HCI Educator

Raelin blends decades of industry and academic experience to lead, teach, and inspire the next generation of human-computer interaction innovators.

Raelin Sawka Musuraca is an educator, researcher, and community builder whose career spans more than three decades at the intersection of human-centered design, product strategy, and organizational decision-making. She currently serves as Associate Teaching Professor and Director of the Master of Human-Computer Interaction (MHCI) program at Carnegie Mellon University’s Human-Computer Interaction Institute (HCII).

Her work focuses on aligning HCI education and practice more closely with the realities of product development and organizational decision-making. Through curriculum leadership, pedagogical innovation, and industry collaboration, she helps students develop critical thinking, strategic reasoning, and empathic skills alongside a strong methods-based foundation, so that as professionals they can conduct research that uncovers deeper behavioral and motivational insights while also clearly articulating the business value of that understanding.

Raelin’s recent pedagogical work explores how HCI methods can evolve from procedural frameworks into more adaptive, risk-based approaches to innovation and decision-making. This includes the development of Assumption Artifacts, a framework that helps students and practitioners identify hidden assumptions, rapidly test ideas, reduce costly downstream failures, and make more informed product decisions under real-world constraints. Her broader interests include preparing students to navigate uncertainty, communicate strategically inside product organizations, and advocate for thoughtful, human-centered decision-making in increasingly AI-driven environments.

Before transitioning fully into academia, Raelin held leadership roles in industry, leading UX research, strategy, and digital innovation efforts at BNY Mellon, American Eagle Outfitters, and her digital consultancy, Sharp Creative. Across the financial, retail, healthcare, industrial, and consumer product sectors, she worked with organizations seeking to better connect customer understanding, product strategy, and business value. These experiences continue to shape her teaching, particularly in project-based and industry-partnered coursework where students engage directly with real-world product challenges.

At Carnegie Mellon, Raelin is also deeply involved in institutional and programmatic leadership. In addition to directing the MHCI program, she leads curriculum planning and assessment initiatives, supports industry partnerships through efforts such as ENAiBLE, and mentors students and faculty across the HCII community. In recognition of her contributions to teaching and curriculum innovation, she has received honors including the Joel and Ruth Spira Teaching Award and a Wimmer Faculty Fellowship.