About Me

Hi, I’m Dr. Schumm, but you can call me Samantha. I am a bioengineer by training. 

While earning my PhD at the University of Pennsylvania, I often wished there were some manual I could turn to for help. When I realized no such book existed, I knew I needed to write my own. That work has become The Modern PhD Handbook. I hope it provides help and motivation to others. Getting a PhD is hard, but you’ve got this!

I currently work at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and live in Washington, DC with my husband George and my pup Cleo. 

headshot of Samantha Schumm
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I grew up hiking and skiing in Utah and still love spending time in the mountains.

I met my significant other George in college at Yale University. We have been together ever since.

We added Cleo to the family in 2020! She keeps us on our toes in the best way.