PROFILE

 
 

I am …

a seasoned researcher with 20 years of experience conducting both qualitative and quantitative research in various applied research and academic settings. I currently work in a cross-functional team at JPMorgan Chase, collaborating closely with designers, content strategists, product owners, data scientists, and software engineers to create and deliver financial products.

EXPERIENCE

 

VP, User Experience Research Lead

JPMorgan Chase – New York, NY Jun 2022 – Present

  • Led multiple research projects in different lines of business, including hosting stakeholder workshops, creating journey maps, conducting in-depth interviews, focus groups, surveys, A/B tests and multi-variate experiments with customers, bankers, and financial advisors.

  • Used various platforms to collect UX research data, such as UserTesting, UserZoom, Dscout, Maze, Optimal Workshop, Survey Monkey, and Qualtrics.

  • Conducted research projects in various contexts, including consumer banking, business banking, and wealth management.

  • Presented research findings to cross-functional partners and executive leaders in Design Review sessions and leadership meetings.

  • Made actionable recommendations to product and engineer partners based on research findings, all of which were either implemented or scheduled to be implemented.

Behavioral Science Researcher and Professor

University of Miami – Coral Gables, FL Aug 2008 – May 2022

  • Conducted 50+ generative and evaluative research projects with actionable insights, and published these projects in top-tier information science, communication, and psychology journals.

  • Performed advanced statistical analyses with quantitative research data, such as regression, ANOVA, and other modeling procedures.

  • Presented research findings at national and international conferences 60+ times.

  • Achieved a significant research impact with published research articles being cited 1,800+ times and featured by media such as Yahoo! News, CBC News, and Men’s Health.

  • Taught 13 different courses at both undergraduate and graduate levels and received an average of 4.6 rating on a 1-5 scale from students.

  • Started the role as Assistant Professor in 2008; Earned tenure and became Associate Professor in 2014; Promoted to Full Professor in 2020.

Associate Dean for Graduate Studies

University of Miami – Coral Gables, FL Jul 2016 – May 2021

  • Directed seven graduate programs and managed a team in the Graduate Studies office.

  • Led graduate program operations, such as recruiting new students, processing application materials, setting up new degree programs, assigning teaching and research assistantships, scheduling courses, making curriculum changes, creating research colloquiums, and communicating with stakeholders.

  • Supervised 150+ graduate students per academic year.

  • Managed the graduate program budget and worked with the Chief Business Officer in the School to achieve financial goals.

Director of Public Relations Master’s Program

University of Miami – Coral Gables, FL Jun 2014 – Dec 2015

  • Managed the Public Relations Master’s Program by recruiting new students, reviewing applications, making admission decisions, and meeting deadlines.

  • Mentored students by providing curriculum- and career-related advice.

Radio News Reporter

Shanghai Media Group – Shanghai, China Aug 1998 – Dec 2002

  • Conducted 300+ interviews with celebrities, government officials, and subject matter experts and received several news reporting awards.

  • Worked in a multi-cultural and fast-paced setting, reporting numerous major news events and engaging in international travels.

SKILLS

 
  • General qualitative research methods (interview, focus group, and ethnographic research)

  • General quantitative research methods (survey, experiment, and big data)

  • UX research methods (user interview, user persona, journey mapping, card sorting, affinity mapping, usability test, concept test, stakeholder workshop, heuristic review, user feedback survey, A/B testing)

  • Software (SPSS, R, RStudio, Nvivo, Adobe Analytics, Figma)

  • Writing, presentation, project management, and interpersonal communication skills

EDUCATION

 

Ph.D. in Mass Communication

University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill, NC

M.B.A. in International Business

University of Miami – Coral Gables, FL

M.S. in Mass Communication

Kansas State University – Manhattan, KS

B.A. in International Journalism

Shanghai International Studies University – Shanghai, China

AWARDS

 
  • “Outstanding Reviewer Award” by two business journals (“Information Processing and Management” & “Internet Research”)

  • “Top Research Paper Award” by three professional organizations (AEJMC, NCA, & AAA)

  • “Provost Research Award” by the University of Miami

  • “Minnie S. and Eli A. Rubinstein Research Award” by the University of North Carolina

CERTIFICATES

 
  • Meta Social Media Marketing Professional Certificate (Meta & Coursera)

  • Enterprise Design Thinking Practitioner (IBM)

  • Complete Python Developer in 2021: Zero to Mastery (Udemy)

VOLUNTEERS

 
  • Served on the editorial review boards of seven highly impactful journals

  • Reviewed research paper submissions for 40+ journals and five professional organizations

  • Reviewed book proposals for two publishers

  • Served as a judge for the Nielsen Case Competition

  • Served as a mentor for the American Academy of Advertising