Lisa Kay Davis visited the CMU-Q campus on October 5 to speak about her experiences as social business manager at IBM Watson in New York. Davis graduated from Carnegie Mellon in 2009 with a master’s degree in professional writing.

IBM Watson is a technology platform that uses natural language processing and machine learning to derive insights from large amounts of unstructured data. Davis works with the developers and public relations department to maintain contact with their audience using language that they can understand.

Davis commented on social listening, which is a way of understanding the audience: “Through social listening, I am looking into what makes a follower an influencer with authentic content so I can have them advocate for the brand.”

Davis is one of several alumni who will be on campus this year to offer unique perspectives on the job market. She is the second CMU alumni this semester to visit the Qatar campus: Pradeep Ranka, who holds a bachelor’s degree in architecture and industrial management, came to campus in September.

Davis offered advice to students as they embark on their careers: “Maintain your intellectual curiosity. Learning doesn’t end once you get your degree or diploma. Set time aside and read about your field.”