PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY

Melanie Ramey: Blending PhD Educational Leadership with UX Strategy

With over two decades of experience in the education sector, I bring a unique perspective to UX/UI design. My PhD background allows me to approach design through a lens of deep research, cognitive psychology, and pedagogical clarity, ensuring that digital experiences are not only beautiful but fundamentally intuitive and accessible.

As an innovator and growth-centered strategist, I am dedicated to bridging the gap between complex user needs and elegant design solutions. I thrive in collaborative environments where I can apply my leadership skills and technological expertise to build user-centered products that drive meaningful impact.

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Professional Experience

2005 – 2025

TMHS, NVCS, KQA,
Winona Elementary

Educator & Digital Visual Designer

Interactive 3D Development

Designed and programmed immersive, VR-compatible 3D mathematics study games, leveraging spatial design principles to boost user motivation and interactive learning engagement.

Information Architecture

Re-designed daily instructional course materials by building complex, interconnected cloud document structures (embedded and hyperlinked Google Docs/Slides assets) to ensure frictionless usability.

Web Design & Content Strategy

Built and maintained custom classroom portals and responsive websites, optimized for clean information delivery to streamline communication between families and administrators.

Data Architecture & Tooling

Built advanced Excel spreadsheets with custom formulas to sync data across multiple pages, making it easy for teachers and leadership teams to track and evaluate performance metrics.

Curriculum Engineering

Led a collaborative team to redesign the Math 6 & Math 7/8 workshop-model curriculum framework, translating complex instructional blocks into clear, accessible, and seamless learning progressions.

2023 – 2025

Colorado State University,
TMHS

Team Lead & Host Teacher

Cross-Functional Leadership

Chaired a multi-disciplinary educator team through operational shifts, mitigating project friction and tracking performance metrics under strict timelines and high-pressure settings.

Mentorship

Mentored, supervised and coached student teachers from CSU, giving them practical feedback on their teaching techniques, curriculum implementations and classroom management to help them meet school standards and benchmarks.

2014 – 2024

NVCS Board, SAC,

DAC, NOCO Gifted

Board & Committee Chair

Stakeholder Alignment

Managed budgets (as Treasurer) and calibrated long-term organizational strategy by synthesizing quantitative research from diverse public forums into data-driven policy recommendations for executive leadership.

2000 – 2001

Alchemy

Film & Video Editor

Digital Storytelling

Edited motion assets, aligning strict time constraints and visual sequencing with overarching narrative goals.

1999 – 2000

Highwood Online

Website Designer & Content Writer

UX Layout & Copywriting

Engineered early web layouts to optimize navigation flows, pacing, and visual hierarchy; authored strategic, user-facing digital copy to drive engagement metrics.

Education & Certifications

Ph.D. in Educational Leadership: Renewal & Change

Advanced Research

Analyzing System-Level Challenges to Drive Equitable, Evidence-Based Change.

Dissertation Focus

MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENT MOTIVATIONAL EXPERIENCES IN MATHEMATICS: A NARRATIVE INQUIRY

The study explores middle school students’ motivation in math, emphasizing intrinsic factors like challenge, achievement, support, belonging, and safety, linked to Maslow’s needs.

Findings show students value personal connection, peer support, and meaningful tasks, with motivation often rooted in meeting basic needs and future goals.

Recommendations include fostering challenge, positive environment, and student voice.

Master's Degree in Urban Education

Systemic Equity Analysis

Analyzed structural inequities, internal biases, and the intersections of race, class, and language.

Analyzing Systemic Barriers

Explored how socioeconomic disparities and governance policies impact families.

Driving Systemic Change

Evaluated the unique social, economic, and cultural dynamics found in urban areas and how to improving educational equity and providing the tools needed to combat systemic barriers.

Bachelor's Degree in Digital Media Studies

Multimedia Production

Video editing, audio production, and podcasting.

Web & Interactive Design

Website creation, user experience (UX/UI) design, and game or app design.

Digital Storytelling

Visual communication, digital image compositing, and motion graphics.

Media & Culture

Exploring how digital platforms, social networks, and algorithms shape human behavior and society.

Bachelor's Degree in Women's Studies

Feminist Theory

Studying the history and evolution of feminist thought and social movements.

Intersectionality

Analyzing how different aspects of identity (race, class, gender, ability) overlap and affect people's lived experiences.

Cultural Representation

Examining how gender is portrayed in media, religion, and literature.

Global Perspectives

Understanding international policies, health, and transnational women's movements.

Professional UX Certifications

Google UX Design Professional Certificate

Specialized Training

Multicultural Community Conference Retreat
AVID - Note Taking
Critical Thinking Training, Laura Elder
Meeting the Needs of Visual Spatial Learners

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