Megan Machamer McLean (MAPSS Class of 2016) is a User Experience Leader with a strong background in social science, cultural anthropology, and social psychology. She currently leads the User Research Team for Spotify Advertising as a UX Research Manager, and teaches “UX Research Foundations” for MAPSS (MAPS 30210).

McLean is passionate about her craft and works to shape product strategy with impactful research. She has extensive experience leading research project teams as well as mentoring and managing user researchers with a range of professional experience. She is also committed to supporting the development of the UX community through conference talks, mentoring, workshops, training, volunteering, and thought leadership. In addition to her expertise in UX, McLean served as an Adjunct Professor of Anthropology at DePaul University from 2016-2019. She is a Senior Strategic Advisor for the MAPSS Alumni Association, where she held the office of President from 2021-2022 and served as the Chair of the Membership & Outreach Committee from 2019-2021. In addition to her degree from MAPSS, McLean holds a BA in Sociocultural Anthropology from the University of California San Diego (UCSD).