Ph.D. Career Stories: The Good, The Messy, and The Pivot
July 22 @ 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
Join us for Ph.D. Career Stories: The Good, the Messy, and the Pivot—a virtual conversation series featuring Cornell alumni who hold doctoral degrees and have built dynamic careers beyond academia.
In this session, you’ll hear from Susan Korbel, Ph.D. (Owner, Core Research Inc.) and Michael Vernick, Ph.D. (Customer Solutions Architect, Vonage), two seasoned professionals whose paths span social science research, strategic consulting, product development, and tech innovation.
With decades of experience across sectors, Susan and Michael will reflect on how their graduate training shaped their work, how they’ve navigated career shifts, and what they’ve learned along the way.
What to expect:
- Informal, real talk—no slides, just stories
- Candid insights from two Ph.D.-trained professionals
- Q&A and advice for students exploring diverse pathways
Whether you’re actively exploring careers beyond academia or simply curious about what’s possible, this session offers a unique opportunity to hear from those who’ve charted new paths—with all the complexity, creativity, and learning that comes with it.
Since receiving her Ph.D. in Public Administration from University of Michigan and her bachelor’s from Cornell, Dr. Korbel has been conducting market research and consulting with hundreds of public and private organizations. After many years working in broadcast and public media, Susan Korbel founded Core Research in 1989 when she had her first child. Core Research conducts consumer, voter, and business-to-business research. Dr. Korbel has been behind the scenes helping some of the premiere South Texas businesses and charitable organizations chart successful courses with strategic and tactical planning.
Michael Vernick is a seasoned product strategist, inventor, and solutions architect with over 30 years of experience spanning startups, enterprise tech, and research labs. He specializes in building scalable systems for real-time communication, live video, and streaming technologies, and currently works as a Customer Solutions Architect at Vonage. Michael earned his doctorate in Computer Science from Stony Brook and his bachelor’s and M.Eng. from Cornell and holds 9 U.S. patents.
