2015 Alumni Videos
Being an Advocate for People
Congresswoman Susan W. Brooks (Miami, 1982) majored in Political Science and Sociology. She has been the U.S. representative for Indiana's 5th congressional district since 2013 and recently secured her nomination for a third term. A Republican, she serves on the Energy and Commerce and Ethics Committees as well as on the select committee investigating the terrorist incident in Benghazi.
[October 2015]
Being an Advocate for People Video Transcript
Keep Your Options Open
Melany Krook (Miami, 2011) majored in Biochemistry and French. She moved on to the University of Michigan to obtain a PhD in Cancer Biology and is now a post-doc in cancer research at the Ohio State University. She was invited to Miami in fall 2015 by the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry as a guest speaker.
[October 2015]
Keep Your Options Open Video Transcript
Fundamental and Foundational
Cathie Spino (Miami, 1983) majored in Mathematics and Statistics. She then went on to Harvard University to complete her graduate education in biostatistics. Cathie is a research associate professor in the Department of Biostatistics at the University of Michigan's School of Public Health. She is also the director of Statistical Analysis of Biomedical and Educational Research (SABER) at her institution.
[October 2015]
Fundamental and Foundational Video Transcript
Be as Broad and Diverse as You Can
Justin Faulb (Miami, 2005) majored in Mass Communication. He then received his law degree from Catholic University of America. He is currently assistant general counsel for the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), which advocates for 15,000 broadcasters nationwide. He represents his clients' interests in Washington, DC before Congress and various government agencies including the Federal Communications Commission, Federal Trade Commission, and others.
[October 2015]
Be as Broad and Diverse as You Can Video Transcript
Miami - A Good Decision
Jamie L. Cohen (Miami, 2002) majored in Chemistry. After graduating from Miami , she earned a PhD in Electrochemistry at Cornell University. Dr. Cohen is an R&D director and chemist in the Dow Chemical Company's electronic materials business group. She has taken on numerous projects with Dow, including traveling the globe to meet with clients and recruiting doctoral students from various research universities.
[October 2015]
Miami - A Good Decision Video Transcript
Thank Those That Have Helped You
Beau Samples (Miami, 2015) majored in Political Science and earned both his BA and MA degrees. He works as a leadership consultant for Pi Kappa Phi fraternity, which involves him traveling to various colleges across the country to help develop student leadership skills. Last summer he also helped to facilitate a cross-country bicycle trip from Seattle to Washington, DC, raising $627,000 for people with disabilities.
[November 2015]
Thank Those That Have Helped You Video Transcript
Cast a Wide Net
Sean Kavanagh (Miami, 2009) majored in Sociology and Philosophy. He earned an MS Defense and Strategic Studies from Missouri State University in 2012. He currently works for the U.S. Department of Defense on a number of international arms control treaties and non-proliferation agreements that combat the threat of weapons of mass destruction. Last fall he returned to campus as one of the young alumni honored with Miami's "18 of the Last 9" award.
[October 2015]
Cast a Wide Net Video Transcript
Solving Real-World Problems
Mike Anderson received his MS in Statistics at Miami in 1995 after graduating from Hiram College. He then worked for 10 years in Washington, DC for a consulting firm and is currently a senior research biostatistician at Battelle Memorial Institute, a non-profit research company based in Columbus, Ohio. In this role he works with the Department of Health and various pharmaceutical companies on designing studies to test specific drugs that work as deterrents to chemical or biological agents.
[September 2015]
Solving Real-World Problems Video Transcript
Developing Successful Habits
Eric Kool (Miami, 1982) majored in Chemistry. He then completed his PhD at Columbia in 1988. He is the George A. and Hilda M. Daubert Professor in Chemistry at Stanford University, where he runs an organic chemistry research lab. Along with a former student of his, he also recently started a biotech company, Cell Data Sciences, which aims to develop products to help extract genetic information from biopsy samples that will boost molecular medicine in the future.
[September 2015]
Developing Successful Habits Video Transcript
You Will Land on Your Feet
Samantha Burgoon (Miami, 2014) majored in Strategic Communication. Recently honored as one of Miami's "18 of the Last 9" young alumni, Samantha worked for nearly a year with a small NGO based in Malawi, Africa as an education volunteer, where she taught English grammar and literature at a rural high school and participated in a research study focusing on the efficacy of Malawi's school feeding programs. She also spearheaded an online fundraiser to get her school fitted with electricity to improve the learning environment and attract more teachers. For the next phase of her career, she plans to work in public relations in the nonprofit sector, particularly in third world development.
[October 2015]
You Will Land on Your Feet Video Transcript
Exploring the World Around Me
Tami LaPilusa (Miami, 1996) majored in Botany and then interned for two years at Forfar Field Station, a marine biology research station in the Bahamas. As a graduate student in biology at the State University of New York (SUNY) at Oneonta, she studied the conservation genetics of the giant land crab in the Bahamas. She is a faculty member in biology at SUNY Oneonta. She came back to visit Miami during International Education Week in Fall 2015 as a study abroad panelist.
[November 2015]
Exploring the World Around Me Video Transcript
Become an Expert
Ethan H. Freid is a field botanist working for the Bahamas National Trust, which manages the national park system in the Bahamas. His work involves surveying various geographic locations within the Bahamas for conservation purposes. After receiving his BS in Botany from Humboldt State University, he then completed his PhD in Botany from Miami in 2000. He visited campus to share his experiences with students and demonstrate the joys of his work.
[November 2015]
Become an Expert Video Transcript
Go With It and Embrace It
Ryan Batt (Miami, 2009) majored in Zoology with an Environmental Science co-major. He then earned his PhD in limnology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Ryan is currently a marine science post-doc at Rutgers University studying how water temperature changes affect biodiversity on a large scale. He was recently honored as one of Miami's "18 of the Last 9" young alumni awards.
[October 2015]
Go With It and Embrace It Video Transcript
A Holistic Sense of Life
Kaushik Ghosal is the business development manager at BioMotiv, a biotech accelerator at University Hospitals in Cleveland associated with The Harrington Project for Discovery & Development. He also serves as the director of research and development for ReXceptor Inc., a clinical-stage startup drug development company focused on neurological disorders such as Alzheimer's. Kaushik came to Miami from India and graduated in 2007 with a PhD in Zoology. He was honored in October 2015 with one of Miami's "18 of the Last 9" young alumni awards.
[October 2015]
A Holistic Sense of Life Video Transcript
A Great Outlook on Life
Steve Pinkos (Miami, 1992) majored in Political Science. He then attended law school at DePaul University in Chicago. Steve currently works as a lobbyist with the American Continental Group, a government affairs organization based in Washington, DC. He visited Miami for the annual meeting of the Miami in DC Advisory Board, which includes a number of alums who help Miami students pursue careers in the DC area.
[October 2015]
A Great Outlook on Life Video Transcript
A Lifelong Purpose to Learn
Rick Platt (Miami, 1989) majored in Public Administration and Speech Communication. Soon after, at age 24, he became the youngest director of a state agency. He is currently the President and CEO of the Heath-Newark-Licking County Port Authority, which is the 4th largest port authority in the U.S. As a former student of Dr. Phil Russo, Rick was invited to be a part of the inaugural advisory committee for the Ohio Public Leaders fellowship program, which hosts Miami students with opportunities to experience the inner workings of state and local government institutions.
[October 2015]
A Lifelong Purpose to Learn Video Transcript
Push Yourself to Explore
Dr. David Friedenberg (Miami, 2004) majored in Mathematics and Statistics. Later he earned his MS and PhD in Statistics at Carnegie Mellon University. He currently works as a principal research statistician at Battelle Memorial Institute in Columbus, Ohio, where he analyzes data for a variety of projects that include neuroscience, national security, oil and gas, and chemistry. Here he talks about how Miami prepared him and about the value of being knowledgeable in mathematics and statistics.
[September 2015]
Push Yourself to Explore Video Transcript
Take the Reins and Jump In!
Kate Black (Miami, 2006) majored in Individualized Studies. She designed her own major, Women in Public Life, and applies it on a daily basis in her role as research director for Emily's List, a national organization helping to elect women to all levels of government. She is also the executive director of American Women, a nonpartisan research organization working through research and polling to gauge the perspectives of people on key national issues. Here she talks about her passion for women's issues.
[April 2015]
Take the Reins and Jump In! Video Transcript
Just Problem Solving
Alexandria (Alex) Intorcio (Miami, 2010) majored in Psychology. She is a research and evaluation assistant in Miami's Center for School-based Mental Health Programs, where she works on shepherding and implementing new grants for non-profits at the local, state, and federal level. Alex also works with undergraduate students involved in psychology research. She received a post-baccalaureate fellowship with Procter & Gamble and Miami; then attended the State University of New York at Stony Brook for her master's in political psychology.
[September 2015]
Just Problem Solving Video Transcript
Do What You Want To Do
Paul DiNino (Miami, 1985) majored in Political Science. He attributes "persistence, determination, and the will to work in politics" to how he was able to get started with his career in Washington, DC—first working in the mailroom of Ohio U.S. Senator Howard Metzenbaum to his current role as the founder and president of DiNino Associates, LLC, a political consulting firm. He has also served as the National Finance Director for the Democratic National Committee under President Bill Clinton.
[April 2015]
Do What You Want To Do Video Transcript
Enjoy the Ride
Dr. Edward Boone received his MS in Mathematics at Miami in 1997 and then went to Virginia Tech for his PhD in Statistics. He is now an associate professor of statistics at Virginia Commonwealth University, where in addition to teaching he conducts research on new statistical methods and does consulting. Here he talks about the beauty of mathematics and provides advice to students.
[April 2015]
Enjoy the Ride Video Transcript
Thinking Outside the Box
Chris Hines (Miami, 2008) majored in History, after stints as a pre-med Zoology major and and a Business major. Chris is an executive recruiter for Randstad Engineering, a global provider of HR services and the second-largest recruiting firm in the world. He has been collaborating with Miami’s Career Services to advise graduating seniors on how to leverage their liberal art degrees as they prepare for the entry-level job market.
[April 2015]
Thinking Outside the Box Video Transcript
A Foundation and Good Education
Dr. José R. Oliver (Miami, 1977) was born in Barcelona and raised in San Juan. He majored in Sociology and Anthropology at Miami and then went to the University of Illinois for his MA and PhD. He is a reader (equivalent to a professor) in Latin American archaeology at the Institute of Archaeology at University College London. As one of the world's premier South American and Caribbean archaeologists, Dr. Oliver is interested in reconstructing past societies. Here he talks about some of the interdisciplinary aspects of archaeology.
[March 2015]
A Foundation and Good Education Video Transcript
How to Think
Pamela K. Mason, MD (Miami, 1995) majored in Chemistry and History. She received her medical degree at the University of Cincinnati and completed her residency and fellowship training at the University of Virginia, where she is currently a cardiac electrophysiologist (specializing in heart rhythm disorders) and associate professor of cardiovascular medicine. Here she provides insight on her path to a successful medical career.
[March 2015]
A Great School
Brigham A. McCown (Miami, 1988) majored in Diplomacy and Foreign Affairs (now Diplomacy and Global Politics) and then served as a Naval Officer and Naval Aviator for the U.S. Navy and Department of Defense. He attended law school at Northern Kentucky University and served in several leadership roles during both terms of George W. Bush's presidency. As the Chairman and CEO of Nouveau Inc., a consulting firm, he visited campus in February to interview graduating students for positions in his firm.
[February 2015]