Titanic disaster human factors analysis
Human Factors-based reconstruction of crew decisions, communication gaps, and organizational factors that shaped the event and potential safety lessons.
Four minute read
Human Factors & UX Research Professional
Engineering Human-Centered Systems
Follow along in my journey to unpack the mysterious ways in which humans and technology intersect.
Human centered AI
UX driven product research
Human computer interaction
Experienced in
Human factors and UX
15+
Applied projects
5
Research papers
3
Years experience
Portfolio and experience
See how psychology, engineering, and design thinking come together across my projects and education.
GMU library website redesign
Research led update of a large university library site using usability testing, heuristic reviews, and competitor scans to improve student workflows.
Five minute read
Bigbelly waste management partnership
Field research with a campus waste partner, mapping real collection routes and touchpoints to recommend changes that teams adopted.
Three minute read
UMass Amherst human performance lab
Unity 3D bicycle simulator updates that supported Department of Transportation safety studies and a human performance symposium presentation.
Six minute read
Mason commutes app
Native mobile concept that connects GMU commuters by routes, schedules, and interests to reduce isolation and surface shared patterns.
Four minute read
Focus guardian mobile control
Companion app for a browser extension that lets people set focus sessions, view summaries, and tune digital nudges.
Three minute read
Focus mobile app
Minimalist social concept with a limited posting model, analytics, and messaging designed to calm feeds rather than amplify noise.
Five minute read
AuraFlex smartwatch and companion
Wearable and phone concept that layers posture alerts, calm modes, and wardrobe planning into a single daily rhythm.
Seven minute read
Shark tank innovation pitch
End to end design thinking project that used lean canvas work, market checks, and storytelling to pitch a new offering.
Four minute read
Field study assignment
Contextual inquiry and observation sessions used to surface quiet pain points and unmet needs in a real environment.
Three minute read
Design thinking mini projects
A sequence of short sprints that practiced empathy maps, points of view, how might we prompts, and rapid prototyping.
Five minute read
The Focus ecosystem
System level concept that links daily post limits, Focus guardian interventions, and clear feedback into one digital wellness platform.
Four minute read
AuraFlex product ecosystem
Wearable family concept that treats voice first control and accessibility as core requirements, not afterthoughts.
Six minute read
The sunlight project
Positive social app idea that rewards kind actions with rays and nudges people toward constructive, less toxic engagement.
Five minute read
AI Anime recommender website
MyAnimeList and AniList, two of the largest anime catalog platforms, still rely on early-2000s information architecture and UI paradigms. Their workflows require excessive cognitive load, their recommendation logic is opaque, and they lack modern personalization, intelligent search, and social interaction mechanics. Users in my qualitative survey described the platforms as “dated,” “clunky,” and “confusing,” with a desire for AI-enhanced discovery and a more community-driven experience.
Five minute read
PLTW engineering
Hands on engineering pathway with CAD, electronics, and problem solving that became the technical base for my later human factors work.
Four minute read
2017 to 2021
St. Charles High School Dual enrollment
Project Lead The Way engineering and computer science
Advanced placement path with 17 AP courses and a focus on civil and architectural engineering.
- Intro to engineering design A
- Principles of engineeringA
- Civil engineering and architectureA
- Computer science (Python, Java, C plus plus)A
- Digital electronicsA
- Engineering capstone and senior projectA
- AP physics 1 and 2A
- AP calculus AB and BCA
- AP statisticsA
- AP computer science AA
Skills gained
CAD, prototyping, 3D modeling, iterative design, applied physics, logic and circuits, Python, Java, C plus plus, data informed design, and project planning.
AI alignment transfer
Systems thinkingAlgorithmic reasoningTechnical prototyping
2019 to 2021
College of Southern Maryland Dual enrollment
Twenty transfer credits accepted by GMU college coursework completed during high school.
- Accounting electiveA
- Computer science electiveA
- PrecalculusA
- Analytic geometry and calculus IA
- Logic and critical thinkingA
- Basic concepts in psychologyA
Skills gained
Financial modeling, data organization, advanced programming, formal logic, work with functions and derivatives, analytical reasoning, and foundational psychology.
AI alignment transfer
Formal logicMathematical modelingCognitive foundations
2021 to 2025
George Mason University
BS psychology in human factors and applied cognition minor in design thinking
Core psychology and human factors
- Statistics in psychologyA
- Research methodsA
- Cognitive psychologyA
- Human factors psychologyA
- Biopsychology and labA
- Applied cross cultural psychologyA
- Developmental psychologyA
- Mystery, madness, and murderA
- Revitalizing endangered languagesA
- Advanced topics in human factorsA
- Psychology in the communityA
Design thinking minor
- Drawing IA
- Mobile app designA
- Design in the modern worldA
- Design thinking capstoneA
- History of graphic designA
Additional relevant courses
- General biology and labsA
- Cell structure and functionA
- Introduction to neuroscienceA
- Introduction to nutritionA
- Fundamentals of communicationA
- Advanced composition multidisciplinaryA
- Professional and technical writingA
- Philosophy and literatureA
- Intro to childhood studiesA
- Introductory sociologyA
- Practicum in educational psychologyA
Skills gained
Experimental design, survey design, inferential statistics in SPSS and regression, attention, memory, and perception, ergonomics and error analysis, psychophysiology, cross cultural UX, high fidelity prototyping, human centered design, and technical communication.
AI alignment transfer
Human behavior modeling
Cognitive architecture
Cross cultural UX
Human centered AI
Ethical reasoning
Cognitive science and psychology
Attention, memory, and perception, neural bases of cognition, developmental and cross cultural psychology, and ergonomic error analysis.
Research methods and statistics
Controlled studies, IRB protocols, psychometrics, SPSS and regression, mixed methods designs, data ethics, and reproducibility.
Technical and design skills
Engineering principles with CAD and prototyping, interface and interaction design, Python, Java, C plus plus, data visualization, design systems, and accessibility aligned with WCAG 2.2 AA.
What people say
Hear directly from those I've worked with about their experiences collaborating with me and the impact of my work. If you'd like to contribute your own testimonial, please use the button below to share your thoughts!
Skills and expertise
Multidisciplinary strengths shaped by engineering, applied psychology, and design thinking.
Cognitive science
Human information processing, attention and memory, decision making, perception and psychophysics, and mental models across cultures and ages.
UX research and design
Usability testing, heuristic evaluation, interviews, personas, journey maps, wireframes, and high fidelity prototypes.
Data analysis
Statistical analysis, study design, R and Python, data visualization, and survey design with focus on validity and ethics.
AI and technology
Human AI interaction, alignment themes, ethical product thinking, scripting in Python, and applied work with AI tools in UX and research workflows.
About me
Hello and welcome! I'm Thema, a human factors and UX researcher who grew up online, asked a lot of questions, and never quite stopped. My early years sat between gifted classes, orchestra, hosting neighborhood kickball games, and long nights on the internet where I saw both the playful side of digital life and the harms that come with unregulated systems.
Mission and values
Designing with curiosity, care, and clear limits for both humans and machines.
Background
I first studied civil and architectural engineering through Project Lead The Way, then shifted into human factors and applied cognition at George Mason University when I realized my real question was how technology shapes people. I watched social platforms gamify attention, saw friends change themselves to match filters, and learned how features like streaks and feeds can support or erode wellbeing.
Today I bring that lived experience into research driven design work across web, mobile, and conceptual ecosystems. My focus sits at the intersection of internet culture, human computer interaction, and AI ethics, especially for young people who are the first to grow up entirely in the digital age.
Purpose
I aim to build and critique systems so that the next generation can grow up with tools that support their attention, identity, and dignity instead of mining them.
This means pairing rigorous methods with empathy, clear ethics, and honest communication about what technology is doing behind the screen.
Get in touch
Open to select volunteer projects and full time roles in human-computer interaction, UX research, and responsible AI.
Location
Washington, DC
Willing to relocate
Education
George Mason University