Where are they now?
What have you been up to since graduating UW?
Since graduating from UW Dr. Dosono has received his PhD in Information Science and Technology. He spent his PhD days researching how those in society interact with technology, specifically how people use social media while they experience transition and disruption in their lives. His dissertation focused on how Reddit users use online communities to decolonize their identities with a focus on “understanding the Asian Pacific American experience identity and how it manifested online”. He also spent time mentoring underserved students and assisted them in creating their own research projects. Today Dr. Dosono is a Senior User Experience and Design Researcher at Ebay.
Where do you see yourself in 5-10 years?
A leader within UX research and continuing to work with a diverse population to understand how they use technology. Dr. Dosono wants to continue learning about how to make systems more secure, designed for better privacy, and how they can “minimize the amount of harm that they may inadvertently cause to society at large.”
What is something you learned during college that you still use?
The value of networking. Dr. Dosono wanted to ensure that he had a foundation of support and resources to help him and the community around him, to “better improve their collective social conditions.” This led him to get involved with ASUW, the Filipino American Student Association, and the Lambda Phi Epsilon Fraternity. These groups gave him the opportunity to connect with mentors and gain service learning experiences that allowed him to be a better civic contributor and connect to the community around him. Mentors in his fraternity connected him to study abroad opportunities which resulted in him understanding his place in the broader global community. The skill of networking, through all the organizations he was involved with, taught him the importance of developing a broad range of perspectives. Dr. Dosono was exposed to how those in other communities and with different backgrounds think, which ultimately led him to empathize with other points of view.
Biggest piece of advice for current students?
Dr. Dosono recommends finding groups, like LSAMP, and different support systems that allow you to navigate the complex environments presented in college. Connecting with faculty advisors, program counselors and subject matter experts that can give you next steps for the path you’re on and lead you to resources you did not know you had. Dr. Dosono mentioned how great it was to connect with mentors that were of color and finding others that looked like him was a key motivator.
How did LSAMP contribute to helping you achieve your goals?
Describe some highlights from your LSAMP experience.
Dr. Dosono fondly remembers LSAMP Staff connecting him to resources that he never knew her had. He got exposed to a community of faculty mentors and students, who at times were not in his major. This provided him with a new perspective when he practiced presenting research in the LSAMP center. He revealed that the center gave him a place to decompress and study, especially on the days when his schedule was very packed. Dr. Dosono now gives back as an alumni to LSAMP students through providing perspective of life after college through networking events, serving as a conference reviewer and taking on the role as a conference judge to give feedback on research presentations.
What were some of the challenges you faced, in the classroom/student groups/organizations? What got you through it?
The biggest challenge Dr. Dosono faced was being overprogrammed. He elaborated on how students are expected to take on many other roles in other to succeed. He came to “understand the framework for capturing all the required components or assignments” that were due and made sure all all of the time he had counted. Creating habits like time boxing his schedule, using push reminders on a cell phone, or finding the most convenient place to study between classes were the key solutions to this challenge. The LSAMP center was a space Dr. Dosono frequently visited due to the convenience of not having to go all the way back to his residence between classes. Time management was a huge skill Dr. Dosono developed and t allows him to juggle even more in his career today.