Teodora Ivanova

San Mateo, CA 94403 | (408)368-6358 | ivanova1st@gmail.com | www.linkedin.com/in/ivanova1st

As a dynamic and versatile researcher, I blend ethnographic expertise with a passion for technology to enhance user experiences and drive human-centered design. With a strong anthropological academic foundation from UCLA and hands-on experience with design through University of Santa Clara, I am eager to explore the domains of UX research and human-computer interaction.

RESEARCHER & Designer

CORE COMPETENCIES

• User Experience Research: Generative research, ethnographic field studies, contextual interviews, user testing

• Data Analysis: Robust data collection and analysis, ethnographic mapping, qualitative and quantitative methods

• Collaboration and Communication: Cross-functional teamwork, public speaking, presenting actionable insights.

• Technical Skills: Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and Figma (wireframing, prototyping)

EDUCATION

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, LOS ANGELES | Los Angeles, CA - Bachelor of Arts, Anthropology

FOOTHILL COLLEGE | Los Altos Hills, CA – Associate of Arts- Honors, Social Sciences

SANTA CLARA UNIVERSITY | Workforce Institute – UX IU Design Bootcamp

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

PUBLICATIONS – “FEMALE FIRSTS”, University of Utah Press

Co-Author 02/2023 – Present

  • Collaborating on a chapter, “Francis Watkins: Digging Deeper into Her Life”, alongside R.Mills and V.Watson for a book on women archeologists of the 20th century

  • Main archival researcher for the chapter

  • Collaborated with the Autry Museum to examine the life and works of Francis Watkins

  • Recorded and organized data to share with colleagues.

  • Second draft in the works

DENTALCHAT - UX/UI DESIGN INTERNSHIP | San Mateo, USA

Intern 05/28/2025- 07/05/2025

  • Research and design intern working on DentalChat.com and Teledental.com

  • Provided wireframes and prototype designs focused on improving navigation, reducing cognitive load, and drawing attention to important CTAs

  • Informational architecture redesigns of services offered and relevant dentistry topics

  • Created multiple designs for Sign In and Registration pages for both dentists and patients

  • Performed heuristic evaluations on various landing pages and discussed potential usability concerns/ and design recommendations regarding services offered through the relevant platforms.

  • Attended meetings where I worked alongside other designers, developers, marketing, and senior management. Collaborating in an interdisciplinary team allowed for a more cohesive approach and wholistic design.

  • Engaged stakeholders to understand needs, expectations, and project goals/impacts.

CASTLES IN COMMUNITIES – FIELD-SCHOOL | Ballintober, Ireland

Research Staff 07/2017- 08/2022

  • Head of section for the cultural unit, teaching ethnographic methods and guiding independent student projects.

  • Conducted formative research for the Heritage Map Project to assist in developing a wholistic and novel platform for highlighting heritage sites.

  • Collaborated with diverse community stakeholders to leverage multiple narratives and enhance platform functionality and relevance. This project has educational, touristic, and preservation implications.

  • Strengthened program engagement through effective communication and rapport-building with participants.

  • Composed independent research questions regarding relationship between field school and town, as well as its impact on the local relationship to heritage and material culture.

CLEAR LAKE ARCHAEOLOGY PROJECT | Clear Lake, CA

Section Lead 07/2021

  • Co-led and taught the applied anthropology section of program, emphasizing service learning.

  • Organized field trips and opportunities to explore cultural regions and practice ethnographic field techniques. Taught various field methods along with data collection and organization techniques.

  • Built rapport and communicated with different sections of the community to gain a better understanding of the social landscape in which we were living. By doing this we were able to identify local social dynamics and concerns related and unrelated to the program.

  • Explored the importance of service learning and community-based archaeology, as well as cultural anthropology’s relevance to the field.

PAMBAMARCA FIELD SCHOOL | Cangahua, Ecuador

Research Student 07/2014

  • Research participant in the Ecuador project where program directors emphasized “connecting the past with the present” in their research design. The archaeological research was combined with anthropological study of the social, cultural, and historical landscape in which we were working to create a wholistic understanding of the region.

  • Completed independent research and ethnography on Plaza de Toros and bull fights in Cangahua.

  • Conducted research on cultural and religious syncretism illustrated in this tradition using various ethnographic techniques.

  • Applied various field methods such as thick description, contextual interviews, ethnographic mapping, and survey techniques to get a better physical and social understanding of our surroundings.

  • Created and presented a budget proposal for the program to secure funding for student scholarships and local community projects.

  • Applied the ethnographic techniques we learned to conduct interviews with various residents to learn about the different needs and projects of the village.

CUSTOMER RELATIONS EXPERIENCE

PHILZ COFFEE | San Mateo, CA

Team Lead 01/2023 — Present

  • Manage store operations and employees.

  • Ensure smooth and pleasant experience for customers and employees.

  • Train new team members on recipes, customer engagement, and various operational and maintenance responsibilities.

  • Disseminate relevant and important information to the team in effective manner.

  • Build rapport with team members to promote dialogue and feedback.

  • Anticipate store needs and understand flow of store. Prioritize different operational needs and functions of team and store.

PHILZ COFFEE | Pasadena, CA

Barista 09/2019 – 05/2022

  • Communicated with diverse clientele and personalized experiences.

  • Built relationships with our regulars.

  • Transitioned between responsibilities in fast-paced environment.

STARBUCKS | Cupertino, CA

Shift Supervisor 01/2017 – 08/2019

  • Trained incoming baristas on recipes, flow of operations, and store expectations

  • Coached in the moment

  • Fostered a culture of feedback where I encouraged baristas to communicate openly to myself and each other. This improved the cohesion of the store and raised standards by having a team that held each other accountable and were comfortable with giving and receiving feedback freely.

LOS ALTOS EYECARE | Los Altos, CA

Medical Receptionist 01/2017 - 06/2017

  • Scheduled appointments, greeted patients, and helped with office organization.

  • Assisted customers selecting frames by gathering client stylistic and functional needs.