Stephanie Marken '08 arrived at Elon unsure of her path, but thanks to hands-on experiences and the guidance of dedicated professors, she discovered a passion for public opinion polling that shaped her future.
Stephanie Marken ’08 felt an instant connection to Elon University.
“I just really fell in love,” she recalled. “It was the community, the culture, the energy — it all felt right.” What she didn’t know yet was that her time at Elon would set her on a path she hadn’t even imagined, a career amplifying voices across the country through public opinion.
Marken started out undeclared for her major, feeling the pressure that many first-generation students face in finding a secure, practical career. She leaned toward business, hoping it would guarantee job stability, but a pivotal conversation with her advisor, Professor of History Charles Irons, changed everything.
When she visited Irons to declare her major in business, he asked her a simple but powerful question, “What do you love learning about?” Marken recalls telling him about her love for polling after taking an introductory to public opinion polling class. In response, he told her that if you study what you love, the rest will fall into place. So, she pivoted and decided to declare a degree in Political Science instead.
Her interest in polling took shape into a passion after her internship with Elon Poll. She found herself doing real-world work on campus.
“It was such a gift,” she said. “Especially as a student balancing financial strain, it helped me imagine a future career in polling that I wouldn’t have otherwise considered.”
Her experiences at Elon — from her internship and rigorous political science courses to her leadership in her sorority — gave her the confidence and tools to keep going. With the encouragement of her professors, Marken pursued graduate school in survey research at the University of Connecticut.
“When I went on to U-Conn’s graduate school program, I felt incredibly prepared to be successful academically there, and I think so much of that was due to the rigor of the political science department at Elon,” said Marken.
From there, she worked at Westat before landing what had always felt like a dream role for her– working at Gallup. She recalls feeling drawn to Gallup with their mission of helping people be heard. With such a diverse group of clients focused on so many distinct and pressing world problems, there were so many areas of impact she felt she could focus on.
Today, Marken is a leader in U.S. research at the renowned polling organization, where she oversees projects on some of the most pressing issues of our time — healthcare access, climate concerns and higher education. What drives her most is the power of giving people a voice.
“To provide people a voice and elevate lived experience is a real privilege in public opinion polling,” explained Marken, “Reporting on an unexpected finding is the most rewarding part of my work, while the most challenging part is staying ahead of research trends. When I started at Gallup in 2012, most people were still using telephone surveys. Now, it’s very rare that we would use a telephone survey to conduct a public opinion poll. It’s an exciting challenge keeping up with technology and making sure that we’re evolving our methodology so that we can still represent most Americans in the end.”
Marken credits Elon, and especially faculty members like Professor of Political Science and Public Policy Laura Roselle, former Elon Professor Hunter Bacot, and Irons, for shaping both her career and her purpose.
“They took a vested interest in me, and they didn’t have to. If not for those three people, I very much doubt I’d be at Gallup today,” she says.
She recalls how Roselle, taught her how to write with clarity and impact– something that was essential for her success in graduate school. Bacot first introduced her to the polling center and encouraged her to explore a career in public opinion research, and it was Irons who challenged her to pursue her passions.
“I credit any success I’ve had since graduation to the incredible advisors and mentors I had at Elon,” Marken said.