Research Associates

Research Associate, Regina Ackeifi
Gina Ackeifi is a Research Associate at the Design and Usability Center. Prior to joining the DUC she worked at a community foundation, administering its scholarship program and staffing and writing analysis for multiple grant processes. Gina also spent a year as an AmeriCorps volunteer, researching and developing a service-learning program for a community college.

Gina holds a BA in Government from Wesleyan University. She is currently pursuing her MS in Human Factors in Information Design at Bentley University.

Research Associate, Shilpa Banerjee
Shilpa Banerjee is a Research Associate at the Design and Usability Center. Prior to joining the center she worked for over three years as a technical writer in the banking and financial domain. She also has substantial experience in eLearning, web content writing and editing. Along with writing, Shilpa has experience in mentoring and strategizing training programs for new recruits.

She holds a MS from Pune University (India) in Communication Studies, where she focused on media research. During this period, she worked on a thesis on ethics in journalism in India. Shilpa has significant experience in qualitative research methods. She is currently pursuing an MS in Human Factors in Information Design at Bentley University.

Research Associate, Liz Burton
Liz Burton is a Research Associate at the Design and Usability Center. Prior to joining the DUC she worked for over 15 years in the field of educational measurement, first as the Assessment Director of a large urban school district and then in the research and analysis area of an educational testing company.  Liz has substantial experience with quantitative and qualitative research methods as well as a wide range of data analysis techniques.

Liz holds a BA from Rutgers University with concentrations in English literature, statistics, and mathematics, and a PhD in Research and Evaluation Methods in Education from the University of Colorado at Boulder. She is currently pursuing her MS in Human Factors in Information Design at Bentley University.

Research Associate, Tulsi Patel
Tulsi Patel is a Research Associate at the Design and Usability Center. Prior to joining the DUC, she was a web usability specialist for a high tech company in Austin, TX for four years. Tulsi has substantial experience with various qualitative research methods including usability testing and interviews, and also focused on the quantitative side through analyzing key web metrics. She successfully proposed the creation of a long term user research program to managers, communicating benefits for the company and the overall user experience.

Tulsi holds a BBA in Marketing with a MIS minor from the University of Texas at Austin. She is currently pursuing an MS in Human Factors in Information Design at Bentley University and focusing on user research.

Research Associate, Debra Reich
Debra Reich is a Research Associate at the Design and Usability Center. She has over 20 years of experience developing both hardware and software products. When developing computer accessories, she served as a corporate representative on the Office of Ergonomics Research Committee (a group of companies formed to fund research aimed at facilitating better office product designs). Most recently, she worked as a Senior Program Manager for Microsoft Corporation to develop online tools for small businesses.

Debra holds a BFA in Industrial Design from Carnegie Mellon University, which came in surprisingly handy while in the Peace Corps' Appropriate Technology Program. She is also pursuing a MS in Human Factors in Information Design at Bentley University.

Research Associate, Dorienne Rosenberg
Dorienne Rosenberg is a Research Associate at the Design and Usability Center. Prior to joining the DUC she worked in the healthcare industry in both administrative and direct patient care roles. 　Most recently, Dorienne worked at Massachusetts General Hospital where she developed resource-based web content and case consultation for the oncology patient population. 　She has experience in project management, program development, customer service, training, and quality improvement. 　Her interests lie in user testing and ethnographic research in the healthcare space.

Dorienne holds a BA in Psychology from Hartwick College. She is currently pursuing her MBA and her MS in Human Factors in Information Design at Bentley University.
 

Research Associate, Kasia Sinczak
Kasia Sinczak is a Research Associate at the Design and Usability Center.  She comes to the DUC with five years of experience connecting people to information.  Most recently, she has been delivering library services and providing records, knowledge, and project management support both as a public librarian and a contractor for the US government.  Kasia's familiarity with information seeking behavior has lead to a passion for improving the user experience.

Kasia holds a B.A. in Archaeology with a minor in Psychology from Boston University and a Master’s in Library and Information Science from Simmons College.  She is currently pursuing an MS in Human Factors in Information Design at Bentley University.

Research Associate, Deborah Spector
Deborah Spector is a Research Associate at the Design and Usability Center. Prior to joining the DUC she worked for over 10 years as a youth services and reference librarian in public libraries in Los Angeles and Central New York, where she focused on program development and outreach to underserved populations.

Deborah holds a BA in Linguistics from the University of CA, Los Angeles, a MS in Library and Information Science from the University of CA, Los Angeles, and an MS in Information Management from Syracuse University, with a concentration in Digital Libraries. She is currently pursuing her MS in Human Factors in Information Design at Bentley University and focusing on user research.

Research Associate, David Wong
David Wong is a Research Associate at the Design and Usability Center.  He has experience from various industries including the financial, real estate, and marketing sectors.  Prior to joining the DUC, he was an integrated media planner for Universal McCann, a global media planning & buying firm in New York, where he worked on multimillion dollar campaigns for Johnson & Johnson. 

David holds a BA in Psychology with a minor in Advertising from Boston University.  He is currently pursuing a MS in Human Factors in Information Design at Bentley University, with a focus on user research. 

Research Associate, Heather Wright
Heather Wright is a Research Associate at the Design and Usability Center. Prior to joining the center she worked in the fields of educational services and elementary education. Most recently, Heather worked on image research and copyright permissions for cross line product development at Pearson. Heather has also worked for more than 10 years as a freelance documentary photographer of corporate and special events.

Heather holds a BA in Individualized Study from New York University with concentrations in photography, visual arts, and writing and a M.Ed in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Massachusetts. She is currently pursuing her MS in Human Factors in Information Design at Bentley University.