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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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Program Manager Loves Her Work's Real-World Impact
Name: Â Kendra Lechtenberg (she/her) PhD: Â Neuroscience, Stanford University School of Medicine, 2019 What was your main area of research?...
Feb 94 min read
Immunologist to Clinical Project Manager + Consultant
Name: Â Anthony Franchini (he/him) PhD: Â Immunology, Albany Medical College, 2014 What was your main area of research? I studied how...
Feb 92 min read
How a PhD in Bioinformatics Led to an Industry Career
Name: Â Bhavika Mam (she/her) PhD: Â Bioinformatics, TDU, 2022 What was your main area of research? During my PhD years, the subject of my...
Jan 112 min read
Department of Energy Fellow Changing the Energy Landscape
Name: Â Hannah Nedzbala (she/her) PhD: Â Chemistry, Yale University, 2024 What was your main area of research? My research was at the...
Jan 112 min read
Lead Data Scientist Helps Develop Exoskeleton Technology
Name:  Simon Bastide (he/him) PhD:  Kinesiology / Neuroscience / Biomechanics, Université Paris Saclay, 2021 What was your main area of...
Jan 113 min read
Scientist Discusses Differences Between Academia and Industry
Name: Â Gabriel Kaufman (he/him) PhD: Â Immunology, McGill University, 2017 What was your main area of research? I studied novel biological...
Jan 112 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...
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
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