Janike Ruginis Gross Email & Phone Number

Atlanta, Ga, Us

Atlanta, Georgia, United States

+ Conduct end-to-end custom qualitative research projects that prioritize understanding user behavior and attitudes to drive design decisions that enhance overall user experience.+ Collaborate with cross-functional teams (Product Design, Product, Content Design, Marketing) to define research projects and strategies.+ Led exploratory research into terminology for a new product, gathering findings on user’s emotional responses and preferences; Findings directly influenced the product’s language strategy for in-app and marketing user experience.+ Communicate research findings to stakeholders using storytelling to ensure stakeholder buy-in and recognition of the importance of user research.+ Utilize industry tools, including UserTesting, dscout, Figma, and Figjam, to conduct participant recruiting, testing, data synthesis, and data analysis.

+ Leverage experience as an academic researcher to plan and conduct user research that generates actionable insights to inform design and product strategy.+ Conduct moderated and unmoderated user research to build a deep understanding of user behaviors and preferences.+ Partnered with cross functional teams (Design, Product, and Content Design) in an Agile environment to execute research strategy for a non-profit website redesign project; Planned and executed moderated usability testing to measure critical task success rates and clarity of content.+ Recruited participants and conducted focus groups in Spanish, gathering user feedback on a healthcare app. + Communicate research findings and insights using impactful narratives, influencing roadmaps and decisions across cross-functional teams.

Greater Atlanta Area

Director of Language and Culture Center+ Establish and execute the mission and goals of a new student-centered language and culture center focused on linguistic academic success and cross-cultural engagement.+ Design and conduct UX research (personas, journey mapping, interviews, surveys) to gather insights into users behaviors, needs, and pain points.+ Analyze and synthesize data to form insights that enhanced operations and programming, increasing user satisfaction and engagement; Offered unique programming of 21 cultural events and served 250+ students over 4 months. + Oversee all aspects of operations and program management of the center.Senior Lecturer+ Design and teach up to eight student-centered language/culture courses annually within the World Languages & Cultures Department.o Achieves multiple positive student evaluations.o Works cross-functionally with groups to pinpoint curriculum topics. + Developed and implemented curriculum for entry-level Spanish courses and designed classroom content in alignment with program vision.+ Collaborated with faculty to create assessments, artifacts, and rubrics for program accreditation; interviewed colleagues who taught Spanish to gather sentiment around curriculum and textbook.+ Converted in-person courses to virtual formats, completing online course development certification.+ Played key role in faculty hiring, contributing to the selection of full-time and tenure-track positions.

Greater Atlanta Area

+ Conceptualized and launched Spanish content company for early language and cultural acquisition.+ Led rigorous UX and data testing, delivering actionable insights which impacted product experience. + Established company goals, mission, and vision; created comprehensive business plan.+ Managed lifecycle of two books, overseeing inception, drafting, editing, illustration, production, and distribution; sold 80% of first-run copies for the company's initial book offerings.+ Built brand and community awareness via creation of Spanish immersion programming and storytimes for ages 2-8; hired instructors for five immersion camps.+ Conducted interviews and surveys to gather feedback from target audiences.

Atlanta, Ga

+ Developed and delivered engaging, end-to-end user-centered language and cultural lessons.+ Designed and taught 8 Spanish language and culture courses for diverse undergraduate and graduate student audiences.+ Presented four original research projects at national and international conferences, showcasing proficiency in qualitative research methodologies.+ Led comprehensive three-year research study on film, photography, and literature in Brazil and Argentina, demonstrating the ability to manage and execute international field studies, interviews, and literature reviews.o Produced 185-page dissertation resulting from the research study, highlighting strong analytical and academic writing skills.+ Created, organized, and executed a variety of cultural Latin American events, including film festivals, conferences, and academic talks.

Doctor Of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Hispanic Studies

Dissertation: “The Politics of Photographic Aesthetics in Latin America: Photography and State Violence in Argentine and Brazilian Film.

Master Of Arts (M.A.), Hispanic Studies

B.A., Spanish, Latin American Studies, Cum Laude