Professional Experience
30 years as a Human Factors Engineer and Product Designer
University of Wisconsin - Madison
Adjunct Assistant Professor (2015 - present)
Honorary Associate / Fellow (2012 - 2014)
- Develop curriculum and present class lectures in New Product Development (NPD) and User Centered Design (UCD) for seniors and graduate students in Mechanical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Industrial and Systems Engineering, the College of Business (MBA), and the Art Department
- Provide students with a realistic experience of working in a design consulting firm
Delve, LLC (formerly Design Concepts, Inc.)
Director of Human Factors + Principal (2008 - 2023)
Director of Human Factors (2006 - 2008)
Human Factors Engineer (2004 - 2006)
- Shareholder of a product development firm with clients ranging from Fortune 500 companies to venture capital-funded entrepreneurial start-ups
- Remained an active Human Factors practitioner, responsible for designing, conducting, and documenting user research ranging from ethnographic field research to formative and summative usability studies for concept validation
- Product designer responsible for ideation of multiple concept alternatives in 2D (sketch), 3D (form study), and CAD
Inspire Design Group, LLC
Human Factors Engineer (1998 - 2004)
- Collaborated with the two founding Principals to build a product design consulting firm from the ground up
- Design consultant for established companies in industries ranging from consumer products (SC Johnson, ACCO, Rayovac) to medical devices (Nicolet Biomedical), scientific instrumentation (ThermoNicolet, Bruker-AXS, Lachat), and transportation (Harley-Davidson, Hayes Brake, SRAM)
Fiskars, Inc.
Product Development Engineer (1995 - 1998)
- Worked within a centralized R&D group, providing New Product Development and product line extensions for multiple corporate divisions, ranging from office and craft products to lawn and garden tools, and from outdoor recreation products to handheld power tools
- Led design teams in the development of high-end consumer products with quantifiable ergonomic benefits
- Collaborated with market research analysts, industrial designers, marketing, purchasing, manufacturing engineers, and outside vendors at various stages throughout the product life cycle
Small Business Development Center
WisTAP Consultant (1994 - 1995)
- Provided entrepreneurial clients with Human Factors and Mechanical Engineering support for their product concepts
Education
Blending Mechanical Engineering, Fine Arts, and Human Factors
University of Wisconsin - Madison
M.S. Mechanical Engineering (1992 - 1994)
- Major: Mechanical Engineering (Product Design emphasis)
- Additional Coursework: Ergonomics & Human Factors (Industrial Engineering), Sculpture (Art Department)
- Thesis: Design of a hand-powered cycle for the disabled
University of Notre Dame
B.S. Mechanical Engineering (1988 - 1992)
- Major: Mechanical Engineering
- Additional Coursework: Industrial Design (Art Department)
