Whitman College Magazine Winter 2021

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT
leader, engage in his community and give
back—continue to add meaning, he says.
“The Whitman experience is more than
just pursuing a major. It’s more than just
a means to a career. It’s about learning,
growing and creating experiences that
positively impact others.”
As a student, Merali was uberinvolved
on and off campus. He was
a resident assistant, student academic
advisor, intern for the Admission
Office, DJ for the student radio station
and involved in numerous community
activities through the Student
“The Whitman experience is more than just pursuing
a major. ... It’s about learning, growing and creating
experiences that positively impact others.”
AL-RAHIM MERALI ’13, UX Researcher at Google
Engagement Center. Those included
Adopt a Grandparent, Storytime
(reading to local school children) and
Best Buddies (a friendship program with
adults with development disabilities).
He also helped lead the SASA (South
Asian Students Association) and
participated in Whitman’s dance and
intramural programs.
Merali is grateful to have learned
effective and empathetic communication
skills, critical thinking and problemsolving
at Whitman. He sees their
influence in his work and everyday life.
Other skills and values that he attributes
to his time at Whitman include leadership,
adaptability, curiosity, teamwork and
collaboration, and the ability to critically
observe his environment.
“The job I have now, I didn’t know
existed when I was at Whitman,” he
says. “Whitman gave me the confidence
to pursue opportunities that I felt
underqualified for because I knew
I would be challenged and have the
runway to learn and grow.’’
Ask Merali
WHAT’S SOMETHING
MOST PEOPLE DON’T
KNOW ABOUT GOOGLE?
“Google applies the same level of rigor to understanding their employees as they do to their
products and services.
Prior to my current UX role, I was a member of Google’s People Innovation Lab (PiLab), a
team dedicated to using social science methods to understand the full experiences of Google
employees (Googlers) and how to make Google a great place to work. The PiLab conducted
research and experiments on topics ranging from what makes a great manager and an effective
team to studying where and how to display sugary drinks and sweets in office micro kitchens
(nudging Googlers to make healthier food and beverage choices).
While on the PiLab, I conducted research on distributed work—how to work together when
we’re not together. That’s been particularly relevant given the current work-from-home reality. I
also worked on Google’s longitudinal study on work, gDNA, the findings from which continue to
provide insight on how COVID-19 has impacted Googlers’ work experience, productivity, wellbeing
and more.” —Al-Rahim Merali ’13
36 / WHITMAN MAGAZINE