Ramdhan Russell, a senior statistical science and data analytics major, reflects on his time at Temple and how he took advantage of the opportunities that come from attending an R1 institution like Temple.
Ramdhan Russell plans to pursue a PhD in statistics upon graduation. His interest in the topic was piqued due to the undergraduate research opportunities he enjoyed at Temple.
Photo by Ryan S. Brandenberg
Ramdhan Russell
Degree: BS, statistical science and data analytics
College: Fox School of Business
Hometown: Wayne, Pennsylvania
Why you chose Temple: “For me, it was really Temple’s research standing. This is an R1 institution. If I had an opportunity to speak with incoming or prospective students, the biggest thing I would say is that you need to take advantage of research opportunities if you’re coming to Temple. It was my undergraduate research opportunities that led me to find what I'm passionate about, and that’s what led me towards the current path that I am on. There are only a handful of R1 institutions in the state, and Temple is one of them. The other thing is that research opportunities will pay off down the line regardless of whether you want to go into industry or academia. Both sides really do appreciate that kind of experience.”
Transformative Temple moment: “I started out as a neuroscience major, but after a clinical research experience at the Shriners Children’s Hospital, I was inspired to switch over to statistics. I had been shadowing two neurosurgery residents, and they advised me that a statistics degree would have helped them far more than their biology degree currently is. I knew that I wanted to eventually go to medical school, and they shared how a major like statistics or data science would really help when it comes to pursuing research. So, that’s where I made the decision to switch to statistics, as I felt statistics would still allow me to be on that pre-medical track, but it would also open myself up to a lot of other opportunities.”
What’s next: “There are a bunch of opportunities right now. I interned at Johnson and Johnson, and I had an awesome experience there. I would like to potentially eventually get back there, and they had shared that the pipeline for that would be to go into consulting for two to three years, and then I come back. The company really was great, so I hope to eventually return, just in a different capacity. I am also very interested in continuing my education though and as of now, it looks like I’ll be returning to Temple to pursue a PhD in statistics.”
