About

I’m a UX content writer with a background in academic librarianship who formerly researched, designed, and assessed the user experience for two decades to continuously improve information services for university students, staff, and faculty.

In my role as an information professional and library director, I coordinated efforts of strategic partners to bring new features and services to users; and I performed user research, conducted usability tests, and redesigned flows in the user journey to improve these services.

Working extensively with information architecture, I created metadata for web pages and machine readable catalog (MARC) records; built navigation and file structures for websites and intranets; and utilized indexes and controlled vocabularies (e.g., LC, MeSH, SuDocs, IEEE) for information retrieval.

I also taught research methods and advanced search strategies to university students and professors in dozens of subject areas such as electrical engineering and nurse anesthesia. I’ve found that my expertise in information retrieval strategies helps me design effective AI prompts for UX writing.

I'm curious, pro-active, and mission-oriented in every role and have experience improving processes or building entire departments from the ground up. I even hand-coded the HTML and CSS for this humble website. For specifics on my most recent experience and education, you’re welcome to view my resume.

Unique and relevant skills

Library and Information Science (M.S.)

I have the human-centered mindset and data science knowledge of a Library and Information Studies graduate.

“We spend a lot time designing the bridge but not enough time thinking about the people who are crossing it.”
–Dr. Prabhjot Singh

English (B.A.)

I have the writing and critical thinking skills of an English major who worked as a graduate assistant in a university grammar lab where I received training to provide copyediting and proofreading services.

"The finest language is mostly made up of simple unimposing words." –George Eliot

Entrepreneurship

I have the visual literacy and entrepreneurial skills of a small business owner and professional photographer. See the work section for my photo portfolio.

"Seeing is the first step toward making things better. –Don Norman

Military Service

I have the positive attributes of a military veteran.

"I served alongside the most dedicated, courageous, and loyal men and women...brave and committed to serving a larger cause than themselves...extremely talented, adaptable, collaborative, and persistent leaders...who operate with integrity and make any team or organization stronger." –J. O'Donnell, USMC

Medicine

I have the attention-to-detail and user empathy of a Navy Hospital Corpsman who treated patients, managed a clinic pharmacy, and served with Marines on Okinawa.

"Details are the essentials. The standard to measure quality by." –Dieter Rams

Music

I have the artistic sensibilities and collaborative nature of a symphonic band musician.

"Anyone can make the simple complicated; creativity is making the complicated simple." –Charles Mingus

Farming

I have the work ethic and engineering smarts of a farm hand who grew up driving tractors and raising cattle.

"Husbandry is the name of all practices that sustain life by connecting us conservingly to our places and our world."
–Wendell Barry

Image Credits: I captured the wedding portrait, so it's copyrighted © Shaun Saxon Photography LLC. I created all other images with Midjourney generative AI.

My interests

My beloved English department may send a special forces team of graduate students to confiscate my diploma if I fail to mention my love of reading, so I'll start there. My favorite recent discovery is Glass Bead Game by Hermann Hesse. I'm a passionate fan of great cinematography and acting. I like sports, games, and being physically active: basketball and racquetball are personal favorites. For many years, I rode and maintained motorcycles (Suzuki, Yamaha, Honda, and Ducati) and enjoyed perfecting my riding skill; but distracted drivers prompted a transition to pedal power. I still follow MotoGP racing and one year took the family to a race at Laguna Seca in Monterey, CA.

Music has always been a big part of my life. I performed in symphonic band, marching band, and a rock band. I enjoy listening to all kinds of music and discovering new music. I was a brass player (trombone) in school and started playing guitar even before that. Lately, I've been learning trumpet. And I'd like to learn piano. Below are a few other things that I enjoy.

I swim in our community pool.

I bike.

I kayak.

I walk our cat, Tchai. He's somewhat of a celebrity in the neighborhood.

I watch the other cat, Little Bit, pass out after eating too much. She was feral so still doesn't know if she'll ever get another meal.

I hike at the local state park. On the right, my wife is walking the little cat in the same park.

I practice yoga. Sunrise is my favorite time.

I cook. A lot.

Below you'll find sea scallops and Royal Red shrimp, fried okra, gumbo, tuna and swordfish, oatmeal cranberry cookes, and Belgian waffles drizzled with chocolate and served with fresh blueberries from our backyard.

My last motorcycle was a Ducati Supersport.

She went to a good home.