Ioana Ferariu
Interdisciplinary Researcher & Technologist
Interdisciplinary researcher, technologist, poet, dancer, life-long curious person and, as my LinkedIn used to say, full-time human. I studied Cognitive Science as an independent concentration at Princeton University, working in a question-first methodology, first by looking at language from multi-disciplinary angles (linguistics, philosophy, psychology, machine learning, neuroscience), and further expanding to topics in media theory, architecture and history.
In search of translating the Cognitive Science topics into applied everyday settings, I’ve been working as Product Manager and User Experience Researcher at companies big and small in the US and Europe, leveraging each position to be a strong advocate for integrating diverse and collaborative perspectives at each step of design and development.
As a complement to this, I’ve spent a year discovering and exploring movement research and dance improvisation (most of it in Berlin), an experience which has influenced and nuanced my approaches on community and individuality, and on what it means to be an inclusive teacher. I’m currently pursuing an MBA program, continuing my independent research, and setting up programs to provide accessible, personalized guidance for small businesses and (women) founders.
My interest in the topic of this course is very personal, and quite rooted in my identity. I’ve had the privilege to collaborate with people from many fields, industries, cultures, and backgrounds, and navigating tensions and disagreements via leaning into their beauty and richness has been at the core of each experience. I look forward to exploring further with you.
