Our Alumni
Julius Patto ('25)
2025 Bill Hart-Davidson XA Leadership Award
Julius Patto is an Iraqi-Assyrian UX professional with a passion for solving usability challenges and advancing diversity and accessibility in design. He is dedicated to creating digital experiences that are both functional and inclusive, ensuring usability across cultural and linguistic boundaries. His experience spans internal tools and storefront design at a fintech company, UX research and accessibility in academia, and mission-driven work with non-profits. Julius thrives in collaborative environments, approaches design with a storytelling mindset, and is driven by real user needs. A matcha enthusiast, he enjoys discussing design, technology, and accessibility, and welcomes opportunities to connect.
Rena Huang ('25)
2025 Experience Architecture Senior Award Winner
Rena Huang is a UX Designer and Researcher who creates experiences that go beyond usability, aiming to resonate, connect, and communicate even without words. Her work is grounded in empathy and systems thinking, focused on designing for real people with real needs. She is especially drawn to technology that empowers, sparks curiosity, or brings comfort. Outside of design, she enjoys mango green tea, playing Stardew Valley, organizing digital spaces, and exploring how people engage with everyday systems.
Avery Antal ('25)
2025 Experience Architecture Senior Award Winner
Avery Antal is a UX/Product Designer with expertise in crafting user-centered, accessible, and inclusive digital experiences. With a background in Experience Architecture and Entrepreneurship & Innovation, Avery combines technical skills, creative problem-solving, and strategic thinking to align user needs with business goals. Guided by curiosity and empathy, Avery designs intuitive interfaces and experiences that improve how people interact with technology across digital and physical spaces. Avery is passionate about innovation and seeks collaborative teams that share a commitment to user-centered design and meaningful impact.
Kelly Choi ('25)
Kelly Choi is a versatile designer known for creating clean, functional designs that leave a lasting impression. With a talent for turning complex ideas into visually engaging experiences, Kelly thrives on tackling challenges and bringing clarity through design. Always open to new opportunities, Kelly brings creativity, adaptability, and a collaborative spirit to every project.
Zayd Alghazali ('25)
Zayd Alghazali is a UX Researcher, Designer, and Product Thinker passionate about understanding human behavior across digital and real-world contexts. By combining insights from psychology, design, and technology, Zayd creates meaningful and intuitive user experiences. Through research, prototyping, and thoughtful problem-solving, Zayd simplifies complex challenges into effective solutions. With a focus on building a smarter, more integrated world, Zayd is driven by the goal of designing systems that work better for everyone.
Amelia Kenny ('25)
Amelia Kenny is passionate about creating logical and visually engaging design solutions grounded in research. Whether working on project-based coursework or independent ventures, Amelia brings a collaborative and creative mindset to every challenge. With a strong interest in both design and education, her ultimate goal is to launch an ed tech start-up focused on expanding access to education.
Emily Paterson ('24)
2024 Experience Architecture Senior Award Winner
Emily Paterson is a learning experience designer and writer who aims to eliminate barriers to access and understanding with her work. While at MSU, she worked at the MSU Museum, Teach Access, The Cube, The Writing Center, and WKAR.
Grace Turner ('24)
2024 Experience Architecture Senior Award Winner
Grace Turner is a UX Professional who is passionate about working with cross-functional teams to improve business performance through a human-centered and accessible approach. Throughout her time at MSU, she has designed for users across the globe including Portugal and Tanzania. She also served as the XA Club President and XA Curriculum Committee Student Representative, striving to create a lasting impact on students within the XA major.
Justin Lagman ('24)
Justin Lagman is a UX professional creative who aims to break ground in the ever-evolving design space. He wishes to be a pioneer in design forms such as virtual reality, pushing the boundaries of user experience by crafting immersive and interactive digital spaces to design a better world for all.
Alicea Heady ('24)
Alicea Heady, is both a User Experience and Graphic Designer, integrates her dedication to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) and social justice into her design approach. A strong sense of purpose guides her work. Focusing on UX, she promotes the values of community, empathy, and compassion, fostering significant connections across digital and physical spaces. Alicea strives to craft inclusive experiences that speak to diverse audiences, enhancing their interactions and cultivating a feeling of belonging.
Matthew Hernandez ('24)
Matthew Scott Hernandez is a dedicated UX Professional with a keen interest in the convergence of Artificial Intelligence and Human-Computer Interaction. Passionate about enhancing user experiences through innovative technology, Matthew explores how AI can intuitively integrate into daily life, simplifying and improving interactions. During his time at MSU, he conducted research in Generative AI with Dr. Caitlin K. Kirby and worked with the Instructional Technology and Development Team for 3 years.
Kate Schleusener ('23)
2023 Experience Architecture Senior Award Winner
Kate Schleusener is a UX Professional who is interested in facilitating meaningful connections through shared experiences. Primarily interested in research and project management, she seeks to truly understand others in order to create positive experiences through design.
Emma Riddering ('23)
2023 Experience Architecture Senior Award Winner
Emma Riddering is a user experience professional with an interest in accessibility and a genuine passion for UX research. She finds process of discovery thrilling and facinating. Throughout her time at MSU, she founded the student organization Accessibility Professionals at MSU and had the pleasure of working for the ComArt’s Accessibility Team, MSU CAL, Best Buy and The Team W.
Hillary Hemry ('23)
2023 Experience Architecture Senior Award Winner
Hillary Hemry is a UX professional whose creative efforts foster collaborative teamwork. She is passionate about people-first design and content strategy. At MSU, she served as XA Club President and worked at MSU IT, the Broad College of Business, her own freelance art business, and The Cube.
Emily Lin ('22)
2022 Experience Architecture Senior Award Winner
2022 College of Arts and Letters Outstanding Senior
Emily Lin is a UX professional who believes in building inclusive and accessible experiences. She is committed to designing positive experiences for both the users of her products and her workplace. She can wear many hats in the areas of research, design, development, and leadership.
Kaitlyn Nguyen ('22)
2022 Experience Architecture Senior Award Winner
Kaitlyn Nguyen is a UX Designer who specializes in visual design. With UX, she loves the challenge of leveraging design to drive user engagement. Her interests include disproving assumptions relating to problem spaces and choreographing interactions people have with experiences. During her time at MSU, she worked for the Content Studio, SEEN, and the UXPA Journal.
Ryda Sundila ('21)
2021 Experience Architecture Student Award Winner
Ryda Sundila is a User Experience Designer with a passion for accessibility. Her passions surround creating and developing more inclusive and accessible digital experiences for users to enjoy through the human centered design process.
Joey Dearing ('21)
2021 Experience Architecture Student Award Winner
Joey Dearing has extensive experience as a UX Researcher and Front End Developer. She strives to create products that are easier and more effective to use. Her background in entrepreneurial and corporate settings makes her highly adaptable and passionate about building accessible and usable spaces.
Madison O'Connor ('21)
2021 Experience Architecture Student Award Winner
Madison O’Connor was the Editor-in-Chief of MSU’s The State News. She connects UX and reporting: both require in-depth research, synthesizing an abundance of information and using those insights to craft a narrative that meets audiences where they are. When it comes to UX, she believes in curiosity, compassion + empathy, empowering others, inclusive design, and the power of community.
Sam Bloch ('20)
2020 Experience Architecture Student Award Winner
Sam Bloch is a UX Designer who believes his responsibility is to support users as well as to assist his team members. His specialties include digital media, consumer behavior, brand awareness, graphic design, aesthetic enhancement, and many forms of hard and software troubleshooting.
Rebecca Meyer ('20)
2020 Experience Architecture Student Award Winner
Rebecca Meyer is an Experience Designer working to create empathetic and meaningful experiences that connect people across digital and physical spaces. She also looks to explore what the intersection of lifestyle branding, environmental sustainability, and the human experience can look like.
Erin Campbell ('19)
2019 Experience Architecture Student Award Winner
Erin Campbell was selected as the 2019 Experience Architecture Student of the Year. She is passionate about empowering people through accessible and inclusive design. Her work explores the use of digital tools to help communities visualize others’ lived experiences in an attempt to cultivate empathy and enact systemic change.
Ashton Keys ('18)
2018 Experience Architecture Student Award Winner
Ashton Keys was selected as the 2018 Experience Architecture Student of the Year. During his time at MSU, Keys was involved in many impressive projects, working on content strategy with MSU Hatch, user research with the MSU Libraries, and user interface with Ninety6, a clothing company which he founded.
Meg Richardson ('16)
Meg Richardson credits her time in the MSU XA program as giving her the skills in research, writing, design, and more that allow her to craft experiences that are usable, accessible, and fun. She is currently located in Chicago and working as a Product Designer where she is responsible for UX and visual elements.
Shell Little ('16)
Shell Little is a Digital Accessibility Specialist at Wells Fargo DS4B on their Accessible User Experience (AUx) team. She is the Mobile Accessibility Lead along with the SME of the screen reader NVDA on her team. Thanks to XA, she is passionate about User Centered Design, Disability Rights, and Interaction Design.
Emily Dallaire ('16)
Emily Dallaire is an Experience Architect who is passionate about information design, interaction design, and usability. Not only does she bring a strong passion for experience design and creative interactions, but she also believes in sharing and telling users’ stories through their impact and participation in digital and physical spaces.
