MSI student Phil Mendez carves dynamic path driving social change through research

Master of Science in Information student Phil Mendez has spent most of his life trying to find ways to fuse seemingly disparate interests into a lifelong career. 

There’s his love of teaching, his passion for people and his wide array of hobbies like farming, programming and cooking. He’s also an editing, writing and media studies graduate with years of experience working in nonprofit and connecting with communities. 

While teaching middle school students in Spain during the pandemic, Phil began wondering how all these areas of interest might fit together. He began researching information degrees, attracted to the idea of using “technology and design as tools to solve problems.” 

At the University of Michigan School of Information, Phil has been able to meaningfully engage all his passions while earning his MSI degree with a focus in user experience research and design. He has served as a graduate student instructor and taken advantage of services through UMSI’s Engaged Learning Office to gain hands-on experience. 

For one of his classes, Phil created a mobile app to coordinate volunteers, managers and shoppers at Maize and Blue Cupboard, U-M’s campus food pantry. 

UMSI is not a theoretical program. It’s boots on the ground, working with clients, coming up with solutions and gaining real-world experience.

Read more about Phil’s qualitative research, centered on connecting with communities and driving social change, as well as his favorite parts of being a member of the UMSI community in his Faces of UMSI profile.