Don Duprez, PhD: Experience

Experience

From academic fieldwork to enterprise UX research, with a consistent focus on building programs that outlast a single project.

Senior Staff UX Researcher & Strategist

Apple, Inc. · Austin, TX · Sept 2021 – Present

Designed and led foundational and evaluative research programs covering internal tools, support systems, and employee workflows, with study cycles from two-week rapid tests to six-month-plus longitudinal work, and program scope ranging from single-team pilots to organization-wide initiatives. Built reusable research infrastructure, including automation- and augmentation-focused user archetypes and recruitment frameworks, and formalized a repeatable pilot and proof-of-concept methodology, spanning usability validation through foundational and strategic evaluation, for assessing new tools before rollout.

Led applied studies on AI sentiment, heuristics, and guidance, and began developing an AI-assisted internal research repository focused on reducing rework and mitigating risk, to make years of historical findings searchable at scale. Advocated for democratized access to research and synthesis, presenting to teams and senior leadership and supporting localization of research and tooling across global geographies. Serve as a trusted research partner to senior and cross-functional stakeholders, inform funding and procurement decisions for research-backed tools, and actively mentor early-career researchers and contractors.

Proxemics Manager/Researcher & Inbound/Outbound Operations Manager

Amazon · Thornton, CO · Oct 2019 – Sept 2021

Researched and analyzed proxemics, public-health guidance, and social-distance performance initiatives; led corporate ethnographic projects on operations and associate retention. Separately managed daily departmental operations, applying Six Sigma/Lean methods, KPI analysis, Gemba research, and Kaizen sessions to drive measurable cost savings.

Cultural Anthropologist & Ethnographic Research Fellow

Kohima Institute · Kohima, Nagaland (Remote, pro bono) · June 2017 – Sept 2021

Supported international, interdisciplinary research examining how cultural and ethnic groups use social media and community organization to respond to natural disasters and public health crises, including the COVID-19 pandemic, with a focus on under-represented populations.

Google Express SOC II & Metrics Analyst

Google / SMX · Boulder, CO · Sept 2017 – Mar 2019

Managed daily operations across a network of Google Express retail and remote seller sites, leading a team of 3–7. Combined quantitative process metrics (RTY, DPMO) with ethnographic interviews and observation to benchmark the Google Shopping app and drive local, regional, and national operational improvements.

PhD Researcher & Graduate Teaching Assistant

University of Edinburgh · Edinburgh, UK · Sept 2011 – Dec 2015

Designed and executed independent ethnographic dissertation research; taught 3 courses across 6 semesters in theory, ethnography, and advanced anthropology (HEA-accredited). Presented original research at conferences, workshops, and in publications.

Research Assistant

Teachers for a New Era, Chinese Educational Council · Northridge, CA / Wuhan, Hubei, PRC · Feb 2009 – Nov 2010

Helped design a multi-year study evaluating a teacher-training program; developed and administered surveys, conducted ethnographic interviews, analyzed education policy, and contributed to grant writing for continued Carnegie Mellon Foundation funding.

Project & Design Manager, Insight/UX/CX Researcher

GOiMarketing · Westlake Village, CA · Mar 2007 – Jan 2009

Ran UX/CX research and product design for 50+ client projects across diverse industries. Combined benchmarking, NPS/survey research, click mapping, and deep ethnographic interviews with journey mapping, card sorting, and remote A/B testing to guide agile product development.

—Former Customer