
College of Communication and Information
User Experience
Meet Our Faculty
The Kent State University faculty who teach the online Master’s in UX program have an unparalleled passion for making the world better through human-centered design. They are pioneers in the field of UX, and they bring with them:
- Diverse backgrounds that reinforce the program’s unique blend of human-centered thinking, design and information architecture
- Active industry experience and involvement in national UX organizations
- Ability to serve as industry contacts for students and alumni

Dr. Dong Whi Yoo
Assistant Professor

Dr. Catherine Smith
Associate Professor

Dr. Rebecca Meehan
Associate Professor

Dr. Marcia Zeng
Professor

Jessica Becker, M.S.
Adjunct Faculty

Jeff Buchanan
Adjunct Faculty

Matthew DiGirolamo
Adjuct Faculty

Alison Haynes
Adjunct Faculty

Felesia McDonald, M.S.
Adjunct Faculty

Jeffery Northup
Adjunct Faculty

Sean Petiya
Adjunct Faculty

Kelsey Pytlik
Adjunct Faculty

Drew Shipka
Adjunct Faculty

Andy Vitale
Adjunct Faculty
Build Your Career with a Degree Built Around You

A Simple Application Process
A phone call with one of our Admissions Outreach Advisors will make it even easier, Call Us!
To submit a successful application, check out the Graduate Degree Student Checklist

A Holistic Curriculum
Designed for busy working professionals and students seeking to expand their career options.
View Courses
View Courses
Related Reading from the Kent State Online Blog
Check out one of our featured blog posts below
UX designer jobs are part of the fastest-growing career fields in the United States for reasons that should come as little surprise. Quality user experience design (UXD) can lead to an increase in site conversions of up to 400 percent,1 which can greatly impact brand loyalty and sales, and most web users say they won’t recommend a business with a poor mobile experience.
Knowing how to write a design brief can help drive an overall understanding of a project’s needs. A truly excellent design brief, however, bridges the terrain between a good idea and making it into reality. By effectively communicating all the essential environmental factors, requirements, constraints and needs of a design project, a brilliant design brief can energize all parties involved.
Kent State University’s online Master’s in UXD program is proud to be accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD). The only accreditation agency covering the entire field of art and design that the United States Department of Education recognizes, NASAD has approximately 360 member institutions.1