User Experience (UX) Internship

a team works on a card sorting exercise at a table

Photo by UX Indonesia on Unsplash

The libraries' UX Internship is designed for students interested in learning qualitative research methods and fundamentals for conducting user research. Interns learn to take responsibility for all aspects of the research process, beginning with articulating good research questions, then choosing the best research methods (web usability, information architecture, interviews, and others), gathering data ethically, analyzing results, and presenting them to project leadership.

A two-semester commitment is required, as is attendance at a weekly team meeting in the fall semester on Friday afternoons from 1:30 - 3:00 pm. Focus shifts in the spring semester to independent projects and individual weekly project check-in times.

Previous experience is not needed, but an interest in user research and human computer interaction is desired, as well as an interest in the libraries and the usability of library online properties (Tripod, the Libraries' website, Research Guides, and others.) Priority will also be given to juniors and seniors interested in exploring the field of UX.

Read about current and past projects on the blog, AUX@Swarthmore.

Interested students should look for application announcements each Spring semester after Spring Break. Email Assessment + User Experience Librarian, Mary Huissen, at mhuisse1@swarthmore.edu with questions.

LibUX Interns 2024/25

Aviva Weiser

Aviva Weiser

Aviva Weiser, ‘26 (she/her) is from Denver, Colorado and is pursuing a major in Neuroscience and a minor in Spanish. She is interested in using psychology to help create better UX design. In her free time she enjoys reading, cooking, and running.

Catherine King

Catherine King

Catherine King, '27 (she/her) is a junior chemistry major from Mount Vernon, NY. She is interested in the ways students use the libraries' physical study spaces and why. She likes to play video games and read manga in her free time.

Ivy Lin

Ivy Lin

Ivy Lin, ‘28 is from Queens, New York and is pursuing a double major in Economics and Fine Arts with a concentration in painting. She is interested in exploring the intersections between technology, design, and user experience. In her free time she enjoys painting, badminton, and procrastinating with friends.

Lena Habtu

Lena Habtu

Lena Habtu, ’26 (she/her) is from New York City, studying Political Sociology and minoring in Computer Science and Arabic. She is passionate about human-computer interaction research, and ethical and legislative implications of those interactions.

Nayra Humala

Nayra Humala

Nayra Humala, ‘27 is a student from Peru pursuing a special major in Sociology/Anthropology and Education Studies. She’s passionate about making quality education accessible to underrepresented communities . At Swarthmore, she’s been involved with the International community as an International Orientation Leader and this past summer, conducted research on possible improvements to the medical school curricula amidst the opioid crisis in Philadelphia. In her free time, she likes to sing and journal.

Nicole Barmasai

Nicole Barmasai

Nicole Barmasai, ‘26 is a senior from Kenya majoring in Economics and Psychology. Over the past two summers, she worked as a research assistant with behavioral science organizations, and learned the value of understanding human biases when designing policies. She’s excited about exploring how UX can help create effective financial tools. In her free time, she enjoys catching up with her family and has recently taken up painting.

Yeimely Garcia

Yeimely Garcia

Yeimely Garcia, ‘26 is a Senior from New York City double majoring in Psychology and Religion. She’s interested in combining her study in psychology with technology and design. In her free time, she loves watching movies, listening to music, and spending time with friends.