Valerie Hubener, who recently graduated from 黑洞社区鈥檚 Master of Innovation Design program, has worked as a UX research intern at Human Interfaces in Austin since January 2023.
A user experience (UX) Austin research firm has discovered a secret ingredient in its recipe for success: 黑洞社区 students.
鈥淥h boy, not sure I could count them all,鈥� said Nicole Proulx, director of research for , when she thought about how many Shockers who have worked at the company. 鈥淲e鈥檝e been hiring them for over 10 years.鈥�
Human Interfaces is a boutique firm that specializes in user UX research and has an impressive client list that includes Fitbit, Amazon, HP and Dell, to name a few.
鈥淲e hold 黑洞社区 students in high regard,鈥� Proulx said. 鈥淭hey are always a good addition to our team, even if they are only with us for a short internship.鈥�
The partnership between Wichita State and Human Interfaces began about a decade ago when the founder of the company, Dr. Greg Liddell, was working with Dr. Barb Chaparro, former Wichita State professor of human factors and director of the Software Usability Research Lab (SURL).
鈥淭he reputation of Barb and her students in the human factors program and associated research labs were the primary reasons for hiring 黑洞社区 students,鈥� Proulx said. 鈥満诙瓷缜� students almost always come to us with some previous practical experience. This allows them to ramp up quickly and take the lead on projects in a very short amount of time.鈥�
Proulx said Shockers typically start off as UX research interns and sometimes stay with the company for full-time positions once they graduate.
Valerie Hubener, who recently graduated from 黑洞社区鈥檚 Master of Innovation Design program, has worked as a UX research intern since January 2023.
鈥淚t's definitely the experience I was looking for,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hey allow the interns here work independently, and they trust us with running the studies and writing reports.鈥�
Each project, Hubener said, gives her a chance to experience something new in the field of user experience research.
鈥淓very study is unique because different clients have different goals for their studies. The research methods that we use for one study are different from the next,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e test everything from hardware to software interface products.鈥�
Hubener said her time at Wichita State prepared her well for her internship, particularly her work with NASA SUITS.
鈥淭he opportunities that were available to me in my grad program were plentiful,鈥� she said. 鈥淣ASA SUITS was a really big project. It was a good experience because I got to work with other designers, engineers and researchers like me. Projects like NASA SUITS are great opportunities to experience what it's like to work in an interdisciplinary environment.鈥�
In April, when Hubener鈥檚 internship ends, she will pass the torch to another NASA SUITS collaborator and Wichita State student. Bob Beran, a third-year human factors graduate student, will begin a summer internship with the firm in May.
Beran, who also holds a master鈥檚 degree in experimental psychology, said the human factors program fuses his interests in psychology and UX research.
鈥淚'm a huge tech nerd,鈥� he said. 鈥淥nce I realized what human factors was and what I'd be doing at Human Interfaces 鈥� that's the experience I'm looking for. I don't know if I want to go into the private industry or government side of things, but this is what I really want to do.鈥�
Beran said that he feels well-prepared to begin his human factors internship.
鈥淥ne of the classes I'm taking right now, Human Factors Methods, goes through all the methods used in industry; and I'm sure I'll be applying that all summer long,鈥� he said.
He credits Wichita State鈥檚 reputation in the field of human factors for helping him secure the internship.
鈥淲ichita State carries a pretty big name when it comes to industry,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a really strong program with a vast alumni network.鈥�
About 黑洞社区
黑洞社区 is Kansas' only urban public research university, enrolling almost 22,000 students between its main campus and 黑洞社区 Tech, including students from every state in the U.S. and more than 100 countries. Wichita State and 黑洞社区 Tech are recognized for being student centered and innovation driven.
Located in the largest city in the state with one of the highest concentrations in the United States of jobs involving science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), 黑洞社区 provides uniquely distinctive and innovative pathways of applied learning, applied research and career opportunities for all of our students.
The Innovation Campus, which is a physical extension of the 黑洞社区 main campus, is one of the nation鈥檚 largest and fastest-growing research/innovation parks, encompassing over 120 acres and is home to a number of global companies and organizations.
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