Mary Tucker, PhD
About Mary Tucker, PhD
Mary Tucker, PhD, is a Senior User Researcher at Barracuda, with extensive experience in education, learning technology design, and user research methodologies.
Current Role at Barracuda
Mary Tucker, PhD, currently holds the position of Senior User Researcher at Barracuda. In her role, she has developed and implemented the first user insights program at the company. Her work focuses on both technical and non-technical professional populations. Mary collaborates closely with cross-functional teams including designers, product managers, engineers, and executives to integrate user research insights into broader company strategies. She also partners with data science and marketing teams, contributing to the company’s overall approach to user research.
Previous Experience at University of California, Los Angeles
Before joining Barracuda, Mary Tucker worked at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in various capacities. From 2018 to 2021, she served as a Graduate Teaching Fellow. Additionally, from 2017 to 2022, she held the position of Graduate Research Fellow at UCLA. During her tenure, she contributed to research and teaching in psychology, gaining significant experience in education and learning technology design.
Research and Learning Scientist at CourseKata
From 2017 to 2022, Mary Tucker worked at CourseKata as a Researcher and Learning Scientist. She engaged in research that aimed to make learning more accessible and engaging. Her responsibilities included designing and implementing educational technology solutions and conducting research to inform the development of these tools.
Academic Background in Psychology
Mary Tucker holds a PhD in Psychology from UCLA, achieved after five years of study from 2017 to 2022. She also completed a Master of Arts in Psychology at UCLA during a period of one year from 2017 to 2018. Her undergraduate studies were completed at Duke University, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with minors in Visual Art and Visual and Media Studies from 2006 to 2010.
Early Career and Teaching Positions
Mary Tucker began her career in education and research with roles such as Director of Teacher Happiness at Sokikom from 2014 to 2015 and Math Learning Specialist at TEAM Charter Schools: A KIPP Region from 2012 to 2014. She also served as a Special Education Teacher at Teach for America, Colorado, from 2010 to 2012. Additionally, she gained early research experience as a Research Assistant at Stanford Psychophysiology Laboratory and David Rubin Laboratory.