Kate Coulter
Kate Coulter graduated from Duke’s Master in Interdisciplinary Data Science (MIDS) program in 2020 as part of its inaugural cohort. Five years later, she’s the Technology Director for the Delaware Democratic Party, a recent recipient of Delaware’s Top 50 Women Leaders award, and a vocal advocate for data-driven decision-making in public service.
But getting here wasn’t a straight line.
“I worked a ton of jobs. I worked for the Atlanta Braves. I worked for lululemon, in market research. I even worked in non-profits, doing database management and research and analysis to provide new outreach opportunities for strategic partners. I did all these things I really wanted to do in the moment and at the time. But nothing felt entirely appropriate or completely fulfilling,” Coulter explained.
Coulter, who holds undergraduate degrees in Mathematics and Political Science from Stetson University, describes applying to MIDS “on a whim.” She didn’t think she had a chance of getting in, but the program was exactly what she’d been searching for.
She elaborated, “I knew I wanted to pursue a master’s degree. I’m great at math. I’m great at other random things, like social sciences, and this is the program that I was looking for. Something that I was told for so long couldn’t be combined suddenly felt possible. I’d finally be able to – maybe – combine my skills with my passions.”
Finding Her Voice and Vision at Duke
During her time at Duke, Coulter leaned deeply into research, mentorship, and cross-disciplinary coursework. She worked closely with Professors Chris Bail and Sunshine Hillygus and served as a teaching assistant for Bail’s Text Analysis course, one of her defining experiences.
Kate with her classmates.
During the summer between her first and second year, Coulter fully took advantage of her research position by working as a researcher under a Bass Connections project “American Predatory Lending and the Global Financial Crisis,” which she continued to work with into her second year as the Project Manager for the project.
In addition to working closely with Professor Lee Reiners, Vice Provost Ed Balleisen, former Commissioner of North Carolina Banks Joseph Smith, along with managing a full team of undergraduate and graduate students, Coulter continued to expand her reach and opportunities available through MIDS. Coulter stated, “I was a TA and got to participate in two different research departments: the Polarization Lab and the Social Science Research Lab. That was instrumental.”
Coulter took full advantage of the program’s flexibility, tailoring her second year to align with her policy interests.
She noted, “There is not a single degree program that exists that gives you your second year of fully choosing what interests you, and how you can take what you are learning inside the classroom to what you think you want to do after you graduate. I took all Poli Sci and Public Policy courses and continued building my skills in project management. Those hard and soft skills I gained through that second year, along with my capstone project, was a truly unique experience that does not exist elsewhere.”
The hands-on nature of the MIDS experience helped her prepare for both leadership and collaboration in the workforce.
“I’m not scared to move to a new industry… You can’t teach yourself real-life skills. But Duke MIDS gave me a lot of opportunities to fit into every role,” asserted Coulter.
Her capstone and internship experiences proved equally transformative, especially when she transitioned into the role of project manager for her internship site during her second year.
From Higher Ed to Political Tech
Graduating in May 2020, Coulter faced a pandemic-era job market. After being furloughed from her original post-grad offer, she joined the University of Delaware’s Public Policy Institute. The work was meaningful, but something was still missing.
Then came an unexpected opportunity thanks to a dog park meet-up. That conversation led her into her current role with the Delaware Democratic Party, where she’s found her stride in using data for civic good. When asked about what she loves most about her work Coulter explained, “All I’ve cared about always is just like, how can numbers and analytics—and like the truth, which is what I see data and analytics as—make a difference in people’s lives.”
Coulter will soon start a new position as a Senior Management Analyst with Delaware Department of Health and Social Services where she will oversee data infrastructure for the Division of Medicare and Medicaid policy across branches of government.
For Coulter, it’s personal: “My grandma and many others I consider friends and family rely on these services. My parents are both about to retire. My significant other ended up being on disability due to a freak accident. This is where the actual day-to-day matters. Reliable health care matters.”
Looking Back, Looking Ahead
Clover, unofficial MIDS mascot.
Asked what advice she’d give her past self, or future MIDS students, Coulter emphasizes curiosity, confidence, and not overthinking things.
She states, “I was never nervous to do anything…But what I wish, just thinking back from the start to the end, is that I just trusted the process. I can remember as far back as my freshman year in undergrad thinking ‘what am I even doing with these two degrees? Shouldn’t I have a full career plan, like my friends seem to have?’ But things work out, sometimes in unbelievable ways. Sometimes, despite your resume, the admission team knows what they’re doing. You can be smarter and more of a fit than you might realize.”
For Kate Coulter, it’s never been about fitting a mold. It’s been about using data to improve lives, and MIDS helped her do exactly that.