Lorien Elleman

About Lorien Elleman

I seek to understand human behavior through the systematic analysis of it. My ultimate goal is to apply this understanding to create cost-effective interventions that change behavior for the better, as well as accurately measure the effects of these interventions. I have 20 years of experience in research and data analysis concerning human cognitions, emotions, and behaviors. I love to experiment, innovate, and create analytics tools that capture new stories and solve unique problems. As a previous Senior Behavioral Scientist at Torch, one such tool I built used scraped job history data from a customer to calculate the dollar ROI of Torch\'s professional coaching (comparing the effects to a control group of similar employees who did not get coaching, matched by a machine learning algorithm). At Northwestern University, where I received my PhD in personality psychology and specialized in psychometrics, I was the primary author of several peer-reviewed papers that focused on innovative ways to measure and analyze human behavior, including a new statistical learning technique that makes the black box of machine learning more transparent for personality science. My varied background has given me the skills to be a \"full stack\" researcher–I can efficiently manage a research project all the way through: conceptualizing the problem, scoping a solution, running the experiment, writing the code, presenting the findings in terms a layperson can understand, making connections to business impacts, and suggesting a course of action. At Torch, where I led advanced scientific projects, I collaborated across teams to create the right solutions and ensure our data resonated with our customers, enhanced their satisfaction, and drove the growth of our company.

Experience

1. Senior Research Scientist, Assessments

   BetterUp

   Jan 2025 — Present · Chicago, IL, US

   Lead the scientific work behind the new version of BetterUp\'s Whole Person Model, our flagship assessment, including benchmarking and technical reporting•Build a long-term vision and strategy for BetterUp assessments•Innovate new approaches to measurement, including AI-rated unstructured data

Education

• St. John's College

  Bachelor of Arts (BA), Liberal Arts

  2002 — 2006

• Northwestern University

  Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Personality & Health Psychology

  2014 — 2020