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From PhD to Career Success
Explore how PhDs from a variety of different
fields navigated the decision to leave academia.
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Industry Success After Mastering Out
Name:  Dean Lee (he/him) Left PhD with a Master’s:  Neuroscience, Harvard University, 2018 Disclaimer:  This individual did not fully...
Dec 8, 20243 min read
Stewardship Director Manages 35,000 Acres of Conserved Land
Name: Â Maura Slocum (she/her) PhD: Â Soil Biogeochemistry (Earth & Environmental Science), University of Pennsylvania, 2024 What was your...
Oct 31, 20242 min read
Behavioral Researcher Has Worked in Industry Since College
Name: Â Brittany Currenti (she/her) PhD: Â Marketing, University of Adelaide, 2025 What was your main area of research? My PhD focused on...
Oct 13, 20244 min read
Consumer Intelligence Analyst & Her Leaving-Academia Process
Name: Â Summer Kim (she/her) PhD: Â Marketing, University of Kansas, 2023 What was your main area of research? Within Marketing, I focused...
Oct 12, 20243 min read
Analyst for the Department of Energy & a Book Author
Name: Â Magdalena Sandoval Donahue (she/her) PhD: Â Earth & Planetary Sciences, University of New Mexico, 2016 What was your main area of...
Oct 12, 20244 min read
Scientist Enjoys the Environment of a Small Startup
Name: Â Shikha Sheth (she/her) PhD: Â Cancer Biology, Harvard University, 2022 What was your main area of research? During my PhD, I...
Oct 10, 20242 min read
Data Scientist Encourages Coding Skills
Name: Â Lauren Carter (she/her) PhD: Â Geography and Environmental Science, University of South Florida, 2023 What was your main area of...
Oct 1, 20242 min read
From Sociology & Criminology PhD to Senior Data Analyst
Name: Â Story Edison (she/her) PhD: Â Sociology & Criminology, The Ohio State University, 2023 What was your main area of research? I...
Sep 27, 20242 min read
AI Researcher Loves Working With Messy Data
Name: Â Victor Murcia (he/him) PhD: Â Materials Science and Engineering, Washington State University, 2022 What was your main area of...
Sep 21, 20243 min read
Social Psychologist Works in the Entertainment Industry
Name: Â Maria Garay (she/her) PhD: Â Social Psychology, Tufts University, 2024 What was your main area of research? I studied how White...
Sep 16, 20243 min read
Chemistry Fellow Says Leaving Academia Is Not Failing
Name: Â Kimberly Villar (she/her) PhD: Â Pathology, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, 2023 What was your main area...
Sep 16, 20242 min read
Research Scientist Impacting the World Outside the Lab
Name: Â Jessica Ribado (she/her) PhD: Â Genetics, Stanford University, 2019 What was your main area of research? During my PhD, I applied...
Sep 16, 20242 min read
Data Scientist Gives Advice for Better Interviews
Name: Â Ren Lopez (she/her) PhD: Â Materials Science & Engineering, Northwestern University, 2023 What was your main area of research? I...
Sep 16, 20242 min read
Lead Analyst of Energy Logistics Warns of Culture Shock
Name:  Dimitri Schritt PhD:  Mathematical Physics, University of Canterbury, 2012 What was your main area of research? I was working on...
Sep 16, 20242 min read
Chemist Works for The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Name: Â Rachel Lackner (she/her) PhD: Â Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, 2022 What was your main area of research? My PhD was in...
Sep 13, 20244 min read
A Career Transition After 25 Years in Academia
Name: Â Chandrakanth Emani (Chandra) (he/him) PhD: Â Plant Molecular Genetics, Osmania University, India, 1997 What was your main area of...
Sep 13, 20243 min read
Head of Neuroscience Develops Protein Tools
Name: Â Rob Meijers (he/him) PhD: Â Chemistry, University of Amsterdam, 2001 What was your main area of research? I studied quantum...
Sep 13, 20241 min read
Scientist Leads Preclinical Projects to Develop Therapeutics
Name: Â Oday Abushalbaq (he/him) PhD: Â Molecular Neuroscience, Rutgers University, 2022 What was your main area of research? During my...
Sep 10, 20241 min read
Scientist Has Access to Fun and Cool Lab Equipment
Name: Â ChiChi Xie (she/her) PhD: Â Neurosciences, Stanford University, 2022 What was your main area of research? During my PhD, I studied...
Sep 9, 20242 min read
Principal Scientist Runs a Lab Similar to a Career in Academia
Name: Â Teddy Yewdell (he/him) PhD: Â Biochemistry, Stanford University, 2015 What was your main area of research? I did my PhD with Aaron...
Sep 9, 20242 min read
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