Lauren Weiner, 39

When Lauren Weiner graduated with her Ph.D. in research psychology from Dartmouth, she wasn’t interested in entering academia. Instead, she entered the world of politics, working four years as a policy analyst at the Office of Management and Budget under the Clinton and Bush administrations.

When her soon-to-be fiancé received orders to work in a new military command in Naples, Italy, Weiner decided she would join him, noting multiple openings for senior management positions near the base.