Dynamic
aka What It’s Like to Work With Me!
Want to get a feel of what it’s like to work with me? Here are some of my takes on where UX Research and Customer Experience are in 2026!
My perspective on the adaptability and resilience we need as researchers has been shaped by some fantastic teammates and leaders. Over the years, I’ve had incredible chances to work with some really inspiring movers and shakers. I’ve learned so much from them, and I hope that my contributions to our collaborations have been just as meaningful. Thank you to everyone who shared your feedback below — it’s a real joy to get to work with amazing people!
“She continues to impress me in each engagement.”
I've collaborated with Cheryl frequently over the past year, and she continues to impress me in each engagement. As a research leader establishing the function, Cheryl brings an empathetic, thought provoking, and sometimes humorous approach to research that makes the most of her team's extensive talents and backgrounds. She has established systems of foundational and situational knowledge of the customer, while delivering insights in the latest tools so that people across the business can access the data. One of the most stand-out qualities of Cheryl is her ability to reach across teams, departments, levels of leadership to elicit cooperation and collaboration toward shared goals. She's a wonderful colleague.
“She’s an outstanding thinker, doer, and optimistic team leader!”
When I think of Cheryl, I think of the most admired person in the room. Cheryl has an innate ability to lead teams through complex projects, workshops, or really any situation that arises. Her team and others look to her for guidance and support. I've learned from her techniques in developing others around her. I’ve always enjoyed getting her perspective on research methods as well as her approach to team planning. Cheryl has the “no look pass” ability — you know the pass is coming, at the right time, with the right amount of accuracy, right before the team scores the goal. She's an outstanding thinker, doer, and optimistic team leader! I sincerely hope to work with her in the future.
“Cheryl is rigorous, dedicated, and passionate.”
As a researcher, Cheryl is rigorous, dedicated, and passionate. She fights for what she believes and integrates input and new directions with ease.
As a research manager, Cheryl is a true advocate for her team. Her ability to support individuals by guiding them and elevating their skills makes tough projects much easier. Even more, her attitude is infectious, creating a supportive culture across the team that makes work enjoyable every day. She boosts the work of others and provides great feedback to strengthen everyone around her. She exemplifies what great management can be: generous, productive, and supportive.
“Cheryl is a can’t-miss opportunity for your organization.”
Cheryl is an extremely hard-working and conscientious individual who will do well in any job environment. She is very intellectually bright, has outstanding interpersonal skills, and is emotionally stable; she will have no difficulties interacting with fellow employees. Of the nearly 77 PhD students I have mentored, she is in the top 5. Please let me know if you require any other information about this outstanding candidate. She is a “can’t miss” opportunity for your organization.
“I would hire her in a heartbeat.”
I have had the pleasure of working with Ms. Abellanoza for most of her graduate career at UT Arlington - almost 5 years. She was an absolute delight to have working for me as a graduate teaching assistant for several classes. Cheryl has taught several classes and is not only patient, committed, and trustworthy; she always give you her best, does not compromise on quality, and is an excellent team player. She was responsible for grading, designing, and executing various class content. We worked together on multiple class design ideas incorporating her previous clinical experience and recent computer knowledge.
Cheryl also became my coordinator for the undergraduate statistics sequence, which is a heavy workload and demanding of time and effort. Cheryl undertook the responsibility of transforming our grading process to an online format, which I confess I could not have done myself. She not only has excellent programming knowledge but is able to take my ideas and translate those into a fully-formed functioning, usable product that we now have the ability to make available to all our graduate TAs working for me.
Cheryl was also an excellent coordinator of other TAs and is a diplomat. Undergraduate students loved her for her ability to take complex ideas and help them understand. This young lady is an absolute asset to have, honest, hard-working, has mature working habits, and always smiling — I would hire in a heartbeat.
I was thrilled to see her graduate but immensely sorry to see her go after seeing her develop as a professional and person. I wish her every success.