A look into one HCIM alum’s graduate experience
Born in Washington D.C., and raised in Maryland, Matthew Alexander learned how to harness his hobbies of drawing, painting, and photography, and puzzle-piece them into his career. He has worked with several award-winning companies, including Cortina Productions and Warner Bros. Discovery (Discovery+), focusing on user-centered initiatives. Currently, he is a product designer at Cisco Meraki, where he participates in design-team activities, weekly design reviews, and research prioritization. His breadth of work also expands to collaborating with other disciplines such as product management, engineering, data science, marketing, and sales. “To achieve the best user experience for our customers while also achieving company business goals is a big part,” Alexander says.
UMD HCIM alum Matthew Alexander
Alexander speaks vividly about his time in the master of science in human-computer interaction (HCIM) program at the University of Maryland College of Information. He joined the program unexpectedly when the application period reopened due to student withdrawals at the beginning of the pandemic. He frames his graduate school experience as a time for experimentation. The goal for all students, in his words, should be to find “what you like, what you don’t like, what you’re good at, what you might be good at, what you might not be great at, and figuring all that out before you’re ready to step into your career.”
Alexander took his own advice to heart by participating in design hackathons in the Washington metropolitan area. He describes it as a “great way to take what we’re learning and apply it in a way that has no repercussions; try whatever method you want and see how far you get.” He was dedicated to building the muscle memory necessary to thrive in his career field. This manifested specifically in the courses he chose to pursue. For example, Alexander raves about the variety of electives available in the HCIM program, such as Personal Health Informatics & Visualization. Electives provided a pivotal space for him to learn new subject matters and become exposed to different lessons. “I regret not looking at all the electives that were available.” Alexander says. “I made the assumption that a course would be available every semester, and by the time I wanted to take a course [it was gone].”
When asked what advice he would give to incoming and current students, Alexander spotlights the importance of building a professional LinkedIn profile. “Make sure it is up to date and be active on it,” he says. His position as product designer at Cisco Meraki blossomed after a recruiter reached out to him on the employment-focused social media platform.