Samantha is pursuing her PhD studies at McGill University in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, focusing on human factors in aerospace design. She completed an undergraduate in Industrial Design and a Master’s in HCI at Carleton University in Ottawa, Ontario. During her masters in HCI, Samantha researched the application of XR techniques in airline design and human factors research.
Samantha was born and raised in northern Ontario and is French Canadien with Métis ancestry. Most of her hobbies consist of playing many sports, notably soccer and skiing, and spending as much time outdoors, which is heavily influenced by her childhood of playing and hiking in the forest on the Northern shores of Lake Huron.
Before Samantha enrolled in the PhD at McGill, she had the privilege to design and research for companies such as the NRC, IBM, Umbra Ltd and more. As a designer, Samantha is an ambassador for creating equal opportunity in the product to create a positive experience for all users through user-centered design methods and the best ergonomics practice.
For her PhD research, Samantha is part of the ADvanced AIRspace Usability (ADAIR) project. She applies her skills in user-centered design, creativity, and the exploration of emerging technology to help make design decisions that will support the air travel design of the future. While pursuing her PhD at McGill, she aspires to help mentor individuals from small rural communities and women to get more involved in STEM programs at a university level.