About Me
Raised along the Menomonee River and Honey Creek in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, Ken MacKenzie is a tireless worker and learner who nevertheless knows how to let his (vanishing) hair down. His academic interests range widely, spanning cultural sociology (his specialty) through social media marketing all the way to computational fluid dynamics. He believes in the essential equality of all creatures and frequently marvels at the magic that appears to present itself in his daily life. A frequent traveler, one of the destinations on his bucket list is Bali, both to hear gamelan music first-hand, as well as to hopefully experience a cockfight and its associated communal effervescence like Clifford Geertz was lucky to be part of. The best book he has read recently is similarly ethnographic, and is entitled "Cracks in the Pavement: Social Change and Resilience in Poor Neighborhoods," written by Martín Sánchez-Jankowski of UC Berkeley. Writing an ethnography is a long-term goal of Ken's, along with composing a suite of electronic or symphonic music. He is married to Raúl Hernández and has two sons.
Projects
Chatbot Help Optimization Research Paper
March 2026 – Present
Research project focused on improving chatbot performance and response structure, integrating insights developed over the past 12 years of academic and technical work.
Comfort with Demands for Disclosure Research Paper
March 2026 – Present
Study examining perceptions of disclosure norms across different demographic groups.
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Projects
My Best SQL Query So Far
Feb 2026
Created for "Database Information Retrieval Systems"
Skills: SQL
SQL query for Assignment 5 of 9
Usability Test Script
Jan 2026
Created for "Human Factors in Information Seeking and Use"
Skills: User Experience (UX), Professional Communication
Script for usability test (5 pages)
WordPress Documentation
Jan 2026
Created for "Web Design I"
Skills: Web Development, Professional Communication
Documentation (38 pages)
Data Analysis and Visualization Project
Sep 2025
Created for "Data Analysis & Visualization for the Information Professional"
Skills: Data Science, Professional Communication
Excel workbook (5 sheets)
Python Script and Documentation
Sep 2025
Script for calculating historical temperature values
Skills: Python, Software Development
WordPress Demo Website
Sep 2025
Created for "Web Design I"
Skills: WordPress, Web Development
WordPress Website
Sep 2025
Website created for "Web Design I"
Skills: WordPress, Web Development
Case Study Responses
Jun 2025
Created for "Project Teams, Leadership, and Communication"
Skills: Project Management, Professional Communication
Final project (49 pages)
Creative Writing
Philosophical Note on Loci of Control
Jan 2025
Skills: Humanities, Professional Communication
Short analytical document (1 page)
Master’s Thesis
Sep 2013 – Mar 2014
Skills: Correspondence Analysis, Cultural Sociology
"The Gospel Truth: An inquiry into free thought, musical preferences, and social mobility"
Work Experience
Shift Lead — Papa Johns
Jan 2024 - Aug 2024 · 8 mos
West Allis, Wisconsin, United States
Inventory Management, Customer Experience, Leadership, and Teamwork
Junior Sandwich Artist — Subway
Jun 2021 - Oct 2023 · 2 yrs 5 mos
McAllen, Texas, United States
Customer Experience and Teamwork
Hub Supervisor — UPS
Jan 2018 - Sep 2019 · 1 yr 9 mos
Northbrook, Illinois, United States
Management and Teamwork
Service Clerk — Walgreens
Mar 2014 - Aug 2014 · 6 mos
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States
Teamwork, Customer Experience and Inventory Management
Captioning Assistant — CapTel
Sep 2009 - Mar 2011 · 1 yr 7 mos
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States
ESL Teacher — English Empowerment Center
Aug 2006 - May 2007 · 10 mos
Falls Church, Virginia, United States
Teaching English as a Second Language, Teamwork and Volunteer Management
Service Clerk — Walgreens
Nov 2000 - May 2003 · 2 yrs 7 mos
Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, United States
Teamwork and Customer Experience
Contact Information
macken27@uwm.edu
Address
150 E. Juneau Ave.
Apt. 208
Milwaukee, WI 53202
United States of America
Phone
+001 (956) 358-4269
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