Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) student Beau Neville found his internship last summer as a UX Analyst at the Federal Reserve Board (FRB) in Washington, DC. User experience or UX is integral to nearly every human interaction with a computer. And great UX may be especially important for those governing the monetary policy of the central bank of the United States.
Neville is enrolled in the online HCI program, allowing him to take classes from wherever he lives. That flexibility was a big reason why he chose Luddy Indianapolis for his master’s degree.
“When I was looking to apply, my husband and I were in the middle of a major move from Texas to Virginia with the possibility of moving again due to my husband’s job,” he said. “So I knew I needed a program that could travel with me!”
According to HCI Program Director Lynn Dombrowski, online education is one strategic investment area, not only for Luddy, but for the IU Indianapolis campus. “We are adding resources in response to those students who recognize a need to level up their skills and be more competitive at a certain point in their career, while continuing with work or other obligations,” she said.
At the end of 2022, Neville was applying to just about any internship he could. “As I was currently living just outside Washington, D.C. I thought it would be a great opportunity to be able to attend the internship events and in-office days! Getting to interact with my fellow interns and my team was a great bonus to such an awesome internship,” Neville said.
Neville’s role on the User Experience Services Team was to help build the awareness and need of great UX throughout the Board. During his internship, he worked on multiple projects that included UX research, design, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and accessibility.
“Classes and professors at IU Indianapolis prepared me for quite a lot during my internship. I was able to put classroom and project knowledge into real-world problems. I felt prepared in my base knowledge and expertise and that allowed me to focus on learning more in-depth and project-specific skills from the experienced team I was working with,” he said.
Neville’s future career plans include gaining full-time employment in the UX Design field, possibly in the public sector. He expects to graduate at the end of 2024.
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