What do Some of our PSM Graduates have to Say?

Shilpi Desai
PSM in Environmental, Analysis and Decision Making
Rice University 2011

"Before coming to Rice, I was working in industry and found that there were very few environmental experts in the company, even though it was a Fortune 500 company. I wanted to learn about environmental policies and corporate applications and to eventually apply these principles to the professional world. I also wanted to leave the previous company and work for a more environmentally aware company. This program helped me do both. The internship at GSI Environmental in Houston, Texas made me leave my comfort zone at the previous company where I knew everyone, and learn to prove myself again. Ultimately, the technical and professional training provided by the PSM program at Rice allowed me successfully secure a position at ERM, a global environmental consulting company."  

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Jeffrey Smith
PSM Biology, Illinois Institute of Technology, 2008
Senior Engineer, Ion Torrent by Life Technologies

"In 2005, I was an early career engineer working on software for the distribution industry, but I wanted to work in biotechnology.  So I enrolled in the Biology PSM Program at Illinois Institute of Technology.  My coursework covered all of the relevant biological knowledge that a professional in biotech would need to know, including the latest research in genomics and bioinformatics. Additionally, I was given the opportunity to participate in a research group that was developing an open source sequence analysis application.  These experiences were very valuable to potential employers, and I was offered a position at a molecular diagnostics startup in Silicon Valley before I even graduated.  The PSM degree gave me a great foundation for my career in biotech and has consistently helped me differentiate myself from my peers. As an added bonus, I even wound up marrying one of my classmates, making the PSM one of the best decisions of my life."  

Todd Bridgeman 

Luma Vasiljevic
PSM Industrial Mathematics, Michigan State University, 2006
Assistant Manager - Network Optimization
Transportation Planning, Norfolk Southern Corporation

"I graduated from Michigan State University's PSM program in Industrial Mathematics in December 2006 and joined Norfolk Southern Corporation in January 2007. I was impressed by the quality and diversity of the students attracted to the PSM program. Having a strong background in theoretical mathematics, the program helped me strengthen my mathematical modeling and programming skills and exposed me to a variety of real world problems where mathematical modeling is applicable. The program also helped me improve my communication and writing skills. I believe that the skills and knowledge acquired through the PSM program lie at the core of my career success thus far; However, I believe that exposure to organizational structures and decision making processes as well as organizational data structures and actual data during the program would have eased the transition from academia to industry and made me even more effective in my role."  

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Barbara Belmont       
PSM Analytical Chemistry, Illinois Institute of Technology, 2004
President, American Research and Testing Inc.

"I was already a mid-career chemist on the management track when I started the Analytical Chemistry PSM program at Illinois Institute of Technology in 2001. The course work was rigorous and exciting, and learning long distance and as an older student was a challenge. I was delighted to learn things about chemistry I didn't know existed. I also learned some useful non-chemistry concepts such as proposal writing, technical writing, project management, and organizational psychology, which have enhanced my business skills. Once I had the PSM degree, I began to enjoy leverage and more credibility when it came to making the right impression on my clients. Moreover, completing the PSM program has given me confidence, drive, and self-discipline heretofore unanticipated."

Mansi Parikh
Biological and Pharmaceutical Biotechnology
St. John’s University, 2009  

 “Even in the toughest economic times, this program, led by Dr. Bartelt, landed me an internship at Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, New York, where I was exposed to the real world of Biotech Research. I was hired as a full-time employee at the termination of my internship. It’s always difficult for an international student to come to a new country, adjust to a new environment, and get a job after graduation. However, getting into this program at St. John’s was the best start I could ever get to make an excellent career in the field of Biotechnology."  

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Tina Song
Keck Graduate Institute, 2004

“Obviously, the only other (degree) comparison was an MBA. I thought this offered a nice combination I was looking for - the business and the science. I don’t think I would have been able to get my first job without my KGI education.”  

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Alice Lai
Keck Graduate Institute, 2011

“From entrepreneurial business law class, consultant agreements, types of corporations, contracts, etc. have been very applicable to several assignments I've done on the job. Knowledge of the content and how to read these official documents have come in handy while reviewing actual documents at work.”   

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