/2020 - 06/2021
University of California Santa Cruz CARE, Santa Cruz, CA
Completed CARE Ambassador Training on Sexual Violence, Domestic Violence, and Stalking
Created educational materials for tabling events and presentations
Contributed to workplace sexual harassment awareness campaigns by gathering and analyzing literature and statistics