Hi! I'm Dr. Lauren C. Batista, a strategic thinker and research practitioner at the intersection of learning, leadership, and technology, bringing an interdisciplinary approach to innovation, and guided by passion, character, and curiosity. Immersed between the trifecta of product, engineering, and user experience design, I translate research into actionable strategies that enhance employee learning and product development.
A fuller picture of who I am beyond the work, and what keeps me growing.
Beyond my professional work, three pursuits define how I live and lead: continuous learning, fitness, and travel. Each reflects a commitment to growth and self-improvement, and together they shape the perspective and discipline I bring to everything I do.
I believe in growing with intention while staying true to who I am. Here is a closer look at the three pursuits that keep me moving forward.
Curiosity drives me. I am always seeking new skills, ideas, and perspectives, and that pursuit extends well beyond any classroom, from refining a training plan to understanding a new culture while traveling. For me, learning is constant.
Fitness is a cornerstone of how I care for myself. It builds physical strength and mental clarity, and the resilience it develops carries directly into how I lead. In team sports especially, I am reminded that collective effort accomplishes far more than any individual could alone.
Travel is one of my most valuable forms of learning. Each journey broadens my perspective, deepens my empathy, and reinforces why a global, inclusive point of view matters, both in life and in leadership.
I lead with outcomes: the problem, the strategy, the cross-functional work, and the impact. Below are featured case studies, the craft that supports them, and the perspective that makes my product work in education different.
A quick note on my American Express work: much of my current product work involves proprietary, internal enterprise systems, so I'm unable to share specific artifacts, screenshots, or confidential details publicly. The case study below is intentionally kept high-level; I'm always happy to talk through scope and approach in an interview.
As a Digital Product Manager, I own product strategy and execution for enterprise marketing technology platforms used across marketing and operations teams.
Set roadmaps across multiple enterprise initiatives, led discovery and requirements, defined automation that replaced manual workflows, and drove major portfolio launches alongside Engineering, MarTech, and Operations.
Meaningful gains in operational efficiency and speed-to-market, faster MVP delivery under heavy workload, stronger production support, and a more capable junior product team through mentoring.
🔒 Specific metrics and artifacts withheld for confidentiality. Happy to discuss live.
While teaching grades 6–12, I built and led the digital tools and programs that students and educators relied on day to day.
Led UX/UI design and development of digital learning platforms, designed STEM and mobile-learning initiatives, and used student performance data to continuously refine instruction.
Measurable improvements in engagement and learning outcomes, earned National STEM School Certification through AdvancED/Cognia, and helped secure Verizon / Digital Promise grant funding to put iPads in students' hands.
My dissertation measured how white-collar employees learn informally on the job within hybrid work models, a question at the heart of learning, technology, and the post-pandemic workplace.
Ran a quantitative study using a validated 24-item survey built on the octagon model of informal workplace learning (Decius et al., 2019), plus open-ended items, across 203 professionals in tech, finance, and beyond.
Found that in-office time meaningfully shapes how employees reflect and learn, with implications for how organizations design physical and digital environments and build a learning culture.
The skills behind the case studies. Each links to samples from my broader body of work.
Differentiated, standards-based, and STEAM learning experiences grounded in how people learn.
Read case study → 🔍Qualitative and quantitative research, survey design, and synthesis that turns insight into direction.
Read case study → 🖥️UX/UI for digital platforms, including this site, focused on usability and engagement.
Read case study → 📊Executive-ready decks that make complex strategy land with any audience.
Read case study → 📄Polished one-pagers, briefs, and frameworks that drive alignment and decisions.
Read case study →My two backgrounds feed each other. Years in the classroom, an Ed.D. in Curriculum & Instruction, and research in workplace learning give me a deep understanding of how people actually learn, and my experience as a product manager turns that understanding into strategy, roadmaps, and shipped products. The educator in me knows what users genuinely need; the product manager in me knows how to build and deliver it.
An end-to-end Canvas course equipping school leaders to excel in educational leadership, strengthening stakeholder engagement, school culture, and student outcomes. Designed from discovery through hands-on delivery.
An educational organization was facing organizational conflict and clear leadership performance gaps. School leaders needed practical, evidence-based training in communication and stakeholder engagement, but no structured program existed. I designed one, end to end, treating it like a product: research the real need, define success, build, and deliver.
Ran surveys and interviews with supervisors and their direct reports to gather qualitative and quantitative data on where leadership was actually breaking down.
Outcome: Pinpointed four core gaps: visionary leadership, communication, data-driven decision-making, and emotional intelligence, and produced a structured analysis covering goals, learners, context, and tasks.
📄 Needs Assessment (PDF)Translated the findings into SMART objectives (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, time-bound) to anchor the program in the competencies that mattered most.
Outcome: A clear roadmap aligning instruction and learner outcomes directly to the identified needs.
📄 Learning Objectives (PDF)Built a structured, visual deck on communication styles, stakeholder engagement strategies, and their impact on school culture, grounded in real-world scenarios for practical application.
Outcome: Equipped leaders with concrete tools to strengthen relationships with staff, parents, and students.
📊 Presentation (PPTX)Transformed the static deck into an interactive Edpuzzle video, embedding multiple-choice and open-ended questions, instructor insights, and audio narration to deepen understanding.
Outcome: Active learning and self-assessment that better prepared leaders for real situations.
Consolidated every component into a structured Canvas LMS module, integrating the deck and video, adding resources, discussion forums, assessments, and feedback loops for a centralized, holistic experience.
Outcome: A complete course that fosters interactivity, deeper learning, and practical application of leadership skills, equipping leaders to improve school culture and student outcomes.
VIEW LIVE COURSE →Note: the live course may require a University of Florida login. Consider adding screenshots or a short walkthrough so reviewers can see it without access.
This is the full discovery-to-delivery arc applied to a learning product: I researched the real need, defined measurable objectives, built and iterated on the experience, and shipped it in a live platform. The same instincts I bring to enterprise product work, just in the domain I know best.
My dissertation, Measuring the Informal Learning of White-Collar Hybrid Working Employees, brings rigorous research to a question at the heart of learning, technology, and the modern workplace: how people actually learn on the job in hybrid environments.
An organization's most important asset is its employees. A post-pandemic world has led companies to rethink their workplace systems and integrate changing practices in where and how employees work, specifically, a resurgence of the hybrid work model, a blend of in-office and virtual work. Organizations are also faced with the need for workplace learning to ensure their employees can continually learn and adapt in a volatile and competitive environment. The purpose of this study was to measure the informal workplace learning (IWL) of hybrid working employees in white-collar roles based on the octagon model of informal workplace learning (Decius et al., 2019) as an extension of the Dynamic Model of Informal Learning by Tannenbaum et al. (2010).
A doctorate is, at its core, a multi-year research product: define a real problem, ground it in prior work, design a sound study, analyze the data, and turn findings into something people can act on. That is the same muscle behind strong product discovery.
Investigated how white-collar employees engage in informal workplace learning within hybrid work models, framing the study on the octagon model of informal workplace learning (Decius et al., 2019), an extension of the Dynamic Model of Informal Learning (Tannenbaum et al., 2010).
Outcome: A focused, theory-grounded question tied to a current organizational need.
Ran a quantitative study using a validated 24-item informal workplace learning survey, paired with open-ended items for richer context, across 203 professionals. Most worked in information technology and communications (about 50%) and financial services (about 18%), with government, professional and technical services, education, and manufacturing also represented.
Outcome: Credible quantitative results, deepened by qualitative insight.
Found that the number of in-office days significantly affected employees' reflection-based learning, while years of experience in the hybrid model did not. The qualitative analysis showed that hybrid employees need robust learning environments, support systems, and quality growth opportunities to learn effectively.
Outcome: Recommendations for leaders and organizations on promoting informal learning, including how to redesign physical and digital environments, build a learning-oriented culture, and align policies for flexible work.
READ THE DISSERTATION →Hosted in the University of Florida Digital Collections (open access).
Most PMs run discovery; few have formally trained in research design, validity, and synthesis at the doctoral level. That rigor means I can tell a real signal from noise, and build a roadmap on evidence, not hunches. And the subject itself, how people learn in digital and hybrid environments, maps directly onto building learning and workplace products.
User-centric educational websites built with UX principles and design thinking: pairing function and aesthetics to capture each user's story and deliver a fluid experience.
I design and build educational websites by applying UX principles and the design thinking methodology end to end: in-depth user research, detailed personas for different stakeholders, thoughtful content and navigation structure, and usability testing with iterative improvements. The result is interactive prototypes and seamless user journeys that exceed audience expectations: empathy and problem-solving turned into working products.
Redesigned the school's primary website with updated information and a stronger appeal to parents and prospective students, aimed at driving enrollment.
Outcome: A user-centered redesign focused on clarity and conversion for prospective families.
🔗 Visit siteNote: the live site has since been modified by the school's new webmaster, so it differs from my original redesign.
This wasn't just a visual refresh: it started with real user research and personas, ran through usability testing, and shipped. It's the full UX lifecycle: understand the user, prototype, test, iterate, deliver.
Bringing instructional and UX design together to make complex content land, aligning visual hierarchy, narrative, and interactivity for both academic and professional audiences.
Designed an onboarding presentation for incoming 6th-grade families covering the school's mission, staff, academics, activities, policies, and how to stay connected. Researched and structured the content for fast comprehension, with visuals that drive engagement.
Outcome: A clear, detailed deck that built an immediate positive connection between parents and the school.
📊 View presentationTurning complex information into clear, visually striking documents, where strategic design and content work together to inform and persuade.
Designed a school profile to attract prospective students and inform higher-education partners. Used visuals, infographics, and storytelling to present the student population logically and engagingly.
Outcome: An effective marketing tool offering a complete, visually appealing picture of the school.
📄 View documentDesigned an infographic charting the history of educational technology: curating key milestones into a cohesive, intuitive layout with concise text.
Outcome: A user-friendly visual that improved comprehension and retention of a complex history.
📄 View infographicA snapshot of my background in product, learning, and technology.
Own product strategy and execution for enterprise marketing technology platforms, driving automation, scalability, and user-experience improvements across marketing and operations ecosystems.
Concentration in Educational Technology
Minors in Biology, Chemistry, and Entrepreneurship
Whether it's a role, a collaboration, or just a hello, I'd love to hear from you.