In the Professional Science Master’s (PSM) program, we encourage our students to lead their own ship. For alumni Courtney Harris, her path toward the Master of Business and Science (MBS) degree was not always clear. Harris received a B.S. in biochemistry and molecular cell biology from Penn State University. Unsure of what to do with this broad degree, she took a position as a clinical research associate while volunteering at her local library in Piscataway. However, she decided that the job wasn’t right for her. Harris considered pursuing a graduate degree in Library and Information Science. While she was perusing Rutgers master's degree programs, she discovered the MBS degree.
Why did you choose this degree and concentration?
“I saw the cosmetic chemistry concentration and I was like, oh, this is it. This is exactly what I’ve been looking for.” She continues, “It was like a beautiful cocktail of being excited to finally find your tribe of people who get what you love.”
Harris held concerns when she first entered the program. She lacked a strong background in cosmetic science while many of her classmates were already working in the industry. However, Harris knew that learning the business behind the science would help her during interviews.
“I always rep my graduate program at my job because it taught me so much and everyone at my job always asks me, ‘How did you know this and this?’ And I'm like, ‘it's with my degree. It’s the program.’ For whatever you want to go into, it really does lay a great primer for when you jump into your career, so I'm really grateful for it.”
Current Career
Harris graduated in January 2021. She currently works for Colgate-Palmolive in personal care implementation and support. During her time at MBS, she took part in an internship and externship for Colgate-Palmolive. After graduation, she entered their rotational research and development program before landing her current role.
“I have that business acumen that I get to take advantage of and leverage here,” says Harris.
Colgate-Palmolive affords Harris an unexpected opportunity to leverage her unique skillset.
“I love any excuse to be creative. I love presenting. I love coming up with a story, whether it’s for myself—because that’s how I learn science. I find the story behind it, and I enjoy articulating it to people in a narrative-driven way. There’s a lot of opportunity in my role right now, too.” Her company is always pursuing innovation with purpose, collaboration, input, and diversity, and Harris has the opportunity to take part in the efforts.
“I’m learning so much more about the science than I ever did before, but I also get to play around.” Harris continues, “They trust that I understand what I’m doing and that I’m making good decisions.”
Colgate-Palmolive uses FEED principles, standing for focused, experimental, empowered, and digitally driven. “For all of my decisions, I try to keep those principles in mind, as well as everything that I learned from the MBS. I try to be a professional student at all times.”
What is a professional student?
Here at PSM, under the Rutgers Division of Continuing Studies, we encourage students to become lifelong learners. Harris recognized this during her MBS orientation when Kathleen Cashman encouraged students to lead their own ship to success.
“It felt like a sermon. You always leave feeling uplifted after she speaks to you, and she really hammered home how this is an area to not only develop your professional acumen but also to just be a learner. Make sure you're always learning more about yourself and others.” Harris’ natural curiosity drew her to study science in the first place. “They really make sure to reiterate the importance of always developing that understanding, no matter where you're going and where your professional journey takes you.”
Apart from learning core aspects of science and business, Harris also learned to be more empathetic during her time in our program. In one of her classes, she learned to value different work styles.
“They really push for us to learn about how to become better professionals. We learn about the professionalism of others in addition to your scientific background and the groundwork that you're building with all your courses. I take that with me everywhere in Colgate, and Colgate is already inherently like so. That's why it was a really perfect fit.”
How is your experience as an externship mentor?
“It’s such a full-circle moment,” says Harris. In the Summer of 2019, Harris participated in the MBS externship program. On one of 5 teams, she performed a market analysis for Church & Dwight. She later expressed interest in participating in another externship program for a personal care company. Abbe Rosenthal, Assistant Director MBS Externship Exchange Program, asked her to serve as lead on an externship for Colgate-Palmolive.
However, once learning more about the externship, Harris doubted that she had the background in data and analytics to serve as lead. “I was like, oh no. There’s no way I can lead. Everyone on my team is data analytics concentration. I’m personal care science with a library background.” She continues, “I remember telling her [Rosenthal], thank you so much, Abbe, I really appreciate this beautiful honor of being lead, but I decline. And she messaged me back, ‘I rescind your declination.’”
Rosenthal reassured Harris that she would have the support of the team, the externship mentors, and Rosenthal herself.
“I said, OK, let's give it a shot, and it ended up being one of the best things that ever happened to me.” That year, Harris’ team won best presentation poster. Harris herself won best lead extern.
“It was very, very, challenging, but in a very, very, fulfilling way.”
During the externship, Harris enjoyed working for Colgate-Palmolive and developing relationships with her mentors. Harris found a professional family at Colgate-Palmolive. “I thought I would never feel that professional family anywhere else outside of my library and I got that at Colgate. That's when I really knew, oh, this is the company for me.”
When Harris learned that Rosenthal was seeking more research and development externships, Harris volunteered.
“It’s been so cool to serve in that role for students, especially knowing that just a second ago, I was on the other side of that. As a leader, I do my best to really evolve and help the students like I wanted to be helped, but also give them space to feel like they have agency and that they're empowered to do and think out-of-the-box in ways that they'd like to.”
How did MBS help you succeed in your career?
“For all the classes that I took, all the webinars and all the workshops and panels that I attended, during those opportunities, the through line was exposure.” She continues, “It pushes you in a very healthy way to learn what you’re made of, and to get a little grit.” MBS pushed her to interact with industry professionals and form relationships. “If there's someone whose professional journey really tracks with what you want and you desire to keep that alive, and especially if we have a great rapport with them, reach out to them.”
Harris still references notes and academic papers she wrote during her time as an MBS student.
“[At MBS,] they really want you to advocate for yourself. And that’s something that—especially for women in science—is so important for us.” Gaining this business acumen grew her confidence as a scientist and businessperson.
Harris values the sense of community that she found through the personal care science concentration. The path toward this industry is not always straightforward, but she had help navigating the rocky terrain toward her goal. She calls personal care scientists “the chocolate chips within the cookie of this program.”
As for the MBS degree as a whole?
“It’s fun, it’s fulfilling, and it’s something that will help you stand out within your career.”
If you would like to hear more stories from MBS alumni, register now for our virtual Alumni Career Panel. Harris will speak as a panelist.