I am a Healthcare UX Researcher and Designer with over twelve years of experience improving complex systems through rigorous user research, usability evaluation, and human-centered design. I recently completed an M.S. in Community Health Education at Wayne State University (Summa Cum Laude), building on my earlier M.S. in Information with a specialization in Human-Computer Interaction from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.
After working across multiple industries, I found renewed purpose contributing to healthcare and medical projects. I gained direct clinical workflow experience as a volunteer at Michigan Medicine, which deepened my understanding of real-world healthcare environments. I now combine my expertise in usability, human factors, and interaction design with public health knowledge to create better digital experiences for patients, clinicians, and communities.
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Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) – 2026
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M.S. in Community Health (GPA: 4.0, Summa Cum Laude) – 2026
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Certified Associate in Health Information Management (CAHIMS) – 2025
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Gained direct clinical workflow experience as a Medical Procedures Unit volunteer at University of Michigan Health Systems (2024 – 2025)
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Recipient of multiple graduate scholarships at Wayne State University, including the Graduate Professional Scholarship and Professor Steven Singleton Endowed Scholarship (2024 – 2025)
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CITI Social and Behavioral Research Certification – 2023
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Responsible Conduct of Research Certification – 2023
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Mentored junior researchers in usability analysis, reporting, and stakeholder communication (Verint)
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Awarded two innovative patents in a safety-critical context (automotive) – Issued 2021: 1.) Systems and Methods for Predicting Pedestrian Behavior (U.S. Patent 10,971,003); 2.) Location Tagging for Ubiquitous Access (U.S. Patent 10,949,483)
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Publication of 3 technical papers into research database (Ford Motor Company, 2017 – 2018)
Career Journey
Wayne State University, Detroit, MI · Graduated May 2026 · Summa Cum Laude (GPA 4.0)
Relevant coursework: Program Planning & Evaluation, Measurement & Evaluation, Grant Writing, Health Behavior Theory, Health Equity, Health Communication
Honors & Scholarships
Recipient of three graduate scholarships at Wayne State University: First Year Master’s Candidate Scholarship (2024), Professor Steven Singleton Endowed Scholarship (2025), and Graduate Professional Scholarship (2025).
Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) — 2026
CAHIMS (Certified Associate in Healthcare Information and Management Systems) — 2025
Medical Procedures Unit Volunteer
Northville Health Center, University of Michigan Hospital System · Aug 2024 – Jul 2025
Supported safe patient transitions, recovery protocols, and post-procedure care. Gained direct insight into clinical workflows and the importance of human-centered design in live healthcare settings.
Medical & Cultural Anthropology
Schoolcraft College, Livonia, MI · 2024
Coursework in Medical & Cultural Anthropology (Community College) — Strengthened cultural competence and understanding of diverse health contexts.
Public Health Graduate Coursework
Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN · 2023
Graduate coursework in public health. Relevant coursework: Epidemiology, Biostatistics, Health Behavior Theory
CITI Social-Behavioral Research Certification — 2023
Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) — 2023
Usability Analyst
Verint Systems, Inc. — Remote / Ann Arbor, MI · Oct 2019 – Aug 2022
Conducted user research and heuristic evaluations to improve accessibility and usability of public-facing websites and intranets for government, medical, and justice sector clients.
Applied established accessibility guidelines to identify barriers and recommend inclusive design improvements.
Synthesized findings into actionable recommendations that informed design decisions; incorporated survey data and customer feedback into research processes.
Authored detailed technical usability reports and mentored junior team members through report editing, usability analysis guidance, and session replay analysis training.
Received consistent praise from clients — particularly healthcare industry clients — for delivering clear, actionable, and impactful recommendations.
COLLEAGUE ENDORSEMENT
“Jessie delivered great value in her usability work. She showed herself to be insightful, knowledgeable, and organized. She did an excellent job of contextualizing her findings so that clients could understand and clearly visualize the usability issues and proposed solutions. Her reports were always clear, succinct, and delivered on time… On several recent projects for federal government websites, Jessie welcomed the idea of helping the real-world citizens who use these sites… she elicited client comments like ‘bravo on all counts,’ ‘[this was] really, really helpful’ and ‘[these recommendations are] going to be integrated.’”
— Michelle Miller, Customer Success Manager at Verint
User Experience Research Engineer
Ford Motor Company — Dearborn, MI · Jul 2016 – Mar 2019
Integrated user-centered design processes and research methodologies into engineering workflows for connected vehicle and infotainment projects.
Led usability testing with vehicle buck and 30-participant F-150 studies, iteratively refining designs based on behavioral insights.
Conducted competitive analyses and contributed to two patents and three technical papers while strengthening cross-functional collaboration.
Led the creation of detailed research plans, test protocols, and findings reports, providing actionable guidance that informed design iterations and product strategy.
Applied human factors principles and usability standards to evaluate and improve interaction design of infotainment interfaces in safety-critical environments.
Usability Engineer
Tyler Technologies — Troy, MI · Feb 2014 – Feb 2016
User Experience Designer
UnitedHealth Group — Southfield, MI · May 2012 – Nov 2012
Worked on an Agile team of UX designers to develop innovative healthcare concepts, including a mobile application designed to promote healthier eating habits.
Created interactive Axure prototypes used in usability testing sessions and presented to company headquarters.
Developed an Axure wireframe set for a proof-of-concept tool to help users search for and find the best deals on healthcare services.
Created personas representing different user archetypes and contributed to UX documentation standards, including usability test facilitator guides and heuristic evaluation templates.
EARLIER EXPERIENCE
User Experience Researcher, Cengage Learning • Senior Usability Specialist, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan (Contract) • Web Developer & Usability Analyst, Nexient
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI · 2010
Specialization in Human-Computer Interaction. Relevant Coursework: Contextual Inquiry & Project Management, Interface & Interaction Design, Evaluation of Systems & Services, Information Architecture, Design of Complex Websites
Research & Design Experience (during M.S.I. HCI program)
Health Sciences Scholars Program
University of Michigan · Website Designer and Administrator · Sept 2009 – Aug 2010
Designed and developed the full website for the Health Sciences Scholars Program single-handedly, applying user-centered design principles and Web 2.0 best practices throughout the process.
Gained early hands-on experience building rich internet applications while prioritizing intuitive user experience and interface design.
Life Sciences Institute – Center for Chemical Genomics
University of Michigan · Usability Scientist · May 2009 – Aug 2009
Conducted usability testing, heuristic evaluations, card sorting, and comparative evaluations on the M-Screen database used in drug discovery research.
Analyzed user pain points through surveys and task flow analysis; synthesized findings into a detailed report and presented recommendations to stakeholders.
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI · 2005
Core Expertise
Tools & Technologies
Figma for modern prototyping • Framer • Lovable • Cursor • Agentic AI tools, including ChatGPT and Claude • Canva • Axure RP Pro and iRise • Microsoft Power BI for reporting • Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, Photoshop, Firefly) • Microsoft Office (Excel, PowerPoint, Word)
Healthcare & Domain Expertise
Healthcare UX & Human Factors • Regulated Systems (HIPAA, Accessibility, Compliance) • Clinical Workflows & Patient/Provider Experience • Public Health Principles • Program Evaluation • Research Ethics (CITI, RCR) • Health Equity • Health Communication
User Research Methods
Usability Testing (moderated & remote) • Contextual Inquiry • User Interviews • Heuristic & Comparative Evaluations • Card Sorting, Tree Testing & Navigation Studies • Surveys, Questionnaires & Data Analysis • Personas & Scenarios • Journey Mapping • Task Analysis • Affinity Diagramming • Focus Groups • Stakeholder Workshops
Design & Information Architecture
Wireframing • Low/High-Fidelity Prototyping • Interaction Design • User Flow Mapping • Navigation Design & Information Architecture • Responsive & Mobile-First Design • Style Guides & Design Systems
Professional Skills
Stakeholder Communication & Presentation • Cross-Functional Collaboration • Mentoring & Team Leadership • Data Synthesis & Actionable Reporting • Grant Writing • Program Planning • Health Communication & Literacy • Agile Development & Scrum • Research Measurement & Evaluation