‍Megan‍Olson
megan.olson.hf@gmail.com | MeganDOlson.weebly.com
Objective
· Secure an opportunity to utilize my training in human factors and user experience to design more effective, safer, and
more satisfying system interactions for users.
Education
PH.D. | 2018 (ANTICIPATED) | TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY | LUBBOCK, TEXAS
· Experimental Psychology – Human Factors
· Research Area: Collision Perception and Time-to-Contact
M.A. | DECEMBER 2015 (ANTICIPATED) | TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY | LUBBOCK, TEXAS
· Experimental Psychology - Human Factors, GPA- 4.0
· Thesis: Simultaneous Judgments of Time-to-Contact for Visual and Auditory Objects
B.A. | MAY 2012 | RICE UNIVERSITY | HOUSTON, TEXAS
· Major: Cognitive Sciences (Emphases: Psychology, Linguistics)
· Honors Thesis: Effect of Experience on System Usability Scale (SUS) Scores
SPRING 2010 | UNIVERSIDAD DE BELGRANO, BUENOS AIRES ARGENTINA
· Majors: Spanish, Latin American Studies
HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA | MAY 2008 | RIO RANCHO, NEW MEXICO
· Graduated 1st out of 806 students; State AP Scholar and AP Scholar with Distinction; National Merit Scholar; Presidential
Scholar
Research & Professional Experience
UNIVERSITY-INDUSTRY COLLABORATION WITH MICROSOFT | AUGUST 2015 - PRESENT
· Searched, analyzed and synthesized the literature for human factors methods as a part of a grant from Microsoft.
· Worked as a member of a team tasked with gathering the literature, and editing and writing white papers based on a
thoughtful integration of the researched methodologies
STUDY DESIGN FOR OFFICE OF VICE-PRESIDENT FOR RESEARCH | TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY | FEBRUARY 2015 PRESENT
· Designed and administered surveys and focus groups for select faculty
· Synthesized data and directed affinity diagramming
· Designed faculty-wide survey and performed data analysis for improvement of faculty conditions for grant application
submission
GRADUATE RESEARCHER | TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY | AUGUST 2013 - PRESENT
· Conceptualized, designed, administered, and analyzed three studies connecting visual perception and collision
perception
GRADUATE INSTRUCTOR | TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY | AUGUST 2013 - PRESENT
· Perception: Theories and Applications (Instructor Ratings: 4.91/5 for instructor effectiveness)
· Fall 2015, Summer 2015, Spring 2015, Fall 2014
· Research Methods Lab (Instructor Ratings: 4.71/5 for instructor effectiveness)
· Fall 2013
EDITORIAL ASSISTANT TO THE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF OF HUMAN FACTORS | JANUARY 2014 – AUGUST 2015
· Collected data relating to publication records and system usage
· Conceptualized and implemented the Student Review Program
· Researched‍and‍conceptualized‍the‍journal’s‍replication initiative
USABILITY CONSULTANT | EYEGUIDE | MARCH 2015 – JULY 2015
· Planned, executed and evaluated two stages of iterative user testing and subsequent design implementation
· Designed iterative working design prototypes from paper prototyping to functional Axure browser/mobile applications
SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY RESEARCH ASSISTANT | JANUARY 2014 – MAY 2014
· Performed literature searches on trending topics in social media research
ENGLISH TEACHER | WORLD INTERNATIONAL ENGLISH | JULY 2012 - JULY 2013
· Prepared daily lesson plans and instructed classes of 1-30 students from low beginner to high advanced levels
· Conducted staff training at a new teaching center
· Coordinated with national management to determine local marketing strategies and hiring decisions
HUMAN FACTORS HONORS THESIS | RICE UNIVERSITY | JULY 2011 – MAY 2012
· Developed testing scenarios to evaluate the validity of the System Usability Scale score with respect to user experience
· Organized subject recruitment and management for all testing
· Collected and analyzed experimental data to determine significance for practitioners using the SUS
STUDENT ASSISTANT | RICE UNIVERSITY OF ACADEMIC ADVISING | SEPTEMBER 2009 - MAY 2012
· Developed a comprehensive Campus Advising Policy Statement using requirements gathered from faculty and staff
· Implemented a study to determine student perspectives and knowledge of advising systems on campus
· Systematized and consolidated twenty-five years of university student records
TOUR GUIDE & STUDENT ADMISSION COUNCIL | RICE UNIVERSITY | AUGUST 2009 - MAY 2012
ELEMENTARY ENGLISH TEACHER, ELEMENTARY SCIENCE TEACHER | ESCUELA GENERAL TOMAS GUARDIA
GUTIERREZ (BAGACES, COSTA RICA) | APRIL 2011 - JULY 2011
· English Teacher
· Classroom assistant (Spanish language, social studies, science, mathematics)
ORGANOMETALLIC CHEMISTRY RESEARCH | RICE UNIVERSITY | AUGUST 2008 – OCTOBER 2010
· Synthesized mixed-metal carbonyl nanoparticles in a rigorous laboratory environment
CENTER FOR ASTROPHYSICS, SPACE PHYSICS, AND ENGINEERING RESEARCH | BAYLOR UNIVERSITY | JUNE 2009 –
AUGUST 2009
· Investigated particle dispersion and positional variation in a complex plasma for lunar exploration application
PIANO INSTRUCTOR | APRIL 2004 – JUNE 2008
CHEMISTRY RESEARCH ASSISTANT | SANDIA NATIONAL LABORATORIES | MAY 2007 – AUGUST 2007
· Synthesized fluorescent nanoparticle biomarkers in air-sensitive environments
MATH TUTOR | AUGUST 2006 – MAY 2007
CARHOP | SONIC DRIVE-IN | JUNE 2006 – AUGUST 2006
DARE TO BE YOU MENTOR |RIO RANCHO PUBLIC SCHOOLS | AUGUST 2004 – MAY 2005
· Mentored elementary school children from underprivileged backgrounds to develop knowledge and social skills
Publications and Presentations
REFERREED PUBLICATIONS
· Kortum, P., & Johnson, M. (2013, September). The relationship between levels of user experience with a product and
perceived system usability. In Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting (Vol. 57, No.
1, pp. 197-201). SAGE Publications.
REFERREED POSTERS AND PRESENTATIONS
· Olson, M., DeLucia, P.D., Baures, R. (2015). Simultaneous judgments of time-to-contact for visual and auditory objects.
Presentation at 2015 Houston Human Factors and Ergonomics Symposium. Houston, TX.
· Olson, M., & Popp, E. (2015). Usability evaluation of the Human Factors Journal manuscript submission portal. Poster
presented at 2015 Houston Human Factors and Ergonomics Symposium. Houston, TX.
· Armstrong, M., & Olson, M. (2015). Users designing interfaces: discovery through a modified design studio.
Presentation at 2015 Houston Human Factors and Ergonomics Symposium. Houston, TX.
NONREFERREED POSTERS AND PRESENTATIONS
· Olson, M., & Popp, E. (2015). Usability evaluation of the Human Factors Journal manuscript submission portal. Poster
presented at 2015 Human Factors and Ergonomics Symposium International Meeting. Los Angeles, CA.
Honors and Awards
· AT&T‍Chancellor’s‍Graduate Fellowship – August 2013 – May 2017
· Houston HFES Travel Fellowship – October 2015
· Schumann Award for Travel Journalism – 2011
· Investigated hosteling and backpacking culture in Central America through interviews and case studies and published
three articles in the Rice Standard in September and October 2011
· Loewenstern Fellowship – 2010
· Was awarded a grant to perform extended service abroad in Latin America in the form of English education and
wildlife conservation
· NSF Research Experience for Undergrads award- 2009
· Century Scholar Research Award – 2008
· Allen Scholarship – 2008
· New Mexico State Science Fair Grand Award
· Competitor at the 2008 International Science and Engineering Fair
Service and Affiliations
HUMAN FACTORS AND ERGONOMICS SOCIETY
PEER ACADEMIC ADVISING
· Student Member | August 2013 - Present
· President | July 2015 – Present
· Organize a team of 15 Peer Advisors to consult with
350 students, plan events, and coordinate advising
efforts
· Member | August 2014 - Present
HUMAN FACTORS AND ERGONOMICS SOCIETY
STUDENT CHAPTER
· Vice-President | April 2015- Present
· Secretary | April 2014 – April 2015
· Member | August 2013 - Present
CHRISTIAN GRADS FELLOWSHIP
· President | July 2015 – Present
· Member | August 2014 - Present
AGAPE CHRISTIAN MINISTRIES
· August 2008 – May 2012
· Organization president
· Co-Leader of Weekly Meeting planning team
· Women’s‍Ministry‍Leadership‍Team
· Coordinator for weekly speakers for the campuswide meeting
· College‍coach‍for‍women’s‍ministry
· Bible study leader
· Discipler (spiritual mentor to work one-on-one and
in groups with girls as they develop in their faith
Skills & Abilities
RESEARCH
SOFTWARE
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· Statistical Analysis: SAS (Moderately proficient), SPSS
(Moderately proficient)
· Prototyping and Design: Axure (Moderately
proficient), Photoshop (Beginner)
· Microsoft Office Suite: Word, Excel, Powerpoint
(Highly Proficient)
· Eye Tracking: Eye Guide Focus, Visualizer, and
Analyze (Moderately proficient)
User Experience Research and Usability Testing
Task Analysis and Cognitive Task Analysis
Eye Tracking
Heuristic Analysis
User Centered Design
Prototyping
Experimental Design
Statistical Analysis
LANGUAGES
· English (Native)
· Spanish (TESOL Certification- High Intermediate)
· Mandarin Chinese (Beginner)
LEADERSHIP
TEACHING AND MENTORSHIP
Relevant Coursework
HUMAN FACTORS AND USER EXPERIENCE
INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING
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· Human Factors in Engineering and Design
· Work Physiology
Human Factors Psychology
Human Factors Methods
Human Computer Interaction
Usability Testing and Research
Human Factors and Ergonomics (Undergraduate)
Methods in Human-Computer Interaction
(Undergraduate)
· Human Factors and Medical Devices (Undergraduate)
PSYCHOLOGY
· Cognitive Ergonomics
· Cognitive Neuroscience
· Perception
STATISTICS
· Experimental Design
· Advanced Correlational Methods and Regression
· Multivariate Statistics
Projects and Portfolio (More Details Coming Soon!)
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Microsoft
Eyeguide Focus(Phases 1 & 2)
Alarm Clock
Home Security System
Mini Designs from HF Med
IE Projects
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Workspace Redesign
MC Evaluation
SRP
Replication Initiative
VPR Project