Lauren Altman graduated from Cornell University in 2003 with a Bachelor of Science in Biometry and Statistics. Today, she works for a market research company.
What do you remember most about your time as a student in Ithaca? The beautiful setting where I was lucky enough to spend four years. I love the gorges, botanical gardens, lakes, etc., and I am still struck by how incredible and magical a place it is.
Where do you work now, and what do you do? I work at Lieberman, Inc.—a market research company based in New York. I manage quantitative and qualitative market research projects, with most of my clients in the healthcare space.
How did your Cornell education prepare you in your current role? I utilize my knowledge of statistics daily, in analyzing quantitative market research surveys. Of course, the specific statistical tests and concepts I learned are valuable, but I also utilize the problem-solving skills that I learned at Cornell.
What advice would you give to current statistics students about working in the industry or academia? Stay open minded about potential jobs. There are so many careers that utilize statistics and critical thinking, so you should not be limited. I didn’t know much about market research while at Cornell, but found it to be the perfect fit for me—combining my interests in healthcare, statistics / math, and problem solving.
Anything else you’d like to add about your education and/or your Cornell experience? I found my degree from Cornell and in Biometry and Statistics to hold tremendous value when interviewing for jobs—much more than I had expected. Possibilities are endless with such a great education!