Dana Turjeman, PhD

I was always very passionate about marketing. Even as I was working as a software engineer and technical team lead at Intel in Israel, I found myself always asking questions about marketing strategy––and even though I had already earned my MBA, I felt I didn’t have enough tools to answer everything I was wondering about.

This is what led me to the PhD program at Michigan Ross.

I am now studying quantitative marketing, which is a combination of software engineering and marketing. We use data science tools in order to understand people’s behavior, whether it is making purchases, being active on a website, or making other decisions. We use large quantities of data, which we collect in collaboration with multiple firms, to answer questions that have real managerial implications. We then develop tools that can later be used by other researchers and managers.

My time at Michigan Ross has exceeded my expectations. 

Today, there are large quantities of data in so many forms. And there are many questions that can be answered. However, you first need to know which questions you’re asking––and this is usually the hardest part. It’s very interesting and challenging work on a daily basis. After I complete this program, I want to pursue more knowledge in academia and to further develop a bridge between academics and practitioners. As a marketing researcher in the Ross School of Business, I believe it is important that the latest research is well-communicated to industry decision makers.

My time at Michigan Ross has exceeded my expectations. We have plenty of resources from the school and the university: We have access to data and to companies that are willing to share data, the school is generous with its computational resources (especially in quantitative marketing, as we need powerful computers), and we are also encouraged to get to know professors from other departments and other schools within the university.

I have worked with many professors within Ross and in other departments over the last few years, and I don’t feel like I’m working for them. Instead, I am enjoying working with them and learning from them.

My teaching experience has led me to gain more confidence in the way I communicate. This experience allowed me to share my knowledge and my research with a class of more than 50 marketing students, which I taught for a semester. I’m very thankful I had that opportunity. We are receiving support and training in order to excel in teaching, which is an important part of our role as future faculty.

Overall, I’d recommend Ross to anyone considering a PhD. The knowledge base here is so broad that you can find a professor who will be knowledgeable in just about any subject. Of course, it’s always very important for the applicant to consider his or her interests, research-wise and life-wise, and how they want to spend the next five years. Ross has helped me grow in so many ways, and Ann Arbor has been a great place for me, my husband, and our young daughters.