About me

Staff UX Engineer at Google, since 2014, when Google acquired Nest Labs.

October 2018 - Present

In preparation of merging Nest Labs into Google Hardware, in 2018, the engineering team merged into the Google Store engineering team. Since then, I have been working on improving the customer experience across the whole . My primary focus areas are new product launches, product pages, accessibility, site performance, SEO, and product quality.

May 2013 - October 2018

After graduating college in May 2013, I drove out to California and began an internship at . At that time, Nest a medium-sized startup in Palo Alto. I made a good impression, and got hired.

For years, I worked on a wide variety of projects on the web team. The was a complex project that I owned. It takes a user’s home thermostat wiring and determines their HVAC system’s compatibility with the Nest learning thermostat. Eventually, I led the development of the . I worked on the team long enough that there isn’t a page that lacks my fingerprints (however small it may be).

I loved my work at Nest and on .

2012 Summer Internship

Over the summer of 2012, I interned at . I worked with a team of Java engineers to build a robust system to secure deliver documents. My main work focused on building tests for their foundational transfer processes. The team was also piloting an Agile workflow, which was new for the company. It was a great learning about, and the team there was friendly and accepting.

2011 Summer Internship

Interning for in Houston over the summer of 2011, was educational. I spent most of my internship doing QA for all their internal documentation tools.

1990s - 2013

It surprises many to learn that I have a background of working around cranes. Though I am not a certified crane operator, I grew up running the crane in the family business. provided many learning opportunities.

My dad, Steve, has owned and run cranes my whole life. He is a professor of Economics at . But, his hobby for the last 40+ years has been running cranes. We worked on the cranes, building enhancements and doing maintenance. We travelled to crane jobs all over southern Iowa, setting trusses on houses and moving rocks for farmers. We had many adventures together. Those experiences taught me a lot about communication, risk, responsibility, work ethic, teamwork, and adaptability. No two jobs were the same.

2008-2013

At , I worked at the movie theater. As a freshman, I started in concessions, making popcorn, and I ran the projector. Over time, my responsibility grew, and I became the main film technician. That required building and tearing down the movie reels each week. Finally, I became the manager of the theater for a year before graduating.

I also worked in STA+ (Student Technical Assistants Plus). That team delivered technical support for both students and faculty.

Both of these jobs taught me a lot about teamwork, communication, and responsibility.

Contributions to the internet

I have on occassion contributed to the world outside of my work. Sometimes there is evidence of my contributions. I like to collect that evidence here.

About me

Staff UX Engineer at Google, since 2014, when Google acquired Nest Labs.

About me

Staff UX Engineer at Google, since 2014, when Google acquired Nest Labs.

About me

Staff UX Engineer at Google, since 2014, when Google acquired Nest Labs.

About me

Staff UX Engineer at Google, since 2014, when Google acquired Nest Labs.

About me

Staff UX Engineer at Google, since 2014, when Google acquired Nest Labs.

About me

Staff UX Engineer at Google, since 2014, when Google acquired Nest Labs.

About me

Staff UX Engineer at Google, since 2014, when Google acquired Nest Labs.

About me

Staff UX Engineer at Google, since 2014, when Google acquired Nest Labs.

About me

Staff UX Engineer at Google, since 2014, when Google acquired Nest Labs.

About me

Staff UX Engineer at Google, since 2014, when Google acquired Nest Labs.

About me

Staff UX Engineer at Google, since 2014, when Google acquired Nest Labs.

About me

Staff UX Engineer at Google, since 2014, when Google acquired Nest Labs.

About me

Staff UX Engineer at Google, since 2014, when Google acquired Nest Labs.

Primary technologies that I use

Helpful reference resources

Here are some resources that finds useful. There are many many more resources on the internet. These are some pillars that have supported my web development education.