October Event | The Persuasive Researcher: Unlocking Deeper Research Impact

Great research doesn’t speak for itself—it needs a persuasive voice. Join us in-person for this panel-meets-workshop experience. We will discuss real-world strategies for using research to drive stakeholder alignment and influence product decisions. With a focus on practical persuasion—not just findings—you’ll learn how to elevate the role of research in cross-functional teams. Following the panel, in small-group role-playing exercises we will practice framing insights, navigating pushback, and advocating for user needs in high-stakes product discussions. Designed with product managers, designers, and researchers in mind, this session empowers all disciplines to unlock the true impact of research. Come ready to engage, challenge yourself, and leave with practical tools for persuasive storytelling in your day-to-day work.

Schedule:

• Panel Presentation
• Workshop
• Group Discussion
• Q&A

Location (In-Person Only):
U of M, McNeal Hall, Room 22 & 33,
1985 Buford Avenue
Saint Paul, MN 55108

Panel:

Murat Altun, PhD is a UX researcher who has shaped product strategy at companies including Meta, Google, and Best Buy. Trained as a cultural anthropologist, Murat specializes in early-stage discovery research, human factors, and scaling research practices. He currently works at Abbott Laboratories as a Human Factors Engineer in the Electrophysiology division, focusing on usability and safety in medical device and software design. Murat has also taught research methods courses at the University of Minnesota and New York University.

Varun Nirai is a senior UX researcher who loves creativity, flexibility, and speed. Having worked at Facebook, Target, Best Buy, SeatGeek, and more, Varun is able to blend research theory with simple but effective study designs. Varun is also the author of “Fruitful”, an e-book focused on research foundations. He believes that research is a skill that can be trained, meaning that everyone can become a researcher. Varun is currently a senior researcher at Target, working on Last Mile Delivery.

Carl J. Pearson, PhD is a staff quantitative UX researcher with previous roles at Meta and Red Hat. He completed his PhD in human factors at North Carolina State University. He is a mixed-methods researcher by training and experience but has grown to focus primarily on quant projects and helping others uplevel their quant skills. Outside of his current role, he writes in his UX research blog (Figures & Frameworks) about methods and processes for executing effective UX research in product teams and publishes about research best practices in academic journals/conferences.

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