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Role Model Awardees Honored at the 2002 National Role Models Conference INNOVATOR ROLE MODEL DONNA MARIE CHRISTIAN-CHRISTENSEN, MEMBER OF CONGRESS The Honorable Donna Marie Christian-Christensen continues to distinguish herself as a leader in the U.S. Congress. She is the first female physician in the history of the Congress; the first woman to represent an offshore Territory; and the first woman Delegate from the United States Virgin Islands. This mother and grandmother serves on many House Committees, Subcommittees and Caucuses including leading the Congressional Black Caucus' Health Braintrust, which oversees and advocates minority health issues nationally and internationally. Congresswoman Christensen earned her B.S. degree from St. Mary’s College, Notre Dame, Indiana; an M.D. from George Washington University School of Medicine, Washington, D.C. She interned in San Francisco, CA and completed her residency at Howard University RECRUITER ROLE MODELS LINDA D. KEYS, Ph.D. Linda D. Keys is a graduate of Roosevelt University. Dr. Keys received her Master of Urban Planning and Policy and Doctor of Philosophy degrees from the University of Illinois at Chicago. She is an Associate Professor at Ball State University where she also serves as the Associate Director of the Office of Academic Research and Sponsored Programs. Dr. Keys has served at Ball State University for 15 years, including a two-year leave of absence in which she served as Chair of the Department of Urban Planning at Alabama A&M University an HBCU. As a member of the faculty at Ball State, she not only works with students within her discipline, but with students university-wide. She has been the faculty advisor to three Pan Hellenic Council sororities and fraternities, and a host of other university student organizations. Students from throughout the university seek her assistant with a multitude of personal, professional and educational issues during all hours. A colleague acclaims her as follows, “She never hesitates when asked to recruit or speak to students wanting to enroll in college, whether it is Ball State or another school”. Noting that minority graduate students seemed disengaged from university affairs, she organized a minority student lunch for incoming graduate students. This has become an annual event. Sponsored and paid for by Dr. Keys, it was the beginning of a revitalized graduate student alliance that provides an opportunity for these minority graduate students to support each other through their graduate studies. CAROLYN L. MILLER, Ph.D. Carolyn L. Miller is a Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Air Force. In addition to teaching Microbiology at the Uniformed Services University School of Medicine in Bethesda, Maryland to include biological warfare preventive measures for second-year medical students, Dr. Miller has been Vice President and Director of the Office of Recruitment and Diversity Affairs. She is a recipient of the B.S. degree in Biology from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, the M.S. degree in Biology from Alabama A&M University and a Ph.D. degree in Microbiology from Rutgers University. Dr. Miller has more than doubled the enrollment of minority students and has increased female enrollment by approximately fifty-four percent at the Uniformed Services University School of Medicine. She travels widely and has implemented a very successful Post-Baccalaureate program to increase the number of minority medical students and to ensure their success through medical school. She has instituted a mentoring follow-up program to ensure continuing success of the students who enter the Nation’s only Federal Medical School where they receive a military salary of $33,000 per year plus all medical school tuition and fees, which are waived. STUDENT ROLE MODELS CRYSTAL N. JOHNSON Having been warned that she could not do it, Crystal N. Johnson did it. After graduating from Tulane University, she entered a demanding Cellular and Molecular Biology program at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, where she is a scholarship recipient. She has been elected Vice President of the Black Graduate Students Association, and has been the recipient of the President’s Award for the Best Graduate Student Talk at a microbiology meeting. She also has taught high school students and is currently mentoring first year students in a cellular and molecular biology program. Ms. Johnson has begun her final Ph.D. dissertation research project and expects to receive the degree in August 2003. AKELIA WAUCHOPE Akelia Wauchope is currently a sophomore biology major at Medgar Evers College maintaining a 3.88 GPA in a very challenging biology program. She aspires to obtain a Ph.D. degree and become a biomedical researcher. She is an active member of the college’s Science Association, and a participant in providing free science and mathematics tutoring to local high school students. In addition, she has conducted research using state-of-the-art technologies such as molecular cloning, NDA sequencing, Northern and Southern hypridizations and PCR. A manuscript on this work has been submitted for publication. MENTOR ROLE MODELS BRIAN L. BINGHAM, Ph.D. Brian Bingham is a recipient of the B.S. and M.S. degrees in zoology from Brigham Young University, Dr. Bingham received the Ph.D. degree in biology from Florida State University and is currently Associate Professor in the Department of Environmental Sciences and Co-director of the Marine Science Undergraduate Program (MIMSUP) that, since 1991, has introduced a number of minority students to scientific research. MIMSUP is a National Science Foundation supported program at Western Washington University’s Shannon Point Marine Center. This program has significantly enhanced the ability of student participants to succeed academically and to focus on and achieve career goals. The seventy-nine students who have completed the program represent a highly diverse group: 39 percent Latino/Hispanic; 30 percent African American; 17 percent Pacific Islander; 11 percent Native American; three percent Native Alaskan. Of the fifty-seven students who have completed undergraduate degrees, one has completed the doctoral program and is currently an NSF Post-doctoral Fellow, five are in doctoral programs, four have completed professional degrees, two are in professional programs, ten have completed M.S. degrees and twelve are pending admission. JAMES L. CAFFREY, Ph.D. James L. Caffrey is Director of the Cardiovascular Research Institute and Professor of Integrative Physiology at the University of North Texas Health Science Center. He received his bachelor’s degree in Biology from Rutgers University and entered an NIH sponsored doctoral program in cardiovascular physiology at the University of Virginia. He studied the regulation of adrenal steroid synthesis and earned a Doctorate in Physiology in 1973. He was an NIH Career Development Award recipient and served as visiting scientist at the Laboratory for Cardiovascular Science at the National Institutes on Aging. Dr. Caffrey has helped to develop elementary, high school, college, graduate and professional programs to improve minority participation in science and medicine. He is currently active in the Health Science Center’s Ronald McNair Scholars and Summer Multicultural Advanced Research Training programs. He has helped train more than 300 minority students. His laboratory has become a focal point for developing an inclusive minority friendly environment on campus with his students taking leadership roles in minority student organizations. He has trained five Doctoral and four Masters students including four minorities. He has also provided opportunities for supplemental research training for five faculty from minority undergraduate institutions. BARBARA G. HOBERMAN, Ph.D. Barbara G. Hoberman is currently a Professor in the Department of Biology at Montgomery College, Maryland. She is a graduate of Temple University from which she received a Bachelor of Arts in Biology. She received a Doctorate of Philosophy in Anatomy from Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University. She has been the Rockville Campus' liaison with the University of Maryland College Park's BIOMAP Program. In this role, she recruits and mentors Montgomery College minority students interested in the biomedical sciences for summer research at the University of Maryland. Dr. Hoberman was a driving force behind Montgomery College's participation in the National Institutes of Health's Bridges to the Baccalaureate Program. She has worked tirelessly to recruit and support both the first and second group of biomedical scholars at Montgomery College. She, along with her colleagues, has given momentum to efforts at Montgomery College, which have contributed to a greater degree of academic success for biomedical scholars compared to other students at the college. ROBERT K. MURPHY, Ph.D. Robert K. Murphy is a Counselor/ Psychologist in the Johnson County Community College Student Development Department. Minority Access cited Dr. Murphy for his resourcefulness and creativity in demystifying the research process for undergraduate students. He has chaired the American Education Research Association’s Standing Committee on Minorities in Educational Research. Dr. Murphy is known in some circles as the father of “AQ,” a term he coined in the 1980’s. AQ stands for AFFECTIVE QUOTIENT, which gives an Affective profile of an individual. The Affective profile is obtained through the utilization of the Murphy Inventory which measures Self-Concept, Locus of Control, Need-Achievement (drive), Stimulation-Seeking (curiosity) and Attitude in the Affective Domain. A second of Dr. Murphy’s major accomplishments is the development of a workshop/seminar whereby individuals obtain a better “understanding” of the nature and scope of the research process. BARRY R. KOMISARUK, Ph.D. Barry R. Komisaruk is a recipient of the B.S. degree in Biology from the City University of New York and the Ph.D. degree in Psycholobiology from Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, with post-doctoral research in Neuroendocrinology at the University of California at Los Angeles. Dr. Komisaruk is currently Professor II, Department of Psychology, Rutgers University, Newark Campus. He is the author of more than 140 research papers plus books and patents. For the past 17 yeas he has, in addition to maintaining an active research program, been a key leader and principal investigator in the NIH-sponsored Minority Biomedical Research Support Program at Rutgers, Newark. Approximately 100 minority students have completed their degrees with the assistance provided through this program, including 14 Ph.D.s, 15 Masters and 60 Baccalaureates. LEVON O. PARKER Levon O. Parker is a graduate of the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Mr. Parker is a veteran of forty years at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) where he is currently the Minority and Special Concerns Program Officer and Director of the Summer Program in the Neurological Sciences, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Strokes (NINDS). Mr. Parker was honored upon his nomination by the Meyerhoff Scholarship Program at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, where he has served as a mentor proving himself exceptional with the students to whom he talks about academic and higher education, but most of all, life. LEE H. PRATT, Ph.D. and MARIE-MICHÈLE CORDONNIER-PRATT, Ph.D. Lee H. Pratt and Marie-Michèle Cordonnier-Pratt are Faculty Role Models. Dr. Lee H. Pratt is a graduate of Stanford University from which he received the B.A. and M.A. degrees in biology. The recipient of the Ph.D. in Physiology, Biochemistry from Oregon State University, he is currently a distinguished research professor at the University of Georgia, Athens. Dr. Marie-Michèle Cordonnier-Pratt is a graduate of the University of Rouen in France and a recipient of the state Ph.D. from the University of Paris VI Jessieu. Dr. Coridonnier-Pratt has been the principal investigator for research projects leading to 60 publications and has been the recipient of 22 research grants primarily focused in the area of plant genome. Together they have developed and continue to co-direct a high-throughput genomics/bioinformatics research program. The nature of their biomedical research provides an ideal foundation for recruiting younger students including those from underrepresented groups into biological research. They have been cited for increasing the number of minority students at the University of Georgia who elect to participate in research. The students acclaim them for their openness and for encouraging them to be creative. SELWYN O. VICKERS, M.D. Selwyn Vickers is a recipient of a B.A. degree in Natural Sciences from Johns Hopkins University and a Medical Doctorate from Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Vickers is currently the Associate Professor and Chief, Gastrointestinal Surgery at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. As a faculty member at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, he has contributed significantly to increasing the pool of minority biomedical researchers and has played a significant role in the fight to eliminate health disparities. EDITH D. WHITE Edith D. White is a graduate of Dillard University with a Bachelor’s degree in Nursing, and of the University of Southern Mississippi with a Master’s degree in Nursing. Ms. White is currently Associate Professor of the Charity School of Nursing of Delgado Community College, New Orleans, LA. She is a dedicated faculty member who constantly strives to present class materials using new and innovative strategies. She has demonstrated enthusiastic skill and competent approaches in applying computers in nursing education. Her desire to provide quality education is demonstrated by her college activities designed to address student retention and care planning. She strives to be on the cutting-edge of nursing education and technology. ALUMNUS/A ROLE MODELS ELIZABETH CASAREZ Elizabeth Casarez earned A.S. degrees in both biology and chemistry from El Paso Community College. She transferred to New Mexico State University where did research as a Minority Access to Research Careers (MARC) Scholar. She graduated with honors with a B.S. in biochemistry as a Crimson Scholar (top 10%). She continues her studies at the University of Arizona, majoring in Pharmacology and Toxicology with a minor in Soil, Water and Environmental Sciences. She will soon be defending her dissertation for the Ph.D. degree. Ms. Casarez has published several journal articles and meeting abstracts, and has co-authored two chapters of a book. She has returned to El Paso Community College as an instructor and research associate, working with students through the MBRS-RISE program to encourage minorities to pursue biomedical research careers. PONJOLA CONEY, M.D. PonJola Coney is a University of Mississippi Medical Center alumna. Dr. Coney received a B.S. degree in Medical Technology from Xavier University of New Orleans and the M.D. degree from the University of Mississippi Medical Center. She proceeded to become a national authority in Obstetrics and Gynecology. She has published more than forty articles in professional literature. Dr. Coney is an examiner for the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Having served as Professor and Chair in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Southern Illinois University, Dr. Coney is now Dean of the School of Medicine and Senior Vice President for Health Affairs at Meharry Medical College in Nashville. She is among only a handful of women in the country who lead medical schools. JAMESETTA A. NEWLAND, Ph.D. Jamesetta A. Newland is a distinguished alumna of Pace University, from which she obtained her master’s degree in nursing and to which she has now returned. In her almost ten years at Pace, she has held various positions: nurse practitioner to administrator of the University’s nurse-managed primary care center; faculty; and currently Director, Clinical Practice and Primary Health Care Associates, Lienhard School of Nursing (LSN). Dr. Newland completed a Post-Master’s Certificate in Teaching and a Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania, which demonstrates her commitment to teaching and scholarship. She has been an exemplary role model for other faculty and for students, but she has particularly extended herself to students from underrepresented groups. She was instrumental in organizing a successful Minority Forum for nursing students to address their unique needs and concerns. Formerly as a full-time Instructor and now as an adjunct Associate Professor in the LSN, she has advised and mentored more than fifty students in completing master’s research projects. Her areas of research are sickle cell disease in adolescents, health promotion for healthy individuals and the chronically ill, and genetics for nursing. LORI A. PERINE Lori A. Perine is a Magna Cum Laude graduate with an A.B. degree in Mathematics from Bryn Mawr College. Ms. Perine studied in Switzerland under the IIE/Fulbright-Hays Program, and received an M.S. degree from the University of Pennsylvania. She completed doctoral studies at the Wharton School. Following a career in international energy planning and management with the World Bank and other organizations, Ms. Perine worked at the National Institute of Standards and Technology as a Senior Policy Advisor for Technology to the U.S. Secretary of Commerce. She held senior positions at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy from 1997-2001, culminating in a Presidential appointment as Deputy Associate Director for Technology. She also worked closely with the President’s Information Technology Advisory Committee and the President’s Committee of Advisors on Science and Technology. She was named one of the fifty most important African Americans in technology in 2001. She is now President and CEO of Interpretech, a firm that fosters better linkages to advance technological innovation and value creation. MARIBEL RIOS, Ph.D. Maribel Rios, a native of Puerto Rico, received a B.A. degree from Boston University with a Ph.D. degree in cell molecular and development biology from the Sackler School of Biomedical Sciences, Tufts University. She was honored as an exemplary alumna of Tufts. During her studies at this institution, she was a recipient of a MARC Pre-doctoral Fellowship from the NIH. She excelled and continued as a Post-doctoral Fellow in a highly regarded laboratory at MIT where her work was considered outstanding. She was recruited back to Tufts University for a tenured track faculty position in neuroscience. *YOUNG FACULTY ROLE MODEL* ERIC RANDALL Eric Randall is a graduate of the Louisiana State University Medical Center and Southern University of New Orleans, with certification as a Critical Care Lead Preceptor from Tulane University Hospital. Eric Randall, in two years as a faculty member at Delgado Community College, has displayed with splendor his prospect for a bright future in higher education. His teaching style exudes a buoyant personality, caring and searching for friends or students in need to help, serving as a bridge between the college and area hospital and ambulance services used as clinical training sites. He has demonstrated his adaptability and has established himself early as a role model worthy of emulation. 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