Research Work & Case Studies

These projects highlight how my research translates into measurable outcomes — influencing strategy, design, improving adoption, and aligning executives with participant needs.

Featured Work - research @ Lenovo

Designing and Conducting Inclusive Research:

I led a team of researchers from Lenovo and Dscout to design and conduct an inclusive, mobile-first ethnographic study focused on the technology experiences of individuals who are d/Deaf and hard of hearing (DHH).

research @ Lenovo

Innovating for Individuals Who are Blind/Have Low Vision

After three years of research, development, and implementation, Lenovo was the first laptop manufacturer to integrate additional tactile cues in its keyboards to increase accessibility. As a senior researcher, I led the discovery research for this project to learn more about the tech experiences of individuals who are blind/have low vision and the barriers they face.

Non-Profit - research @ EDUCAUSE

2020 Student Technology Report: Supporting the Whole Student

I led EDUCAUSE’s annual flagship research on students’ experience with information technology, which included 16,162 undergraduate students from 71 US institutions. Focus areas include shifts to remote learning, growing concerns around data privacy and online harassment, gaps in accessibility and student support.

Non-Profit - research @ EDUCAUSE

The IT Workforce in Higher Education, 2019: CIOs, DEI, HR, Mentoring, and Salaries

I co-authored this study, which was a multi-report research initiative designed to take a deeper look at the structure, experiences, and challenges shaping the higher education IT profession. This work explored five important topic areas for the higher education IT leaders and professionals: CIOs; diversity, equity, and inclusion; human resources; mentoring; and salaries.

Academic - research @ NC State University

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words:

Understanding Expectations and Mapping Preferences for Writing Classroom Design

I led multi-year research at North Carolina State University to understand how students perceive, use, and navigate writing classrooms. Through a mixed-methods approach, this initiative laid the foundation for reimagining classrooms in the department and directly influenced space redesign across the university.

Academic - research @ NC State University

Flexibility Adds Function to First-Year Writing Program

At North Carolina State, I conducted research to address aging computer classrooms, costly hardware refresh cycles, and growing frustrations among both instructors and students. The insights produced a classroom model that balanced technology and budgetary constraints, while adding necessary flexibility to writing instruction.

Recommendations

Insights from industry leaders & colleagues

"While at Lenovo, I had the pleasure of working closely with Dana, while she served as the User Research Senior Manager, supporting our larger Research & Insights team..."
- Dan Sevier
"I’ve had the pleasure of working with Dana at Lenovo for nearly five years. Her feedback and research contributions have been exceptional, thorough, actionable, and deeply insightful..."
- Ada Lopez
"I was fortunate enough to be able to work with Dana for several years, and I can't recommend her highly enough as both a brilliant and skilled professional, and as a kind and generous ..."
- Mark McCormack