Morgan Taylor, PhD'23, Psychology
Research and Evaluation Manager, Babson College
June 17, 2025
Can you describe your career path and how it has led to your current work?
Throughout my years in the PhD program, I spent a lot of time thinking about what skills and responsibilities I enjoyed (and did not enjoy), and what values were most important to me. I loved working with data and resonated with the mission of higher education but could not envision myself as a professor. For that reason, I pursued career paths that had a research or data analysis focus within higher education administration. I worked part-time in the Academic Services department at Brandeis to gain experience in administration that could pair with the research skills I developed through the PhD program. Once I was on the job market, I primarily cold-applied to higher education administration listings, which is how I found my current position.
What does a typical day/week look like for you in this position?
I manage program-wide research, data, and evaluation needs for the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program. My position is primarily project-based - at any given time, I am working on several ongoing projects and ad hoc data requests. It requires a mix of individual contributions and collaborations with team members and external stakeholders.
What skills from your Brandeis degree have you found most valuable in your current work?
The critical thinking skills that I learned in graduate school have been most valuable to me for my current position. The program I work for is constantly evolving, so I am often tasked with answering questions and solving problems that I have not previously encountered. In these situations, it is crucial to be able to identify the need, investigate possible solutions, and implement the most strategic plan.
What advice do you have for current students as they embark on their career exploration or job search?
My advice is to think early and often about your future career interests and try to tailor your time in graduate school to those interests. Use the flexibility of graduate school to explore different skills and gain experiences beyond your program requirements that will help you stand out as a candidate on the job market.