Cheryl Abellanoza, PhD

Trailblazer
DISC Type : ID

Founding Instructor at UXR Institute

Grand Prairie, Texas, United States

Overview

Dr. Cheryl Abellanoza is an Experience Strategist and thought leader who builds and manages high-performing UX research teams. With a Ph. D. from the University of Texas at Arlington, she has a proven record of leading research functions at Verizon Connect. Colleagues describe her as empathetic, dedicated, and an exceptional leader.

She approaches her work with her 3 Cs: Cognition, Culture, and Creativity. Passionate about mentorship, she serves as a Founding Instructor at the UXR Institute, where she helps develop the next generation of UX talent. She actively promotes the work of her peers within the research community.

She uniquely applies her background in clinical and cognitive neuroscience to inform user experience research and strategy.

Personality Overview

Friendly But Fast

Informal

Persuasive

A combination of speed and relationship gets the best response from them.  They are more likely to accept new and exciting technologies. They prefer to ensure that they are in control of the situation.

Topics They Care About

Leading UX Teams
Focuses on building, managing, and scaling successful and innovative UX research teams, as demonstrated throughout her career at Verizon Connect.
Cognitive Science in UX
Applies her Ph. D. in cognitive neuroscience to understand user cognition and behavior, a cornerstone of her research philosophy.
Mentoring UXR Talent
Actively develops researchers as a Founding Instructor at the UXR Institute and frequently signal-boosts educational opportunities for the community.

Media Appearances

Cheryl has no verified media appearances

Work History

7-2025
Founding Instructor at UXR Institute
12-2023
Associate Director - UX Research at Verizon Connect
9-2022 - 12-2023
Senior Manager - UX Research at Verizon Connect
1-2019 - 9-2022
Manager - UX Research at Verizon Connect
10-2017 - 1-2019
UX Researcher at Verizon Connect

Education

2012 - 2017
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) from University of Texas at Arlington
2012 - 2015
Master’s Degree from The University of Texas at Arlington

More Information

Social Presence :

Prographics :

Exp : 15 Location : Grand Prairie, Texas, United States Job Level : Mid-senior Designation : Founding Instructor at UXR Institute
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Insights For Selling To Cheryl

During A Call Or A Meeting

DO's

  • Talk about yourself and some of your achievements at the start of the conversation
  • Ask them for a lunch or coffee once some rapport has been established
  • Give them control of the sales process

DONT's

  • Don't make any commitments that you might not be able to fulfill
  • Don’t hesitate from asking questions or pushing them, but take a friendly approach
  • Do not look like someone who doesn’t know what they are talking about

When Cold Calling

When Writing An Email

While Negotiating & Closing

    The secret to closing fast with Cheryl is

  • Relationship and product conviction matter equally, followed by a sense of achievement.
  • Will you ever get a clear answer from Cheryl

  • If they are not convinced, they will say no though in a friendly way.

Insights For Deal Planning

    How fast (or slow) will Cheryl move?

  • If you earn their trust and they develop faith in the product, they can make decisions quickly.
  • Can Cheryl take some risk or not?

  • If necessary, they will be ready to take risks.

You And Cheryl

Personality Compatibility


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