Since graduating in 2015 and earning an M.S. in human computer interaction from Georgia Tech, Rachel LeRoy has moved up quickly in her career. In the past four years, she’s held four positions with increasing responsibility at Facebook. Currently, she’s a user experience (UX) research manager.
As a first-year student, LeRoy tried on different "hats" to figure out her path. With the help of caring faculty, she identified her strengths and settled on a degree in marketing. At the same time, she was a member of the equestrian and women’s soccer teams and oversaw the financial, production and marketing functions of Viking Furniture, one of 15 Berry Student Enterprises. As an early participant in HackBerry Lab, Berry’s makerspace, LeRoy got hands-on experience in creative technology. One of her favorite memories is collaborating with faculty to develop wearable tech for horses.
“HackBerry introduced me to a new industry, career option and way of problem solving,” LeRoy says. “I credit my success to the Berry mentors that encouraged me to continuously learn, compete, pick myself back up when I fail and reflect on what could be done differently. … Through Zane Cochran’s and Dr. John Grout’s encouragement, I learned about Georgia Tech’s human computer interaction program and knew it was the field I wanted to be in.”
Cochran, clinical assistant professor of creative technologies, loves to tell his students about Rachel’s passion for creative problem-solving: “Rachel rose to every challenge and pushed forward with new ideas. It’s that determination that sets her apart as one of the most innovative students I’ve worked with.”
