Annabel Mendum

Full Name: Annabel Mendum

Grad Year: ​2026

Degree/Program: ​MS in DACSS

Current Title: Research Analyst

Current Employer: UMass Donahue Institute

What is the core mission of your role, or what is a major project you are currently working on? My work is focused on population estimates for the state of Massachusetts and preparing for the 2030 Census. We’re doing a lot of work with processing address data right now, with the goal of every residence in the state getting a census form, so every person can be counted. It feels really fulfilling to me to be able to use a lot of quantitative skills I developed during my DACSS degree for a purpose that is incredibly social science-oriented (my undergrad is in sociology!). o the data science/analytics, but also approach these questions from a foundation in research methodology. 

Could you share the story of how you found this position? Did a specific networking contact, internship, or program resource help open the door? I found this position through a connection with a fellow DACSS student who I shared many classes with. She has worked at the Donahue Institute for a long time, and I happened to mention my job search to her when her team was about to post a job listing!

Is there a specific skill, methodology, or lesson from your degree that you rely on to do your work successfully?
I took Intro to GIS in my last semester mainly because it sounded interesting, not because I thought it would be particularly important career-wise, but I actually use ArcGIS almost every day. I also think that DACSS prepared me really well for all of the data cleaning that I do, since that’s a skill I got to practice in almost every DACSS class. 

Looking back, what was a pivotal moment, favorite class, or faculty mentorship during your time in the program that directly shaped how you approach your career today? As someone who started DACSS right after undergrad, I found it really valuable to connect with peers who had already started their careers. I learned a lot about what types of jobs exist, what their day-to-days look like, and what skills are needed for them, which helped me to be much more confident in my ability to make career decisions despite not having any of that experience myself yet. 

If you could give one piece of advice to a student who is on the fence about starting the MS in DACSS, what would it be? If you think you want a career involving data analysis but aren’t sure about the specifics, DACSS has a great deal of flexibility for you to explore your options and develop both general and specific data skills at the same time.