Grace Sherman
gracelouisesherman@gmail.com | (847) 899-5347 | gsherm.com | https://www.linkedin.com/in/gshermm | Chicago, IL
EDUCATION
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Urbana-Champaign, IL
BSc. Brain and Cognitive Science, Minor: Computer Science September 2021 – May 2025
GPA: 3.8/4.0
GustoLab International Borromini Institute (Rome, Italy) Spring 2024
WORK EXPERIENCE
Florida Blue | Blue Cross Blue Shield Jacksonville, FL
User Experience Research Intern May 2024 – August 2024
- Launched Florida Blue’s ‘Sunday Sky Video Library’ study from script to execution, identifying intuitive website locations for the video library and conducting a broad analysis of user interactions through an unmoderated study involving over 100 participants.
- Conducted a comprehensive UX audit for Florida Blue’s Spanish app, reducing discrepancies in navigating online insurance between desktop/mobile for over 5 million English and Spanish speaking users.
- Assisted in the ‘P360’ study focused on optimizing demographic data collection by moderating 5 in-depth 1-hour sessions and gathering comprehensive survey data from 96 participants.
- Supported the ‘Find Care Smart Search’ study by conducting multiple rounds of unmoderated A/B testing with 15 participants and designing a card sort study distributed to over 100 participants.
UIUC Technology Services Help Desk Champaign, IL
Tech Consultant February 2023 – December 2024
- Supported 65,000+ university users by diagnosing platform usability issues (Office 365, Adobe, etc.) and guiding users through clear, accessible troubleshooting steps to improve satisfaction, accessibility, and system engagement.
- Troubleshooted technical disruptions (recordings, projectors, hybrid setups) for 100+ classrooms, reducing classroom technology downtime by over 30% across campus and increasing system reliability for instructors.
Hinman Lab at UIUC Champaign, IL
Neuroscience Research Assistant September 2022 – May 2023
- Assisted with operation of a dozen electrophysiology procedures (i.e. electrode implantation) in rats under Dr. James Hinman.
- Conducted training/supervision for over 50 rats on spatial memory tasks and data collection for downstream analysis.
- Identified novel coding properties of individual hippocampal neurons in egocentric spatial coding in rats.
Grace Made It Evanston, IL
Freelance Designer (Self-Employed) August 2022 – Present
- Designed and handcrafted over 30 custom tailored clothing pieces - from sketches and mockups to final sewing - while maintaining a strong brand identity and adhering to client specifications.
- Operated on a sustainable/zero-waste design philosophy as a commitment for positive change within the fashion industry, thus sourcing all fabric second-hand as well as subscribing to an anti-microtrend principle to promote timeless fashion.
- Promoted designs/services through social media marketing (Instagram, Facebook) and boosted engagement via Meta Ads.
CLASS PROJECTS
Today Only! Champaign, IL
CS 465: User Interface Design August 2024 - December 2024
- Conducted user research and usability testing to identify student needs and validate a calendar-based food deal solution.
- Created prototypes in Figma, and implemented the full app in Android Studio using React Native and various APIs (Google Calendar, Google Places, Yelp).
Home @ Illinois Champaign, IL
DTX 251: Introduction to Design Thinking August 2023 - December 2023
- Designed a mentorship program to ease international student transition to campus life
- Conducted surveys of a hundred international and local students using Google Forms and a street team to understand critical factors in mentor-mentee fit, and ensure that paired students would successfully bond with their partner.
- Created Figma prototypes informed by research insights to support student engagement and ease of use.
SKILLS
C++, Python, Python (Pandas), HTML, CSS, Figma, Rally, Microsoft 365 Suite, Sewing/Clothing Design, Scaled Agile Framework, Usability Testing, Adobe Photoshop, Software Troubleshooting, Miro, Data mining