MATHIAS S. FLECK

abqc65@r.postjobfree.com

708-***-****

http://mathiasfleck.com

User researcher and data scientist. Tech junkie. Eager experimenter and occasional coder. Passionate advocate of

profile

clean, practical design. Author on nine published papers. Founded videogame development and computer consulting

companies.

experience

2010 - present MICROSOFT REDMOND, WA

User Researcher

Conducted traditional user research, experimental data mining, and cross-portfolio strategic research on Microsoft

Studios entertainment titles and initiatives.

Analyzed deep game metrics in the development of Microsoft s first Free-to-Play title Age of Empires Online to

influence design decisions, track attrition, and optimize monetization strategies. Presented critical learnings and

recommended course of action to Studios General Manager and design and business leadership.

Learned and applied marketing research techniques to directly address new business model problems identified by

product team. Developed templates and processes around these new methods to share knowledge with UX team.

Piloted and drove new agility-focused framework for Studios User Research on title Forza Horizon. Emphasis on

fast and frugal, exploring atypical methods, and prioritizing expert reviews over costly and slower UX methods.

Served as UX Mentor to the 11 finalists in the Microsoft/Techstars program sponsoring external startups.

Partnered with Business Research team to provide rapid contextual data to massive incoming business intelligence

datasets. Reports helped shape future franchise design as well as ongoing attrition management (e.g., developing

targeted end-user communication based on behavioral data to drive users back).

Swiftly ramped up from zero SQL knowledge to independently scripting queries for optimal Tableau visualization

and actionable reports. Added context to SQL-based gameplay telemetry by conducting mass surveys, integrating

low-level player behavior with subjective opinion.

Tapped for special incubation project to compile doctorate expertise, industrial research, and academic research

for reports to president of Microsoft s Interactive Entertainment Business and other executives.

2003 - 2009 DUKE UNIVERSITY DURHAM, NC

PhD Graduate and Research Associate; Department of P sychology & Neuroscience

Led 5-person research team in a cognitive psychology laboratory examining visual perception, target search behavior,

and the effect of videogames on enhanced skill performance.

Managed 3-5 concurrent projects studying visual cognition. Conducted over 20 experiments, from design and

Matlab coding to statistical analysis and write-up, resulting in 9 published papers.

Secured individual and lab research grants totaling over $840K, including a National Institutes of Health NRSA

fellowship and funding from the Army Research Office, the Institute of Homeland Security, and Nike.

Taught 5 courses ranging from small discussion sections to large lectures (100+ students) . Mentored several lab

members each year formulating research plans, teaching programming, and sharing analysis techniques.

2001 - 2003 FLEXIBLE SOLUTIONS, INC. LONG BEACH, CA

Co-Founder and Consultant

Owned small business providing computer and web services to local and national clients.

Designed and coded interactive websites using Flash, Photoshop, Illustrator, and Dreamweaver. Developed

unified visual themes for clients in printed and online promotional materials.

Grew service contracts by 40% over 6 months through successful print and digital marketing campaign.

1999 - 2001 FLEXGAMES, LLC LONG BEACH, CA

Co-Founder and Developer

Formed company to develop entertainment software for Windows, Macintosh, and videogame consoles.

Conceived, designed, and programmed 3D action/strategy videogame title Acronauts in OpenGL and C/C++.

Coded 50% of the game including object/game routines, camera behaviors, and a homegrown physics engine.

Developed user interface and artwork, directing 3-person graphics team from conceptual sketches to final models.

Generated 2D textures and 3D structures in Photoshop and 3DS Max. Built and tested 6 playable levels.

Designed user interfaces for online card and board games at gourmetgaming.com. Created complete set of original

artwork for online version of board game Ra.

Constructed business plan and design document; presented demos to publishers at Game Developers Conference.

education

2003 - 2009 DUKE UNIVERSITY DURHAM, NC

Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology & Neuroscience, May 2009. Dissertation identified sources of user error and

strategies to improve performance in airport security, radiological screening, and other critical visual search tasks.

1995 - 1999 UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO CHICAGO, IL

Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, June 1999. Matriculated in Early Entrance program following junior year of high

school. Graduated with General Honors.

Clark, K., Fleck, M.S., & Mitroff, S.R. (2011). Enhanced change detection performance reveals improved

publications

strategy use in avid action video game players. Acta Psychologica.

Fleck, M.S., Samei, E., & Mitroff, S.R. (2010). Generalized satisfaction of search : Adverse influences on dual-

target search accuracy. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied.

Mitroff, S.R., Arita, J.T., & Fleck, M.S. (2009). Staying in bounds: Contextual constraints on object file

coherence. Visual Cognition.

Davis, S., Dennis, N., Daselaar, S., Fleck, M.S., & Cabeza, R. (2008). Qu PASA? The posterior -anterior shift in

aging. Cerebral Cortex.

Fleck, M.S. & Mitroff, S.R. (2007). Rare targets are rarely missed in correctable search. Psychological Science.

Fleck, M.S., Daselaar, S.M., Dobbins, I.G., & Cabeza, R. (2006). Role of prefrontal and anterior cingulate

regions in decision-making processes shared by memory and non-memory tasks. Cerebral Cortex.

Daselaar, S.M., Fleck, M.S., Prince, S., & Cabeza, R. (2006). The medial temporal lobe distinguishes old from

new independently of consciousness. Journal of Neuroscience.

Daselaar, S.M., Fleck, M.S., Dobbins, I.G., Madden, D.J., & Cabeza, R. (2006). Effects of heal thy aging on

hippocampal and rhinal memory functions: An event-related fMRI study. Cerebral Cortex.

Daselaar, S.M., Fleck, M.S., & Cabeza, R. (2006). Triple dissociation in the medial temporal lobes: recollection,

familiarity, and novelty. Journal of Neurophysiology.

Tableau, Photoshop, Illustrator, Matlab, C/C++, HTML/Javascript, Xcode

skills

Enjoy new technologies, board & video games, graphic design, software development, guitar, softball, and foosball.

personal

Contact this candidate