Cristina Flowerday

Cristina Flowerday studied MSc Social and Cultural Psychology and graduated in 2015. Here she tells her about her experience at LSE and her career to date. 

I studied at LSE in 2014-15, and my dissertation focused on the relationship between creativity and motivation. Since then, I have found ways to incorporate my findings and education into actionable results and helped benefit my teams and communities. I am passionate about employee experience, operations, and processes that make individuals and companies successful. I'm an accomplished researcher with a strong background in writing, research, and analysis. Using my professional and educational expertise, I enjoy uncovering patterns and developing insights that help people to make well-informed decisions. I thrive in diverse settings that challenge me to think creatively and critically. I am especially interested in positive psychology and well-being in general and enjoy volunteering on a well-being committee at work. 

What is your current job title, and what does the role entail? 

Research Administrator at Northwestern University - I help researchers in the department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences apply for and manage their research grants. In addition to submitting proposals, I manage a portfolio of around $20 million in research funding including projections and analyzing past spending, managing human subjects, clinical trials, and annual reporting. 

Tell us about your career journey since graduating from LSE.

After LSE I took a little while to find my way. Then I worked at Goldman Sachs for two years as an operations analyst before transitioning to work in higher education. I found I like the lifestyle better here and especially staying close to the research and contributing in that way to help those around me. My role involves a lot of project management and deadlines and working with researchers around the world to improve our understanding of the human condition. 

How has the programme you studied helped your career since you graduated?

I greatly benefited from my time at LSE. I grew in confidence and skills, especially through discussions and writing. I have strengthened how I understand and work with others, and often reflect on the lessons and experiences I had here. My program specifically focused on trying to understand the intersection between a person and the larger group, especially looking at cultural differences. This has since helped as I've worked in different places and cultures.

What’s the best piece of career advice you’ve received? 

Perhaps a great piece of advice I've received has been that progress isn't always linear. In my early career, I was concerned about picking the "right" path and not making "mistakes" in picking a career path - but even still, my career hasn't gone the way I thought it would. As I've learned over the years, I've created a space that works for me, where I can continue to learn and grow, and use my background and skills to support others, and I can build a life I'm happy with. 

What’s the greatest challenge you’ve had to overcome?

When I transitioned from banking and corporate into higher education, my team had been going through a massive restructuring. The remaining people were burnt out and unhelpful and I was in a brand-new environment without much guidance or support.  Figuring out my way on my own and helping create and strengthen an environment where we could all succeed and thrive, has been the highlight of my career so far. 

Share with us your fondest memory of the Department of Psychological and Behavioural Science. 

I often think back to great discussions, our weekend in Cumberland Lodge, and preparing for exams and essays all together. The people on my course are all so driven, kind, welcoming, and hard working. The faculty and staff were very responsive and helpful in creating the course so the students could reach their potential. I fondly think back about many study sessions, lectures, informal gatherings of us all together.

If you're a PBS alum and would like to share your experience, please get in touch at pbs.alumni@lse.ac.uk.