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Monthly Poll | Education Matters

Last month we asked you about the fields of study you chose to pursue for your degrees and how you use that education in your daily work life.  We had an amazing number of responses that I’m excited to share.  A Master’s Degree is the highest level of completed post-secondary education for 46% of the members who responded to the poll last month, while 39% of responses came in for Bachelor’s Degrees and 15% came in for Doctoral Degrees being the highest completed level of post-secondary education.  

The most common field of study amongst poll respondents was in the Accounting, Business, and Finance group.  The second most common field of study was in the Political Science, Public Policy, and Public Administration group.  Other common responses were Biology, Education and Psychology. 

When asked if your field of study directly provided knowledge necessary for your work tasks, 80% of poll respondents said yes while 20% said no.  And when asked to share if there were non-traditional ways that your education has professional benefits, you had some amazing things to share.  One member said, “I support Chemistry and Biochemistry, so having a science degree helps me understand the basics of what my PIs are trying to accomplish and how it impacts the world at large.”  Another member’s response echoed that.  “I better understand the science behind the research and many of the compliance aspects (animal welfare, etc).” 

Another member shared, “I fell into grants thanks to my education. I was in an MBA program and I got a job in the Dean’s office of the Graduate school & Grants Office to help pay for tuition. I hated the MBA program but I fell in love with grants. I left the MBA program and focused on grants. 12 years later, I’m still in grants.”  

Another theme in the responses to this question centered around diversity in thought and the way unique educational backgrounds helped bring different points of view to the table.  “Education broadens your perspective on the outside world.   Learning new skills is humbling, yet empowering.”  “It gave me an understanding and appreciation of the different ways that people approach a number of topics and issues.”  “Learning to lead diverse groups.”  “I have a wide breadth of knowledge that is different from many of my colleagues and all of the faculty I support...which means I also approach problems and ideas from a different point of view than others.” 

We are a growing field of highly educated individuals.  This year when asked about our fields of study there was only one person whose response included a degree in Research Administration.  How different will that be in ten years? Twenty years? 

This month we are starting to turn our eyes towards Las Vegas!  Two members of our Catalyst Committee, Terry Campbell and Mark Lucas, will be presenting a session titled, “Engagement Magic” at the Annual Meeting.  Ahead of their session, Terry and Mark would like to hear about what engages you on our poll. 

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/7BVL3QX

Authored by Heather Brown, Grants and Contracts Administrator
Duke Human Vaccine Institute