From PhD to Career Success

Explore how PhDs from a variety of different
fields navigated the decision to leave academia.

Get inspiring career stories and helpful advice delivered straight to your inbox!

4 days ago3 min read

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...

Oct 312 min read

Stewardship Director Manages 35,000 Acres of Conserved Land

Name: Maura Slocum (she/her) PhD: Soil Biogeochemistry (Earth & Environmental Science), University of Pennsylvania, 2024 What was your...

Oct 134 min read

Behavioral Researcher Has Worked in Industry Since College

Name: Brittany Currenti (she/her) PhD: Marketing, University of Adelaide, 2025 What was your main area of research? My PhD focused on...

Oct 123 min read

Consumer Intelligence Analyst & Her Leaving-Academia Process

Name: Summer Kim (she/her) PhD: Marketing, University of Kansas, 2023 What was your main area of research? Within Marketing, I focused...

Oct 124 min read

Analyst for the Department of Energy & a Book Author

Name: Magdalena Sandoval Donahue (she/her) PhD: Earth & Planetary Sciences, University of New Mexico, 2016 What was your main area of...

Oct 102 min read

Scientist Enjoys the Environment of a Small Startup

Name: Shikha Sheth (she/her) PhD: Cancer Biology, Harvard University, 2022 What was your main area of research? During my PhD, I...

Oct 12 min read

Data Scientist Encourages Coding Skills

Name: Lauren Carter (she/her) PhD: Geography and Environmental Science, University of South Florida, 2023 What was your main area of...

Sep 272 min read

From Sociology & Criminology PhD to Senior Data Analyst

Name: Story Edison (she/her) PhD: Sociology & Criminology, The Ohio State University, 2023 What was your main area of research? I...

Sep 213 min read

AI Researcher Loves Working With Messy Data

Name: Victor Murcia (he/him) PhD: Materials Science and Engineering, Washington State University, 2022 What was your main area of...

Sep 163 min read

Social Psychologist Works in the Entertainment Industry

Name: Maria Garay (she/her) PhD: Social Psychology, Tufts University, 2024 What was your main area of research? I studied how White...

Sep 162 min read

Chemistry Fellow Says Leaving Academia Is Not Failing

Name: Kimberly Villar (she/her) PhD: Pathology, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, 2023 What was your main area...

Sep 162 min read

Research Scientist Impacting the World Outside the Lab

Name: Jessica Ribado (she/her) PhD: Genetics, Stanford University, 2019 What was your main area of research? During my PhD, I applied...

Sep 162 min read

Data Scientist Gives Advice for Better Interviews

Name: Ren Lopez (she/her) PhD: Materials Science & Engineering, Northwestern University, 2023 What was your main area of research? I...

Sep 162 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 134 min read

Chemist Works for The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Name: Rachel Lackner (she/her) PhD: Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, 2022 What was your main area of research? My PhD was in...

Sep 133 min read

A Career Transition After 25 Years in Academia

Name: Chandrakanth Emani (Chandra) (he/him) PhD: Plant Molecular Genetics, Osmania University, India, 1997 What was your main area of...

Sep 131 min read

Head of Neuroscience Develops Protein Tools

Name: Rob Meijers (he/him) PhD: Chemistry, University of Amsterdam, 2001 What was your main area of research? I studied quantum...

Sep 101 min read

Scientist Leads Preclinical Projects to Develop Therapeutics

Name: Oday Abushalbaq (he/him) PhD: Molecular Neuroscience, Rutgers University, 2022 What was your main area of research? During my...

Sep 92 min read

Scientist Has Access to Fun and Cool Lab Equipment

Name: ChiChi Xie (she/her) PhD: Neurosciences, Stanford University, 2022 What was your main area of research? During my PhD, I studied...

Sep 92 min read

Principal Scientist Runs a Lab Similar to a Career in Academia

Name: Teddy Yewdell (he/him) PhD: Biochemistry, Stanford University, 2015 What was your main area of research? I did my PhD with Aaron...

From PhD to Career Success

Explore how PhDs from a variety of different fields navigated the decision to leave academia.

Get inspiring career stories and helpful advice delivered straight to your inbox!

Explore how PhDs from a variety of different
fields navigated the decision to leave academia.