During the month of February, we celebrate Black History Month and the rich, multifaceted history and culture of Black individuals in America. We also highlight members of the Michigan State community whose work intersects with Black identity and culture. Our alumni spotlight this month is on Tiffany Shorter, Director of R&D (Research & Development) Change Management and ACOS (AbbVie Community of Science) Program Management at AbbVie.
Shorter graduated from Michigan State in 2005 with degrees in psychology and human resources. Born and raised in Detroit, she initially planned to go to school out of state, but, as Shorter explains, “Everything happens for a reason,” and she soon became a Spartan.
At MSU, Shorter became excited by the prospect of working in the psychology field after initially thinking she’d go into medical school. A particularly interesting course in organizational psychology led her to also pursue a degree in Human Resources. Organizational Behavioral Psychology felt like a ‘perfect’ blend of all of her interests “This is more connected to who I am and what I want to do,” she says.
Shorter enjoyed Michigan State’s vibrant campus, one she felt was always bustling even in the summer. She has fond memories of late-night cafeteria trips with her friends and group trips to Meijer for dorm supplies. “Michigan State was so big, so the things I remember are the places and people that created community,” she said. Upon graduation, she made the decision to earn her master’s in Organizational Development at Bowling Green.
Shorter built up a wealth of experience in the world of organizational development in both corporate and academic settings, working at Deloitte, State Farm, PwC and Harvard. Shorter specializes in change management, the process of guiding employees, teams and organizations through workplace transitions. “It’s really about helping people understand what’s happening, how and why it impacts them, and framing it in a way that helps people to get over the learning curve, buy into the change, and want to sustain that change,” she explained.
Shorter’s desire to work in the medical field never truly left her, and when a position opened up at AbbVie Pharmaceutical, she was immediately intrigued. She would be able to combine her passion for helping people with her interest in scientific research and innovation. “Being on the cutting edge of helping people, that’s always what I strive to do,” she said. “To be able to continue doing the kind of work I do, and do it in a place that’s truly helping people and delivering life-changing therapies- it sounded like the dream job.”
Shorter’s day-to-day operations focus on change management for AbbVie’s Research and Development division, under its Chief Scientific Officer. She’s heavily involved with workplace culture and employee wellbeing, including goal tracking and development, science and technology education, and performance-based reward systems.
“We could be on the precipice of a cure for so many things- that’s our goal, and we’re putting the science behind it” she said. “It’s exciting to be in an organization that is focused on that and is looking at the community, thinking about what people need, how people are experiencing diseases, and how we can make that experience less burdensome.”
Shorter’s own background and identity also influence her approach to work. She enjoys getting the opportunity to share her experiences living in both Detroit and Chicago and bringing a diverse perspective to the room in an effort to foster more inclusive spaces for everyone. “Sometimes it’s helping people to better understand what an urban setting looks like,” she said. “Or what it looks like to not grow up with access to the same resources and opportunities.”
“I remind myself all the time that I’m an inner city girl from Detroit who grew up with next to nothing and amounted to this level of success, and it’s my responsibility to help people understand that and to lift others up with me,” she added.
She is also involved with AbbVie’s Black Business Network, an organization striving to cultivate a community of Black professionals and allies. The group organizes events and educational opportunities around Black history and highlights Black scientists and professionals making an impact.
Shorter sees Black History Month as an opportunity to learn about the events in our history that led to where we are now, and to identify steps to create a more inclusive world. “It will mean nothing if you only tell the story of the here and now,” she explained. “It’s more important that we tell the stories of who we are, who we were, and how we got here.”
“It’s also an opportunity for me to do more research, to share that story with others- with my kids, my community. It’s not just in the talk, it’s in the walk. What are you doing in order to support the next generation?”
Honorees’ views are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the College of Social Science.