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I build systems from prototype to millions
I bridge research and real‑world application
I lead teams with clarity, craft, and care
I teach innovation to the next generation
I publish insights that shape the field
AI Education at Scale
Translating cutting-edge technology into accessible learning experiences
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Al Innovation in Higher Ed
Lead comprehensive Al initiatives across universities through student workshops, faculty training, and keynotes. Creating feedback loops between emerging tech and immediate classroom application.
2000+ students • 47 faculty • 12 universities • 15+ keynotes -
K-12 Weekend Tech Labs
Designed creative technology workshops and experiences with and for over 500 students annually, exploring AI, AR/VR, and digital storytelling. Insights from these young creators shape how I design tomorrow’s learning and interaction models.
500+ students • Ages 8-18 • Future user research
Concept to prototype.
AR, VR, mobile, web - if you can imagine it, I can build it. Fast.
Scaling Through People
Building communities that multiply impact, reach, and opportunity
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From 2 to Thousands: The Network Effect
Started Adobe Student Ambassador Club at SJSU with 2 students. Now hundreds strong, with members taking tools into classrooms, doubling product adoption organically. Scaled International Mother Language Celebration from 12 to 400+. My approach: turn users into evangelists, attendees into co-creators. Zero marketing spend, pure community-driven growth.
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Designing for Scale: Multi-Format Learning
I build systems that multiply reach, not just create content. From hardware prototypes like the Thermocolor Wheel to AI tools transforming lectures into podcasts for commuters. One lecture becomes five formats: video, audio, interactive, text, visual. Testing shows 73% of students use multiple formats when given choice. Accessibility multiplies impact.
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Pipeline Building: Tomorrow's Innovators
I create design systems that make representation actionable. From apparel to campaigns, my work connects identity with ambition, showing how visual storytelling can shape future talent pipelines and redefine who sees themselves in innovation. These systems translate inclusion into measurable impact, turning visibility into a strategic tool for education, industry, and design-driven change.
PEAK Education App
Personalized Education AI Kit — bridging AI innovation with classroom reality.
I led the end-to-end design of PEAK, a mobile platform that makes AI feel approachable for K–12 teachers. The app curates standards-aligned curricula, 5-minute implementation paths, and peer-validated resources so time-strapped educators can integrate AI without another complex tool to manage.
Co-designed with 50+ educators to support busy, tech-anxious teachers with clear, classroom-ready workflows.
Canvas Redesign
AI-powered home experience integrating intelligent task prioritization and focus-driven study tools.
The updated Canvas app transforms the student experience with an elegant unified academic home — a personalized space combining smart task management, AI tutoring, and immersive study tools. Designed to reduce overwhelm and inspire clarity, the new interface merges minimal Apple-inspired design with AI-driven functionality.
A seamless mobile-first learning ecosystem where tasks, notes, and study tools come together to help students focus on what matters most.
Selected Portfolio
A curated sample of projects showcasing innovation across education technology, immersive media, and curriculum development. These represent a variety of work from funded research to industry partnerships.
Education Leadership & Curriculum
Globally recognized resources and funded educational initiatives
Adobe Master Teacher Resources
12+ lesson plans for creative education
Recognized as Adobe Education Exchange Influencer and Master Teacher among only 340 educators worldwide from 15 countries, selected to develop comprehensive educational resources for the Adobe-BetterLesson partnership. Created 12+ published resources including both student-facing and faculty-facing lesson plans, each featuring step-by-step implementation guides, video tutorials, downloadable templates, and assessment rubrics. Resources such as "Visualize Your Dream with Adobe Photoshop," "Magazine Cover Design," and "Interactive Portfolios with Adobe XD" integrate Creative Cloud tools across marketing, communication, journalism, and public speaking curricula. Each lesson includes differentiated instruction strategies, standards alignment documentation, student exemplars, and troubleshooting guides for common technical challenges. The materials transform abstract design principles into actionable classroom activities - faculty receive detailed pacing guides and pedagogical frameworks while students access project templates, skill-building exercises, and peer critique protocols. These resources now serve 1.4 million BetterLesson members globally, with particular emphasis on bridging the digital divide by providing low-bandwidth alternatives and culturally responsive examples that resonate across diverse learning communities.
Design for Change
Digital advocacy for climate education
Developed comprehensive 100+ page resource guide for the Professional Learning Community for Interdisciplinary Science, funded by prestigious $910K Koret Foundation grant. Created four extensive modules teaching educators how to leverage Adobe Creative Suite for climate communication and data visualization, with each module containing both student-facing projects and faculty-facing implementation guides. Materials include step-by-step tutorials for creating infographics from climate data, templates for digital advocacy campaigns, assessment rubrics aligned with NGSS standards, and differentiated instruction strategies for diverse learners. The curriculum bridges technical skills with environmental justice education - students learn to transform EPA data into compelling visual narratives while faculty receive pedagogical frameworks for facilitating difficult conversations about climate equity. Resources span from beginner tutorials on basic photo editing to advanced lessons on interactive data dashboards, ensuring accessibility across skill levels. Each module includes pre-built project templates, troubleshooting guides for common technical issues, sample student work showcasing excellence, and modification suggestions for different grade levels. The materials empower teachers across 11 participating schools to guide students in creating professional-quality digital advocacy projects that translate complex climate science into accessible visual stories, fostering the next generation of environmental communicators and change agents.
Watching Over Water
Pre-service teacher guide for climate education
Three-month intensive collaboration developing comprehensive educative companion guide for pre-service teachers as part of the UC-CSU Environmental and Climate Change Literacy Projects (ECCLPs). Selected from 170 applicants to join the PK-12 Teaching & Learning Committee, contributing expertise in digital media integration and climate education. Created extensive tutorial sections demonstrating how to leverage Adobe Creative Suite for data visualization and infographic design, enabling teachers to guide students in transforming complex climate data into compelling visual narratives. The guide features seven comprehensive sections including instructional practices, CA Environmental Principles & Concepts (EP&Cs), and both "Pause to Plan" and "Pause to Ponder" reflection prompts. Materials empower educators to integrate water conservation, Indigenous knowledge, and environmental advocacy through justice-centered pedagogy, with particular focus on the Klamath River dam removal as a lens for understanding environmental justice and tribal sovereignty.
VR/AR Research & Immersive Media
Funded research in virtual reality, 360° storytelling, interactive experiences, and digital heritage preservation
Bringing Lincoln Back to Life
AI & motion capture in educational VR
Pioneered educational use of AI and motion capture technology by recreating Abraham Lincoln using Epic's Metahuman Creator, Xsens motion capture suit, and Unreal Engine 5. This groundbreaking project, funded by $50K Anderson Fund, explored the intersection of deep fake technology and immersive historical education. The technical workflow evolved significantly when we discovered MetaHuman's limitations - Lincoln's asymmetrical features and distinctive bushy eyebrows couldn't be accurately represented within MetaHuman's parameters. This challenge led to pivoting mid-project, bringing in 3D artist Amirhussein Abbaszadeh to hand-craft custom texture maps using Adobe Substance Painter. Voice actor Mike Corpos provided both motion capture performance and facial animation capture using Faceware technology, enabling authentic emotional expressions synced with the House Divided speech delivery. The experience transforms passive learning into active participation - students observe Lincoln's mannerisms, feel the tension of pre-Civil War America, and understand the weight of his words through spatial presence. This research demonstrates how cutting-edge technology can create visceral connections to history while revealing important technical considerations about digital human representation and the balance between photorealism and computational constraints.
Coastal Flood Risk VR
Immersive climate change communication
Developed innovative framework for creating photorealistic VR models of Little Corona Del Mar using UAV photogrammetry and GIS flood data, funded by $10K American Geophysical Union grant. The comprehensive workflow integrated drone-captured imagery using DJI Mavic Pro 2, digital photogrammetric processing with Reality Capture software, and Unity 3D development to create six-degrees-of-freedom virtual environments. Combined high-resolution 3D models with FEMA flood data to visualize various sea level rise scenarios, from centennial floods to climate change projections. Pre/post surveys with 17 participants revealed 18% increase in sea level rise awareness, with 88% finding the experience relevant for understanding coastal flooding. The framework addresses critical challenges in climate communication - while 60% initially felt sea level rise didn't affect their daily lives, the visceral VR experience created lasting emotional connections. Published findings demonstrate how immersive technology transforms abstract climate data into personal experiences that motivate action.
Following Water: San Joaquin River Delta
360° immersive water documentary
Created both traditional and immersive 360° documentary versions highlighting the San Joaquin Delta's vital $500 million agricultural economy and critical ecological role. Funded by $7.5K CUAHSI grant, conducted over 20 interviews ranging from UC scholars and water policy experts to local farmers and Indigenous community members. This experimental documentary bridges the water-food nexus by capturing drone footage of expansive farmlands, documenting water rights struggles, and revealing the delta's complex ecosystem supporting thousands of bird species and half a million inhabitants. The innovative 360° format places viewers directly within the delta's wetlands and agricultural fields, while strategically embedded 2D interviews provide expert context without breaking immersion. This dual-format approach ensures accessibility - the traditional version reaches broader audiences through standard platforms, while the 360° version creates empathetic connections by surrounding viewers with the threatened landscape. The comprehensive interviews reveal how climate change, water policies, and agricultural demands intersect at this critical watershed.
Burned Out: California Wildfires
Immersive wildfire storytelling
Created immersive 360° virtual reality documentary exploring California's escalating wildfire crisis through multi-perspective storytelling. Captured intimate narratives from firefighters battling on the front lines, climate scientists analyzing unprecedented fire patterns, farmers losing generational lands, and families displaced by flames. The spherical video format places viewers directly within smoke-filled landscapes and evacuation zones, creating visceral emotional connections that traditional media cannot achieve. This innovative approach transforms abstract climate statistics into deeply personal experiences that inspire action and understanding.
Your World Your Choices
Climate change virtual novel game
As project lead, directed rapid MVP development with only one month for execution, selected as Top 50 shortlist globally for AWE USA's XR Challenge. Built all Unity scenes in just two days, integrating research and video footage from fast fashion factories in Bangladesh to create Chapter 1 focused on the environmental impact of fast fashion. This choose-your-own-adventure virtual novel empowers players to navigate branching narratives where their consumer choices cascade into different endings - from environmental catastrophe to sustainable futures. Working with student research assistant Ethan Kelley to brainstorm user flows, developer Matin Esmaeili for technical implementation, and narrator Isabella Carino for voice work, we created an immersive experience that transforms abstract climate data into personal moral dilemmas. Players face real-world scenarios like choosing between cheap fast fashion and sustainable alternatives, experiencing firsthand how individual decisions compound into global impacts.
This Far by Faith
Preserving Black churches through digital media
Documented and preserved the legacy of San Jose's two oldest Black churches — First AME Zion and Antioch Baptist — through immersive digital media. As Co-Investigator and Digital Experience Designer working alongside Dr. Michael Cheers, shaped the prototype's visual and interaction design to balance historical accuracy with emotional resonance. Conducted comprehensive 3D scanning using Matterport technology to capture sanctuaries, historical corridors, and fellowship rooms. The resulting WebVR experience enables virtual exploration of these sacred spaces with clickable artifacts providing historical context and embedded interviews bringing congregant voices directly into the environment. This interdisciplinary project transforms ephemeral oral histories into permanent spatial narratives, creating a foundation for a broader virtual museum preserving Black churches' cultural and spiritual impact throughout the Bay Area for future generations.
EdTech & Interactive Design
User experience design and educational technology innovations
PEAK Education App
AI tools for time-strapped K-12 teachers
Led end-to-end UX/UI design for comprehensive platform transforming how K-12 teachers discover and implement AI tools, addressing the critical gap where 78% of educators struggle with AI adoption. PEAK (Personalized Education AI Kit) provides curated, standards-aligned curricula featuring 200+ ready-to-use lesson plans, smart search functionality filtering by grade level and subject, and nationwide peer support networks connecting educators across districts. The platform's innovative design includes an AI tool evaluation framework, helping teachers assess which tools genuinely enhance learning versus those that merely digitize traditional methods. Created intuitive onboarding flows that reduce time-to-first-lesson from hours to minutes, with progressive disclosure patterns that prevent overwhelm while building AI literacy. The collaborative features enable teachers to share successful implementations, troubleshoot challenges together, and co-create lesson modifications for diverse learners. By significantly reducing planning time while enhancing teaching effectiveness, PEAK transforms AI from an intimidating unknown into an accessible teaching partner. The platform particularly focuses on equity, ensuring rural and under-resourced schools have equal access to cutting-edge educational technology resources.
PhotoSpring Kickstarter
Commercial storyboard design
Designed comprehensive storyboard for PhotoSpring's Kickstarter commercial during BLEND internship, creating visual narrative for startup client's world-first automated digital photo album. Targeting upper-income families and busy parents seeking effortless photo management, the commercial needed to convey both emotional connection and technological simplicity to potential investors. Working closely with director Anthony Pietromonaco, translated his vision into clean, professional digital illustrations using tablet technology, ensuring each frame clearly communicated the product's seamless sharing capabilities. The storyboard captures a pivotal intergenerational moment - a father and daughter browsing memories when she surprises him with her ultrasound image appearing instantly on his PhotoSpring device. This narrative arc demonstrates the product's core value: "Stream Happiness" by automatically displaying life's best moments from phone to frame. Each panel was meticulously crafted to be production-ready, showing camera angles, character positioning, and emotional beats that would resonate with both investors and target consumers. The storyboard's success lay in balancing technical product demonstration with authentic family storytelling, helping PhotoSpring communicate how their leading-edge technology automates the overwhelming task of organizing and sharing digital memories.
Canvas Reimagined
AI-powered learning meets deadline-driven design
Complete UX/UI redesign of Canvas LMS addressing the core pain point discovered through 30+ student interviews: students check Canvas 150+ times weekly just to track deadlines, with 78% feeling overwhelmed by traditional interfaces. This mobile-first concept strips away institutional complexity to focus on what students actually do: check what's due, access materials quickly, and study efficiently. The redesign features four transformative screens, a deadline-first dashboard replacing traditional navigation hierarchies, an AI study assistant providing personalized learning support, adaptive course views that respond to individual learning patterns, and progress insights keeping students motivated. Every design decision prioritizes reducing anxiety and enabling action, from smart quick actions for common tasks to intelligent grade analysis that contextualizes performance. By integrating AI-powered features with deadline-driven information architecture, the interface reduces cognitive load while improving academic outcomes, transforming Canvas from a source of stress into a supportive learning companion.
Quality of Life: Breast Cancer Survivors
Mobile app for holistic post-treatment care
Developed mobile application prototype improving quality of life for multi-ethnic breast cancer survivors through interdisciplinary collaboration between SJSU's Public Health and Journalism departments, funded by $20K LevelUp Grant. Through in-depth interviews with 14 ethnically diverse survivors and caregivers, identified critical themes around meaningful support and utility - including social connection, privacy concerns, credible health information, and culturally responsive care needs. Designed evidence-based, user-centered interface integrating wellness tracking, motivational feedback, and culturally adaptive elements that address the unique challenges of post-treatment recovery. The prototype features personalized recovery pathways, community support networks respecting privacy preferences, verified health resources tailored to diverse populations, and holistic wellness tools blending behavioral science with empathetic design. Currently under user testing by the principal investigator, the application transforms post-cancer care from isolated medical management to supported holistic healing, ensuring survivors from all backgrounds have access to culturally competent, scientifically grounded recovery tools that honor both their medical and emotional journeys.
Reflection
Interactive digital dance performance
Collaborated with choreographer Sandra Parks and interdisciplinary team to create groundbreaking interactive dance performance at Shaver Theatre, where human movement controlled real-time visual and sonic environments. Using rotoscoping techniques to digitally trace dancer Mehgan Fontenot's movements frame by frame, created fluid visual elements that responded to live performance. The Unity-powered experience transformed Wang Wei's poem "In a Retreat Among Bamboo" into an immersive digital forest where dancer's gestures triggered brush strokes, rippling water, and bamboo movements. This fusion of STEM and performing arts demonstrates how gaming technology can elevate artistic expression - proving that engineering and dance share a common language when interaction itself becomes the medium. The performance showcased technology not as a tool but as a collaborative performer, with digital artists manipulating software in real-time to create a living, breathing digital actor sharing the stage. The intensive rotoscoping process, though time-consuming, provided valuable digital drawing practice while creating organic transitions between human movement and digital response.
Climate Disasters Interactive Map
Voice and touch data storytelling
Visualized the economic and environmental toll of billion-dollar natural disasters in the United States since 1980 using NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information data. As Co-Creator and Designer, transformed complex climate datasets into an accessible, human-centered narrative through innovative voice and touch interactions in Adobe XD. The experience allows users to explore categorized disasters: droughts, floods, freezes, wildfires, and storms, through intuitive multi-sensory inputs. Voice triggers provide auditory insights without visual overwhelm, while touch gestures enable exploration of data points, timelines, and regional impacts, creating inclusive understanding of climate change's fiscal and human costs. Received Best of Competition Award at the BEA Festival of Media Arts and was featured by the American Geophysical Union on their Advancing Earth and Space Science blog. Created accompanying lesson plan published by Adobe and BetterLesson, helping educators teach accessible data visualization and climate literacy through interactive design.