Technology Leader Finds a New Challenge in Purdue’s Doctor of Technology Program

Melissa Zabel believes that artificial intelligence (AI) has the power to revolutionize the way people work – she’s seen this potential firsthand in her role as director of content experience at Salesforce, where she manages a team of software technical writers. In her job, Zabel uses and works on generative AI and sees firsthand how it can automate processes and optimize efficiency. It’s clear to her that AI is transforming the future of work, but she also knows that knowledge and strong leadership are crucial to getting other people to understand and utilize the technology.  

“Having leaders who are really thinking about all those facets of AI and helping guide how it’s developed is so critical,” Zabel said.  

In the midst of AI’s monumental ascent, Zabel saw an opportunity to expand her knowledge and mentorship skills and become the kind of tech leader who can make this technology more accessible to the masses. So, she started thinking about going back to school for a doctorate in a technology-related field.  

“I found that I was ready to get to that next level as a leader,” Zabel said. “My team was growing. The number of people I was working with across the company was growing. My influence was growing, but I really wanted to learn a lot more, get deeper into this technology, and challenge myself.” 

While searching for ways to challenge herself, Zabel found Purdue University’s Doctor of Technology program, a fully online doctoral degree that would allow her to become an expert in a technology-related area of her choice by conducting original research and completing in-depth coursework. After learning more about the program, she realized it was the perfect opportunity to improve herself as a leader in the tech industry.  

“One thing that drew me to the program is that there was an emphasis on learning leadership strategies,” Zabel said. “From cybersecurity to studying demographics, the program focused on aspects of leadership I wasn’t necessarily thinking about but knew were important.” 

Zabel was also drawn to the program’s online format. She works full-time in Indianapolis, and she also has a family, which made the idea of going back to school for a doctoral degree daunting. But Purdue’s program gave her the opportunity to work towards her doctorate without having to put her job or her family on the backburner. During the day, she went to work, and at night she struck a balance between completing coursework and spending quality time with her two kids. Though the busy schedule was challenging, having space to meet all her commitments made the sacrifices worthwhile.  

“I could access the curriculum during the free time that I had,” Zabel said. “That’s not what traditional on-campus students do, but it worked well with my schedule. I was able to challenge myself and get access to information when it was convenient for me.”  

Through Purdue, Zabel also forged new relationships with other professionals in the technology sector. Her classmates came from a diverse array of backgrounds – from the military to security and logistics. Her coursework challenged her to collaborate with her classmates on research projects and look at technology issues, like the use of AI, from multiple perspectives.  

“The key benefits [of the program] have really been the new perspectives and the research that we’re tapping into that is helping me to think about things differently as a leader,” Zabel said. “There are people [in the program] really thinking about security, about the ethics of what we’re building, or there are people that are looking at new ways of engineering solutions – it’s helping me see different sides of what I’m working on in my industry.” 

Zabel is only a couple years into her doctoral program, and she knows there’s still a lot to learn. But she can see the impact of her studies right now. She already feels like a more confident leader in her job, and she hopes her leadership can help inspire her team to become a beacon for the technology industry when it comes to spearheading AI adoption.  

“Being in this program at Purdue University is really helping me prepare to lead my team,” Zabel said. “And [my leadership] is helping my team lead the industry on how AI is going to be used and how it’s going to impact businesses all around the world.” 

Though Zabel understands that getting a doctorate and working full-time is a major feat, she still feels like anyone who wants to take on the challenge can do it, especially if they’re willing to take it one day at a time. Ultimately, she enjoys the hard work – it makes her feel hopeful for the future and confident in her abilities. She learns something new every day, and, most importantly, she can see her efforts paying off – it shows up in her leadership skills, which have steadily improved since she started the program two years ago.  

“Purdue makes me feel excited,” Zabel said. “Anyone can do [what I’ve done], and I’m proof of that. There’s no magic to it. It’s just careful planning and thinking about one class at a time. If [this degree] is something you really want to do, then go for it.” 

To learn more about Purdue’s online Doctor of Technology, please visit the program’s webpage.