Meet the Research Team
Meet the fantastic researchers on Verizon Connect’s Atlanta-based Experience Research team!
Current members of our team are:
Thomas Lodato, PhD (linkedin)
Thomas is a Senior UX Researcher. He specializes in ethnographic methods and is interested in workplace IT and productivity practices. He approaches research through the lens of affect theory and in the tradition of workplace ethnography.
Alexa Carleo (linkedin)
Alexa is a UX Designer turned Researcher specializing in mixed methods research practices including in-depth interviews, usability testing, needs analysis, and feature prioritization. She is interested in approaching all research questions with a user-centered design focus.
Posts: Dogfooding: Empathizing with Context, The Kano Methodology
Marlana Coignet, MS (linkedin)
Marlana is a UX Researcher who specializes in survey methodology and task analysis. She is interested in tying together mixed method research across multiple lines of business with a focus on in-vehicle cameras.
Posts: Always Be Selling, Top Task Analysis
Babz Jewell, MA (linkedin)
Babz is a Senior UX Researcher working with Verizon Connect’s Innovation Team based in Dublin, Ireland. She specializes in ethnographic and sociological methods. Her theoretical specialties fall in labor and identity studies. She does crossfit and chase chickens for fun.
Posts: Laser Focused
Cheryl Abellanoza, PhD (website) (linkedin)
Cheryl is the UX Research Manager for the Atlanta-based Verizon Connect team. This research team tackles everything from foundational research about users and their needs, to product-specific research that helps the team iterate on solutions. This team supports all lines of business, across the globe.
Her research skill set includes both qualitative and quantitative research methods. Her specializations include cognitive neuroscience, clinical and experimental psychology, behavioral research, surveys, and assistive technology research and development.
Posts: Mayank Mondays, North Star
Past members of our team include:
Sam VanHorn, PhD (linkedin)
Sam is a UX researcher in Atlanta, GA. She grew up in Hawai’i so she is laid back & easygoing, but with New York drive & grit. You could she is a nerd with an interdisciplinary background, which means she tends to see unlikely connections and strive to ask different questions. She consistently thinks of ways our world could be more inclusive & equitable. She specializes in mixed methods research while her biggest passion in life is accessibility. Our team wishes her well and looks forward to collaborating with her in the future!
Posts: Where Are We Eating?
Katie Lucaites, MS (linkedin)
Katie is a PhD candidate at Clemson University, where she studies Human Factors Psychology. Katie specializes in visual perception, experimental research, and behavioral data analysis — each with an applied perspective. However, she loves a good old fashioned deep dive into just about any topic! She was a UX Research Intern with our team in 2018 and 2019, and she helped develop foundational experimental lab projects for the VZC Research team. Our team looks forward to collaborating again in the future!
Posts: We Have the Best Team
Adrian Abellanoza, MS (linkedin)
Adrian is currently completing his PhD in Experimental Psychology at the University of Texas at Arlington. His specializations include both social and industrial-organizational (I/O) psychology, and his research interests include employee attitudes, intergroup relations, and small group creativity. His skill set includes survey methodology, statistical inference, and machine learning techniques. Though trained as a psychology researcher, Adrian is passionate about the utility of data science in general, and enjoys using quantitative methods to provide insights across different areas of the business. He was a data analytics intern with Verizon Connect in 2018 and 2019, and our team looks forward to collaborating again in the future!
