About Me

My name is Andrea. That's about as simple of an introduction it gets, right?

As someone who values succinct and direct communication but is also a bit like a squirrel when it comes to experiences, interests, and identity, it's extremely difficult to think about the best way to structure this inaugural blog post. So let's just focus on the basics...

Professional Experience

I'm a financial educator with a decade of program administration experience running the Student Money Management Center for the University of Illinois System.

In that role, I have facilitated informal education, both in-person and online, focused on personal finance as well as providing experiential learning opportunities for students in instructional design, assessment, marketing communications, and data analytics.

I like to use data to inform direction and strategy related to the Student Money Management Center's strategy, which has led me to focus more on providing data analysis internships than the traditional peer mentoring opportunities often associated with college-level financial wellness programs.

Education

As a result of my data-driven strategic decision-making, I am also a current PhD student in Educational Psychology at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. My research interests include information visualizations, gamification, and user experience design in informal education, particularly for adults.

I have an AA in Psychology from Richland Community College, a BS in Psychology and EdM in Educational Policy & Organizational Leadership (Human Resource Development concentration) from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

As with all lifelong learners, I continue to seek out opportunities to enhance my skills with professional development and certifications on an ongoing basis.

Interests

Since interest is a precursor to engaging in informal learning, something I am very interested in both as a researcher and a practitioner, it's only fair I share some of my personal interests!

As an undergraduate, I took many classes in studio arts (drawing, design, sculpture, ceramics, photography, etc.) and have maintained a keen interest in various artistic mediums throughout my life, some of which are highlighted on my Instagram. This really contributes to my research interests in visualizations as well as how I approach instructional design.

Other interests include videogames, psychology, animals & conservation, astronomy, medical history, travel, and even a bit of botany. And, like I said earlier, I'm a bit of a squirrel and my curiosity drags me in different directions sometimes so I know there are many other interests I haven't listed.

Thanks for reading!