meet the lab

  Shima Houshyar (they/them) is a PhD-trained researcher with a background in anthropology and a founding member and Project Lead for the UXR Lab. Shima particularly enjoys developing research strategy and operations, and takes a methodical approach to defining user problem spaces. At the UXR Lab, Shima combines the observational and analytical skills of an ethnographer with a keen sense of empathy, storytelling, and cross-cultural understanding to derive meaningful insights and design solutions through qualitative research and data analysis. 

 Michael LeVan, PhD has over 20 years of experience researching and publishing on human communication phenomena, designing group-oriented active-learning experiences, managing international projects, and mentoring. He holds degrees in Communication Studies & Performance Studies, Economics, and Philosophy. Michael enjoys working across a wide range of qualitative, interpretive, critical, ethnographic, phenomenological, action research, and aesthetic methods. He approaches each research project as a new encounter with difference, bringing a stance of openness to uncertainty, ambiguity, and surprise. In UX contexts, he is particularly curious about drawing insights from how people define problems and develop their own methods of creative problem solving. He is a founding member of the UXR Lab and also enjoys doing heuristic evaluations, interviewing, journey mapping, diary studies, and card sorts. 

 Amie McKibban (she/her) is a PhD-trained behavioral scientist and founding member of the UXR lab. A researcher who strives to create evidence and strengths-based insights for businesses and communities, she particularly enjoys sharing the stories behind the data. Her experience as a community psychologist has allowed her to enter spaces to better define pain points and collaboratively develop solutions. Recognized for an empathetic and measured approach, Amie aims to scope and scale mixed methods research lending a voice to diverse communities and leveraging data to increase organizational capacity, tangible outcomes, and equitable processes. 

 Catherine McLean is a PhD candidate in anthropology and a founding member of the UXR Lab. She has an MSc in human evolution and behavior with 6+ years of experience leading, conducting, and collaborating on mixed methods research projects, both domestically and abroad. As a UX researcher, Catherine aims to cultivate an environment of innovation, inclusivity, and understanding. She is passionate about improving the daily lives of communities by generating insights into their genuine needs and behaviors to produce impactful design solutions. 

 Brittany Brashear (she/they) is a psychology PhD candidate with a background in counseling psychology and is a founding member of the UXR lab. Brittany’s qualitative research background spans over 10 years and is influenced by participatory action research, allowing participants to play an active role in the research and help cultivate a rich understanding of their lived experiences. She is a former psychology instructor and ADHD coach, having worked closely with learners to identify pain points experienced by neurodivergent users of educational technology. Brittany is dedicated to helping create inclusive user experiences by fostering an environment where users feel heard and understood. 

 Amy Orange (she/her) was an associate professor before turning her skills to UX research. Her Ph.D. is in Educational Research, Statistics, and Evaluation with an emphasis in qualitative research methods. As a researcher, she works closely with participants to ensure she is accurately representing their views and telling their stories in respectful and impactful ways. Her past work has focused on student and educator experiences in both K-12 and higher education. As a founding member of the UXR Lab, she is dedicated to bringing users’ voices to the forefront to help businesses create products that meet their needs.  

  Pavithra Arvind, PhD (she/her) is an experienced qualitative researcher with a background in education research and is a founding member of The UXR Lab. She is passionate about Education and is particularly interested in enhancing learning experiences through technology for learners of all ages. Her past work has focused on student learning experiences, creativity, arts & music in learning and project-based expeditionary learning. Her diverse educational background in Lifesciences, Applied Psychology, Education Research, Teaching, Music and Sound Engineering has enriched her understanding and approach towards learning and human behavior. At the UXR Lab, Pavithra is dedicated to uncovering meaningful insights though user research while helping to create a training environment for aspiring UX Researchers.