Meet Carnegie Mellon’s MBA Class Of 2019

Kimberly Turner

Tepper School of Business at Carnegie Mellon University

Describe yourself in 15 words or less: I am a life-long leaner who seeks to make a difference and encourage others.

Hometown: Grand Blanc, MI

Fun Fact About Yourself: During my MBA application process, I managed to break my arm – a Galeazzi fracture of the right forearm. Ironically, this began a series of events that ultimately led to my decision to attend business school.

Undergraduate School and Major: 

University of Wisconsin-Madison (PhD Sociology)

Hope College (BA Sociology and Economics)

Employers and Job Titles Since Graduation:

Research Scientist, Child Trends

Frank H.T. Rhodes Postdoctoral Fellow, Cornell University

Research and Teaching Assistant, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: I am the lead author of an article entitled “Indebted Relationships: Child Support Arrears and Fathers’ Involvement with Children,” which was published this year in the Journal of Marriage and Family. The key finding is that low-income fathers who have child-support-related debt spend less time with their children, which raises questions about how fathers divide their monetary and time contributions to their children and whether child support policies may have some unintended consequences.

Looking back on your experience, what one piece of advice would you give to future business school applicants?  Find your tribe. Talk to any person you can affiliated with a program of interests – students, admission’s staff, faculty, but especially students. Get a sense of whether you would not only enjoy spending time with those that you meet, but that you are learning something as you engage with them.

What was the key factor that led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA and why was it so important to you? Tepper’s commitment to analytics and leadership drew me in. In my last role as a researcher at non-profit organization, I experienced the power of data and effective methodology in creating accessible, policy-relevant research content that can impact social change. I wanted to be part of an MBA program that not only provides a solid foundation in analytics but is forward-thinking in ways to use data to inform decisions and motivate people. Tepper is where I need to be.

What would success look like to you after your first year of business school?  Surviving. I look forward to stepping out of my comfort zone. I will seek out ranging learning opportunities to not only expose myself to new ideas, but to share my perspective with others. I will be present, I will be vocal, and I will work hard to build my knowledge-base and skill set to empower me to make a difference and to help others better their life chances and communities. I will count authentically engaging with the broader Tepper community a success.