Alumni Spotlights
Alumni Spotlights is a series of features that provides advice from alumni of a variety of backgrounds and experiences.
Check out these Alumni profiles.
Megan Vanneman
Meet Megan Vanneman ’03! Dr. Vanneman is an Assistant Professor and Core Investigator for the University of Utah School of Medicine and VA Salt Lake City Health Care System. She studies the impact of policy change on access, quality, and cost in large healthcare systems, with a focus on disparities and mental health. She uses mixed methods in her work, leveraging both quantitative (econometrics, biostatistics, surveys) and qualitative (in-depth interviews, focus groups) techniques. Dr. Vanneman's teaching interests are in research methods and health policy.
Negin Behzadian
Negin Behzadian ’18 is an Iranian American electrical engineer in the medical devices industry, passionate about improving the accessibility and quantitative value of medical imaging procedures such as Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). She currently works at Abbott’s Cardiac Rhythm Management division in LA, where she develops MRI safety requirements, testing methods, and technical standards, to ensure patients implanted with Abbott’s pacemakers, defibrillators, and cardiac monitors are able to access MRI diagnostic procedures safely when they need it.
Erica Douglas
Meet @sisterscientist! In 2014, Erica Douglas became the co-founder and CEO of mSEED group – a company focused on providing strategic growth solutions to aspiring entrepreneurs and established businesses in beauty and personal care. As Sister Scientist, Erica travels the world educating beauty enthusiasts about the science side of beauty, and using this platform to motivate and encourage young women to pursue careers in STEM related fields.
Lee Jackson
Meet Lee Jackson ’12, Co-founder of Black Careers Matter! Lee Jackson and his classmate Keshav Rao co-founded Black Careers Matter to help increase the representation of Black, Latinx, and Indigenous men and women in the financial industry.
Alexandria Noel Butler
Alexandria Noel Butler, affectionately known as Lexi B, is the founder of Sista Circle: Black Women in Tech, an online community that supports Black women in tech companies and tech-related professions. This 7,400+ international community has partnered with organizations such as Phenomenally, Instagram, Youtube, and Slack.
Steven Singleton
Meet Steven Singleton, from the Class of 2010! Steven is a Program Manager for The Tech Interactive. “In 2019, I took 8 years of corporate background in operations and strategy to the non-profit space. Today, I help kids around the world see themselves as courageous innovators for good. Tomorrow, I am managing a perpetually self-funding philanthropic organization based on blockchain technology.”
