Samantha McDonald, PhD.

From the U.S. Congress to Meta,

I bridge the gap between complex systems and real-world impact. Whether it’s shaping policy, improving user experiences, or empowering communities, my work brings curiosity, clarity, and strategic thinking to every challenge.

Education:

I received a Ph.D. and M.S. in Informatics from the University of California, Irvine (UCI) in the Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences, working under the advisement of Dr. Melissa Mazmanian. I was additionally supported by Dr. Bill Tomlinson and Dr. Bonnie Nardi.

My dissertation explores theories of representative democracy, deliberative democracy, civic technology, and the U.S. Congress. It was funded by the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowships Program (NSF GRFP) and the Laboratory for Ubiquitous Computing Interaction (LUCI). I was also affiliated with the Jack W. Peltason Center for the Study of Democracy.

I completed my undergraduate at The College of Engineering and Information Technology at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC). While there, I had the pleasure of working as a student researcher in the Prototyping and Design Lab (PAD) run by Dr. Amy Hurst, conducting research on accessible human-computer interaction.

Personal Pursuits

Volunteering:

I am the founder of the VoteLikeIts2020 fundraising campaign for voter equality in America (VoteLikeIts2020.com).

I am also a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) for the Orange County foster care system.

Sailing:

My partner own a 37ft sailboat named Ambrósia. We recently completed a 2-year ‘sea’-battical, living off-grid and cruising over 7,000 nautical miles of the Pacific Ocean between California, Mexico, and French Polynesia.

This experience greatly expanded my exposure to different ways of living, and it deepened my understanding of global societal challenges. I consider this experience to be my ‘PhD in life’ and a valuable asset in both a personal and professional context.

VoteLikeIts2020

CASA OC

S.V. Ambrósia