Student spotlight: Lucy Zhang
The Warrington College of Business is full of standout alumni and students. No matter their program or major, their time on campus plays an important role in preparing for impactful careers. This series will feature exceptional people from across Warrington.
Learn more about what makes Lucy Zhang, a PhD student in the ISOM department, a standout student at the Warrington College of Business.
Q: When will you graduate with your PhD?
Zhang: “I will graduate in the summer of 2022. Currently, I am a third-year PhD Student in the ISOM department.”
Q: Where are you from originally?
Zhang: “I was born in Tianjin, China; but my family moved to New Jersey when I was 11. I spent the majority of middle school and high school in Edison, NJ.”
Q: What are your other degrees and from what school?
Zhang: “Prior to joining the doctoral program, I earned my bachelor’s degree from University of Minnesota – Carlson School of Management and worked in two large IT companies in the US & China.”
Q: When did you know you wanted to pursue your PhD at Warrington, and why was it an interesting option for you?
Zhang: “I have always wanted to go back to grad school after I started working. It’s unquestionable that there is still so much to learn in today’s world with so many information systems advancements. I realized that I wanted to pursue my PhD at Warrington after I read several information systems research papers published by professors in UF when I was doing research for a company project. I found these information systems topics and models extremely interesting and this definitely motivated me to start pursue my PhD.”
Q: What’s the highlight of your time at Warrington?
Zhang: “Teaching for the first time was the highlight of my time at Warrington. I taught my first Warrington class last semester; I was able to prepare the course, interact with the students and receive feedbacks from the students. It was a wonderful learning experience for me.”
Q: Do you know where you will you be working after graduation?
Zhang: “I would like to continue in academic research in the future; therefore, I will be looking for positions in research universities.”
Q: What can we find you doing after class or on the weekend?
Zhang: “I try to attend yoga classes at the gym when possible, but most of the time I’m in my office or in the library.”
Q: What’s a fact about you that might surprise other people?
Zhang: “I’m a marathon runner.”
Q: If you had $1 million, what would you do with it?
Zhang: “I would invest half and donate the other half to charity.”
