University of Michigan School of Information
User experience expert Chloe Preble develops intuitive learning experiences in extended reality

Monday, 03/14/2022
Chloe Preble is a Master of Science in Information student at the University of Michigan School of Information (UMSI), where she channels her user experience expertise into developing intuitive learning experiences that leverage new immersive technologies.
Chloe grew up in an academic family. Her parents began pursuing their undergraduate and then graduate degrees soon after she was born, raising her amidst many different ideas, cultures and institutions. Her upbringing instilled value in education. “I knew I was always destined for grad school,” she says.
Chloe’s undergraduate education in psychology and sociology led her to become fascinated by user experience (UX) and its combination of user- and data-centered design. She decided to pursue a graduate degree in UX — but at which institution?
“I knew that when it comes to grad school, you go to the best program you can,” Chloe says. “It makes an enormous amount of difference in your career trajectory.” She says the University of Michigan immediately rose to the top because of UMSI’s highly ranked UX curriculum.
One of the highlights she’s experienced at the school has been her master’s thesis work with UMSI clinical associate professor Michelle Aebersold on “Under the Skin,” a virtual reality simulation that trains nurses and pharmacists in chemotherapy safety.
If I had gone to any other school, I can’t imagine that I would have had such a sweet opportunity. It’s empowering to have someone to mentor me and collaborate with in the research process, and to be able to take on higher impact pieces of the research like writing the protocol.
Chloe will present her Master’s Thesis Option Program (MTOP) thesis defense, "The User Experience of Learning in Virtual Reality: Under The Skin," at 9:30 a.m. EDT on Thursday, April 14. Michelle Aebersold serves as the MTOP faculty advisor and will preside over the MTOP thesis defense, along with Michael Nebeling, who serves as a committee member.
Read about Chloe’s work focused on the user experience of learning in virtual reality, and the upcoming U-M tech events where she will present ahead of her May 2022 graduation, in her Faces of UMSI profile.