Hi! I'm Heather.

I received my PhD in Cognitive Psychology from the University of Pittsburgh in August 2021. As a graduate student, I worked with Marc Coutanche at the Learning Research and Development Center. I used behavioral (online and in-person) and neuroimaging (fMRI, EEG) methods to investigate human learning, memory, and attention. I mainly focused on how people remember and creatively think about concepts (I spent a lot of time asking people strange questions like “What do you think a flamingo lemon would be?”).

My graduate training was decidedly interdisciplinary; I delved into neuroscience as a member of the Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, honed my teaching skills while earning Advanced Achievement in the Teaching of Psychology, and took design-focused coursework, including at the Human-Computer Interaction Institute at Carnegie Mellon University.

I currently work in NYC as a user experience researcher at Northwestern Mutual, where I collaborate with cross-functional teams to enhance financial advisors’ experiences using digital tools.

When I am not working, I can usually be found watching old reruns of Gilmore Girls and eating M&Ms. I enjoy baking and very slowly learning to play the piano. I am currently baking my way through Bake Off’s Benjamina Ebuehi’s cookbook.

Contact

bruetth1@gmail.com

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