Megan McKenzie is a recent graduate of the Geisel School of Medicine's Master of Science in Health Data Science. Her interest in pursuing science and medicine professionally is driven by a desire to make a significant, tangible, and positive impact on the lives and well-being of individuals.

As a high school student, Megan interned in an HIV wet lab, sparking her interest in the healthcare industry. This interest grew during the COVID-19 pandemic when she used machine learning techniques to build a respiratory illness database for scientists and healthcare professionals. “This work showed me how developing specialized tools and strategies can make significant progress in public health advancements. It inspired me to join Dartmouth’s master’s program to dive deeper into this specialty,” Megan explains.

After graduating with her Master’s, Megan joined Amazon Web Services (AWS) as a Solutions Architect for AI. In this role, Megan collaborates with executives and engineers to design and build cloud architectures for AI and data analytics. She shares, “I have the opportunity to work with amazing people and take on challenging opportunities. I was drawn to working with AI in the cloud because it ultimately means democratizing technology.”

At Dartmouth, Megan immersed herself in the statistical and mathematical foundations of data science. She notes, "Becoming more fluent in data comprehension and the statistical methods for achieving deeper insights showed me a new, instrumental way to learn from things that are already there. It's sort of like wearing night-vision goggles."

She affirms that data science is a building block for understanding advanced statistical methods like machine learning and AI. "Working from scratch and building the foundation up to high-level technologies trained me to dive deep into my work and understand it from the inside out. This approach is crucial for standing out and being steadfast when facing the unknown. I’ve noticed that Dartmouth students excel at this strategy, and it’s infectious!” she remarks.

Though her degree was highly specialized, Megan also expresses becoming more well-rounded as a Dartmouth student, excelling in writing and public speaking—skills that serve her well in her current career. Some highlights from her time at Dartmouth include one-on-one independent study classes with Professor Devin Balkcom, working as an engineer at Moderna to develop cancer vaccines, and conducting research at the Hassanpour Lab and the Center for Precision Health and Artificial Intelligence (CPHAI), where she worked with Naofumi Tomita and Professor Saeed Hassanpour on predicting seizure onset from brain tumor tissue. “With such supportive mentors, I was lucky to learn the importance of truly advocating for your students,” she reflects.

Megan is now proud to join the ranks of inspiring Dartmouth alumni. “Dartmouth alumni remind me that a great education and sharp skills provide the tools you need to succeed, but to make the most of them, you need to be a self-starter by actively striving for opportunities and challenges, and above all, do good,” she states. Her advice for the incoming cohort? “Dartmouth’s learning experience is enhanced by the gorgeous outdoors and wonderful people. Pursue your hunger for knowledge and spend quality time with your peers!”

Written by: Mia Soucy