Roaming the Halls Student Profile
Kayla Burt: Driving change and taking big swings at work and life
BY NICOLE MEHLMAN-DAVIDOW
Golf is a sport about strategy, discipline and decision-making—keeping your mind on the next shot and not the ones previously taken. These skills have served GSE PhD student Kayla Burt well throughout her academic, athletic and professional careers.
In high school, Burt, who goes by KB, first picked up her father’s golf clubs and practiced in her family’s yard. “I would chip into my mom’s flower bed, and she hated it because, obviously, it ruined her plants,” Burt said with a laugh. “It all worked out well when I got a scholarship to go to college .”
That scholarship led to a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a minor in philosophy in 2017 from Le Moyne College, where Burt was a captain of the women’s golf team and finished among the top ten scorers in the program’s history. She completed a master’s in public administration and policy from American University in 2020, with additional coursework in data analytics and research methods that resulted in a certificate from Boston College in 2021.
Kayla Burt (KB), PhD student
Currently a student in the information science PhD program, Burt has research interests that center on information behavior, information search, social networks and decision-making in the graduate admissions process. She is also intrigued by broader intersections of education, technology and everyday life. “In most of my work professionally, I am exploring questions for others and sharing great information, but there was more I wanted to do—I want to explore my own questions,” explained Burt. “GSE allowed me to dive deeper into how prospective students engage with complex information environments—blending educational measurement with the study of information behavior to better understand how people search for, interpret and act on admissions information in high-stakes, digitally mediated contexts.”
On top of her studies, Burt is also a data analyst at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Office of Institutional Research. She is leading research projects focused on students’ sense of belonging, engagement, and the assessment and evaluation of programs and initiatives. Burt follows students through their whole career, from admittance to career development. “Offices come to us with questions,” said Burt. “We analyze the data, uncover patterns and help them make informed decisions through quantitative and qualitative methods.”
With career shifts and academic pursuits, Burt has still found a way to fit golf into her life. Her passion project is making the game of golf accessible to more students who could gain the valuable life skills the sport offers. She became involved in the First Tee of Massachusetts and she is a trustee with the PGA REACH WNY Foundation. “I want more people to have access to what golf can do professionally, what it can do for you mentally,” said Burt. “Being outside for hours and enjoying the fresh air is a great benefit, but there are also valuable connections with people that you can make.”
Burt attributes her success to the connections she has made throughout her life, whether through golf or in her career as a researcher and student. “Ultimately, my biggest goal right now and also for the future is to pour myself into the relationships that have come into my life,” said Burt. “That’s through work. That’s through school. That’s through my research. That’s through golf. There’s just so much to learn and take in and use, and I know that those relationships will help me be a better academic in the future.”
From left to right: Africa Hands, PhD; Kayla Burt; Amy VanScoy, PhD; and Heidi Julien, PhD. Burt had the opportunity to interact with some of her GSE professors at a conference.