EXPERT BEHAVIORAL SCIENTIST

Mixed Method Research | Business Impact | Communicating Business Insights

Accomplished researcher with 10+ years of experience in Mixed Methods Behavioral Science, UX, and Marketing Research. Skilled at identifying and prioritizing knowledge gaps and working closely with cross-functional stakeholders to provide insights that drive impact across acquisition, engagement, and retention.

Core Competencies Include:

Behavioral Science • UX & Market Research Strategy & Research Roadmaps • Mixed Methods Generative & Evaluative Research • Qualitative Research (Ethnography, Contextual Inquiry, User Interviews, Usability Testing, Diary Studies, Concept & Prototype Testing, Thematic Analysis) • Quantitative Research (Surveys, Experimental Design, A/B Testing, Interventions, Statistical Data Analysis) • Market & Customer Segmentation • Journey Mapping • Stakeholder Partnership • Cross-Functional Collaboration

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Stealth Startup. San Francisco, CA

Principal UX Researcher                                            May 2025—present

  • Conduct market & user interviews, surveys, and diary studies to identify market trends and appropriate market segments, identify needs & pain points, assess product-market fit and advise product strategy.

  • Define analytical strategy and define metrics for understanding and evaluating conversions with a tailor-built ai assistant

  • Deliver actionable insights that inform market & product strategy, user journeys, and feature design.

Chegg. Santa Clara, CA

UX Research Manager                                                           April 2024—May 2025

Lead UX Researcher                                                               October 2021—April 2024

  •  Led and managed a team of researchers; established strong research planning, stakeholder alignment, and high-quality delivery across multiple programs.

  • Led 0-1 research guiding the strategy and development of new AI-centered educational products.

  • Led segmentation mixed methods research on U.S. college student mindsets and behaviors. This work identified target and aspirational markets and guides npersonalized onboarding and messaging strategies resulting in an 8% conversion lift.

  • Drove a 16% boost in feature engagement by uncovering blockers to adoption of an expert Q&A feature through mixed methods research.

  • Led a diary study exploring the academic and emotional lives of U.S college students that became a cornerstone for product and marketing teams.

  • Developed end-to-end AI-native/AI-augmented workflows with reusable prompts and templates. Trained researchers and enabled a team of 30+ non-research stakeholders to conduct their own high-quality research.

  • Facilitated product and design thinking workshops with cross-functional partners to define opportunities and prioritize data-driven solutions.

Robinhood. Menlo Park, CA

Behavioral Insights Researcher Level IV                                            May 2020—October, 2021

  •  Led foundational research to understand the investing information needs for different user segments, informing product strategy and design for educational tools that improve the quality of investing decisions.

  • Led generative research to map the trading customer journey, guiding product strategy.

  • Developed survey and behavioral metrics tools to assess user impact of product changes, supporting data-informed design and product strategy.

  • Mentored researchers and created resources and tools to support research skill development.

Instagram (Meta), Menlo Park, CA

UX Researchers Level V (FTE)                                                              July 2019 – February 2020

UX Researcher Level V contracting via US Tech Solutions       February 2019 – July 2019     

  • Conducted generative and evaluative research to support decisions at the intersection of user needs, product constraints, and business objectives.

  • Led research into users’ perceptions and preferences for data privacy and control over user’s ads, helping to develop and improve Instagram’s first set of user controls over ads.

  • Directed research into understanding roadblocks and strategies for facilitating the product consideration cycle, resulting in a tool to help facilitate purchase decisions.

Joyce Ehrlinger Consulting. San Bruno, CA                

Principal Researcher/Founder February 2014 – December 2018

  • Conducted AB testing, qualitative, and quantitative studies to inform product decisions for companies including Khan Academy and Mindset Works

  • Served as consultant and content expert for Morgan Stanley, and W.W. Norton & Company, School City, and Sid Lee for The North Face.

Washington State University. Pullman, WA                                       

Assistant Professor of Psychology (Link to Google Scholar) June 2013 – June 2018

  • Published 31 publications and book chapters (Google scholar link, h-index: 23, i10-index: 24)

  • Directed numerous quantitative and mixed methods research projects on people’s decisions and consumer judgments, growth mindsets, motivation, and interventions with impact on motivation and sustained learning.

  • Trained students in qualitative and quantitative research methods, analysis, and communication.

EDUCATION 

Stanford University, Postdoctoral Fellow, Social Psychology

Cornell University, Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Social Psychology

Bowling Green State University, Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), Psychology & Philosophy