By Caroline Barnhill
After a 20-year career directing large, complex sponsored research collaborations, Kristin Siebenaler joined the Poole College of Management in July 2021 to lead the college’s Business Analytics Initative (BAI). As the BAI director, Siebenaler is responsible for daily operations of the initiative, as well as assisting in long-term and strategic planning.
“I support the design and execution of a cohesive strategy for the degree programs offered by the college in the analytics space to ensure a high-quality student experience and student success,” Siebenaler says. “Additionally, I build and maintain relationships with companies and other organizations, and recruit them to engage in a robust portfolio of offerings including practicum projects, guest lectureships, student scholarships, podcasts, innovative sponsored analytics research and thought leadership activities.”
It’s important work, as the college continues to grow its analytics offerings in response to industry demand. And it’s work that keeps Siebenaler busy.
Q&A with Kristin Siebenaler
What is a project in your current role that you are particularly proud of?
Given that the BAI is only in the second year of its existence, there have been several key steps forward that will help student and faculty success. We are excited about the two new graduate degrees in analytics, the Master of Management, Marketing Analytics, and the Master of Management, Risk and Analytics. And we are working to expand access to business analytics courses for more undergraduate students in a way that will help recruit strong applicants to Poole (more details to come!). We also recently executed a master services agreement with the research arm of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital that will allow analytics faculty to engage in research over the next three years. Additionally, we are steadily expanding our BAI advisory board – most recently securing the agreement of Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions to join the board. It was a thrill to host the first ever annual Business Analytics Roundtable on campus last semester, and we are planning our second one for April 26th.
What’s the most memorable Poole College event you have attended?
I was moved by the evening storytelling session that the Poole DEI Office arranged with an alumnus, Saul Flores. He truly embodies the NC State spirit of research, innovation and entrepreneurship. Saul studied the overland route his parents took through South and Central America to come to the United States, he took an innovative approach to understand their arduous journey by actually retracing their steps, and then he documented it through social media and now shares his story to others as a way to earn a living.
Why do you love being a part of Poole?
I like Poole College because of the staff and faculty commitment towards students, as well as the university as a whole. There is clear dedication to student success and making sure that Poole College does its part to help NC State shine. The support from Poole leadership and colleagues to embrace all things business analytics makes my job all the more enjoyable. And I also like my job because I have a great boss in Bill Rand!
Tell us more about your life outside of Poole College.
I enjoy spending time with friends and family. My husband, Rob Van Arnam, an intellectual property attorney at Williams Mullen, and I moved to North Carolina in 1999 and have made close friends here from work, school and travel youth sports, and our neighborhood near North Cary Park. My husband’s parents, who are in their mid-80s, moved into the Glenaire retirement community in Cary five years ago after 50 years in the same house in Cazenovia, NY. We feel so fortunate to spend so much time with them. With our daughter Kara (20) at college in Boston, we now spend a lot of time with our son Nick (17) who is involved in varsity football and lacrosse at Cardinal Gibbons High School. I try to run every day and I like to read fiction. We had great family trips to the California coast and Iceland in 2022, and I look forward to additional travels as empty nesters.
My Poole colleagues might not know…
I retain close ties with my graduate program, the Master of Public Administration program at UNC-CH. It’s important to me to pay it forward this way. When I moved back to North Carolina, I became involved with the MPA alumni association, and had several positions on the alumni board, including president. I am a long-time mentor to students. I officially mentor a current student every year, and keep in close contact with prior mentees. It’s gratifying to mentor them at the beginning of their careers, and I am in touch with many of them mid-career as they try to secure new jobs or get promotions. I am the person they call to navigate their careers and that brings me tremendous satisfaction! I also watch with awe as my former classmates (a cohort of 28) achieve amazing heights. My classmate, Marchell Adams-David, is now the Raleigh city manager, and another classmate, Charlie Perusse, just retired from his role as State Budget Director after 30 years of State service.
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