USAF Veteran and Software Developer turned Interaction Designer
I studied Studio Art and Anthropology at the University of California, Irvine. Since then, I’ve served as a meteorologist in the United States Air Force, and worked as a technical support engineer at Microsoft. Currently, I’m pursuing a graduate degree in Human Experience Design at California State University, Long Beach.
Through these diverse roles, I’ve witnessed a consistent need for more thoughtful and purposeful design. Drawing on my artistic roots, anthropology background, and my wide-ranging professional career, I aim to create better ways for people to interact with their devices and environments—ultimately making everyday experiences more intuitive and meaningful.
Skills
UX Design & Research
AI Experimentation
Photography
Interaction Design
Motion Design
Art Direction
Project Management
Technical
Adobe Creative Suite
After Effects
Premiere Pro
Figma
Unreal Engine
Unity
Blender
Blender
Touch Designer
Arduino
Snap Studio
Webflow
C#, JS, HTML/CSS
Academics
MA Human Experience Design Interactions HXDI
Augmented & Virtual Reality Prototyping
Design Strategy
Project Management
User Experience Design
Design Workshop Facilitation
Cloud Application Development
Software development fundamentals
Cloud application development
C#, SQL, JS, HTML CSS
BA Studio Art, BA Anthropology
Ethnography
Visual Design
Multimedia Design
Experience
Sama Portraits
Multimedia Designer
Designs and maintains client touchpoints (web, social media, print) aligned with overall business objectives.
Develops photography workflows to ensure consistency and streamline photo asset creation.
Collaborates with client relations and operations teams to deliver a cohesive brand identity and engaging client experiences.
Immersive Design Research Lab
Graduate Research Assistant
Lead workshops on creative technologies and immersive experiences, utilizing UX research and interaction design to develop and refine prototypes.
Conduct usability testing and gather user feedback to iterate on designs, improving user engagement and overall experience in immersive environments.
Collaborate with research teams to translate user needs into functional prototypes, focusing on improving user flow and interaction design.
Microsoft
Technical Support Engineer
Provided seamless technical solutions while leveraging user experience principles to improve product interactions and customer satisfaction.
Collaborated with cross-functional teams to enhance customer experience through user-centered problem-solving, consistently ranking in the top 10% for performance
Tech: Internet Information Services (IIS), ASP.NET & ASP.NET Core (and other related technologies)
US Air Force
Staff Sergeant, Meteorologist
Led a team to deliver critical weather analyses, emphasizing data-driven decision-making and effective communication.
Mentored team members and streamlined workflows to improve operational efficiency by 30%, while also ensuring clear user communication for senior leaders.
Produce meteorological analyses/forecasts and disseminate weather warnings for aircrews, ground forces, planners, and senior leaders to protect personnel and assets worth $50 billion dollars, across Africa and Europe.