SPS Stories
Alumni Spotlight
From Master's Student to Adjunct Instructor
Fast Facts
- Lindsay Saunders has her MS in Management and Systems from NYU SPS
- Saunders has lived in Chicago, Louisville, New York, Spain, San Francisco, and Austin
- For the last three years, she's worked at Google
<p>Like many NYU SPS students, Lindsay Saunders had already started her career when she discovered NYU. She shares, "I was working at a hedge fund when I decided I wanted to switch careers. When looking at my options, I saw a program that looked really interesting and decided to apply." Saunders's broad path took her from finance, to big tech, project management, teaching, and digital art.</p>
Flexibility in Spades
<p>Saunders found her NYU experience flexible in many ways. When she initially enrolled, it was to get a certificate in Project Management. Somewhere along the way, things changed. She shared, "but the classes were great and the professors were engaging so I stayed on to get my Master’s degree [in Management and Systems].”</p>
<p>During the program, she was able to take courses at night, online, and on the weekends. She shared that the flexibility gave her the freedom she needed to absorb the content in the way that was right for her, while allowing her the time to connect with other students.</p>
I can confidently say that I would not be where I am today without my degree from NYU. I received great support both during classes, as well as after my degree was granted. I continued in the workforce with the skills I needed to level up my job and continue on a path that was aligned with where I wanted to be."
Data, AI & Project Management
<p>When asked what areas of technology she would suggest incoming students familiarize themselves with, she shared a few recommendations. If you're planning to work with or are working with a specific company, she advises seeing what tools they already use. For project management, she suggests getting basic knowledge of a couple of different project management tools and how each can be used to improve a project. She also recommended students familiarize themselves with AI.</p>
<p>As a student, Saunders's thesis revolved around data analysis of Augmented Reality (AR) with Edward Klinert. She spoke with companies to get data about how the use of AI impacted their business. She also ran an AR art show and collected her own data that way.</p>
It is becoming more important to understand how AI plays a role in project management and how you can use AI to increase your and your team's velocity. For instance, summarizing meeting notes, greeting Gantt Charts, and understanding trends within the team and development."
Career & Entrepreneurship
<p>After graduating from NYU, Saunders co-founded <a href="https://www.dreamlogicart.com/" title="Dream Logic">Dream Logic</a>, a digital art company. She shared, "I was able to work with artists, designers and technicians to create exhibits that merged the worlds of art and tech. I was able to directly use the skills I learned from class to manage artists, communicate with stakeholders and create interactions at museums and festivals."</p>
<p>Saunders worked at Mozilla for six years while teaching at NYU as an adjunct assistant professor in Project Management & Information Technology. When she left Mozilla, "an engineering director I worked with previously contacted me to apply for his team at Google," where she has been for the last three years. Connections make a difference. More than one person reached out at that time, "a program director I worked with previously invited me to join her team at Invida. I was surprised by both people who reached out and grateful that NYU gave me the skills needed to be a sought after employee and project partner."</p>
Next Steps
<p>Saunders shared she will be keeping an eye on AI in the future, "It has been really interesting to see the changes in program management through the lens of AI tools and how they can increase the velocity of work. I look forward to seeing how this progresses and changes the capability of the program management role."</p>
<p>Check out the <a href="/content/sps-nyu/explore/degrees-and-programs/ms-in-management-and-systems.html" title="NYU SPS Master's of Science in Management and Systems (STEM)">NYU SPS Master's of Science in Management and Systems (STEM)</a>.</p>
