From Dissertation to Data: How Dr. Veraluz Reinvented His Career

How do you go from writing about colonial desert borderlands to managing complex programs in the logistics industry?

In this week’s episode of ConnectED, we meet Dr. Morgan Veraluz, a historian turned program manager who now works at Expeditors, blending his love of research and analysis in a new professional space.

We discuss:

What inspired his deep dive into environmental and indigenous histories of the Chihuahuan borderlands

• How archival research and environmental data shaped his academic work
• The grief and growth of transitioning from academia to industry
• How to translate PhD skills—like writing, research, and systems thinking—into real-world value

• His candid reflections on classism, imposter syndrome, and managing your mentors

Resources Mentioned:

• ⁠The Middle Ground by Richard White⁠
• ⁠Playing Indian by Philip Deloria⁠
• ⁠The Center for Southwest Research at UNM⁠

• ⁠Dissertations and Theses⁠

Connect with Dr. Morgan Veraluz:

• LinkedIn – ⁠Morgan Veraluz, PhD, PMP⁠

Stay Connected with Me:

• Instagram – ⁠⁠@connected_phd⁠⁠
• LinkedIn – ⁠⁠Haille Trimboli, PhD⁠⁠
• YouTube – ⁠⁠@TheConnectEDNetwork⁠⁠
• Spotify – ⁠⁠ConnectED⁠

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