About

Alexander Thayer is a highly accomplished professional with over 15 years of relevant experience in the field of research and development. He is currently serving as the Head of Research at Amazon (Search) and Affiliate Assistant Professor at the University of Washington. In his current role, Alexander is responsible for leading the Search Research team at Amazon, where he is driving innovation and developing new technologies to enhance the search experience for Amazon customers. In addition to his role at Amazon, Alexander is also an Affiliate Assistant Professor at the University of Washington, where he is part of the Human Centered Design & Engineering faculty. Based in Palo Alto, CA, he is involved in teaching and research activities related to user experience, usability, and interaction design. Prior to his current engagements, Alexander has worked with Pure Research (USA, Netherlands), where he served as a Partner, Co-Founder, and Research Director. At PURE Research, Alexander was involved in consulting, research design, field study, and analysis for qualitative research projects. His expertise extends to research studies, assessments, evaluations, report writing, literature reviews, document reviews, grant proposals, survey development and analysis, project development, professional development, observational data collection and analysis techniques, ethnographic field studies, interactional and conversational analysis, systematic reviews and meta-analysis, usability, and user experience. Alexander holds a PhD in Human Centered Design & Engineering from the University of Washington, where he also earned an MS in Engineering in Technical Communication. He also holds a Building Innovative Leaders (GSB) degree from Stanford University Graduate School of Business, a BA with Distinction in Art History, and a BS in Engineering in Technical Communication from the University of Washington. He also completed a Summer Session in Biochemical Engineering from Harvard University. Alexander's technical skills include research scientist and search. He has a proven track record of delivering innovative solutions and driving results in complex and challenging environments. Alexander is a highly motivated and results-driven professional with a passion for research and development.