Tara Tressel, PhD, is a senior UX researcher who specializes in uncovering human motivations behind complex systems. With over seven years of experience leading mixed-methods research across education, technology, and AI, she’s built and scaled research functions at organizations like Brilliant.org and Study.com. Her work blends rigorous methodology with creative experimentation, most recently exploring how AI can extend qualitative depth and researcher reach.

Tara holds a PhD in Educational Psychology from McGill University, where she studied how people learn and make decisions. She’s passionate about designing research practices that make insight generation both more human and more scalable, empowering teams to stay curious even when resources are tight.