Student Profiles: Third Class 2003 - 2004
Eloise Austin graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University in 2002 with a degree in History and Literature. Prior to entering Harvard, she studied environmental science and sustainable development at the School for Field Studies in Baja California Sur, Mexico. While at Harvard, she participated in a student-run organization, ProjectHEALTH, working as an advocate with the Family Help Desk in Boston Medical Center and the Advocating for Successful Kids program at Boston Children's Hospital to connect individuals and families to governmental and community resources. Eloise also worked with researchers in the Inborn Errors of Metabolism Clinic at Boston Children's Hospital, specifically on phenylketonuria and the ethical concerns surrounding newborn genetic screening. She served as mentor and curriculum coordinator for the Franklin Park Education Program in Boston, a teacher with the Environmental Education Program of Harvard's Phillips Brooks House, and assistant in the curriculum development office of P.S. 241 in New York City. After graduation, Eloise worked at The Commonwealth Fund-an independent research foundation specializing in health care policy-managing grants and providing research assistance.
Margaret Baker received her Bachelor's degree in Political Science from Davidson College in 1995 and her Juris Doctor degree from the University of Richmond in 2000. While in law school, she was Lead Article Editor for the Richmond Law Review and a finalist in the Carrico Moot Court Competition. Upon graduating, Margaret practiced law for three years at Venable, Baetjer and Howard, LLP, in Baltimore. At Venable she primarily worked on cases involving the defense of vaccine manufacturers in product liability suits. Ultimately, this exposure, as well as a lifelong interest in medicine, led to her decision to pursue a medical degree.
Nicola Baker graduated magna cum laude from Hope International University with a degree in Church Ministry with an emphasis in youth education. She was on staff for two years with the middle school ministry at Coast Hills Community Church . During her last year of college, Nicola pursued her interests in medicine by volunteering at the Children's Hospital of Orange County in Orange, CA . Upon graduation, she did an internship in the Emergency Room at Scottsdale Memorial in Scottsdale, AZ. Nicola is currently working on a clinical/surgical tutorial in pediatric neurosurgery with Dr. Arthur DiPatri, Chief of Pediatric Neurosurgery at the University of Maryland Medical Center. Jessica is working as a wilderness education leader in Arizona and California this summer.
Heather Bennett graduated from UC Berkeley with high honors in May 2002, with a degree in Psychology and minor in English, and was chosen to speak at Commencement. During her time at Berkeley, she volunteered as a bilingual tutor and mentor for underprivileged Latino youth, and organized various community service activities, earning her four Cal leadership scholarships. Following her passion for Spanish language and travel, Heather spent a year in Spain as a Rotary International ambassador. Upon graduation, Heather has investigated human emotion and memory using fMRI neuroimaging in a behavioral neuroscience laboratory. She has also continued serving the Latino community as a volunteer bilingual child and family counselor for the City of Berkeley.
Candice-Carmel Blagmon graduated from the University of California at Berkeley with a major concentration in Public Health Policy. She was honored as a recipient of a Berkeley Student Life Achievement Award, and has also been honored by the United States Public Health Bureau. "C.C." volunteered as a Medical Office Assistant, a University Health Worker and a mentor to underprivileged youth. Among C.C.'s other accomplishments, she was a founding member and Vice President of the Berkeley Osteopathic Medical Association, a member of the Berkeley Student Honor Society, and also served two years as the President of the Berkeley Campus Chapter of the NAACP. C.C. will be doing a Masters degree in Public Health this year at Dartmouth University while applying to medical school.
Corey Bills graduated magna cum laude from Middlebury College in 2001, with a double major in religion and environmental studies. His academic focus in Buddhist religion also led him to study in Tibet and India, through the School for International Training. After graduation he attended Middlebury College's language program in French, and then began work at the International Rescue Committee (NY), where he worked on health and education projects for refugee and displaced youth from areas of armed conflict. He concurrently served as co-coordinator of Architects of Peace, a human rights education initiative in collaboration with Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, the IRC and the UN Special Secretary to the Representative of Children in Armed Conflict. While at JHU, Corey is continuing his interest in international health and medicine through a tutorial with Guohua Li and the Department of Emergency Medicine at JHMI, and recently presented his work at an international conference in Vienna.
Graduating in 1999 from Haverford College, Christina Bokat, majored in Psychology with a concentration in Neural and Behavioral Science. Following graduation, she was awarded a two-year predoctoral fellowship at NIMH. She carried out research on neurocognitive deficits in patients with schizophrenia. Christina received a master's degree in Criminology from Cambridge University, which promoted her interest in pursuing a specialization in forensic psychiatry. Christina worked with Dr. Marek Mirski at the Johns Hopkins Hospital doing laboratory and clinical research in neuroscience intensive care on studies involving data analysis and lab work in epilepsy, deep brain stimulation and neuro protection.
Evan Busch graduated cum laude in 2001 from the University of Southern California , where he majored in Psychology and minored in film studies. While attending USC, Evan was involved with radio sports commentary, a variety of community service activities and research projects in cognitive psychology and behavioral neuroscience. After graduation, he worked for the Los Angeles Unified School District as a research assistant, investigating how the language arts curriculum is implemented at the lowest-performing elementary schools. He also volunteered at a physiology lab, helping on genetic studies of neurosignalling pathways.
David A. Carter received his degree in finance from the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University in 2002. Upon graduation, David pursued a research position at the University of Maryland Cancer Center where he studied mechanisms of intercellular communication under the auspices of Dr. Petr Hausner. He is still involved in the research program and is seeking to publish his findings on gap junctional communication in the near future.
Rachel Cohen graduated from Barnard College, Columbia University , magna cum laude with a major English and a minor in Economics. A recipient of the Centennial Scholars grant at Barnard College, she did extensive sociological research on women's intentional communities, camping at rural communities across the United States and interviewing women about the creation of non-hierarchical social structures and communal living. Her interest in the status of women and the politics of identity extends to the medical realm. A women's health peer-educator at Barnard College, she has an interest in interconnectedness of women's health and the status of women, poverty, and development.
Sarah Coors graduated cum laude from Azusa Pacific University in California with a Bachelor's of Science in Nursing in May 2003. While at Azusa Pacific, she was president of the Student Nurses of Azusa Pacific, a school chapter of the National Student Nurses' Association. Although originally from Colorado, she has traveled to several countries in western Europe, China, Japan, Israel, Madagascar, South Africa, and Central America. During her summers of nursing school, she worked as an orthopedic nursing assistant at Lutheran Medical Center in WheatRidge, CO, and at The Children's Hospital in Denver, CO, working on pediatric neurosurgery/trauma, critical care, and orthopedic trauma units. Additionally, she sailed to Honduras with Mercy Ships, a medical relief organization to developing nations, where she participated in a free optical clinic and rural village health clinics. While in Honduras , she decided she should pursue a career in medicine to further her knowledge and understanding of disease and illness, that she might be able to help those impacted by it.
Louis Fazen is from Worcester Massachusetts , where he has spent most of his life. While studying as an undergraduate at Brown University , Louis was interested in both publishing and web design. He has since lived in New York and worked in the publishing industry as well as occupied himself as a freelance web designer. He is currently taking classes at Homewood campus as well as actively involved with a tutorial program in a genetics laboratory at the Johns Hopkins Hospital. The laboratory is currently studying the effects of genetic craniofacial diseases, specifically Apert's and Treacher Collins syndromes.
Heather Gotha graduated cum laude from Harvard University in 2002 with a degree in History. While at Harvard, Heather played both varsity soccer and lacrosse, earning Academic All-American and honorable mention All-Ivy League accolades in lacrosse as a senior. She was a four year recipient of the Harvard College Scholarship for academic merit, and, in both her junior and senior years, was named a John K. French scholar for outstanding academic and athletic achievement. Upon graduation, Heather journeyed to England, where she spent a semester teaching at a small private boarding school. Throughout the semester, Heather organized lacrosse clinics throughout the country and was also a member of the West England regional lacrosse squad.
Brent Jones graduated cum laude from Dartmouth College in 2003 with a degree in psychology. There, he was involved in a mentoring program for troubled and low income youths. He was also very active in his fraternity where he served as vice president. He was a research assistant in psychology for two summers during college. He did extensive studies on facial perception and also worked in an EEG lab studying brain activation during anticipation. Brent spent the spring of 2001 in Paris studying French through a Dartmouth study-abroad program. And for the last 5 years, he has volunteered at a week-long camp for children with muscular dystrophy in his home state of Wisconsin.
Monica Kaitz graduated magna cum laude from Amherst College with concentrations in Geology and French. While at Amherst, she co-founded La Société Française to promote the French culture on campus and lead a semesterly trip to Montreal. Monica also won a STEMTEC scholarship which enabled her to teach science to children in the nearby underprivileged community of Holyoke. She had a mild flirtation with a career as an opera singer, to which end she studied with Maestra Ogéas at La Scala in Milan and performed in a Strauss operetta in Paris before regaining the inexorable path to medicine. Since graduating in 2002, Monica has been working on establishing the first national foundation dedicated to the disease of aneurysms, focusing currently on two main projects: the creation of an educational website for patients and the co-production of a documentary with PBS.
Jahnagir Khazenie graduated from Michigan Tech. University with a B.S. degree and from University of Texas (Austin) with a M.S. degree, both in mechanical engineering. During his college years he participated in many student cultural organizations and attended Model United Nations program in Madison Wisconsin, wining the best speaker award. Since his graduation he has worked in the telecommunications and information technology industry for companies such as Bell Telephone Laboratories, AT&T, and Verizon Communications. During his college years and career he has worked as a volunteer for Meals-on-Wheels, local public radio stations, and various disaster relief groups. Due to his interest in music he has also organized many university sponsored and private concerts for international ethnic music ensembles and artists.
Jonathan Kirscher graduated with Distinction in 2002 from University of Nebraska-Lincoln with a degree in business. During college he was a mentor for the Nebraska Human Resource Institute, a student senator, a member of the College of Business Advisory Board , elected to the senior class committee, treasurer of the Interfraternity Council and founded an organization that encouraged new students to get involved on campus. Over summers, Jon spent his time traveling, completed a Management Internship at Walt Disney World, and spent a summer studying the effects of the Euro and the European Union at Oxford. Prior to coming to Hopkins he volunteered at local hospitals and worked for the government as a veterans' rights advocate.
Anne Kitchens graduated summa cum laude from the University of Evansville in May of 2003 with a degree in Mathematics. While at Evansville , Anne conducted research in Economics and regression analysis, was a columnist for the University newspaper, a member of several honorary societies, and an active member of many campus activities including Amnesty International, Chi Omega sorority, and College Democrats. During her sophomore year of college, Anne studied music at Harlaxton College in England and worked at an archaeological dig outside of Siena, Italy. She also volunteered in the pediatrics department of a local hospital and served as a peer mentor for her fellow University students.
Thuan Le graduated cum laude from Western Michigan University in 1992 with concentrations in Finance and Asian Studies. He spent his senior year in Japan studying Japanese language and history and then following his graduation continued to live in Tokyo where he interned with the Michigan Department of Commerce and worked with a Management Professor from Vanderbilt University in completing a study on the transfer of technology among medium-size Japanese corporations. Since the fall of 1993, Thuan has worked with JPMorganChase in their Investment Banking Group in New York City, Singapore and Hong Kong serving clients in the petrochemical sector with their capital raising and corporate finance advisory needs.
Ella Masson graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 2002 with a degree in Psychology. While in college she was a member of the Division I Varsity Women's Lacrosse team and worked in the Center for Neurobiology and Behavior as an intern for the Molecular Genetics of Schizophrenia and Depression study. Before coming to Johns Hopkins, Ella worked in Boston, MA for a year in the Depression Clinical and Research Program (DCRP) at the Massachusetts General Hospital. She was responsible for conducting clinical tests with patients, including phlebotomy, electrocardiograms and vital sign monitoring. Most of her work at the DCRP focused on coordinating NIH grant and industry sponsored clinical psychiatric studies, including research on smoking cessation, investigational antidepressant medication, and depression among college students.
Nicole Moore attended Colby College and graduated cum laude in 2002 with distinction in Psychology. Prior to enrollment in the Post-Bac Premed Program, she dedicated several months to working as a mental health counselor in a locked psychiatric unit at Salem Hospital in Salem, MA. Nicole did a medical tutorial in child psychiatry with Dr. Marcos Grados, and she will be doing research this year at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.
Katherin Peperzak graduated from Carnegie Mellon University in May 2003 with a major in Computer Science and minors in Philosophy and Biomedical Engineering. While at CMU, Katherin worked with the CMU Robotics Institute Center for Medical Robotics and Computer Assisted Surgery to develop software for computer-assisted hip replacements and with the Musculoskeletal Research Center at the University of Pittsburgh to develop a computer-controlled device to study cell mechanobiology. She received an award from Eta Kappa Nu and Lockheed Martin for a wireless technology group research project sponsored by Motorola. In addition to her research she published a paper entitled "Cost Cutting: Substandard Care" in the Princeton Journal of Bioethics and participated in the Shadyside Hospital Preceptorship Program, where she shadowed hospital physicians. Katherin served as President of the private sorority Zeta Psi Sigma, and received a Carnegie Mellon Senior Leadership Award in 2003.
Melissa Price graduated from the University of Notre Dame in May 2003 with honors and a major in psychology. While at Notre Dame, Melissa volunteered at a family practice clinic that was staffed by residents and served an underprivileged population in South Bend, Indiana. She tutored General Chemistry students her senior year at Notre Dame and worked as a university writing center tutor as a sophomore. During several summers while she was in college, Melissa had the opportunity to work for an investment firm which sponsored the Pan-Massachusetts Challenge (PMC), a 200-mile cycling fundraiser that directly benefits the Jimmy Fund at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston , Massachusetts. Through her work supporting the firm's PMC sponsorship, Melissa helped PMC participants raise money toward enhanced treatment regimes and quality of life measures for cancer patients.
David J. Sinopoli graduated magna cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania in 1998 with a B.S. in Economics and a Finance concentration. He spent almost 5 years on Wall Street working as an investment banker as well as an investor on behalf of a NY-based middle market private equity and later-stage venture capital fund. In 2001, he founded a boutique NJ-based advisory firm where he focused on the needs of small- to mid-sized family offices and family-owned businesses in transition and developed for his clients a long/short investment strategy centered on the biotech sector. David is an EMT and an avid private pilot, and also serves on the Board of Directors of the Wharton Club of NJ. online calendar with sync to Outlook(TM).
David Wyncott graduated in 2001 from the University of Notre Dame with a degree in Sociology. While at Notre Dame, he balanced both volunteer and academic work, most notably serving as co-chair of Outreach ND, Inc., a non-profit organization coordinating support services for gay and lesbian students. He earned dean's list honors on multiple occasions and was awarded an independent study in Sociology during his junior year. David received the Office of Student Affairs Recognition Award upon graduation for his participation in several community learning experiences including the Notre Dame London Program, South Bend Revitalization, and the Summer Service Projects, as well as helping to coordinate new diversity programs for incoming students. He worked in human resources and operations for a year before joining the Hopkins Post-Bac class. David did a medical tutorial to study and research assisted reproductive technologies with Dr. Yulian Zhao at the Johns Hopkins Hospital. He was recently selected as the "Tom Dooley Service Fellow" to coordinate volunteer and health care services for a free clinic in South Bend Indiana .
Tim Yates graduated in May of 2003 with Distinction from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln obtaining a degree in Spanish and a minor in Vocal Music. Before graduation he was also accepted into the Alpha Chapter of the Phi Beta Kappa Honors fraternity at Nebraska. He spent his senior year at La Universidad de Málaga, studying Spanish Philology, translation, Latin American literature, and classical guitar. After college, he began working as a Spanish/English medical interpreter in hospitals, health clinics, and doctors' offices. He has served as a volunteer in the St. Elizabeth's Burn Center in Lincoln, Nebraska, and has spent time shadowing local physicians.
