The Non-Linear Career Path

Shana Palla, KU Medical Center

CW 122

Abstract: Sometimes it takes a while to find your niche.   From starting out as an undergraduate in Computer Science, to earning a doctorate in Higher Education Administration, Dr. Palla tried a number of career paths before landing on one that combines them all.   She earned her bachelor’s in mathematics in 1997, quickly followed in 1999 with a master’s in statistics.   Not having an interest in statistical methods development, however, she delayed her post-secondary education and joined the workforce   Twenty years later, with a full-time job, husband, and two children, she returned to college to get an Ed.D. in Higher Education Administration. Along the path, she explored careers in actuarial sciences, marketing statistics, pharmaceutical statistics, software development, biostatistical analysis, management, clinical trial design, and instructor.   She is now Assistant Professor and Assistant Director of Graduate Education for the Department of Biostatistics & Data Science at the University of Kansas School of Medicine.  She will discuss how opportunities and experiences have shaped her non-linear career path.