Bio and Experience

The highlights:

  • Amy_Bucher_005I have a PhD in Organizational Psychology from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor.
  • My undergraduate degree is from Harvard University in Psychology with a Certificate in Spanish language.
  • My research interests include motivational design and self-determination theory, social relationships/connections and their effect on well-being and performance, happiness and resilience, and health behaviors such as medication adherence and physical fitness.
  • Everything on this site represents me as an individual. My opinions are not necessarily the opinions of my employer or anyone else. Mistakes are my own.

Professional Experience

Mad*Pow, Boston, MA
Behavior Change Design Director (4/2016 – present)

CVS Health, Boston, MA
Senior Manager, Specialty Digital Strategy (5/2015 – 4/2016)

Wellness & Prevention, Inc. (A Johnson & Johnson Company), Ann Arbor, MI; later renamed Johnson & Johnson Health and Wellness Solutions, New Brunswick, NJ
Associate Director, Behavioral Science (1/2011 – 4/2015)
Manager, Specialty Solutions Tailored Media Group  (5/2008 – 1/2011)

Big Communications, LLC, Ferndale, MI
Research Manager, Innovation Team  (8/2006 – 5/2008)

Haworth, Inc., Holland, MI
Freelance Consultant to the Ideation Group (4/2006 – 9/2006)

University of Michigan Department of Psychology, Ann Arbor, MI
Graduate Student Instructor (GSI) and Graduate Research Assistant (9/2002 – 4/2006)

Education

University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
Ph.D. (2006) and M.A. (2003), Psychology (Organizational)

Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
A.B. (2001), Psychology, magna cum laude; Foreign Language Certification in Spanish

Presentations

  • Bucher, A. (2019). Meaningful Engagement Through Behavior Change Design. Presentation at Health Experience Design (HxD). Cambridge, MA.
  • Pagoto, S., Bucher, A., Kirkman, E., & Mullane, S. (2019). Navigating Tensions: Weaving Academic Behavior Change Research Into Applied Digital Health To Optimise Results. Panel presentation at CBC Digital Health Conference: Behaviour Change For Health: Digital and Other Innovative Methods. London, UK.
  • Bucher, A. (2019). Meaningful Engagement through Behavior Change Design. Presentation at HIMSS Patient Engagement and Experience Summit, Orlando, FL.
  • Bucher, A., & Sucala, M. (2018). Transforming Participation to Engagement. Presentation at the Connected Health Conference, Boston, MA.
  • Allen, E., Bucher, A., Kennedy, B., Romano-Bergstrom, J., & Ryan, M. (2018). Should UXers Get a PhD? Panel discussion at UXPA International, Rio Mar, PR.
  • Bucher, A. (2018). Research + Psychology = Magic: How to Plan and Analyze Research with the COM-B Model of Behavior Change. Talk presented at UXPA Boston, Boston, MA.
  • Bucher, A. (2018). Improving Patient Engagement Through Design Psychology Principles. Webinar offered through PharmaVOICE.
  • Bucher, A. (2018). Designing for Behavior Change with the COM-B Framework. Workshop facilitated at the MITX DesignTech Summit, Cambridge, MA.
  • Bucher, A., & Nason, S. (2018). Adopt a Design Thinking Approach to Improve Medication Adherence and Develop Innovative Patient Solutions. Workshop at the 6th annual Patient Adherence and Engagement Summit.
  • Ahern, D. K., Bucher, A., Cole-Lewis, H., & Torous, J. (2018). The Value of Behavior Science for Effective Patient Engagement. Moderator of panel discussion at HIMSS, Las Vegas, NV.
  • Bucher, A. (2018). Behavior Change Interventions for Medical Bill Payment: A Systems Perspective. Poster presented at the CBC Digital Health Conference: Behaviour Change for Health: Digital and Beyond. London, UK.
  • Bucher, A. (2018). Planet As Patient: What Conservation Can Learn from Health Psychology. Talk presented at Sustainable UX, virtual conference. Video on YouTube.
  • Bucher, A. (2017). Planet As Patient: What Conservation Can Learn from Health Psychology. Talk presented at the World Wildlife Foundation Fuller Symposium, Washington, D.C. Video in Afternoon Sessions, starts around 22:50.
  • Bucher, A. (2017). Designing for Competence. Presented on the Motivation and Behavior Change panel at HxRefactored, Cambridge, MA. Video of panel presentations on Vimeo.
  • Bucher, A. (2017). Using Gamified Design to Amplify Outcomes: The Psychology of Badges. Presented at UXPA International , Toronto, ON. Slides on Slideshare.
  • Bucher, A., & Schwartz, S. (2017). The Art and Science of Applying Behavioral Economics to Digital Health Design. Presented at UXPA Boston, Boston, MA. Slides on Slideshare.
  • Bucher, A. (2017).  Highway to the Habit Zone: Driving Engagement for Behavior Change. Presented at the Habit Summit, San Francisco, CA. Slides on Slideshare.
  • Bucher, A., & O’Day, R. (2017). Moral Issues in Designing for Behavior Change. Presented at SXSW, Austin, TX. Video on YouTube.
  • Bucher, A. (2017). Motivational Psychology for Digital Health Interventions. Presented at HIMSS, Orlando, FL. Bucher_HIMSS_2017Handout.
  • Bucher, A.  (2017). Sustaining Change: Psychology-Based Tips for Maintaining Your Momentum. Presented at Sustainable UX, virtual conference. Video on YouTube.
  • Bucher, A., & Zoldowski, A. (2016).  Engagement Is Everything: Super-Charging Your Digital Products with Psychology. Presented at AHIP Consumer Experience and Digital Health Forum, Chicago, IL.
  • Bucher, A. (2016). Workplace Connected Health Solutions. Panelist at Center for Connected Health Symposium 2016, Boston, MA.
  • Bucher, A. (2016). Behavior Change Isn’t Everything, It’s The ONLY Thing. Panelist at Next Edge Summit 2016, Boston, MA.
  • Bucher, A. (2016). Engagement Is Everything: How to Apply Psychology to Improve Digital Experiences. A Mad*Pow Webinar.
  • Bucher, A. (September 25, 2014). Digital health management: The role of motivation in changing behavior (在不断变化的行为中
    动机的作用). Presented at the ChinaSourcing Summit 2014, Hangzhou, China.
  • Bucher, A. (May 15, 2014). Motivate your user: Design psychology. Presented at UXPA Boston, Boston, MA.
  • Bucher, A. (February 25, 2014). The new social networking. Presentation at TEDxJNJ, Philadelphia, PA. Video on Vimeo.
  • Bucher, A. (2013). Hire better: Interview psychology. Class offered at Intelligent.ly, Boston, MA.
  • Bucher, A. (2012, 2013). Design psychology: Motivate your user, and User experience testing tools and tricks.  Classes offered on a recurring basis at Intelligent.ly, Boston, MA. (http://www.intelligent.ly/)
  • Bedrosian, R., And Bucher, A. (2012). The future of corporate health and happiness. Presented at the Future of Health Technology Institute, Boston, MA.
  • Bucher, A. (2011). Engage the patient with individually relevant health & wellness programming. Presented at the 5th annual Digital Pharma East conference,  Philadelphia, PA.
  • Bucher, A., & Schwartz, S.M. (2011). The Rx Factor: Critical drivers of adherence. Workshop presented at the 5thannual Engage Conference, HealthMedia, Chicago, IL.
  • Bedrosian, R., Bucher, A., & Wiet, S. (2011). Wake-up call: Sleep initiatives from Wellness & Prevention. Presented at the Ortho-Clinical Diagnostics Sleep Disorders Conference, Raritan, NJ.
  • Schwartz, S.M., & Bucher, A. (2010). Critical drivers of adherence: The convergence of behavioral science, data and technology for impactful adherence solutions. Workshop presented at the 7th annual Patient Adherence & Engagement Summit, eyeforpharma, Philadelphia, PA.
  • Trahan, A. (2005). Stories about work: How narratives reveal social life.  Paper presented at the National Academy of Management Meetings, Honolulu, HI.
  • Trahan, A., & Lee, F. (2005). I can’t tell you why I love my job: Insufficient justification as a predictor of low identity integration in females in business.  Paper presented at the 17th Annual Meeting of the American Psychological Society, Los Angeles, CA.
  • Trahan, A., & Sanchez-Burks, J. (2005). Ontological collectivism and attitudes toward diversity initiatives at work.  Paper presented at the 17th Annual Meeting of the American Psychological Society, Los Angeles, CA.
  • Trahan, A. (2005). The effects of group schemas on organizational life.  Symposium chaired at the 17th Annual Meeting of the American Psychological Society, Los Angeles, CA.
  • Trahan, A., & Shih, M. (2004). Working to reduce stigma: Individual stigma management strategies in organizational contexts.  Paper presented at the National Academy of Management Meetings, New Orleans, LA.
  • Trahan, A., Lee, F., & Cheng, C.Y. (2004).  Identity integration: Extending the model to the workplace.  Paper presented at the American Psychological Association (16th Annual Meeting, 2004), Honolulu, HI.
  • Trahan, A. (2004). Cross-cultural variations in the meaning of the supermodel prime.  Poster presented at the American Psychological Association (16th Annual Meeting, 2004), Honolulu, HI.
  • Trahan, A. (2004).  Identity salience and contingencies of self-worth.  Poster presented at the Society for Personality and Social Psychology meetings, Austin, TX.
  • Trahan, A. (2003).  Affective aspects of social identity: The effects of identity salience on contingencies of self-worth.  Poster presented at the Self, Cognition, and Emotion: Kyoto University International Symposium, Kyoto-Michigan Collaboration in Psychology conference, Ann Arbor, MI.
  • Trahan, A. (2003). Social identity and contingent self-worth: Valuing performance in identity-related domains.  Paper presented at the National Academy of Management meetings, Seattle, WA.
  • Trahan, A. (2003). Shifting social identities and organizational performance. Paper presented at the National Academy of Management meetings, Seattle, WA.
  • Trahan, A., and Shih, M. (2003).  Priming and performance: Examining the role of distraction.  Poster presented at the American Psychological Association (15th Annual Meeting, 2003), Toronto, ON.
  • Trahan, A., Pittinsky, T.L., Shih, M., and Ambady, N. (2002).  Virtual Amy: E-mail bias and stereotype consistent recall.  Hot Topic presentation given at the American Psychological Society (15th Annual Meeting, 2002), New Orleans, LA.

Publications 

Volunteer and Community Organizations

  • Junior League of Boston, 2011 – present; VP-Elect of Communications, 2017-2018
  • Lean Start Up Challenge, Fall 2012: Mentor
  • Rock Health Boston, Summer 2012: Mentor
  • Learning Ally (digitally record textbooks for visually impaired learners) 2011 – 2014

Psychology for Health and Happiness