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Kristin Beima's professional, educational and volunteer experiences have shaped her desire to earn a Ph.D. in Public Health. She has followed her passion for helping others by working with Hurrican Katrina victims and in a pediatric HIV clinic in Africa. These are just two examples of how she has sought opportunities beyond academics while pursuing her Master's studies at the University of Washington. As an ARCS Foundation Fellow specializing in international health, Kristin plans to research how genetic factors influence HIV transmission and disease progression in women and children. A Northwest native, Kristin participated in competitive dance groups from age eight through 17, even teaching classes for adults and children.
Savannah Benally is a first-generation college student from New Mexico. After earning her B.S. in Biochemistry in May 2008, Savannah has several options for her Ph.D. studies. Her path led to the UW Molecular Biology program, which she chose after meeting with graduate students and faculty and exploring funding opportunities. As a Native American (Navajo), Savannah already has set an ambitious goal for her time at the UW: to help unravel the mysteries of diabetes, a major killer of Native American people. Specifically, her research interests focus on the genetic regulation of insulin secretion and metabolism. She looks forward to supporting young scientists as a friend, advocate, contributor, and spokesperson.
Lisa Beutler graduated from the University of California at Davis in 2003 with a B.S. in Genetics. After spending a year studying the genetics of iron regulation at the Scripps Research Institute, Lisa joined the Medical Scientist Training Program (often referred to as the M.D./Ph.D. program) at the UW. She is pursuing a Ph.D. in the Genome Sciences department, studying behavioral and cellular neurobiology in the laboratory of Richard Palmiter. When not in the lab or the classroom, Lisa enjoys cooking, reading, films, horseback riding, and travel.
A great deal of time spent volunteering at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute in California earned Seth community service recognition, adding to his accomplishments as a Stanford University graduate in Biological Sciences in 2006. He refined his scientific interest over the course of two years at the Institute and will study the biological transfer of carbon between the atmosphere and the ocean, while pursuing a Ph.D. in Chemical Oceanography at the UW. Climbing, skiing, and sailing are some of his favorite recreational activities.
Kelsey Byers has furthered her lifelong love of the natural world through study. She was graduated from the Michigan Institute of Technology in 2007 with a degree in Biology and then worked as a research assistant in a yeast genomics lab. Kelsey has focused on molecular evolution, specifically the study of how species diverge, and will pursue a Ph.D. in biology at the UW. Kelsey is a licensed amateur radio operator and an amateur "weather spotter" with a federal program. She also enjoys hiking and composing music.
With an undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, Shervin Churchill is eager to improve children's health by developing a better understanding of family values and implementing culturally sensitive disease prevention. Child health and child rearing are highly personal issues for Shervin as she raises a child with Down's syndrome, a challenge that delayed her pursuit of higher education. Since completing her master's degree in Epidemiology at the University of Miami, she has worked in academic, public health, and hospital settings focusing on maternal and child health. Her current research interests include preventing secondary conditions in children with special needs. Shervin has co-authored several peer-reviewed publications. She has a husband and two sons.
Luis Crouch considers biostatistics the ideal marriage of mathematics and applied research. He became interested in the field through summer research opportunities. Luis graduated with distinction from the University of Virginia, earning a B.S. in Environmental Science and a B.A. in Mathematics. He is now pursuing a Ph.D. in Biostatistics and has received a National Institutes of Health training grant supporting his cancer epidemiology research. He has won a variety of honors and recognitions as both an undergraduate and a graduate student.
Emmanuel Cua aims to inspire others about the many ways Materials Science and Engineering can impact society. He received his B.S. in Materials Science and Engineering and Bioengineering from the University of California at Berkeley in 2008. During his undergraduate career, he pursued research spanning computational solid mechanics to polymeric microstructure analysis. He further enhanced his engineering capabilities by studying thin film mechanics as a research associate for Hewlett-Packard Labs in Palo Alto, California. While pursuing his Ph.D. at the UW, Emmanuel will explore research interests from biomaterials to tissue engineering. For fun, he enjoys Taekwondo and team sports.
Human-computer interaction (HCI) is the research focus of Morgan Dixon, a Computer Science and Mathematics graduate of the University of Maryland at College Park. In Maryland, Morgan developed tremendous excitement for science. He has studied pen-based interfaces, dual-display eBook readers and data analysis tools. He is working toward a Ph.D. and hopes to further contribute to the field of HCI. He is also a juggler and percussionist.
Bailey Draper discovered her passion for statistics as an undergraduate at Colorado State University and is now pursuing a Ph.D. She was graduated summa cum laude from CSU and earned a variety of awards for excellence in scholarship. Her many scholarly interests include statistical applications in biometrics and human health and disease. When taking a break from academic challenges, Bailey enjoys the outdoors (camping, hiking, biking, and skiing). A very active community volunteer, she led a group of CSU students to volunteer in a Washington, D.C. homeless shelter.
Daniel Eskenazi is pursuing both an M.D. and a Ph.D. in Neurobiology and Behavior through the Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP). After completing his undergraduate studies in Animal Physiology and Neuroscience at the University of California, San Diego, Daniel sought training in academic medicine so he could pursue a career allowing him to treat patients, conduct research, and teach. His current research focuses on the neurobiological basis of substance abuse disorders. He is eager to enjoy all the recreational and professional opportunties the Northwest has to offer.
Kevin Ford earned his B.S. from Duke University, where he won the "Excellence in Plant Science Prize" from the Biology Department faculty. Other awards and honors at Duke fill his resume. After his undergraduate career, he spent a year as an AmeriCorps member teaching environmental education to middle and high school students in Knoxville, Tennessee. Kevin plans to study plant ecology and the effects of climate change on Pacific Northwest ecosystems. He is active as a gardener, hiker, and mountain biker.
Chris received a bachelor's degree in Mathematics and a master's degree in Statistics from Washington State University before spending two years as a biostatistician at a Seattle-area clinical trials research firm. There, Chris was involved in the statistical aspects of many clinical trials in a variety of therapeutical fields, and co-authored two manuscripts detailing pharmacoeconomic analyses. At the UW, he is beginning work toward a Ph.D. in QERM, where he intends to blend his mathematical and statistical background to conduct research in the field of ecology.
Adam Greenhill enjoys teaching and has pursued scientific interests that blend electrical engineering, mathematics, and computer science. A recent graduate of Vanderbilt University, he will be working toward a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering. His research uses compressed sensing techniques to enhance the results of coherent modulation. This work aims to create an accurate digital method to separate and reconstruct natural sounds by frequency -- something human ears do well, but computers do poorly. An avid outdoor adventurer, Adam enjoys rock climbing, backpacking, and running.
Fluid dynamics, quantum mechanics, and dynamical systems are just some of Jacob's interests. A graduate of the University of Utah, he earned two BS degrees in Mathematics and Physics. He recently did research for the U.S. Air Force on ageing and surveillance of munitions and predicting munitions' shelf life. While still developing his area of focus for his UW Ph.D. work, he has experience in a variety of scientific disciplines and aims to combine these fields to look for synergies.
Jason Haensly is a passionate student of Neurobiology. Originally from New York, he moved to Atlanta to complete a four-year B.S. and M.S. in Biology at Emory University. At the UW, he plans to investigate computational neuroscience, the neural mechanisms of psychological and physiological functioning. He hopes to lead research into neural function, producing medical interventions for a variety of disease processes. Jason enjoys cooking and has a strong interest in science education and writing.
Raised on a farm in rural Arkansas, Tyler House was the recipient of excellent educational opportunities available within the public school system in his home state from first to twelfth grade. With mathematics and science as his pursuits, Tyler's undergraduate years culminated with top honors from the University of Arkansas for his two B.S. degrees in Chemical Engineering and Physics. At the UW, he will pursue a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering. Tyler enjoys backpacking and cycling, as well as home-brewing beer.
Tobias Johnson pursued the mysterious path of math in the Budapest Semesters in Mathematics Program and at Yale University, where he earned his degree in 2007. Tobias is a co-author of "On Universal Cycles for Multisets," which will be published in Discrete Mathematics. He is interested in topology, geometry, and combinatorics. Tobias spends his spare time cooking and visiting farmer's markets.
A magna cum laude graduate of Boston University in 2002, Jodie worked for four years in pharmaceutical research and discovery at Amgen, Inc. Jodie co-authored several papers at Amgen and was listed as an inventor on many patents. She left the lab in 2006 to earn an M.S. in Epidemiology from the School of Public Health at the University of California, Los Angeles. After her first year as a graduate student, Jodie was granted a Drabkin-Neuman Summer Fellowship and the Monica Salinas Fellowship to work for three months at the Mexican Institute of Social Security researching pubertal insulin resistance and Type II diabetes. This research became her master's thesis, which she is submitting for publication. Jodie hopes to focus her Ph.D. research on the prevention of gestational and Type II diabetes in women and adolescents. She also enjoys hiking and cross-country skiing.
Christine Loftus earned degrees in Chemistry from Harvey Mudd College and the University of Washington. For eight years, she has enjoyed teaching chemistry at a two-year college in Seattle while also working as a free-lance writer. She spent a year in Vietnam teaching English at the University of Hue. Christine plans to earn a Masters in Public Health (MPH) in Environmental Health, combining her chemistry background and her goal of advocating for less-privileged communities. She is a new mother and the oldest of five children from a low-income family.
Kyle MacQuarrie, a black belt in karate, began working in biological research at the age of 18 before beginning undergraduate studies at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. After he graduated in 2003, he worked at the Harvard Medical School Center for Nervous System Repair at Massachusetts General Hospital. He began his graduate studies at UW in 2005. Kyle is investigating the biology of rhabdomyosarcomas, a type of pediatric tumor, in a search for new approaches to treatment. Kyle enjoys a variety of activities, including karate, running, fencing, and cooking.
Ferah Munshi graduated from the University of California, Berkeley in 2007. She will now explore the cosmos as an Astrophysics Ph.D. student at the University of Washington. Ferah intends to continue studying galaxy evolution with the goal of understanding the origin and evolution of the universe. Her work has been showcased at many research conferences; in 2007, she won the Chambliss Medal for an outstanding research presentation. Ferah is passionate about changing the role of women in male-dominated sciences and hopes to serve as a positive role model for future woman scientists.
A year in the Amazon forest as a Fulbright Scholar researching environmental conflict linked to road development led Tristan Nunez to pursue graduate work in ecology and biology. He hopes to make an impact through his ongoing research in biodiversity conservation. Tristan earned a B.A. in Environmental Studies at Lewis and Clark College in 2005. His current interests focus on the interacting impacts of climate change, habitat fragmentation, and land use change. He frequently pursues many outdoors activities, including horseback riding, birding, and running. Tristan describes himself as a "natural history buff."
Marcia Paddock's love of learning has been evident since she was graduated from Truman State University at age 19 with a B.S. and B.A. in Biology, with an emphasis on Chemistry and minors in Psychology and Computer Science. She then moved to Seattle to do genomics research at the University of Washington. She is now pursuing both her M.D. and Ph.D. degrees while studying the host response to infectious disease. She frequently backpacks in the mountains near Seattle, and enjoys making chocolate truffles for family and friends.
At the College of William and Mary, Charles Plummer pursued a rigorous curriculum of field-based Geology, as well as geochemical research that resulted in conference publications. Now pursuing a Ph.D. in Geochemistry, Charles studies the isotopic chemistry of individual crystals. Beyond research, Charles has worked to encourage young students to embrace science through summer science programs. Politics and social justice issues are of great importance to him.
Caitlin Rippey's current work on the genetics of schizophrenia grew out of her ongoing interest in the brain and mental illness. A circuitous childhood route through French and international schools in Burkino Faso, Guinea, and Morocco eventually led to the University of Washington, where she completed her undergraduate degrees in Neurobiology and Comparative Literature and is now enrolled in the M.D./Ph.D. program. When not in the lab, she can be found biking, painting, printmaking, or volunteering to help the homeless. She also plays and sings in local "fledgling bands."
Jesse Salk's interest in medical science began more than 20 years ago, in elementary school. A Seattle native, he pursued biology as an undergraduate at Brandeis University before returning to the Northwest to attend the UW for its M.D./Ph.D. program. Jesse's research explores how the body's DNA changes over time in cancer and in normal aging, with the goal of finding ways to maximize health in adults. He has earned many honors and fellowships, published his work, and received two patents. Outside the laboratory, Jesse spends some of his time exploring the peaks of the Cascade and Olympic mountains.
Margaret Scheuermann graduated with honors from Scripps College in 2008. As an undergraduate, she conducted research in organic and organometallic chemistry. A paper detailing her findings was recently published. Her current research in organometallic chemistry focuses on designing catalysts for application in industrial chemical synthesis and alternative fuels. As an undergraduate, she competed in cross-country and in NCAA track meets.
Working in the commercial chemistry industry inspired Ross Shingledecker to go deeper into this field by pursuing doctoral work in chemistry specializing in organic synthesis. Originally from Michigan, Ross received two prestigious scholarships as an undergraduate student at North Carolina State University. Away from the lab, Ross enjoys dancing, writing, gaming, and theater.
After earning a Ph.D. in Pharmacy from Creighton University, Heidi Wirtz worked in research and development in the pharmaceutical industry for several years. Heidi is now pursuing a doctorate in Pharmaceutical Outcomes and Health Policy. Her work will examine the impact of health interventions on patients and will evaluate innovative techniques for addressing health care needs in under-resourced populations. Heidi is a Northwest hiker and downhill ski enthusiast.
Benjamin Wood is not only an aspiring computer scientist, but also an ardent composer. He received his B.A. from Williams College and was recognized by the Computing Research Association for his achievements in computer science. Ben's research focuses on programming languages and tools to improve software quality. In the future, he hopes to meld research and teaching as a computer science professor, while remaining involved in music.