Cristen Jones
About Cristen Jones
Cristen Jones is a Technical Lead at MBTA with extensive experience in data visualization, UI/UX design, and urban planning.
Company
Cristen Jones is currently working at MBTA as a Technical Lead. The MBTA, or Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, is located in the Greater Boston Area, where Cristen has been contributing since 2019. Their role involves leading engineering efforts focusing on backend development using Elixir and frontend technologies like React.
Previous Positions
Cristen Jones has an extensive work history in the Greater Boston Area and beyond. Before joining MBTA, Cristen worked at MITRE as a Senior Data Visualization Developer and UI Designer from 2014 to 2019. They also held the position of UX Associate at BrightQuant, Inc. and served as a Graphic Design Intern at Freight Farms. Earlier roles also include internships at Peregrine Energy Group, Regional Plan Association, MIT SENSEable Cities Lab, MIT-USGS Science Impact Collaborative, MIT, and Enterprise Community Partners.
Education and Expertise
Cristen Jones holds an MRP in City & Regional Planning from Cornell University, achieved from 2010 to 2012. They also have a BSAD in Architecture from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, earned from 2006 to 2010. Their expertise spans urban planning, geospatial analysis, transportation engineering, data visualization, and UX/UI design, making them uniquely qualified for their current role.
Technical Skills and Specializations
Cristen specializes in creating 508 compliant web projects, ensuring accessibility for users with disabilities. In the current technical lead role at MBTA, Cristen uses Elixir for backend development, React for frontend tasks, and integrates these with the MBTA V3 API and Drupal CMS. They also utilize various AWS infrastructure components to support and optimize the engineering efforts.
Focus on User-Centered Design
Throughout their career, Cristen Jones has focused on improving the relationship between citizens and government through user-centered design. Their background in urban planning, geospatial analysis, and transportation engineering informs their approach to software development. This holistic understanding ensures that the projects they lead are both technically proficient and user-friendly.