Emma Donnelly

I am a Senior Computational Psychology major with a Cinema Studies minor at Colby College. I'm confident that my academic and research background in Psychology and Computer Science, my professional experience in design and User Experience research, and my computer skills will make me a great fit for this position.

This past summer, I completed a User Experience Research internship with Fedpoint, working in collaboration with the User Experience Design and Data Analytics team. I helped develop a User Experience research process for the company, which included best practice research, competitor analysis, website data monitoring, and user studies. For the user study, I designed navigation tasks and interview questions to help understand user frustrations, and I then independently moderated these interviews and presented my suggestions for UX improvement for the web site to my team and management executives. I developed a career interest in User Experience Research through this position and gained very valuable knowledge through doing data analysis, and design processes and utilizing tools like Figma, HotJar, and Google Analytics. 

I currently work for the Colby INSITE Lab in the Computer Science department, conducting independent research studying people’s trust in Brain-Computer Interfaces and assisting in data collection in studies related to Human-Robot Interaction. My responsibilities also include developing and diversifying the Computing Ethics Narratives database by researching  articles, writing discussion questions and entering information for database users. My computer programming skills and coding experience with Python and Java, along with coursework in data analysis and artificial intelligence demonstrate my strengths in various technologies. 

I gained strong psychological research skills in my position as a Research Assistant for the Colby Personality Lab, where  I assisted with the Behavioral, Emotional, and Social Skills Inventory (BESSI). I independently developed graphics to make the inventory accessible for young adults in South Africa with low literacy levels. In addition, I have taken classes in Psychology Research Methods and Statistics, and a Collaborative research seminar where I learned hands-on how to collaboratively design a Psychology research experiment, conduct literature reviews, use Qualtrics, analyze data in SPSS, and work with research participants. My research has been accepted for presentation at the Eastern Psychological Association Conference in New York, NY this March.

As a Media Intern for the Business Winning eLearning Development team at BAE Systems,  I learned valuable design skills working  with PowerPoint to create graphics and visuals to make the audio and written eLearning content a more clear and engaging user experience as well as address a wide variety of accessibility concerns. 

In addition, I am actively involved on campus, holding a variety of leadership positions as the Outing Club President, a First Year Experience Orientation Leader, and a Healthy Colby Intern.

I am very interested in this position and I’m available to interview at your convenience.  If you need  additional information from me, please let me know. Thank you for your time and consideration of my application.

                                                     EMPLOYMENT & RESEARCH EXPERIENCE

User Experience Research Intern, FedPoint; Digital Platforms and User Experience Team, Portsmouth NH, May 2024-August 2024.

• Collaborated with UX Design, Data Analytics, and Customer Service to gain insight into needs of users.

• Conducted company website research to determine goals and pain points, and recommendations of users.

• Wrote interview guides and navigation tasks for user studies.

• Conducted user interviews and facilitated moderated UX studies.

• Synthesized research and presented insights to help understand user needs in a summary portfolio.

 Immersive Navigation and Inclusive Technology Ethics (INSITE) Lab Research Assistant: Colby College Computer Science Department, Waterville, ME, September 2023 – Present. 

• Works both independently and collaboratively on research projects related to Computing Ethics.

• Conducts independent research studying trust in brain computer interfaces, including literature research, experimental studies, and analysis.

• Collects data for Human-Robot Interaction research study with Spot, the Boston Dynamics agile robot.

• Diversifies and assists in  the development of the Computing Ethics Narratives Database by researching contemporary computing ethics topics, writing discussion questions, and entering information from the backend.

 eLearning Media Intern, Business Winning Training & Development; BAE Systems, Merrimack, NH, May 2023-August 2023. 

• Created automated and digital instructional materials that addressed a variety of accessibility concerns for users.

• Designed custom eLearning documents which were user inclusive and facilitated training objectives.  

• Wrote and edited eLearning voiceover scripts to emphasize key presentation points for positive user experiences. 

• Created, designed, and animated graphics to visually display information in an engaging way for the target audience.

 Personality Psychology Lab Research Assistant: Colby College, Waterville, ME, September 2023 - May 2024.

• Developed graphics for the Behavioral, Emotional, and Social Skills Inventory (BESSI) to make it accessible and beneficial for users with low literacy levels, especially in South Africa where need of support is high

• Independently designed digital graphics to represent abstract concepts visually for inclusive user experiences.

• Personal designs were specifically requested by youth development organizations to utilize as teaching tools.

• Read research articles about social, emotional, and behavioral skills applicable to related projects.

Healthy Colby Resident Intern, Colby College, Waterville Maine, September 2022-present. 

• Creates and designs social media content & develops, implements and evaluates Healthy Colby programs.

• Coordinates, advertises and leads dorm discussions to encourage identification of wellness priorities. 

• Acts as a residence hall ambassador and resource for campus social, emotional & physical wellness domains and collaborates with other interns to foster  a supportive and inclusive community.

• Strategizes with advisors of Healthy Colby and helps with recruitment and orientation of new interns.

 Student Proctor, Colby Testing Center, Waterville Maine, September 2022-December 2022.

• Organized and distributed student exams, managed sign-in and timesheet procedures. 

• Explained and enforced testing center rules and regulations. 

Group Leader/Camp Counselor: YMCA Camp Pa-Gon-Ki, Londonderry, NH, Summers 2020 - 2022.  

• Supervised campers,organized activities, and reinforced core values. .  

• Demonstrated conflict resolution skills and acted as a positive role model.         

Colby College, Waterville, Maine, August 2021–Present, Computational Psychology Major (Computer Science/Psychology), Cinema Studies Minor BA; anticipated May 2025. GPA: 3.64