Alumni Paths

What are HAPP majors doing after graduation?

Congratulations HAPP graduate Denene Yates featured in the September 2013 issue of
Good Housekeeping magazine with the Good Housekeeping Seal Star!
We are so proud of you!

Follow Denene and her organization Safe House of Hope http://safehouseofhope.org/

Michelle Santos (Spring 2016) Started working full time as a Quality Assurance Specialist at Jai Medical Systems in Hunt Valley, MD: a managed care organization for the state of MD. I write policies and procedures for the company as well as writing grants given by the state.
(Posted 7/16/16)
Maria Kamal (Fall 2014) Congratulations to Maria who was accepted into the Masters of Science in Health Systems Administration at Georgetown in their Department of Nursing.
(Posted 4/16)
Funmi Makinde (Spring 2015) Shortly after graduation, she got a job with the American Public Health Association as an Assistant Editor for the American Journal of Public Health (AJPH) which is where she currently works. She is also currently enrolled full time in the MPH program (department of Behavioral and Community Health) in the School of Public Health at UMD, College Park. It’s a 2 year program and plans to graduate in the Spring of 2017. Funmi would also like to thank Dr. Kalfolglou for all her support both during her time as a HAPP major with my research, applications, etc. Funmi stated “She is a phenomenal mentor and I could not have done it without her!” From the HAPP Team Congrats Funmi!
(Posted 2/16)
Ashley Cole, (Spring 2015) Since graduation in May 2015, Ashley has been working as a Project Analyst for a wellness company called Interactive Health. Interactive Health provides a variety of programs to companies across all of the United States and moving internationally including biometric screenings, health coaching, flu clinics, and more. She manages the processes of a team of Wellness Coordinators who work on different sites of the Northrop Grumman Corporation around the country. Most importantly Ashley analyzes screening data to understand employee health trends to plan for future wellness programs to improve health status of the population.
Anisha Khandelwal (Spring 2015) Graduated with a BA in Health Administration and Policy, BA in Psychology, and a Minor in Management of Aging Services from UMBC in May 2015. As an undergraduate she was also enrolled in UMBC’s BA/MPP program. She will graduate with a Master of Public Policy from UMBC in December 2016. She works as a Data Analyst at the Maryland Patient Safety Center.
(Posted 2/16)
Kaila Lindo (Spring 2015) Recently got accepted to the Peace Corps and will serve as a Community Health Volunteer in Ecuador for 2 years where she will be focusing on nutrition, sexual health (HIV/STDs) and sanitation/hygiene.
(Posted 2/16)
Emily Ewing (Fall 2015) Emily accepted a position as a Product and Communications Specialist at CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield. Emily completed her Internship there which was the deciding factor in receiving the job. Emily asked to spread the word to majors, she highly recommends students from the HAPP program, particularly track 1 students, look into the internship program at CareFirst. Emily’s future plans include getting her MHA or MBA through CareFirst’s tuition reimbursement program.
(Posted 1/16)
Kylee Haddock (Fall 2015) Congratulations to Kylee who is now working as a government contractor for CMS, enforcing HIPAA compliance.
(Posted 1/16)
Jocelyn Stenhouse (Spring 2015) Jocelyn is a Health Policy Analyst at InterGroup Synergy and Planning Collaborative, Inc. Joceyln recently contacted HAPP to provide internships for current students. Thank you Jocelyn for continuing to connect with the program!
(Posted 11/15)
Temilola Ogunneye (Fall 2014) Accepted into George Mason Master’s of Public Policy degree for spring 2015!
(Posted 1/2015)
Aja Nicole Jones (Fall 2014) “After graduation, I plan on moving back to Fort Lauderdale, Florida to attend Nova Southeastern University to get my master’s in public health in a few months. However, before I move to Florida I plan on interning for awhile for the department of defense in the Pentagon with my father who was able to get me the position. I am excited to be graduating and I am ready for this next chapter in life.”
(Posted 12/2014)
Adeola Adebamowo (Fall 2014) “I currently assist special ed students at Catonsville Middle school but I got a job offer at the Human resources center at John Hopkins which I start on Dec. 8th.I got a second job offer to be a patient service representative at University of Maryland Medical center. Finally, a third job offer from AmeriCorps in Arizona to be a health coach.
I will love to get an MPH, MPS and NHA to eventually coordinate/run a hospital, home and school…Working at Catonsville Middle school got me interesting in school counseling so that’s also a possible bet.” Good Luck Adeola!
(Posted 12/2014)
Shelly Sharma (Fall 2014) “I have been accepted into the University of Maryland School of Nursing, Masters Clinical Nurse Leader Program for the Spring of 2015.”
(Posted 12/2014)
Regine Charlot (Fall 2014) Regina reports: “I will be living in Haiti for a year working with the Minister of Public Health. My job will be to evaluate and write recommendations to alleviate Haiti’s health concerns. I will also be looking into remote areas where there is very little to no medical attention in order to provide these remote communities with either clinics or small hospitals.I will also be working with my family’s NGO (One Vision Haiti Orphanage) as a Lead Translator and International Liaison.”
(Posted 12/2014)
Sarina Coates (Fall 2014)
- Sarina just accepted a position with Duke University out of the Duke-Fuqua School of Business. Sarina will be be part of the inaugural staff of the Duke Robert J. Margolis, MD, Center for Health Policy as an Associate in Research. Way to go Sarina!
  (Posted 1/2016)
- Congratulations to Sarina for landing a job with The Brookings Institution. She reports to HAPP: “I will also be pursuing a dual degree at the University of Maryland Baltimore campuses: JD in health law with the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law and MPH in Health Policy with the University of Maryland Medical School.”
  (Posted 12/2014)
Kathia Castillo (Spring 2014)
Kathia started working at the end of July with Maryland Choices! She is the care coordinator and works with youth whom have mental health issues and their families using wraparound services. Congrats Kathia!
(Posted 9/2014)
Heather Rogers (Spring 2013) Heather has accepted admission into Emory University. She will be concentrating on Behavioral Science and Health Education on her way to a Masters Degree. All the best Heather!
(Posted 6/2014)
Sarah Demeke (Spring 2014) Sarah will be pursuing a Masters in Public Health at George Washington University with a concentration in Health Policy.
(Posted 4/2014)
Brandon McGhee (Spring 2014) Brandon is currently working at NIH under the NIDA division but has accepted a job offer with AAI in Hunt Valley, MD as a contract financial analyst for unmanned aircraft systems (drones).
(Posted 4/2014)
Trevor HSU (Spring 2014) Trevor has been accepted into the MPH in Epidemiology at Emory’s Rollins School of Public Health. Congrats Trevor!
(Posted 4/2014)
Robert Perry (Fall 2013) Robert will be working full time for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
(Posted 4/2014)
Lisa Toebbe (Spring 2014) Lisa accepted a job at CRISP Health in Columbia, MD as a REC Program Coordinator. In September she will be getting married to another alumni of UMBC Luke Kordell who Graduated in 2013. Congratulations Lisa!
(Posted 4/2014)
Adrienne Fulton (Fall 2013) Andrienne writes to us, “I will begin full time employment in December at the MedStar Health Washington Risk Network Management, location in Washington D.C. My title, Managed Care Associate. In this position I will assist in special projects, Managed care training and education, coordinate scheduling of managed care forums, develop and maintain managed care references/handbooks/guides. I will also participate in quality and service improvement teams, committees. I am excited to begin my career and move up within MedStar Health. Since the position is in Washington, DC I am relocating to the Silver Spring or Laurel area to be closer to work the beginning of 2014.”
(Posted 4/2014)
Carlyn Rubin (Spring 2014) Carlyn will be attending McDaniel College to pursue a Master’s Degree in Human Services Management in Special Education. The master’s program is coupled with a full-time job as a Community Living Manager for Target Community and Educational Services, Inc., a local nonprofit organization which provides educational, vocational, recreational, and residential services to individuals with disabilities. Following graduate school, I plan to pursue a career in community-based special education.
(Posted 4/2014)
Sarah Kuznear (Spring 2014) Sarah has accepted a full-time job offer in the Corporate Office of Erickson Living. She will be a Support Specialist within the Medical Services Group. Thank you Sarah for all of your hard work and time with the HAPP Council of Majors!
(Posted 4/2014)
Megan Kellner (Spring 2014) Megan has been accepted into University of Maryland College Park’s Master of Library Science program for fall 2014. After graduating, she is interested in working as a health sciences librarian in Baltimore or DC. HAPP is proud!
(Posted 4/2014)
Samy Rabb (Spring 2014) Samy accepted a position with Morgan Stanley as an Operations Analyst. He plans to attend graduate school within the next few years. All the best Samy!
(Posted 4/2014)
Olivia Cawley (Fall 2013) Olivia will be working full-time as an office administrator at an osteopath’s office in Marriottsville, MD.
(Posted 4/2014)
Alana Moore (Spring 2013) Alana writes to HAPP “After graduation, I graduated with Honors, which was a welcoming surprise. I just accepted a position at a healthcare company in Columbia, MD. I know this is going to be a great opportunity to utilize the skills I have gained in college, as well as build on the knowledge that I already have. I am truly thankful for the opportunity I have had at UMBC. With the knowledge and experiences I have gained, I know what I am capable of in this world. I am going to continue to build on the skills I have gained, and continue to challenge myself. I am excited about the future, and I just wanted to thank you and all the faculty who have made this possible.”
(Posted 8/2013)
Sana Kayani (Fall 2011) Sana is working at American Podiatric Medical Association as a Health Policy Assistant. She is planning on going to Graduate School next fall for her MHA. All the best Sana!
(Posted 4/13)
Ronnie Kumar (Spring 2012) “I currently work for Compliance Resource Center, which is company that does health care compliance management for health care organizations under Strategic Management Services, LLC. I would like to thank the HAPP department for teaching me so much and I am glad that I landed a job in this field so I can apply my experiences from undergrad in the corporate world.” Thanks Ronnie –from the HAPP team!
(Posted 3/2013)
LaTasha Johnson (Spring 2012) LaTasha was accepted into the Master’s Social Work Program at UMB. All the best LaTasha!
(Posted 2/2013)
Amanda Arora (Spring 2012) Attending graduate school at UMB for Clinical Nurse Leader
(Posted 2/2013)
Rose Anne Felipe (Spring 2012) Rose has accepted a job from the National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare. Congratulations Rose!
(Posted 2/2013)
Paulette Mensah (Fall 2012) Paula will become a full time employee for Johns Hopkins’ Center for Health Disparity Solutions as a research assistant. We wish you the best Paulette.
(Posted 2/2013)
Ashleigh A. Auth (Spring 2008) “I just wanted to update UMBC’s HAPP program of my journey after HAPP… I graduated in 2008, since then I have received my MPH from A.T. Still University, and after working towards a job in my field, I am currently working at The EMMES Corporation in Rockville, MD as a Data Manager/ Protocol Monitor for Vaccine and Infectious Disease clinical research trials.If I had to give HAPP majors and new grads any advice, I would just have to say that the Sky literally is your limit. Network, take jobs as opportunities, and keep moving forward. Fight for the position you want, and you’ll get it!”
(Posted 9/2012)
Courtney Burton (Spring 2012) “After graduating in May 2012, I continued a graduate program at UMBC that I began my last semester working on my MA in Applied Sociology. I have also continued to be employed at the same site I worked for my internship in HAPP. I am still working at the Maryland State Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DHMH) in the Office of Population Health Improvement working on the State Health Improvement Process (SHIP).”
(Posted 8/2012)
Oladunni Shyvonne Adekoya (Spring 2012) “I will be relocating to Atlanta, Georgia because I have gained admission to Georgia State University for a post baccalaureate pre med program. After 18 months as a post baccalaureate student, I will begin medical school and work to receive my M.D. and my Master’s in Public Health at the same time. I would like to thank Prof. K for all her support both during my time as an undergrad student and while I was applying for various post baccalaureate programs. I couldn’t have done it without her! ”
(Posted 8/2012)
Mary Kearns (Spring 2012) “I am working at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) in Medicare Fee-For-Service Provider Education, otherwise known as the Medicare Learning Network(R). I interned here last Fall and they were able to hire me full-time, which has been great. I have met with a lot of managers throughout the agency and I’m always extolling the wonderful HAPP program at UMBC and why they should look for interns there!”
(Posted 8/2012)
Timothy Antlitz (Fall 2011) Tim recently accepted a position at Johns Hopkins Healthcare as a Credentialing specialist. He plans to use the tuition benefit from Johns Hopkins to return to UMBC and get a Masters in Applied Sociology next year. Congrats Tim!
(Posted 8/2012)
Ilana Katz (Fall 2011) Ilana is now working for Sinai Hospital as a Business Development Analyst. All the best Ilana!
(Posted 12/13)
Christina Powell (Spring 2011) “Since January 2011, I have been working / interning at a consulting company as a training developer / instructional designer for web-based and instructor-led courseware for health care companies (e.g. Cigna, Johnson & Johnson, McNeil). Fall 2012, I will be starting my graduate program at The George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services Department of Health Services Management and Leadership! I am pursuing my Master of Health Service Administration.” Congratulations to Christina!
(Posed 4/2012)
Maham Anwar (Spring 2010)
“I was accepted to the New School’s Milano School of International Affairs, Management, and Urban Policy for the fall. I was accepted for the Master of Science degree in Urban Policy Analysis & Management and was awarded a pretty nice scholarship.I can’t wait to take my HAPP background with me to school and put it to work.”
Posted 4/2012
Danielle Flanagan (Spring 2001)
Danielle writes to HAPP ” I am currently working at Medstar Health as an Insurance Specialist and I am currently CPAT certified that I obtained through my job. CPAT stands for Certified Patient Account Technician. My HAPP internship was at Erickson Retirement Communities and with that internship, it has helped me to gain alot of experience in the health care field. It is also helping me with my career goal of becoming a health care administrator.”
Posted 3/2012
Hafsatou Barry (Fall 2011) Hafsa recently shared with us – life after HAPP undergraduate degree. “Less than a month after graduating from UMBC, I landed a position as a Medical Receptionist/Front Desk at Chesapeake Urology, which is the largest urology practice in Maryland and the Mid-Atlantic Region., with 45 physicians, more than 300 employees, 16 urology centers and 14 ambulatory surgery centers in convenient locations throughout Maryland and the greater Baltimore area. I’m getting hands- on experience by utilizing my skilled learned in the classroom. This is a stepping stone for me because I am planning on going to Physician Assistant school therefore having my foot in the door with the doctors is definitely ideal for me.For someone that is fresh out of college with no work experience but just knowledge I can honestly say that the HAPP program increased my appreciation and perspective for the US health care system.The internship class helped me gain confidence at my interview. I was not nervous because I knew how to act and what to do for the interview. The pay is awesome with amazing benefits. I am going back to school to get my Master’s in Physician Assistant or a dual masters degree in Physician Assistant/Public Health but I am very glad that I majored in HAPP because it opened lots of doors for me with many back up plans.Life after undergrad is amazing, and I’m looking forward to the amazing things God has in store for me. If you have any questions, feel free to shoot me an email and if you looking for a job after graduation, send me a resume, I do get rewarded for my referrals. Haha. Good Luck with school and your future career goals. hafsa1@umbc.edu“. Thank you for sharing Hafsa!
(Posted 2/12)
Shawn Crosby (Fall 2010)

Shawn recently wrote to us, “I am currently working at The Community College of Baltimore County, School of Health Professions where I am the Coordinator of their new student clinical tracking system called Typhon. I recently got married and purchased our first home as well. My HAPP degree has proved to be beneficial in my current position as it has taught me the skills necessary to manage an interdisciplinary system such as Typhon. My HAPP internship at CCBC played a big role in securing my current position.” Congratulations Shawn – From the HAPP team!

(Posted 2/12)
William Joyner (Spring 2011)

William is currently an admissions Specialist, University of Maryland School of Nursing. He recently wrote to us ” I’m starting at the University of Maryland School of Social Work in fall 2012. I’m pursuing an MSW/JD. I found a last-minute internship at the non-profit Gay & Lesbian Community Center of Baltimore to meet the HAPP requirement, and I ended up getting invited to join the organization’s Board of Trustees two weeks ago (the highest level of leaders in the organization). So, that HAPP internship led to me getting a leadership position in one of the most well-established non-profits in Baltimore. Also, nursing education is undergoing some pretty big policy shifts on the state and national levels, so my studies in HAPP helped give me an edge in finding a job here pretty quickly.” Good luck in the fall William -from the HAPP team!

(Posted 2/12)
Alec Penrod (Spring 2011)
We received this information from Alec: ” I moved to New Jersey where I am the Retail Service Manager for Renew Life Formulas, Inc. for the New Jersey-Eastern Pennsylvania territory. However, being in New Jersey I might like to break into the pharmaceutical industry someday (they’re all here!). My best advice for graduates is to take lots of chances and ask lots of questions. Don’t be afraid to change locations. Be aggressive in your job search and start searching before your last semester. Do as many internships as possible you will be amazed at what networking opportunities they provide. A special thanks to my mentor and dear friend Dr. K.” We wish you all the best Alec – HAPP Team!

(Posted 2/12)
Joyce Awuro (Fall 2008)
Joyce recently updated HAPP with the following information:
“I graduated from UMB this past May with my MSW. I began in Foster care and quickly figured…although I loved working with the children the external issues were heart breaking. I currently work at Washington Hospital Center Outpatient Center. Do Not be Afraid to test the waters! Special THANKS to Dr. K( for her continuous support) & Mrs. Riley!”
(Posted 2/12)
Kezia Alexander (Spring 2010)
While going to school for an MPH at UMB, Kezia is currently interning in the Family and Community Health Department of the Pan American Health Organization in Washington D.C., the regional office for WHO. Her project deals with collecting information about maternal and child health practices from Latin American countries and presenting them to WHO regional advisors on nutrition. You may contact Kezia kezia.alexander@gmail.com if you have any questions.

(Posted 2/12)
Manjeet Birring (Fall 2011)
Manjeet is working for The Living Legacy Foundation as a Donor Services Coordinator.
(Posted 5/12)
Amina Saeed-Shams (Spring 2001)
Amina Saeed-Shams is living in Baltimore, MD with her husband and two children. She graduated with a dual track MPH in Health Education & Communications/Maternal & Child Health from Tulane University. She currently works as a Project Manager leading EMR development projects for Ochsner Health Systems. She volunteers for a number of nonprofit organizations, including serving on the board of LA Health Connection.
(Posted 1/12)
Edwin Mayah (Fall 2008)
Edwin completed an M.Sc. in Healthcare Administration from UMUC. Edwin writes to us “I am currently working as a Healthcare Program manager and Healthcare Navigator with the Workforce Solutions Group of Montgomery County,where I connect uninsured residents to safety net clinics with in the county. Dr K is amazing she helped me find a clearer path.” Thank you for sharing Edwin!
(Posted 2/12)
Nancy Luna (Fall 2008)
Nancy sends us information about her life after HAPP. “After graduation I started working as an office manager, a year later I left for the Peace Corp. I volunteered in Zorritos, Tumbes, Peru. I met my fiancé there and here soon I will be getting married and will be starting graduate school, University of North Texas, masters in public health, professional option. Not to brag or anything like that, but Dr. K is truly an amazing person. Besides being the greatest professor she is simply the best mentor. Good luck to all and keep pushing forward!”
(Posted 2/12)
Kristin Schwab (Spring 2010)
Kristin works for the Social Security Administration as a Budget Analyst. She is pursuing a Masters of Public Policy at UMBC with a concentration in Health Policy. Kristin tells us “At SSA I work with the Agency’s Administrative Budget and I work mainly with Congressional requests for information on our Budget and with preparing our annual appropriation request to Congress. I hope to get into Congressional affairs one day! I would be glad to talk to any students about working for the federal government, and about my experiences in the federal workforce.”
(Posted 2/12)
Karen Silver (Spring 2010)
Karen continued on to do her Masters in Public Policy at UMBC. While working on her Masters she got a GA at Dept of Health and Mental Hygiene in Maternal and Child Health and has been there since. She finished her Masters in December concentrating on health care financing, esp in Medicare. At DHMH she works on the new Maternal Infant and Early Child Home Visiting Program, writing and developing grants, collecting and analyzing raw data and policies. She has done a lot of work with non-profits in the past, especially student leadership and volunteer development and social entrepreneurship. If anyone has any questions, she would be happy to share experiences!
(Posted 2/12)
Alexa Urrutia-Comas (Spring 2008)
Following UMBC she went to graduate school at University of Michigan, Ann Arbor for Master of Health Services Administration and graduated from there in April 2010. Post-graduate school she did an Administrative Fellowship at the Veteran’s Hospital in Milwaukee, and is currently working there as the Administrative Officer for the Medicine Division. She basically handles all administrative functions related to the clinical division (budget, hiring & staffing-both admin and clinical staff, equipment requests, space concerns, short and long terms strategic planning, performance metrics for MD’s, etc.).
(Posted 2/12)
Lauren Atkinson (Spring 2008)
Lauren served for 10 months in the Americorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) based out of Denver Colorado. She worked for 2 years at the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) in Washington DC and has just begun the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program at UMD.
(Posted 2/12)
Kanchan Aryal (Spring 2011)
Kanchan recently got hired by Theracom, a CVS/Caremark company. It is a specialty pharmacy and she will be working as a reimbursement case advocate. The office is located in Rockville. Kanchan tell us “I am really excited about this job. My degree in HAPP and previous work experience as a medical receptionist and a certified pharmacy technician helped me land this job”.
(Posted 6/2011)
Philips Khuu (Spring 2011)
Philips accepted a position at Kernan Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation Hospital as an Admitting Specialist in the Patient Access Services Department.
This hospital is a part of the University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS) and is primarily focused on therapy (PT, OT, and SLP), as well
as performing elective outpatient surgeries and dental care. Congratulations Philips!
(Posted 6/2011)
Caroline Carrico (Spring 2011)
Caroline has been accepted into the Doctor of Physical Therapy program at the University of Maryland at Baltimore School of Medicine. She will be attending the Physical Therapy school for three years of year round school and will emerge with a Doctorate in Physical Therapy.
(Posted 6/11)
Sabrina Chacon (Spring 2011)
Sabrina got accepted into the Intercultural Communication Program at UMBC this Fall and plans to make a career of Health Communication/Management.
Congratulations Sabrina!
(Posted 5/11)
Monet Stanford (Spring 2011)
Congratulations to Monet who has been accepted into UMB Doctor of Pharmacy/Masters in Public Health. We wish you all the best!
(Posted 4/11)
Jenna Desaulniers (Summer 2010)
Is employed with Maxim Healthcare Services (www.maximhealthcare.com) as a Medical Billing Specialist.
(Posted 1/11)

WELCOME TO THE HAPP ALUMNI CORNER ARCHIVE!
Postings listed alphabetically

Eram Abbasi (Fall 2009)
Eram was pleased to share with us that she is now employed at the Maryland Department of Aging where she did her senior internship. She is the Case Management Liaison for the program Money Follows the Person/Medicaid Waiver for Older Adults.

Money Follows the Person (MFP) in Maryland will help people transition from an institution, for example a nursing facility, to community living in an apartment, private home, or small group setting. MFP initiatives increase outreach to individuals in institutions and decrease barriers to transition. New efforts under MFP include peer mentoring, enhanced transition assistance, improved information technology, housing assistance, flexible transition funds, and the addition of waiver services to existing waivers.
Posted 9/10
Folukemi “Kemi” Akinjiola (Fall 2003)
On the eve of graduation, Kemi turned in an application to join the Peace Corps via the web. The next day, only hours after walking the stage, she received a call to come in for an interview. Five rapid months later, Kemi found herself in tiny Costa Rica, which is affectionately known as “the Switzerland of Central America.” In August 2004 she was sworn in as a Children, Youth, and Families volunteer. Along with her work in the community of Candelaria de Naranjo, where she also lives, Kemi is helping to organize two national Peace Corps sponsored projects. The first is a four-day conference which hopes to offer 40 male adolescents from 20 Peace Corps volunteer communities with a more profound understanding of ideals of male dominance, domestic violence, self-esteem, and vocational opportunities through various workshops and activities. The second project called “Art for Peace” is a nationwide initiative that will offer anti-violence workshops and activities to over 600 school-aged children. The project will conclude with an art contest to take place at the National Theatre in the capital city, San Jose. Both projects are slated for September and November, respectively. Upon her completion of service in August 2006, Kemi hopes to pursue a career in international social work, public health, or public policy. She would first like to earn a Masters in one of these areas.

For information about “the toughest job you’ll ever love”, visit http://peacecorps.org/
Kemi can be reached directly at funke_kemi@hotmail.com
Posted 5/05
Bridget Akintunde ( Spring 2005)
Bridget is an assistant project manager for The Jackson Organization, a survey research consultant company. She is also currently
pursuing her master’s degree full-time at the University of Maryland University College in Hyattsville. She misses the HAPP Program very
much and hopes to attend future events in support of the HAPP Program.
Posted 11/06
Juan Amador (Spring 1999)
Juan has recently taken a position as a staff associate with the
Association of American Medical Colleges in the Division of Community and
Minority Programs. Previously he worked as a health information
specialist for Analytical Services, Inc., a private health communication
organization which contracts with the Centers for Disease Control.
Posted 10/1/02
Rachel Ammann (Fall 2008)
Rachel recently shared that she is a Program Support Assistant with the Office of Science and
Engineering Laboratories with the Food and Drug Administration. She writes “My time
is split between the Office of the Director and the Personnel Management
Office. It’s great working here!”
Posted 2/10
Christina Andrews (Spring 2006)
Christina just received her Masters in Applied Sociology and has accepted a position with Johnson & Johnson in pharmaceutical
sales. Congratulations Christina!!!!!!!
Posted 7/07
Joyce Awuro (Fall 2008)
Congratulations to Joyce on her acceptance to the Masters Program (MSW) at UMB.
Posted 4/09
Julie Barlage (Spring 2004)
Julie has recently accepted a position as a Managed Care Financial Analyst with Catholic Healthcare West (CHW). Catholic Healthcare West is a system of 42 hospitals and medical centers in California, Arizona and Nevada. Founded in 1986, CHW is the eighth largest hospital system in the nation and the largest not-for-profit hospital provider in California.
8/07
- Julie is Senior Consultant with Navigant Consulting, Inc. (www.navigantconsulting.com), and is currently based out of the Phoenix, Arizona office. She is a part of the healthcare commercial payer group. Her work focuses on the design and evaluation of provider reimbursement systems, measurement of healthcare costs, the development of methods to collect and analyze healthcare financial and utilization data, as well as providing support for litigation-related matters.
  Posted 11/06
Kristina Bennett (Fall 2008)
Kristina writes to HAPP:
I just wanted to give a little update on what I have been up to. I joined the Peace Corps, and I have been in Guatemala since April. I am in this program called Health Homes. It’s a pretty neat program. My job title is a rural health technician. I work with the health centers, giving health education talks, and forming health promoter groups. I will be giving health talks and training people to give health talks for the first year, and during the second year I will be building projects, such as latrines, stoves, cement floors, and water reserves. I live in this small town, about 20 minutes away from the nearest city, so it’s not too far out there. Peace Corps life for me is not as hard as I thought it would be. I have access to water and electricity pretty much all the time and a hot shower, which is a bonus in Peace Corps world. I must say that the education that I received in the HAPP program really did help prepare me for some of the work I will be doing down here! So thank you so much!
Posted 8/10
Janet Anderson Brock (Spring 2000)
Janet has worked for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Service (CMS) for five years.
Currently she works in the Office of Clinical Standards and Quality as the coordinator for
the Council on Technology Innovation. Prior to that she was in the coverage policy area for Medicare.
” I’m enjoying my career and have UMBC to thank for the solid education that
helped me get my ‘foot in the door’ as a outstanding scholar. … I have been fortunate to have worked
with some of the brightest minds in health policy, including internationally known
experts from Harvard, Stanford and the like…”
Posted 10/05
Dierdra Bertrand (Spring 2003)
Dierdra has been accepted to and will begin the graduate program in physical
therapy at Drexel University in August 2004.
Posted 4/04
Dionna Bishop-Robinson (Spring, 2001)
Dionna works as an HIV Youth Protection Coordinator for the Maryland
Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.
Posted 11/03
Tim Bosse (August 1992)
Tim is Vice President of Scientific Resources for Hudson Global Resources, a
recruitment and solutions organization. His unit of the company provides permanent
and contractual staffing in the pharmaceutical, chemical, medical devices, and
biotechnology sectors. Immediately following graduation Tim went to work for
Maxion as a placement/coordinator/recruiter in the Traveling Health Care Professionals
division. He later became Director of Private Duty Services for Mt. Washington
Pediatric Center.
His current employer, Hudson Global Resources is expanding on the east coast and
would be interested in receiving resume’s from HAPP graduates. For information on
where to e-mail your resume, contact the HAPP office or see
http://www.umbc.edu/happ/paidOPPORTUNITIES.HTML
Posted 9/03
Tina Bracy (Spring 1981)
Tina is currently doing independent consulting work in long-term care;
she acts as an interim administrator and does administrative trouble shooting for
facilities. She earned an MBA from Howard University in 1987 and is now
looking to return to school and get a degree in nursing. Previously she
worked as an assistant administrator for HCI a 180 bed long-term care
facility.
Posted 2/04
Courtney Breece (Spring 2004)
Courtney is a Senior Analyst, Licensure & Certification for National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA http://www.ncqa.org/ ) in Washington DC.
Posted 8/09
Carole Brothers Wink (May, 1985)
Carole is working in the Frederick office of Analytical Science Inc. in
the Congressional Directed Medical Research Programs Division as a
Review Technical Assistant.
Posted 1/13/03
Christina Bullman (Spring 2007)
Christy received a Masters in Social Work. She is working for Neighborhoods for All Ages as a Senior Services Coordinator.
Posted 1/09
Patricia Bushee (Spring 2005)
Patrica is employed as an Information and Assistance Specialist II for the Department of Aging, Anne Arundel County. She does outreach in the community connecting with senior centers, Eating Together Program sites, congregate senior housing, and county libraries. She participates in health fairs and does presentations on entitlement programs. Recently she had been doing informational sessions on the Medicare Prescription Program. She also works individually with clients assisting with problem solving and linking people with existing services and programs. She is really enjoying her job.
Posted 1/06
James Case (Spring, 2005)
James is currently doing health care finance consulting with KPMG (www.kpmg.com) as part of his internship working towards the completion of his masters degree in health finance and management at Johns Hopkins University.
Posted 8/07James began graduate studies fall 2005 for a masters degree at Johns Hopkins
University, School of Public Health.
Posted 9/05
Karol Casiano-Ferebee (Fall 2002)
Karol, who has been working on her masters in applied sociology at UMBC,
took time out to complete another project. Isaiah Daniel Ferebee was born on March
10, 2005 weighing 9lbs. 5 ozs. His mom and dad are very pleased with the
new addition to their family.
Posted 3/05
Nitasha Chaudhary (Spring 2003)
Nitasha is currently employed by the National Association of County and City Health Officials
as the program assistant for the Preparedness Team. This team reviews local and regional plans
to address all hazard responses. She is willing to respond to e-mail inquires about possible
internships and employment opportunities in the association.
nchaudhary@naccho.org
Posted 11/05
Talat Chaudhry (Fall 2009)
Currently a graduate student in the Public Policy masters program at UMBC, has been offered a fellowship at Infectious Disease and Environmental Health Administrations, Center for HIV/AIDS Prevention which she will begin January, 2010.
Posted 1/10
Jamie Chew (Fall 2004)
We are pleased to report that Jamie was promoted to Quality Assurance Manager for Mercy Hospital in the Quality Improvement Dept. She wrote, “The bulk of my work focuses on Core Measures — which are hospital performance measures hospitals collect data and submit to CMS and The Joint Commission for validation. I also work on various special projects, RCA’s, physician-focused chart audits, the list goes on and on.”
9/07
- Jamie has taken a position with Mercy Medical Center as a Quality
  Improvement Analyst. Jamie facilitates and manages various projects including
  qualtity performance improvement related teams. She helps to identify
  opportunities for improvement throughout the organization based on studies
  and outcomes. Congratulations to Jamie and best wishes for her future!
  Posted 2/2/05
Joya Chowdhury (Spring 2006)
Joya has recently taken a position at ICF international in Fairfax, VA.(www.icfi.com) where she is a research assistant
for the health and human services department. She was formerly with Childrens National Medical Center in D.C..
11/07Joya is currently working at the Childrens National Medical Center in D.C.(www.dcchildrens.com), as a
Clinical Research Associate in the Hemotology Oncology Department. She is expecting to start graduate school in the near future.
Posted 3/07
Nidhi Dalwadi (Fall 2006)
Nidhi recently wrote to us about her position as an analyst with the NCQA (National Committee for Quality Assurance), www.ncqa.org.
“At the end of this month, it will mark my sixth month here and am very excited because I am still learning! It is a great company to work for
and personally within my department, the people are very friendly. …I boast every chance I get about our HAPP program and feel that you
guys have prepared us very well for our careers. I especially feel that way after taking this position here at NCQA. So thank you to you and
all the other faculty members!”
8/08
Lauren Davis (Spring 2010)
Lauren was very happy to let us know that she had just been hired by XLHealth. She wrote “I work for XLHealth as a
Pharmacy Outreach Specialist. XLHealth [www.xlhealth.com] is an insurance company that provides specialized care and coverage to Medicare beneficiaries that
have a chronic illness. I’m really excited about this job because the company focuses on PREVENTATIVE CARE!!!!!! The plan that we provide is the Care Improvement Plus program. This company is federally funded for the purposes of managing and caring for Medicare patients.” She believes her internship with a pharmacy was helpful in landing the position. She is already making plans to continue her education at Johns Hopkins in the School of Public Health.
Posted 9/10
Panayiota Dimitrios (Toula) Cossis-Bellios (Spring 1998)
Toula is working as a Senior Analyst/Consultant with Mercer Human Resource
Consulting. The company was responsible for conduting the National Survey
of Employer-Sponsored Health Plans 2004.
Posted 3/05

Wanda Danney (May, 1992)
Wanda is currently working as a reimbursement collector for
NeighborCare Infusion. Her first job after graduation was with Prudential
Insurance in member services. She is considering the possibility of going back
to school to get a nursing degree.
Posted 8/02
Avisa Demehri (Fall 2003)
Avisa Demehri
Avisa completed her MPH from Yale University in spring 2006. After returning to Baltimore, she worked part-time at Johns Hopkins while looking for the right fulltime job for her. After four months she was offered the position of manager in the Pediatrics Emergency Department at Johns Hopkins. “It was a long wait but I am very satisfied where I am right now.”
Posted 11/06
- After completing her first year of graduate study at Yale, she was doing a
  summer internship in the Center for Quality Patient Care in the Johns
  Hopkins Health Center. She will be returning to Yale in the fall to
  complete her masters degree in the spring of 2006. After graduation, she
  plans to return to the Baltimore/ DC area to work.
  Posted 7/05
- Avisa began her graduate program in public health this fall at Yale
  University. She writes that she is taking a full schedule of five courses
  including: biostatistics, epidemiology, social and behavioral science,
  health policy and accounting. She writes “I have to say that all the
  classes that I was required to take as an undergraduate student have paid
  off – I find some way to apply a little of everything I learned at UMBC to
  my courses here at Yale (Accounting and Introduction to the US health care
  system have been very useful). My big project right now is looking for an
  internship for the summer – it is a very time consuming process but it is
  something I have some experience in thanks to the required internship I had
  to do at UMBC.”
  Posted 11/04
- Avisa was working for HCC consulting group. However, she has
  been accepted at Yale University and will begin her masters in health
  management in their school of public health in the fall of 2004.
  Posted 4/04
Julie DiPanfilo Obie (December 2000)
Julie is a safety and environmental engineer for Greatbatch-Hittman, Inc.
She and her husband, Robert, live in Severn, MD
Posted 11/25/02

Amanda Eldridge (December, 2001)
Amanda has accepted a position with Maxim Healthcare
Services as a recruiter and she will start in September 2002.
Posted 7/02
Andrew Engle (Spring 2007)
Andrew was featured in the March 2008 edition of Reader’s Digest. Click the link to follow his amazing story!
http://www.rd.com/content/openContent.do?contentId=5366
Andrew Engle is working for Erickson Advantage (www.ericksonadvantage.com) as an operations associate.
12/07
Natasha Facey (Spring 2004)
I cannot believe I have been out of school for one year, how time flies!
My job is simply wonderful. After working at Walter Reed for a couple
of months I transferred to another government agency, The Office of
Personnel Management. In my position as an Annuitant Insurance & Goverment
Claims Specialist I work within a team responsible for reconciling the records
of federal retirees from all the health carriers participating in the Federal Employees
Health Benefits Program. I am learning a lot about the federal retirement system as well
as the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program.
Posted 8/05
JoAnna Farrell (Spring 2001)
JoAnna has been working for the Center for Medcaid and Medicare Services
(CMS) since graduation. Her group is responsible for Medicare coverage
policy at the national level. She primarily works on cardiovascular
issues. JoAnna was recently married and has begun a masters program in
health services administration with U. of MD, University College.
Posted 11/03
Syrita Farrow (Spring 2001)
It is with pleasure we announce that Syrita has been accepted to the University of Medicine and Denistry
of New Jersey where she will study medicine.
Posted 3/07
- Syrita was working full time at Bancroft NeuroHealth as an accreditation
  specialist dealing with regulations and compliance issues set by various
  accrediting bodies including the JCAHO. Bancroft NeuroHealth is a
  
  residential facility for children with severe behavioral disorders secondary
  
  to developmental disabilities. At the same time, Syrita is working on
  
  her Masters of Science in microbiology at Thomas Jefferson University
  in preparation for applying to medical school.
  Posted 10/28/02
Vanessa Felder-Rembert (Spring 2004)
Vanessa married her high school sweetheart on July 10, 2004. She recently
accepted a position as Medical Sales Representative with Respicare.
Respicare is an adult respiratory therapy company that sells oxygen,
nebulizers and other ventilation equipment. She writes “I absolutely love
it. I am still in training … My territory is Howard/Anne Arundel
Counties.” Now living in Howard County, she feels her sales territory is
perfect.
Posted 12/04
Christin Fissell (December 1995)
Following graduation she went to work in health insurance and became an
underwriter for American Medical Securities and Humana. Later she moved
to the marketing department at Humana. Christin is currently living in Wisconsin
and temporarily left the job market to raise her family. She is now applying to
nursing school as she looks ahead to returning to health care employment.
Posted 3/03
Steven J. Friedman (Fall 2006)
As a result of excelling in his internship, Steve was offered full time employment at Bluepoint Nursing & Rehabilitation Center. We wish Steve continued success!
Posted 2/07
Alyson Fulwood-Hall (Spring 1998)
Since graduating from UMBC, Alyson completed her masters of health science
within the Department of Health Policy and Management in the Johns Hopkins
Bloomberg School of Public Health. While in graduate school, she worked
at Hopkins on research relating to health behavior and blood pressure. In
2001, Alyson continued her graduate education starting a Ph.D. program at
Hopkins in the Division of Social Behavioral Sciences. She is currently
working on her dissertation and hopes to complete her degree in the fall.
Alyson and her husband Gentzon, also a UMBC alum, expanded their family
last year with the birth of a daughter, Syndey Elena, who is almost 11
months old. Her husband will be completing his Ph.D. in biochemistry and
his medical degree at UMB in a combined MD/Ph.D. program.
Posted 04/05
Morgan Gapara (Spring 2009)
Morgan has accepted a job with the Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL) in Silver Spring, MD as the Laboratory Systems & Standards Specialist. He is planning to return to school in fall to get his MPH.
Posted 1/10
Christine George-Abraham (Spring 2001)
Immediately following graduation, Christine worked for a pharmacy benefits
management company and then joined Eagle Design and Management. Her job
involves working with the National Eye institute on public health
information. This includes technical writing for web-seniorhealth.gov,
National Eye Institute(NEI) web-site, and creating new materials. She
recently wrote “I enjoy interacting with the public when they call in to
get various information about eye diseases. I know people sometimes say
that what you learn in college doesn’t really apply in the real world, but
I can definitely say I have taken what I have learned and am applying it
daily.”
Posted 9/05
Stephanie Gitukui (Fall, 2010)
After interning with the Transdisciplinary Science and Translational Prevention Program of RTI International, she has been offered a full-time position as a project coordinator. (www.rti.org)
Posted 12/10
Daniel Goodwin (December, 1998)
Dan has just started a new position as CV Administrator for Arnett Clinic,
the largest multi-specialty group paractice of 150 physicians in Indiana.
Arnett Health System is preparing to built its own hopital, integrating
the management of its own hospital, clinic and HMO on the same campus.
Previously Dan worked for the Mayo Clinic where he has completed a
fellowship after receiving his master’s in health administration from
Virginia Commonwealth University at Richmond. To learn more about Arnett
Clinic you can visit their web-site at www.arnett.com.
Posted 4/04
- Daniel completed his master’s degree in HealthAdministration at
  Virginia Commonwealth University at Richmond in May
  2002. He was selected from a competitive pool of over 250 applicants to
  participate in a fellowship at the Mayo Clinic. In March 2003 Dan will
  join the organization as Associate Clinic Administrator for Operations.
  His responsibilities will include coordinating the operational activities
  in support of the Albert Lea Clinic and five regional clinics.
  Posted 1/3/03
Cindy Graunke (Fall, 1990)
Cindy was an employee of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
(CMS) when she transferred to UMBC to finish her undergraduate degree.
Sometime after graduation she was made Branch Chief and currently is Division
Director for Nursing Homes, a position to which she was promoted in 2000.
Posted 2/05
Andre Harris (Spring 2008)
Andre has recently taken a job with the Social Security Administration as a Systems Analyst for the Office of Retirement and Survivors Insurance Systems
(which also does Medicare systems). Andre plans on taking advantage of full tuition reimbursement and will be attending UB for a masters degree in
Health Systems Management and/or a Juris Doctorate in Health Law in the near future. Congratulations Andre!
Posted 4/2009
Jennifer Heacock (December 1999)
Jennifer has been working as a contract employee at Lockead Martin through
Standard Technology Corporation in the benefits department. She has just
accepted an offer from Lockead Martin to take a non-contract position in the
office responsible for managing their pension plan.
Posted 3/03
Tenisha Hewitt (Spring 2005)

Tenisha was recently hired at CareFirst in Washington D.C. as an
Associate Underwriter in the Underwriting Department.
Posted 8/05
Sarah Ho (Fall 2002)
Sarah is completing a Masters in Public Health at Geroge Washington University.
She was just selected for an injury prevention and policy internship at the
Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) (www.astho.org).
Posted 12/05

William Hoffman (August 1983)
Since graduation Bill has worked for Johns Hopkins/Bayview and Shock
Trauma UMMS. But he said “it felt good to come home” when he took
his position as manager of grants, contracts and administration with the
Center for Health Program Development and Management right hear at
UMBC two and a half years ago. In 1992 he received his masters degree in
administrative science/ health care management from Johns Hopkins
University. currently work on campus. I am the Administrator for CHPDM & have been here for 2.5 years now.
CHPDM employs many HSP students.
Posted 8/02
Abiola Isola (Spring 2008)
Abiola has accepted a position as a physician recognition analyst with the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA)
beginning in September, 2008. www.ncqa.org
9/08
Christine Jarin-Ramirez (Dec 1998)
Christine was a double major with information systems management (IFSM). She is
currently working as a business systems analyst for Value Options, a behavioral and mental
care management organization.
Posted 9/03
Mara Kent-Skruch, Ph.D., R.N. (May 1985)
Professor, Sociology
Coordinator, Gerontology Program
Sociology & Geography Dept.
Anne Arundel Community College
101 College Parkway
Arnold, MD 21012
Posted 8/02
Manisha Khatta (Summer 2008)
Manisha currently works for the University of Maryland Medical Center in downtown Baltimore with the Division of Quality and
Safety as a Clinical Decision Support Analyst. She will also start school at UMUC fall 2009 for a MHA/MBA dual degree.
Posted 8/09
Beverly Kinder (December, 1994)
Beverly is now Beverly Cowee following her marriage to Charles (Chip)
Cowee in September, 2000. She is currently working as the manager of
Government Affairs, Congressional and Customer Relations for Sierra
Military Health Services, Inc. (SMHS) (www.sierramilitary.com). SMHS was
selected by the Department of Defense to deliver TRICARE, the managed care
focused health services for the military that replaced CHAMPUS. SMHS is
responsible for 13 northeast and mid-Atlantic-states including the
District of Columbia. After starting in the marketing department, Beverly
was promoted to her current position in May 2000.
Posted 10/1/02
Kristen King (Spring 2003)
Kristen is working for Brighton Gardens Assisted Living in a newly created
position which has her doing a variety of activities including marketing
and supervising front-desk staff. She has also worked with HAPP to create
an internship opportunity for our majors at Brighton Gardens.
Posted 2/04
Timothy Kuhn (Spring 1988)
Tim is working for Maxim Healthcare Services as Vice President National Accounts. http://www.maximhealthcare.com/
10/07
Ashley Larusso (Spring 2009)
Ashley has accepted a position with the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA).
She is a Licensure and Certification Coordinator. CONGRATULATIONS ASHLEY!
Posted 9/09
Renee Livshin (Spring 2008)
Renee has just taken a position with the National Institutes of Health, Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, as a grants managements specialist.
10/08

Tamar Loewy (May 2001)
Tamar will finish her master’s degree at Johns Hopkins
University in May, 2003. Currently she is completing her administrative
residency at the Office of Managed Care for Johns Hopkins Medical System.
She has especially enjoyed performing financial analyses to evaluate
proposals from various insurance companies and finds the negotiation
involved with each contract “fascinating.” Because Howard County General
Hospital is part of the Hopkins system, she occasionally works with Trisha
McAllister (see posting) another HAPP graduate. On a personal note, Tamar
will be married in January, 2003.
Posted 1/3/03
Kerri Maczis (Spring 2006)
Kerri is working at MedStar Health Infusion in Elkridge, MD. She is an Infusion Biller working with many different insurance companies
including Medicare and MD Medicaid.
Posted 3/07
Kenneth Mallory (Fall 2003)
Kenneth worked as a reporter for the Afro-American Newspaper upon graduation, primarily covering health and entertainment related stories.
Additionally, Kenneth freelanced for a variety of publications, ending his reporting career with a Knight Fellowship, covering the funeral
industry in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, before heading to law school. Right now, Kenneth is in his final year of law school at
Northwestern University in Chicago, IL and currently working as a summer associate in a Chicago law firm that engages in a variety
of health and insurance law practice areas. Kenneth is intent on practicing in the health care arena after graduating. Congratulations on
your successes Kenneth!
8/08
Shaina Margolese (May 2004)
Shaina has a very busy schedule these days. She is enjoying motherhood
and the care of her 6 month old son. She has been working from home for
the Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults; she did her internship with this
organization before graduating. More recently, she is doing part-time
graduate study at Towson University in the Health Science Program.
Posted 2/05

Shaina and her husband Mo are very pleased to announce the arrival of their
son, Eliyahu Dov Margolese on August 5, 2004
Posted 8/04
Edwin Mayah (Fall 2008)
Edwin was accepted into The University Of Maryland Master Of Healthcare Administration Program.
Edwin was also also offered a position with Montgomery County as a Healthcare Navigator.
Congratulations Edwin!
Posted 6/09
Patricia (Trish) McAllister (December, 2000)
Congratulations to Trish who just received a promotion at Howard County General Hospital
to Managed Care Coordinator for the Department of Managed Care. Congrats Trish!
Posted 4/03
Doreen McGill (Spring 1991)
Employed with the Anne Arundel County Department of Aging and Disabilities since graduating, she is currently Director of the Respite Care Referral Program. (www.aacounty.org/aging)
Posted 4/06
Kira A. Fuller (Formerly Kira A. Medaris) (May 2004)
Best wishes to Kira who was married on September 18, 2004 to Glen Fuller.
Kira is working as a management analyst for the Department of Veterans’
Affairs in downtown D.C. She was hired through the federal government’s
outstanding scholar program. As part of her job, she is auditing VA
contracts with university based physicians and pharmaceutical companies.
Posted 10/04
Tho Le (Spring 2008)
Tho is working at Medstar Family Choice as a healthcare analyst. Tho plans to return to school next fall and get his Master’s in Healthcare
Informatics.
Posted 1/09
Latoya Major (Spring 2005)
Latoya is currently working for Mercer Human Resource Consulting as an analyst.
Posted 8/05
Christiana Metzger (Fall 2003)
Chrissy received her M.A. in Applied Sociology and a graduate certificate in non-profit organizations from UMBC in December, 2005. In November 2005, she started work at the University of Maryland College Park as a Faculty Research Assistant in the Department of Public and Community Health under the National Minority AIDS Education Training Center (NMAETC) grant. NMAETC is a HRSA funded Minority AIDS Initiative (MAI) which provides training and technical assistance to health care professionals that treat minority persons living with HIV. I am responsible for NMAETC data coordination which includes data tracking, entry and analysis, communicating and providing feedback with NMAETC’s six Local Performance Sites (LPS) across the country, data quality assurance, generating monthly and quarter data reports to our national office, and coordination of other evaluation activities, as needed.
Posted 1/06
Zubin Mistry (August 2008)
Was recently hired by Howard General Hospital under
Hopkins to work with Drs. Esposito Mayer, Hogan and Associates P.A,an OB/GYN
practice. As a staff assistant, he will be working with the Administrator and
Administrative Coordinator. www.drsemh.com
Posted 12/08
Karen Morgret (Spring 1984)
Karen is now an Assistant Director for Outcomes Service Department for Treatment and Learning Centers.
Posted 1/09
- Employed as the Director of Rehabilitation Programs for S.O.C. Enterprises which provides
  employment and rehabilition services to those with disabilities. After graduation, she completed a masters
  in human resources administration at the University of Maryland University College.
  Posted 5/05
Sangeeta N. Nambi (Spring 2010)
Sangeeta is working at the International Monetary Fund in the nation’s capital (IMF) as a Staff Assistant to the Assistant Director of the Sovereign Assets and Liabilities Management Division of the Monetary & Capital Markets Department. The IMF promotes international monetary cooperation and exchange rate stability, facilitates the balanced growth of international trade, and provides resources to help members in balance of payments difficulties or to assist with poverty reduction.Sangeeta shared with us how HAPP influenced her answers during her interview “Upon interview for the position, and asked how my background with HAPP would apply, or serve the organization, I had described how money drives access to health care, and better management of money on a grand scheme, will overall improve the country’s chances at acquisition of ideal resources, to include health care as well. The regulation aspect of our HAPP program also came in handy in terms of being familiar with the basic concepts of economics, and how better management and understanding of the needs of a society can help ensure better ways of serving that society.” Congratulations Sangeeta!
Posted 9/10
Shaghayegh Nazemian (December 2001)
I will be back at UMBC starting this fall for grad school. I will be pursuing
a masters degree in Sociology. I currently work at Maxim Healthcare as a
billing coordinator
Posted 8/02

Monica Noguera-Wolfe (May 1985)
Director of Human Resourses, HealthExtra
Masters Health Services Administration, George Washington University
Posted 8/27/02
Stephani Nowak (Spring 2007)
Stephani just started her new job in July 2007 as the Diabetes administrative coordinator of the Inova Diabetes Center at Inova
Loudon Hospital. She states “they were impressed with my Health Administration Degree as well as my course work and internship experience.”
She is looking forward to using her tuition assistance benefit to pursue a Master’s Degree in the future.
Posted 7/07
Karis Pallone (Spring, 2003)
Karis, who will complete her masters in applied sociology here at
UMBC this spring, has been accepted into the Ph.D. program in sociology at
Purdue University and will begin her studies’ there in the fall.
Posted 3/05
Dipal Panara (Spring 2010)
Dipal sent HAPP an email with an update on what she has been doing since graduation.”I’m really excited to share that I’m one of the 30 Allies for Public Allies-DC. www.publicallies.org. Public Allies is one of the Americorps programs (http://www.americorps.gov/). It’s a 10 month leadership program. The mission is to advance new leadership to strengthen communities, nonprofits and civic participation. Each Ally works with a different nonprofit. The nonprofit I will be working with is Emmaus Services for the Aging. Emmaus provides services to the elderly within the DC area( including medicare and medicaid assistance, providing transportation, providing nutrition,exercise and computer classes). I can’t wait to start working with PA and Emmaus!” Congratulations Dipal!
Posted 9/10
Rachna Pancholi (Fall 2008)
Taking my degree forward, I have started working for Fox Rehabilitation here in NJ. I work as Medicare Reimbursement & Transmissions Specialist. I am utilizing many terms, rules & regulations we learned during our Health Admin Program. Thus, I only want to thank you for all the hard work that you and the Administration team have put into this great program.
The company I work for is a private practice, which specializes into Geriatric Population by providing them “In Home Therapy” under Medicare part B guidelines. You can check out our website: www.foxrehab.org. This is a great company to work for and grow within.
Posted 11/09
Karrinne Patterson (May 2002)
Karrinne is working as a Pricing Analyst in the
Pricing/Actuary Department of the Pricing, Underwriting, and Benefits
Division at Mid-Atlantic Medical Services in Rockville, Maryland. She has
also been taking graduate level courses at the University of Maryland
University College.
Posted 1/3/03
Anu Paul (Spring 2004)
Anu has just been hired by Consortium Health Plans as a network
information analyst.
Posted 5/04
Monica Penn (Spring 1984)
Monica just recieved a promotion, Director, Patient Financial Services at Kaiser Permanente. Congratulations Monica!
Posted 3/07
Robert Perry (Spring 1998)
Robert is an Administrator at Life Care Services LLC. http://www.lcsnet.com/
Posted 10/07
Michele Pharr (Spring 2006)
Michele has recently taken a position with the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygeine. She is a research analyst with the Office of Health Policy and Planning which is a part of the Family Health Administration. Her position focuses on workforce issues, needs assessment and outreach to state and federally-designated rural area in Maryland.
Posted 7/2007
Emily Phillips (Fall, 2004)
Emily is currently working at St. Agnes Hospital, where she is a Consulting Associate. Her job involves working for both
Strategic Planning and Quality Management. The job requires the data
analysis and management for the Quality Management department, including reporting to hospital committees.
10/07
Kelly Pike (May 1998)
Kelly is a policy analyst for the New York State Task Force on Life
and Law. She received a master’s degree from the Johns Hopkins University
Bloomberg School of Public Health in May 2002 and resides in New York, NY.
Posted 11/25/02

Ulric Pollard (December 1990)
District Sales Manager, Abbott Laboratories, Pharmaceutical Products Division
Posted 9/9/02
Theresa Rabbitt Gotimer (May, 1985)
Theresa currently holds the position of Vice President for Sales
and Service at Aetna Insurance. Remembering how valuable her
internship experience was to her, she has contacted the program to see
about arranging an internship opportunity for HAPP majors with her
company.
Posted 7/02
Alicia Reboso (Fall 2006)
Has recently taken a position with Anne Arundel Medical Center (AAMC) marketing the Anne Arundel Diagnostic Imaging. She writes, “It’s a new marketing position (I get to help build the position as I go) for their Anne Arundel Diagnostic Imaging (AADI) locations. My responsibilities include: visiting physicians and specialists to market our diagnostic services and locations, field research, work closely with the team of radiologists and techs, ect. Learning radiology and diagnostics has been very intense but really interesting…Overall, it has been a very challenging, but very rewarding position at the end of the day. I am making a lot of positive changes, while helping patients with their diagnostic needs. AAMC is a wonderful organization to work for, and I can truly see myself moving up the ladder here in the years to come. www.aahs.org
Posted 9/09
After working for awhile as a sales representative outside the health care industry, Alicia recently took on the role as a Health Services
Manager for Concentra Medical in Baltimore, www.concentra.com <http://www.concentra.com/. She writes “I have been studying
a lot and found that many HAPP classes I took really have benefited me in this position.
Well, I am on my way to a great career and I owe it to UMBC.”
8/08
Allicia began her job with Maxim Healthcare Services as a Workers Compensation Coordinator just before graduating. She writes
“I am learning more and more each day. Workers Comp gets complicated, but it’s really interesting and I love the team I work with.” www.maximhealthcare.com
Posted 3/07We are pleased to report that Alicia has been promoted from Workers Comp Coordinator to Workers Comp Claims Assistant with
Maxim Healthcare Services (www.maximhealthcare.com)
Posted 6/07
Cindy Reidy-Ottone (Spring 1996)
Cindy lives with her husband Mike Ottone, also a UMBC alum of 1996, and their two children in South Carolina. Since graduaton Cindy completed a masters in health administration and is currently working for the National Committee for Quality Assurance NCQA)www.ncqa.org. There she was recently promoted to Director of HEDIS Policy Position. She also works with the University of South Carolina as an adjunct professor in the Health Administration and Policy Department (part of the Arnold School of Public Health).
Posted 7/05
Sister Maria Rivera (December, 2001)
Sister Maria is the administrator of a long-term care facility owned by her religious order,
Little Sisters of the Poor, in Palatine Illinois. There are 100 residents in four levels of care,
independent living, assisted living, intermediate and skilled. She is finding it a challenging
but enjoyable job.
Posted 6/04

Sister Maria was at the Little Sisters of the Poor extended care facility in Palatine, Illinois,
outside of Chicago. She is the assistant administrator of the facility and is responsible
for the management of 34 independent living units.
Posted 3/03
Susan Roman (May 1998)
I recently started a new position as CEO for Morgan County ARH Hospital, a
Critical Access Hospital with 20 acute and 25 skilled nursing facility beds in
West Liberty, Kentucky. I previously worked as Assistant Administrator for a
sister hospital, Hazard ARH Regional Medical Center (308 beds) in Hazard, Kentucky.
Following graduation, I received a Master’s of Health Administration, Graduate 2001,
from the Medical College of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University. To learn more
about the hospitals of the Appalachian Regional Healthcare System (ARH)
you can visit their web-site at www.arh.org.
Posted 5/04
Following graduation Susan received a Master’s of Health Administration, Graduate 2001,
from the Medical College of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University. Her
current position is an Assistant Administrator for Appalachian Regional Healthcare in Kentucky
Posted 4/03
Dourakine Rosarion (May 2001)
Dora is currently completing her Masters in Public Administration at the University
of Baltimore with a focus in health policy (anticipating graduation May 2003).
While in school her education has been supported by a fellowship that has her
working for the Shaffer Center for Public Policy at UB. She is also working part-time
for the Baltimore City Office of Homeless Services in the Department of Housing
and Community Development.
Posted 5/03
Kaylene Ross (Spring 2002)
Continues to work as a nurse at the University of Maryland Medical System and is pursuing
her Masters from Baker College as an on-line experience.
Posted 6/04
Amina Saeed (Fall 2001)
Amina is working for Booz Allen Hamilton’s Health Services Team. She
works primarily with FDA clients on the development of health systems
that positively impact the quality of public health by improving
regulatory processes. She just began the MPH program at George Washington
University on a part-time basis.
Posted 5/04
Banke Sanusi (Spring 2007)
Banke recently took aa position with McBee Associates, www.mcbeeassociates.com, as a staff consultant.
“Staff consultants work closely with senior staff, supervisors and managers on client consulting engagements in the
health care finance environment, (hospitals, multi-hospital systems, nursing homes, community-based agencies,
physician group practices, rehabilitation facilities and home health agencies). Staff consultants perform account analysis,
financial processing, assist in reviewing, evaluating, and making recommendations for the efficient maintenance and
improvement of internal, operational, and management control systems and organizational unit performance.”
(taken from the McBee web-site)
3/08

Banke is working at Covance Market Access Services as a Health Reimbursement Specialist/Program Specialist
in Gaithersburg MD. She has just been accepted in the MBA program at the University of Dallas College of Business and will
take a concentration in health services management. She is expecting to be transfered to the Covance office in Dallas so
she may continue to work will completing her graduate degree.
8/07
Kristin Schwab (Spring 2010)
Kristin has recently started working at the Social Security Administration (SSA) in the Office of Budget as a Budget Anayst on the Budget Presentation Team. This team helps to prepare the SSA budget for presentation to the President and eventually to Congress. She will be helping to write the presentation materials that go along with the budget itself and will be one of the liaison’s to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the Congressional Appropriations and Budget Committees. She is also studying to complete a Masters in Public Policy at UMBC.
Posted 8/10
Jennifer Searfoss (Spring 1999)
Jennifer has accepted the position of Vice President with United Health Networks, a group within United Healthcare,
(owns MAMSI), that services all of the companies under United Health Group. Congratulations Jennifer!
12/07
Jennifer will be teaching for the Political Science Department at UMBC for fall 2004. She will be teaching
POLI 328 Women and Politics. She expects to finish her law degree in December 2004 and to sit for
the bar exam in February 2005.
Posted 6/04

Jennifer serves as the Eastern and Southern Section Government Affairs Representative
for the Medical Group Management Association. She began her work with MGMA in
August of 2001. Before joining MGMA, Jennifer was employed by the American
College of Emergency Physicians where she worked as the Federal Government Affairs
Assistant for their Washington, DC office. Jennifer also worked as a Legislative Aide
for the Maryland General Assembly and as a Health Policy Intern with the State of
Maryland’s Center for Health Program Development and Management. Jennifer has
her B.A. in Health Science and Policy from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County
and currently is a Juris Doctor candidate at the University of Maryland, Baltimore. Jennifer
got married 3 weeks ago to another UMBC student (and soon graduate) Michael Miller, political science.
Posted 1/30/03
Shawn Settles (Spring 1994)
Shawn is working for Walter Reed Army Medical Center as a Contractor for The Henry M. Jackson Foundation in the Defense
and Veterans Brain Injury Center.
Posted 2/09

Shawn was Vice President of a small pharmaceutical consulting company, Healthcare Consulting and
Logistics (HLC) and has just opened a pharmacy wholesale company this month. Shawn is looking for
HAPP majors with an interest in the pharmaceutical industry to fill internship positions.
Posted 7/03

Tishna Singh (August 1994)
Tishna recently changed jobs and is now employed with Ortho Biotech Products, LP, as a Reimbursement Manager.
Posted 7/03
- Employed with Convance Health Economics and Outcomes Services Inc. as
  a manager/associate. She completed her MBA in May 2000 at Johns Hopkins University. Tishna has
  continued to support HAPP since graduating by participating in our “returning
  graduates panel” and, when possible, sharing job opportunities appropriate for
  our new graduates.
  Posted 9/12/02
Courtney Smith-Breece (May 2004)
Best wishes to Courtney who married Olin Breece on October 23, 2004.
Shortly she will be starting a new position with the National Committee
for Quality Assurance (NCQA) as assistant to the assistant vice president
of policy. As such she will be involved in HEDIS audits and will be
responsible for setting up training conferences.
Posted 11/04
Kristan Julian Sohr
In memory of Kristan Julian Sohr
December 1989 graduate of the Health Administration and Policy Program (HAPP).
Formerly known as Health Science and Policy (HESP)
May 16, 1967 – February 17, 2004
.
Posted 10/04

Lauren Stahl (Fall 2004)
Recently accepted a position with the Anne Arundel County Department of
Health in the REACH Program. This is a program for county residents who
have no health insurance. She is Coordinator of Special Programs doing
case management
Posted 7/05
Marcus Taylor (May 2002)We are pleased to announce that Marcus Taylor accepted a position of Chief of Staff for Well Point, Inc.
in Indiana. From all of us at HAPP, Congratulations Marcus!
Posted 4/07
- Marcus has been promoted to Account Manager for Special Accounts for the Indiana Large Group Sales team for Anthem BCBS effective April 3, 2006 This position will require development and execution of customized account retentions strategies, cross selling of specialty and managed care products, managing the renewal process and ensuring the receipt of excellent customer service. We know Marcus, who graduated cum laude from UMBC with a HAPP major and cum laude from Indiana University with a Masters Degree in Healthcare Administration, is up to the job. (www.anthem.com)
  Posted 4/06Graduated cum laude from Indiana University in May with an MHA degree
  Began 2nd year of management development program at Anthem BCBS, in
  Indianapolis. Currently serving as Program Manager for Indiana Group Business
  Anthem, whose mission is to “improve the health of the people we serve,”
  provides health care benefits to more than 12.5 millions Americans in 9
  different states. Anthem is currently the 4th largest publicly traded
  health benefits company in the U.S. To learn more about Anthem visit
  www.anthem.com. Of course the kids are doing great!
  Posted 6/04Marcus is currently in graduate school at Indiana University where he began studies of
  his Masters in Health Administration this fall. While in school he is working as a
  claims representative for the Social Sercurity Administration. He and his wife are expecting their second child.
  *CONGRATULATIONS TO MARCUS AND HIS WIFE ON THE BIRTH OF THEIR DAUGHTER ON FEBRUARY 25, 2003,
  YAMINAH SANAA TAYLOR, 6lbs 7.4oz, 19.75 inches long
  Posted 9/20/02-
Sharmaine Taylor-Anderson ( May 2002)
I am currently employed by The Centers For Medicaid and Medicare
Services as an Health Insurance Specialist in the Center for Beneficiary
Choices. Our current project is the new Medicare Modernization Act which
allows beneficiaries to receive discounts on their prescriptions. I’m
working on my masters degree at Towson University.
Posted 8/04
Sharon Thomas-Patterson (August 1999)
Sharon is a research coordinator at the Johns Hopkins University
and resides in Baltimore
Posted 11/25/02
Cecelia Thompson (May 2000)
Cecelia recently changed jobs and now has a position with United HealthCare (www.unitedhealthcare.com)
as Key Accounts-Service Account Manager. She previously was with CIGNA HealthCare (www.CIGNA.com).
Posted 12/05
- Cecelia has been working for Cigna since June 2000. Since that time she has had
  three promotions and is now a Client Strategy Specialist. Congratulations Cecelia!
  Posted 5/03
Antoinette Thomas-Williams(May 1982)
Currently the Director of Managed Care Services for CareFirst Blue Cross/Blue Shield. She has an MBA
earned from Loyola College. Antoinette has continued to support the
program by providing internships for current students when possible and
participating in our “returning graduates panel.”
Posted 9/12/02

Joanne (Troutner) Campione (May, 1989)
In December 2005, I received a PhD in health services research from UNC Chapel Hill’s joint program with the School of Public Health
and School of Pharmacy. I work for the North Carolina Center for Hospital Quality and Patient Safety. As the Director of Clinical Measurement Services,
I am responsible for the NC Hospital Quality Performance Report (www.NCHospitalQuality.org) and the analysis of hospital clinical measures associated
with national and statewide quality improvement initiatives. Previous work experience includes two years with LabCorp, six years with Blue Cross and
Blue Shield North Carolina, and two years with CMS’ Office of Legislation and Policy in Washington, D.C.
I am married to a wonderful husband, have two children, and still have a great group of UMBC friends that I keep in touch with after 20 years!
Posted 12/08
- Joanne is currently in her 2nd year at UNC-Chapel Hill for a
  Ph.D. in Health and Pharmaceutical Policy & Evaluation. After receiving a
  MSPH from UNC in 1993, Joanne worked at Blue Cross & Blue Shield of
  N.C. Joanne’s UMBC HESP internship at HCFA on Security Blvd. led
  her to a job in Medicare’s Legislation office on Capitol Hill before moving
  to N.C. Joanne thanks Joyce Riley for her support throughout the
  years.
  Posted 7/02
Carla Turner (May 1998)
Carla lives with her husband and two sons, ages 2 and 4, in
Alabama. After a break, Carla returned to work in 2000 and is currently
working for a physician’s group in the business office. As she wrote to
me, she is “getting the itch” to return to school. She is considering an
accelerated masters level nursing program.
Posted 12/2/02
Tebi Varghese (May 2004)
We are pleased to share that Tebi has been accepted for graduate study in the MBA programs at Loyola, University of Balitimore and Towson University. She is currently employed as a client manager for Receivables Outsourcing Inc.(ROI) doing financial work for hospital systems (www.theroi.com). She will be accepting the admission offer from Loyola College where she plans to study full-time.
Posted 4/06
- Tebi was working as a health care client manager for Receivables Outsourcing Inc.,
  in Timonium, MD. She learned about this job opening from the opportunities
  shared by HAPP with recent graduates.
  Posted 8/04
Alexandria Urrutia (Spring 2008)
Alex completed her first year of her Master’s of Health Services Administration at the University of Michigan in April, 2009 and started working at the University of Chicago Medical Center (UCMC) as a Graduate Intern in Strategy and Planning as well as Operational Redesign for the summer. She wrote about how much she enjoyed her internship. ” I have been able to take what I learned at UMBC, as well as my past internship work experience, coupled with what I have learned and done at Michigan into a very successful summer experience.” Below are a list of some of the activities in which she participated while interning,- Administered the operational planning and implementation of mammography referral service to UCMC from FQHC
– Developed detailed communication and process flow plan and led training of nurses and ED personnel for new Hem/Onc 12 bed inpatient Evaluation Unit
– Conducted a Market Analysis of service area for a potential Center for Frail Elderly Living at affiliate hospital
– Created orientation documents for the establishment of UCMC Teaching service at a community hospital as well as created and administered an Attending Physician Satisfaction Survey at this site
– Constructed and administered measurement systems for patient volume, bed census tracking, and financial performance tracking for UCMC and affiliate hospitals and clinics
Posted 4/10
Lesley Wacker-Wallace (Spring 1994)
Lesley is employed with Medstar Health (www.medstarhealth.com) as a senior manager for contracting and payer relations.
Posted 7/06
Angela (Ward) Stanley (Spring 2001)
Angela received her MHS at Johns Hopkins School of Public Health in May 2003.
She is currently a Health Insurance Specialist at Center for Medicaid/Medicare Services.
Posted 1/04
Lisa Watts- Hardesty (Spring 1998)
Lisa is the program coordinator in the physical medicine department of the Laurel Regional Hospital. This area provides inpatient rehabilitation services. As part of her responsibilities, Lisa is involved in staffing, scheduling and the development of new programs. She also maintains and generates various departmental statistics and reports.
Posted 3/06

Angela Wells-White (August 1999)
After graduating from UMBC, I accepted a position at Howard County General as the Business Analyst
for Managed Care and also attended UB for their MBA program. I received my MBA in 2001.
I am now currently the Manager of Reimbursement for Holy Cross Hospital.
I am planning to attend law school beginning in Fall 2003 to concentrate in health law.
Posted 9/3/02

Rebecca Womick (May 2002))
Shortly after graduation, Rebecca took a position as a healthcare
information analyst with the University of Maryland Medical System. She
misses the flexibility of scheduling her day for whatever times she wants
as she could with her coursework, but is enjoying her job and learning
something new all the time.
Posted 7/02
Carolyn Wood (Fall 1992)
Carolyn is an operations manager for Covance Health Economics and
Outcomes Services Inc. in Gaithersburg, Maryland. She believes Covance
offers good job opportunities for HAPP graduates. To learn more about the
company, go to www.covance.com.
Posted 3/05
Geoffrey Wynn (May 2000)
Geoff is currently working for AACE (American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists)
which is headquartered in Jacksonville, FL. Geoff is a Chapters Administrator. He is currently
working on his MBA at Florida Metropolitan University in Jacksonville and expects to complete his
degree next spring.
Posted 7/03
Sandhye Yalamanchili-Nimmagadda (Spring 1983)
Sandhye is currently managing her physician-husband’s medical practice in
McLean, VA. Following graduation, she was Supervisor of Out-Patient
Services for AMI Doctors Hospital in Lanham, Maryland.
Posted 11/03

Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Public Health

College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences

Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Public Health

Alumni Paths

What are HAPP majors doing after graduation?

Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Public Health

What are HAPP majors doing after graduation?

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