Tara Schwegler is a corporate anthropologist and consultant specializing in research-driven leadership development. She has held previous positions as a leader and director of user experience (UX) and customer experience (CX) at Meta, RedSquared Consulting, USAA, and Bestica, Inc., while also teaching at the University of Texas at San Antonio as a Senior Lecturer. Prior to her shift to private industry, Schwegler was a Collegiate Assistant Professor and Harper Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Chicago. 

Schegler earned her PhD from the Department of Anthropology in 2004, her MA from MAPSS in 1994, and her BA from The College in 1993.

Alumni of the Division of the Social Sciences are characterized by Chicago’s deep commitment to scientific analysis, methodological innovation, and the use of theory to extend the explanatory and predictive power of social research. Whether an MA or PhD graduate (or both), each takes those values into careers in the academy and in a broad range of sectors including banking and finance, technology, and social technology, consulting and market research, health fields, and government/policymaking, among others. 

SSD’s Dialogo podcast brings alumni into conversation with Paul Poast, Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science and Deputy Dean for Doctoral Education, and Kelly Pollock, Dean of Students. Each season will feature alumni with careers in a particular field or industry.