Andrea Brennan
Online Portfolio
Andrea H. Talley Brennan
340 S. Elmwood Ln., Palatine IL 60067-7714
847-404-7229
andreabrennan@lycos.com
Education
The last thing you could say about my academic career is that it is vertical! I
explored several different areas as a student, which has given me a better
understanding and appreciation of both the technical and business sides of
product development and the user experience.
Undergraduate
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
My academic experience included two majors:
Civil Engineering—for three years, I fulfilled the requirements for civil engineering studies,
including mathematics through differential equations. My CE courses included
structural and fluid dynamics. Ultimately, I decided that the major I selected
when I was a sixteen-year-old freshman was not the career I wanted to pursue.
Russian Area Studies—I completed my undergraduate degree studying the economic, cultural and
political system of Russia and the Soviet Union. I was also able to speak the
Russian language at that time. I enjoyed this major, which coincided with a
dramatic period in Soviet history and increased my appreciation for other
cultures.
Cambridge University (Emmanuel College), England
Prior to starting my graduate studies, I spent one summer studying English
literature (namely, William Shakespeare) at Emmanuel College. It was a
rewarding experience and my first trip on my own to a foreign country. Being
there helped prepare me for business travel to England later in my career.
Graduate
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
I took the scenic route to obtain my Master’s degree in journalism. My initial attempt had a few stumbles, but I learned a
lot about communicating information to people. Also, during this time,
electronic publishing became an increasingly prevalent alternative to
traditional printing. I learned how to use a computer to create graphics and
lay out a printed page. Even though I didn’t get my degree at first, I started working in editorial positions.
After a gap of several years, I completed my studies. I had to retake some
classes because technology had changed the curriculum. By now, I had been using
a computer for technical documentation and presentation for several years, and
was recognized by my peers as a good writer and competent software user. The
UIUC Journalism department head congratulated me for my tenacious effort to get
my degree, noting that I received an A in every course I retook.
DePaul University
Unlike my UIUC degrees, I pursued my MBA with ruthless determination. I was
working at a multinational corporation, and wanted to be more involved with
product development and marketing. This led me to a degree in international
business with a focus on marketing. I explored how empathy with the user, and
product understanding by the user, could help make products more desirable and
useful.
While I was an MBA student, I continued to work and travel. I reported to
managers in England and traveled there, and visited the Middle East and South
America for graduate study trips. Notably, while studying for my Master’s degree, I was promoted into a supervisory position, and shortly after
receiving my degree, was promoted again into a management position.
 |
Noting how one corporation supported education and mentoring to generate a
positive image and create a workforce that could afford the corporation’s products, I suggested that other companies could broaden their consumer base
by being generous citizens.
Back at work, I suggested to my managers that we should include product features
that appeal to a broader range of consumers, and support student interns who
had a different perspective.
 |
I was inspired by my research to launch a web site for my department. I
participated in the creation of the company’s initial corporate web standards and then trained an engineer to become the
webmaster.
