
I'm Kiara. She/her/hers
I’m a first-gen 2023 grad from Oakland, CA. I graduated from UC Santa Cruz with a B.A. in Computer Science and a B.S. in Cognitive Science with an emphasis in AI & Human-Computer Interaction.
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cat haver
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amateur bookbinder
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bibliophile
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scorpio
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ambivert


Expertise
UX Research, UI Design, Prototyping, Information Architecture, Teaching

Experience
Technical Specialist
Foxit Software
Febuary 2024 -Present
• Diagnosing and resolving user problems in real-time
• Driving investigations for emerging pain points and trending product failures.
• Collecting data for collaboration with engineering teams to prioritize issues.
• Assisting in the implementation of software during pre and post-deployment.
• Developing methods and procedures for synchronous technology adoption.
• Utilizing tools such as Jira to collect feedback data, highlight trending issues, and
document results for continuous tool improvement.
UX/UI Assistant
UC Santa Cruz Library
September 2022 - October 2023
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Conducted comprehensive UX research to redesign several primary pages including the Library Hours page which is visited more than 28,000 times annually.
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Improved the user experience of the library website and research tools.
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Conducted user research via user interviews, usability testing, peer analysis,
and literature reviews.
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Assessed existing library web content and tools to provide recommendations,
including drafts and prototypes, for improved web content.
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Collaborated with Web Developer Student Assistant to design and execute web
content projects.
Instructor
Girls Who Code
June - August 2023
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Lead instruction and effectively maintained an exciting, engaging, and accessible classroom environment for a highly diverse group of 50-60 high school students.
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Managed a team of 5 Teaching Assistants who served as support in classroom management.
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Reviewed and adapted GWC curriculum to meet the needs of students.
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Supported the growth and development of Girls Who Code relationships with important partners.
Lead TA
Girls Who Code
June - August 2022
June - August 2021 (TA)
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Acted as primary support in the classroom for the instructor in logistical tasks as well as maintaining an exciting, engaging, and accessible virtual classroom environment.
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Taught high school students (10th – 12th grade) JavaScript, HTML, and CSS.
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Organized lesson plans with the instructor and resolved any online learning environment issues.
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Lead lessons and activities and provided feedback on student coding projects.
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Communicated with GWC headquarters and the corporate sponsor to coordinate logistics and execute curriculum.
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Mentored students and helped them explore how they could succeed in the tech world.