Student Spotlight: Rhea Bergman
Meet Rhea Bergman, an incoming PhD student in MS&E.
HOMETOWN
Los Altos, CA
WHERE I LIVED BEFORE STANFORD
Cambridge, UK
Manhattan, NY
ALMA MATERS
Duke University
University of Cambridge
DEGREES & MAJORS
BA, Public Policy & Statistics
MA, Innovation, Strategy, and Organization
RESEARCH THEMES MY WORK REPRESENTS
AI & Data Science
Computational Social Science
The Future of Organizing
Informing Policy Decisions
Academic and work experience
I have long been interested in the intersection of technology and impact, which I explored through my studies in Public Policy and Statistics at Duke. After four years at BlackRock working across technology products and strategies, I witnessed both the transformative potential of digital innovation and the challenges of implementing it from a human-centered perspective.
I had the opportunity to advance these questions through my own research agenda during my M.Phil. at the University of Cambridge Judge Business School, where my research examined how generative AI reshapes workflows and team dynamics and identified mechanisms that enable or constrain technological change. Motivated to shape technology’s role in making work more productive, engaging, and meaningful, I see MS&E as uniquely positioned to address the integrated dynamics of work, technology, and organizations.
Impact I hope to have in my field and the world
With a PhD in MS&E, I hope to develop frameworks that guide the responsible adoption of emerging technologies, particularly AI, and to play an active role in shaping how these innovations transform work, organizations, and our broader economy. My goal is to ensure that tools like generative AI enhance productivity (and help define what productivity even means in the context of AI) while promoting fairness, engagement, and meaningful human collaboration.
Interests and hobbies
I'm an avid nature enthusiast and love anything that gets me outdoors! I ride with the Speed-Block-Terun cycling team here in the Bay Area and enjoy backpacking, which allows me to take full advantage of California's incredible topography. I'm also a huge fan of philosophy, and you can usually find me carrying a quiver of books on the subject. My favorite afternoons are spent discussing ideas over what might generously be called "too much" caffeine, so if that sounds like your kind of conversation, don't hesitate to reach out!
Published September 22, 2025.