Category Archives: Alumni News

Alumni News

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Jenny Bernard doing research with MHIRT in 2005.

Jenny Bernard doing research with MHIRT in 2005.

Jennifer Bernard, Biology 2006, won the C.L. Davis Student Scholarship Award in Veterinary Pathology, a pathology resident award voted on by the faculty at U.T.  She will finish her veterinary residency in July and take her boards in September.

Courtney Colotta, Pharm.D. UTHSC 2013, Biology 2009, is engaged to Paul Thompson, Accounting 2008, and they will be married October 19, 2013.

Eric Davis, Biology 2008, announced his engagement to Christie Chumney, Business Administration 2007.

Meagan Lamica, Biology 2011, is engaged to Matt Cross, U of M Business management.  Meagan is currently studying nursing at Baptist College of Health Sciences.  Matt is the lead technician for Proscan that runs low voltage cable.

Adam Luka, M.D. LSU 2013, Biology 2009, matched at Medical College of Georgia with internal med year in Roanoke Virginia.

Dr.  Sana Mujahid, Biology 2007, successfully defended her Ph.D. thesis  “Regulation of lung development by miRNAs and Hox genes” at Tuffs University.  She will graduate in May from Tuffs and is currently applying to post-doctoral positions.

Michelle Paul Tubinis, M.D. UAMS 2013, Biology 2009, matched at UAB in anesthesiology.  Also, Michelle and her husband, Zach, announce the birth of their daughter, Riley Kate Tubinis, born 3/30/13 at 3:49 pm with weight 8lbs 10oz and length  19.5 in long.

Alumni News

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Dr.  Robert Appling, Biology 2003, announced his engagement to Jenny Cappleman. Dr. Appling is graduated from Barry University (2008) and is currently a podiatrist at Southhaven Foot Clinic.

Jennifer Heltonsmith

Jennifer Hiltonsmith

Jennifer Hiltonsmith, Natural Science 2011, is in the Graduate Biology program at the University of Southern Maine. She is currently studying the physiological effects of oil dispersant on blue mussels. With the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and the presence of the Portland-Montreal pipeline docking station in Maine, it is important to understand the effects that dispersants, which are used to clean up oil spills, may have on the wildlife environment. Blue mussels were selected as the test subject because they are very abundant in Maine and serve as a bioindicator. In addition to her thesis work she is also responsible for teaching Anatomy and Physiology labs. After completion of her master’s degree she plans on working for an environmental testing agency either with the government or in a private sector.

Brandon Maharrey, Biology 2012, was accepted to the Pediatric Oncology Education program at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital for this summer.

Kristi Prevost, Biology 2010, has been accepted to the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine class of 2017!  Congratulations to Kristi!!!

Hope Shackelford, Biology 2010 and MHIRT, and  Adam Luka, Biology 2009 and MHIRT, were married on February 23, 2013.

Sowell on AEDs, Hankins in Podiatry & the Mason-Garniss Wedding

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Analice Sowell, Chemistry 2002 and M.A.T 2005, shared her knowledge of automated external defibrillators (AEDs) with the Tennessee Association of County Mayors at Cook Convention Center in Memphis on Thursday, October 11. Sowell spoke about her experience implementing AEDs and teaching safety programs, and she offered personal reflections on the importance of installing the devices in schools and public places. The quick use of an AED saved her father’s life in 2006, when he went into cardiac arrest while at work. Analice has spearheaded the installation of nine AEDs on the Memphis University School (MUS) campus where she is a science instructor, and she has trained more than 40 faculty and staff members in AED use and other safety procedures. Click here for more and on this Facebook page, which is a public Facebook page for MUS.

Michael Hankins, Natural Science 2012, has been accepted to the Podiatry School at Barry University in Miami.

Laura Mason and Greg Garniss were married on October 6th in Ocean Springs Ms. Laura was a psychology and Global Studies major at CBU and was a work study in the MHIRT program.

Alumni News

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The image on the right shows Dominique Garcia-Robles, Chemistry 2011, andStephanie Johnson, Biology 2009, at their white coat ceremony at the Southern College of Optometry.

Joe Alfonso, Biology 2012, spent the summer doing ecological research in the Colorado Rockies with Dr. Scott Franklin from the University of Northern Colorado.