Santa Clara University

SCU Stories - Alumni profiles

SCU Stories

Alumni profiles

Carol Reiley

Aiding surgeons with robots

Carol Reiley '04
B.S. computer engineering
Carol Reiley '04, now a grad student at Johns Hopkins, uses her expertise in computers, engineering, and robotics to help medical students become better surgeons. Read the full profile »
Casey Kute

Building a better life-saver

Casey Kute '08
B.S. mechanical engineering
Casey Kute, inspired by 9/11, set out on a mission of her own: build a robot that saves lives. Read the full profile »
Matray

Alleviating hay fever

Tracy Matray '91, Ph.D Colorado State University
Associate Director of Chemistry, Dynavax Technologies Corp.
Santa Clara's personal approach to education helped guide Tracy Matray toward his Ph.D. Read the full profile »
Heidi von der Mehden

Blending chemistry and wine

Heidi von der Mehden '97
Associate winemaker, Arrowood Winery
Heidi von der Mehden might have an unusual job, but the skills she learned at Santa Clara still apply. Read the full profile »
Gabe Ozorowski

Analyzing proteins with x-rays

Gabe Ozorowski '06
Ph.D. student at UC Irvine
Conducting research at Santa Clara University led Ph.D. candidate Gabe Ozorowski in an unexpected career direction. Read the full profile »
Viloria

Steps to knowledge lead to medical school

Joyce Viloria '03
Graduate student at UCSF School of Medicine
Medical student Joyce Viloria plans to help under-served populations as a doctor. Read the full profile »
Kirstin Nose

Finding solutions in the lab

Kirstin Nosé ’06
SCU Research Associate
Kirstin Nosé works in Professor Ángel Islas' lab, examining DNA damage in cells. Read the full profile »
Randee Garber

The power of story telling

Randee Garber '08
B.A. communication
Randee Garber will take skills learned at Santa Clara to Hollywood. Read the full profile »
Maggi Van Dorn

Finding a path to helping others

Maggi Van Dorn '08
B.A. religious studies
Maggi Van Dorn is committed to bettering the community she is in. Read the full profile »
Dana Wolfe

Committing to Santa Clara

Dana Wolfe '01
Marketing director, Paradigm
Class valedictorian Dana Wolfe nearly transferred from Santa Clara to another school. He decided not to, and today, he's certain he made the right choice. Read the full profile »
di carlo

Learning with the community

Vanessa DiCarlo '08
B.A. religious studies
The part of her Santa Clara education that Vanessa DiCarlo values most is what she learned outside of the classroom. Read the full profile »
Herb

A journalism student's newsworthy future

Jeremy Herb '08
Graduate journalism student at Columbia University
Working for the student paper, Jeremy Herb saw the powerful impact journalists have on their communities. Read the full profile »
Teixeira

Embracing community

Elico Teixeira '08
B.S. engineering physics  Currently studying management science and engineering at Stanford University
Elico Teixeira '08 chose Santa Clara for its small classes and attentive professors. Read the full profile »
David Doroquez '99

Lab research A to Z

David Doroquez '99, Ph.D. '07 MIT
Postdoctoral fellow at Brandeis University
At Santa Clara University, David Doroquez ’99 got “an A-to-Z experience for how active lab research is performed.” Read the full profile »
Thurtle

Gaining confidence in the lab

Deborah Thurtle '08
Doctoral student in molecular cell biology at UC Berkeley
Deborah Thurtle '08 took skills fostered at Santa Clara to her Ph.D program at UC Berkeley. Read the full profile »
Hailey Trefethen

Conducting research in a Costa Rican rainforest

Hailey Trefethen '08
B.A. anthropology
Hailey Trefethen ’08 wouldn't have guessed that her anthropology major would lead to a research stint in Costa Rica. Read the full profile »
sleep lab

From sleep lab to SRI

Megan Thompson '07
Neuropsychology research analyst
Megan Thompson worked as a researcher at Santa Clara's sleep lab when she was an undergraduate; today, she's a neuropsychology research analyst at SRI. Read the full profile »
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Making work relevant through field research

Shannon Gleeson '02
Assistant professor of Latin American and Latino Studies at UC Santa Cruz
Hands-on research in sociology led Shannon Gleeson ’02 to an academic career. Read the full profile »
Flint

Monkeys, philosophy, and art

Kellie Flint '08
B.A. philosophy and studio art
Kellie Flint ’08, a double major in philosophy and studio art, didn’t expect to also gain field research experience during her undergraduate education. Read the full profile »
Roujin

Conversation starter

Roujin Mozaffirimehr '08
B.S. political science, B.A. Italian studies
Roujin Mozaffirimehr ’08 helped spark debate on a range of topics on campus; she's currently studying political sociology at the London School of Economics. Read the full profile »
Johnson

Enjoying the college journey

Dale Johnson '08
B.A. history, B.S. economics
Dale Johnson '08 understands that you have to find your own path on the college journey. Read the full profile »
Dezember

Fulbright grant takes alum across the globe

Michelle Dezember '06
B.A. art history, B.S. sociology
Art history major Michelle Dezember ’06 won a Fulbright grant to study museums in Barcelona. Read the full profile »
Where business meets social justice

Where business meets social justice

Kyle Ozawa and Sam Baker '08
Sam Baker '08, B.A. finance
Kyle Ozawa '08, B.A. marketing
Kyle Ozawa and Sam Baker didn't want their fellow business students to miss the opportunity to learn from a foreign culture. Read the full profile »
Ruff Riders

Ruff Riders

Stuart Poulter '08
B.A. history
Join Ruff Riders to root for SCU and you’ll feel the energy right away. Stuart Poulter ’08 explains the appeal. Read the full profile »
SI Cover

Following baseball around the world

Melissa Segura '01
B.A. Spanish studies and Communication
Melissa Segura '01 covers Major League Baseball for Sports Illustrated. Read the full profile »
Environmental Studies

Pursuing meaningful work in environmental science

Chris Yuan-Farrell '03
Graduate student at Yale University’s School of Forestry and Environmental Studies
Chris Yuan-Farrell's environmental research at Santa Clara helped prepare him for what he would face in graduate school. Read the full profile »
Tarver

Learning on stage and behind the scenes

Hilary Tarver '08
B.A. theatre and dance
As a performer as well as backstage, Hilary Tarver sampled many aspects of the theatre world at Santa Clara. Read the full profile »
Genochio

Stretching skills by working with professors

Christie Genochio '06
Teach for America high school instructor; graduate student at Johns Hopkins University
Christie Genochio developed valuable skills working on the California Legacy Project. Read the full profile »
Jesse Baldwin-Philippi

Working with professors fosters friendship

Jesse Baldwin-Philippi '07
Ph.D. student in Communication Studies at Northwestern University
Jesse Baldwin-Philippi says it's easy to build friendships between faculty and students at Santa Clara. Read the full profile »
Nidhi Adroja

Discovering many career options

Nidhi Adroja MSIS '07
IT analyst, Cisco Systems
Studying at SCU’s graduate business school added many choices to Nidhi Adroja’s career path. Read the full profile »
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Using information better

David Zimbra '03 MSIS '07
Doctoral student in artificial intelligence at the University of Arizona
We are awash in data. Business school graduate David Zimbra finds ways to put numbers to good use. Read the full profile »
A photo by Patrick Semansky

"Katrina at three" from Santa Clara Magazine

Patrick Semansky '06
Photographer Pat Semansky first went to New Orleans on a Santa Clara immersion trip. Now he lives there and spends his time documenting ongoing attempts to rebuild the Big Easy. Read the full profile »
Matt Zwolinski book cover

The happy mess of politics and philosophy

Matt Zwolinski '97, Ph.D. '03 University of Arizona
Assistant Philosophy Professor, University of San Diego
Matt Zwolinski mixes politics and philosophy in his role as a professor—and likens the blend to sausage. Read the full profile »
Melone
Denise "Didi" Melone '06
Account executive, OgilvyHealthworld, New York
Denise Melone says Santa Clara offers high quality education and a caring environment. Throw in some palm trees, and how can you go wrong? Read the full profile »
Joe Scalmanini
Joe Scalmanini '67
President, Luhdorff & Scalmanini Consulting Engineers, Woodland, Calif.
Joe Scalmanini gives back to Santa Clara because of all the school made possible for him. Read the full profile »
Dowling

Enthusiasm for Santa Clara

Ken Dowling '84
Development Director, San Leandro Boys and Girls Club; vice-mayor, Hayward, Calif.
Kevin Dowling is an SCU basketball fan—and a fan of the University in general. Read the full profile »
Fonts
Agustin Fonts '08
Inspired to make a change
Hands-on learning fosters conscious decision-making Read the full profile »
Students at work on SCU's entry in the 2007 Solar Decathlon
Solar Decathlon
Santa Clara's secret to success: thoughtful design and a fighting spirit
Santa Clara's Secret to Success: Thoughtful Design and a Fighting Spirit Read the full profile »
Aaron Ramirez '08
Aaron Ramirez '08
Senior design paves the way to a promising career
Encouragement and year-long design project lead to an exciting career. Read the full profile »
Yasemin Kimyacioglu '08
Yasemin Kimyacioglu '08
Giving back: an SCU tradition
Choosing a senior design project provides the perfect opportunity to help. Read the full profile »
Professor Samiha Mourad creates community among Ph.D. students.
Samiha Mourad
A less isolating approach to earning a Ph.D.
Creating a sense of community among Ph.D. students. Read the full profile »
Jennifer Kerwin Snyder '04 at work as a mechanical engineer.
Jennifer Kerwin Snyder '04
The transition to million-dollar projects
Project-based learning provides great training for the real world. Read the full profile »
Adrián Cuadra, BSEE '04, MSEMGT '06
Adrián Cuadra, BSEE '04, MSEMGT '06
Adrián Cuadra shares his experience:
A testimonial about the Engineering Management and Leadership master's program. Read the full profile »
Steffany Castro '08 in Nicaragua.
Steffany Castro '08
A meaningful education
Civil engineering seniors put their education to work for others. Read the full profile »
Razeem and Wright celebrate graduation
Mohammed Razeem '08
Graduate student finds hidden benefits in his education
A recent graduate finds his master's education is paying off in unexpected ways. Read the full profile »

SCU Stories

Matray
Tracy Matray '91, Ph.D Colorado State University

Alleviating hay fever

Santa Clara's personal approach to education helped guide Tracy Matray toward his Ph.D.

Read the full profile »