Hi, I’m James

Strategic Research Leader & Behavioral Science Expert

I transform complex user problems into clear business opportunities through strategic research that drives measurable outcomes.

$20M+ Influenced

400:1 Average ROI

10+ Adopted Frameworks

3 Industries Transformed

Who I Am
TL;DR

I’m a Senior UX Researcher with a Ph.D. in Social Psychology who prevents expensive mistakes, optimizes resource allocation, and builds stakeholder consensus through evidence.

My superpower? Translating academic rigor, on startup timelines, into business impact that moves metrics.

Currently driving strategic research at Fanatics Sportsbook. Previously at PointsBet, and before that, leading research organizations in higher education where UX meant the difference between graduation and dropout.

Professional Evolution: The Journey

Social Psychology Ph.D. → Institutional Research Director → UX Research Leader

Started: Studying decision-making and human behavior in academic settings

Evolved: Leading institutional research where I discovered that improving student retention meant solving UX problems, just with higher stakes than most apps

Pivoted: Bringing those insights to digital products, from sports betting to complex user interfaces

Current: Preventing failed launches and optimizing how organizations invest millions, all while moving at product development speed.

The constant: Understanding human behavior to remove friction from goals, with progressively larger budgets and impact at stake.

What Makes Me Different

Academic Rigor on Startup Timelines

  • Ph.D. in Social Psychology with expertise in experimental design
  • Advanced statistical analysis (SEM, GLM, multivariate regression)
  • Published researcher with peer-reviewed work
  • Quick turnarounds, rapid synthesis, parallel processing, & decision focused outputs

Leadership Experience

  • Former Director of Institutional Research (2 organizations)
  • Managed teams of 15+ researchers and analysts
  • Led organization-wide strategic initiatives

Cross-Industry Perspective

  • Higher education: Student success and retention optimization
  • Gaming & entertainment: User engagement and monetization
  • Digital products: Complex interface and workflow optimization

Continuous Growth

  • Active in Toastmasters for presentation excellence
  • Current focus: Python, SQL, and advanced data visualization

Research Philosophy: Evidence Over Opinion, Always

Evidence Over Opinion – Delivered Fast

Great research balances three elements:
Scientific Rigor – Every study designed for valid, reliable, & fast insights
Business Context – Research that answers real business questions
Human Understanding – Because users are people, not data points

I specialize in mixed-methods research that provides both statistical
confidence and behavioral understanding, in weeks, not quarters. This means I’ll run quantitative analysis to prove impact AND sit with users to understand the why behind the what.

Recent track record:

  • Delivered VIP user insights in 72 hours for critical pivot decision
  • Prevented $2M product failure with 2-week validation study
  • Influenced $10M roadmap through 3-week research sprint

The Speed Difference

My Approach: 2-week sprints, lean slide decks, decisions made

How I deliver fast without cutting corners:

  • Start with the decision that needs to be made, work backward
  • Use existing data and behavioral analytics to accelerate insights
  • Run parallel research streams instead of sequential phases
  • Deliver iterative findings so teams can act immediately
  • Focus on “good enough to decide” not “academically perfect”

The result? Research that actually influences products before they ship, not after they fail.

Authenticity in action. I believe the best insights come from being genuine – in research, in collaboration, and yes, even in headshots.

Beyond the Work; The Full Picture

Former Touring Musician

  • Bass player for Hand Me Down Buick (find us on Apple & Spotify)
  • Played Warped Tour and House of Blues
  • Learned stakeholder management the hard way (2 AM venue negotiations)

Current Adventures

  • Father of two boys who are my toughest critics
  • Pennsylvania resident building bridges across political divides
  • Lifelong learner tackling Python, portfolio building, and executive communication

Why does this matter? Because diverse experiences create better researchers. Tour logistics taught me project management. Parenting taught me patience with difficult stakeholders. And explaining research to my family taught me how to make complex insights accessible to anyone.

What I’m Looking For; The Right Fit

I excel in environments that value:

  • Strategic thinking over tactical execution
  • Evidence-based decisions over opinion-driven choices
  • Real collaboration over buzzword bingo
  • Outcome measurement over output tracking

If you need someone who can:
✅ Challenge assumptions diplomatically
✅ Transform chaos into actionable frameworks
✅ Make research indispensable to your organization
✅ Drive measurable business impact through user insights

Let’s have a conversation.

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