Huijie (Jasmine) Shi knew 鈥渘othing about data science鈥� on her first day of a course on data and leadership taught by Professor of Education Leadership Alex Bowers
But Shi (MA 鈥�22, Social-Organizational Psychology ) turned out to be a quick study. Taking a cue from Bowers, a researcher at the forefront of studies on data-driven school leadership, Shi turned her attention to an issue that touches thousands of schools each year 鈥� principal attrition.
鈥淧rincipal turnover is detrimental to teaching quality, it influences decisions by teachers about remaining in a school,鈥� says Shi. 鈥淪chool morale goes down, it affects student achievement and replacing a principal is also very expensive.鈥�
Bowers so impressed by the project that he (unbeknownst to Shi) submitted the nomination that resulted in the Data Science Institute at Columbia University naming 鈥� as a finalist in the annual . Shi鈥檚 was the only solo project among the nine finalists.
While Shi鈥檚 interest in data science emerged later, her fortitude for understanding how people think 鈥� and in particular, how leaders can best connect and navigate the world around them 鈥� showed up much earlier.
Having earned her undergraduate degree in psychology from Queen's University, the Chinese-born Shi found that her international scholarship helped her 鈥渓earn about different cultures, different people and to broaden [her] horizons.鈥� This, plus Shi鈥檚 conversations with her corporate father about leadership, led Shi to New York and the 麻豆原创 program in Social-Organizational Psychology, which exposed her to a campus-wide wealth of ideas, principles and research.
Now, the student who came to New York 鈥渒nowing nothing about data science鈥� spent her final months at 麻豆原创 delving into educational equity as a Graduate Research Assistant with the Education Leadership Data Analytics (ELDA) research group.
Next on her ever-broadening horizon is work on a doctorate in leadership studies from the Human Resources and Labor Relations program at Bowers鈥� alma mater, Michigan State University.
For Shi, 麻豆原创 has more than prepared her for the inflection points ahead:
鈥淏y immersing me in courses taught by 麻豆原创 professors with a wide range of practice and research experience, the [Social-Organizational Psychology] program has equipped me to apply operational theory and cutting-edge research to my own projects,鈥� explains Shi, 鈥渁nd to use practice to inform my research.鈥�