Hello, I'm
Andrea Pellegrini.
I have a lot of interests, and I like using them and my broad skill set to help others, whether through education, advocacy, or research. Financial educator, researcher, and PhD candidate at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
PhD Work & Dissertation
My research connects cognitive science, visual media, and adult financial education, specifically how people learn and self-regulate when visuals are part of the experience.
Goal Framing & Visualizations' Influence on Self-Regulated Learning of Compound Interest: An Explanatory Mixed Methods Study
Although I work full-time, I have been pursuing a PhD at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. My research explores how visual media (data visualizations, visual metaphors, and user-interface design elements) and how it affects self-regulated learning and related constructs in adult financial education.
For my dissertation, I used an explanatory mixed-methods design to investigate the use of data visualizations in learning compound interest, employing an LLM to interview participants about their experiences.
Read more about my researchRecent Work
Most recent: Making financial education accessible through cross-sector partnership: A podcast case study, AFCPE Symposium, 2025, co-authored with K. Beckler.
Full publications listConference & Invited Speaker
Presented at AFCPE, NACUBO, National Summit on Collegiate Financial Wellness, Higher Education Financial Wellness Summit, and other national venues since 2012.
Full presentations listOngoing Work
Educational outreach, interactive tools, and applied research spanning financial wellness, higher education, and technology.
Making Cents of Money
Co-host of a 100+ episode podcast produced in partnership with the Illinois Department of Financial & Professional Regulation and the University of Illinois System.
Learn moreGet Savvy: Grow Your Green Stuff
Statewide webinar series for financial educators across Illinois, free, public, and updated with new topics each academic year.
Learn moreCompound Interest Calculator
An interactive visualization tool designed to make compound interest intuitive, informed by my dissertation research on visual media in financial education.
Try the toolFinancial Wellness Checkup
A guided self-assessment to help users evaluate and reflect on their financial health across multiple dimensions.
Try the toolStudent Loan Repayment Wizard
A step-by-step wizard to help students navigate repayment options, built on years of student loan education and research.
Try the toolFinancial Literacy Badges
Creator and manager of the University of Illinois Financial Literacy Badges Program, connecting over 20,000 participants internationally through gamified financial education.
Learn moreA Creative Side
Alongside my work in education and research, I make art. Prints and products available through my Redbubble shop.