Madison Hanscom, Ph.D. 
Current Position & Company:
Senior Consultant at Newmeasures
Brief Description of the Role:
I help our clients develop and execute their employee listening strategies. We start by taking a step back to determine what the organization needs now and in the future from their employee listening to accomplish their strategic goals, and then get to work designing and implementing surveys across the employee lifecycle (like candidate reaction, onboarding, engagement, pulses, leadership 360s, DEI, benefits, employee value prop, etc.). I report findings back to executives/leadership/relevant stakeholders, help them to interpret the results, and work with them to start developing plans of action. I also have an internal component to my role as the consulting team lead. I manage our internal research projects and support/develop/train our consulting team, manage our pipeline, and oversee our processes.
My Experience at CSU:
I love my career and I am a better person now because of my experience at CSU. I also met some of my best friends and will appreciate that for life.
Tip(s) for Current Students and for Finding a Meaningful Career Path:
- Your network is so important! Build it and stay connected. Remember the IO world is very small and your reputation starts in graduate school.
- You won’t graduate with all the answers, but that is not the point. Grad school is a time to build your strong IO foundation/skills, your confidence in finding the answers, your resiliency, and your network. You got this.
- Get exposure as much as possible. Ask questions, shadow, reach out to have conversations, get on applied projects, learn, and try it out when you can. Develop yourself as a scientist-practitioner.
Steve Raymer, Ph.D.
Current Position & Company:
Chief of Science and Technology at US Special Operations Command, Joint capability sponsor.
Brief Description of the Role:
My branch conducts organizational analysis to articulate R&D and training requirements, conducts assessments, and runs a capability development section.
My Experience at CSU:
The Ph.D. program at CSU provided an amazing foundation through the classes, research, and experiences. The other students were an integral part of the journey, providing perspectives, wisdom, and support that were critical to completing the program. I appreciated the flexibility, support, and guidance from all the faculty, who created and led us through many of the opportunities we had.
Tip(s) for Current Students and for Finding a Meaningful Career Path:
Become proficient in Python. This makes candidates stand out, and pay more competitively – we will prioritize hiring IOs over data scientists because of this differentiation. Tip for the career path: Consider what you are aligned to in the organization of the industry your work in. Being tied to a meaningful mission can help overcome some of the frustrations of the workplace. Always look for ways to develop others.
Diana Sanchez, Ph.D.
Current Position & Company:
Associate Professor at San Francisco State University, & Sr. Manager at Ross Dress for Less
Brief Description of the Roles:
As an Associate Professor, I run a research lab and teach both graduate and undergraduate classes. As a Sr. Manager, I manage the onboarding assessments in terms of validation, adverse impact, and general assessment performance maintenance.
My Experience at CSU:
My fellow students at CSU were amazing to work with. I loved the diverse experience the faculty had. I was able to work on a number of projects with different faculty members which was an invaluable experience.
Tip(s) for Current Students and for Finding a Meaningful Career Path:
A tip I would provide is to work on a number of different projects with different faculty members to try different things. This will help you learn more about what you love to do. For finding the right career path for you make sure to network. Go to conferences, and get to know people both inside and outside of your program!
Casey Onder, Ph.D.
Current Position & Company:
Executive Coach at Clairvoyage (Self-Employed)
Brief Description of the Roles:
I do executive coaching with business owners, founders, and leaders or expert individual contributors in corporate.
My Experience at CSU:
Loved CSU, best people and best campus. The faculty really care about your success and your interests. Great lifestyle too!
Tip(s) for Current Students and for Finding a Meaningful Career Path:
Set clear goals, think creatively, and be proactive (and social) and you will make the most of it. I would say the same for setting a career path. And bet on yourself. Don’t be afraid to take risks for things that are important to you.
Kyle Sandell, Ph.D.
Current Position & Company:
Senior Consultant, People Insights at BetterUp.
Brief Description of the Roles:
In this role, I surface insights about the growth and transformation people experience on our digital coaching platform to our clients, who are mostly Fortune 500 companies.
My Experience at CSU:
I loved my time at CSU. The things I learned, experiences I had, and connections I made continue to benefit me in my work and personal life every day. The aspect I valued the most was the connection I was able to build with other students, many of whom I consider to be lifelong friends.
Tip(s) for Current Students and for Finding a Meaningful Career Path:
Be open to experiences, and invest in the relationships you make. You can learn something from every opportunity and every project, and that might not be apparent at the moment, but it becomes clear later after you’ve zoomed out a bit and put the pieces of your graduate school and career experience together. You learn a lot about yourself from reflecting on a diverse set of experiences. The same holds true for the people you work with – you can always learn something from them and you never know how your lives and careers will intertwine in the future!
Alyssa Marshall, Ph.D.
Current Position & Company:
People Research Scientist at Meta.
Brief Description of the Roles:
I work on the Global Talent Selection team, and my research mostly focuses on improving the candidate assessment and interview process.
My Experience at CSU:
I had a great experience pursing my PhD at CSU. It was certainly a lot of hard work, but I learned a ton and managed to have some fun too! If I had to do it all over, there is no doubt I’d still choose CSU!
Tip(s) for Current Students and for Finding a Meaningful Career Path:
Choose your advisor wisely and develop a strong working relationship with them. It’s so important to have a mentor and advocate! Tip for finding a successful/meaningful career path: Try a little bit of everything until you find what works for you!
Victoria Mattingly, Ph.D.
Current Position & Company:
CEO and Founder of Mattingly Solutions, a workplace inclusion consulting firm.
Brief Description of the Roles:
Click on this playlist to get answers to the most common questions I get from IO students.
My Experience at CSU:
I loved my time at CSU’s IO PhD program. I embraced the scientist-practitioner model, doing research and publishing during the school year and interning both internally (Amazon) and externally (DDI) during breaks. I especially appreciated the overwhelming support from faculty and staff when I became a first-time mom during my second year.
Tip(s) for Current Students and for Finding a Meaningful Career Path:
When you’re a grad student, you essentially have a free pass to ask all the questions and connect with successful IOs. Reach out, offer value, and be in sponge mode during this fleeting time of your career. Intern, intern, intern–figuring out what you DON’T like is even more valuable than figuring out what you do. Try on as many opportunities as you can to determine which path will be most rewarding to you.
Kiplin Kaldahl, Ph.D.
Current Position & Company:
Research Associate II, Health Sciences, NORC at the University of Chicago
Brief Description of the Roles:
Duties include survey operations and development, data analysis, and report writing.
My Experience at CSU:
Although I chose a different path after achieving my master’s degree at CSU, I had a highly positive experience and I felt very supported in all of my decisions. I’m grateful for the education, research experience, and professional development opportunities I had at CSU which prepared me for my career.
Tip(s) for Current Students and for Finding a Meaningful Career Path:
Remember to practice self-compassion and celebrate your accomplishments. Tip for a successful career: Pay attention to what projects you enjoy most in grad school and seek out positions with similar responsibilities