Workshop Leader Bios

Jernee Bramble
Jernee Bramble is the Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Professional Development at Miles & Stockbridge, P.C., a leading full-service law firm with approximately 200 lawyers practicing in offices across the mid-Atlantic region including offices in Baltimore, MD, Washington, D.C. and Richmond, VA. Jernee was promoted to her current role in 2022, after serving as the Legal Recruiting Manager for the firm. Prior to joining Miles, Jernee served as an Associate Director in the Law Career Development Office at the University of Baltimore School of Law. Among her many duties, she provided comprehensive one-on-one career counseling and advising to law students and alumni regarding legal careers in private practice, government, and public interest sectors, supported employer relations and development efforts, and served as the student and employer liaison for diversity and inclusion initiatives, programs, and activities. Jernee received an M.A. from the George Washington University, where she majored in Organizational Learning and Leadership, and a B.S. in Biology from the Rochester Institute of Technology. She is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.

Amber Charlebois
After more than 20 years of teaching undergraduate organic and biochemistry, seven of which included a part-time role as Pre-Health Advisor, Dr. Charlebois decided to transition into a full time Pre-Health Advising. Her new role as Director of Pre-Health Professions at RIT allows her to be fully committed to developing programs, mentoring and advising students, establishing a pre-health committee, and creating a collaborative and fruitful Pre-Health Community on campus. She still loves Chemistry, evidenced by the periodic table blanket in her office, but is dedicated to helping RIT students from any major create their absolute best self in preparation for their application to health professional programs.

Maiah Johnson Dunn
Maiah Johnson Dunn tells heart-forward stories about New York wine. After a 13-year career in experiential marketing, Maiah transitioned to the wine writing and educating in 2020. As the Beverage Education Manager at New York Kitchen in Canandaigua, New York, Maiah’s focus is building a space for everyone to learn about New York’s craft agriculture–wine especially. Her classes include Wine for Normals, Exploring Black Wines, and DEI Over Wine. Maiah’s writing can be found in (585) magazine, City Newspaper, Decanter Magazine, and the recently published fifth edition of Jancis Robinson’s Oxford Companion to Wine. Maiah is a Wine Enthusiast Future 40 Tastemaker 2023 honoree and a fellow of the Wine Writers Symposium at Meadowood Napa Valley. She is also the 2022 New York Wine & Grape Foundation Unity Awards Consumer Award recipient for her support of New York wines and 2024 Colors of Success Inclusive Leadership Award Honoree. The Boston native lives (and loves) in Rochester, New York.

Brandy Freitas
Brandy Freitas is a research physicist-turned-data scientist based in Boston, MA. She completed her undergraduate degree in Biochemistry and Physics at RIT, where she was awarded a Goldwater Fellowship for excellence in research. As a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow and James Mills Pierce Fellow in Biophysics at Harvard University, Brandy specialized in single particle cryo-electron microscopy, with a focus on machine learning in automated protein structure determination. Passionate about getting young women into STEM, she spent several years after graduate school working with Science Club for Girls, a non-profit in Boston, building out programs and internship opportunities for teens from underrepresented communities. Brandy is currently the Director of Data Science and Analytics at syGlass, a startup that enables researchers to visualize, quantify, and analyze large scientific datasets in virtual reality.

Teresa Gibson
Teresa Gibson, Ph.D. holds the position of Professor of Practice within the RIT College of Science, School of Mathematics and Statistics. With a rich professional background in consulting (including IBM Consulting), Dr. Gibson transitioned into academia, joining the faculty in Applied Statistics at RIT. Her experience in both industry and education has afforded her a unique perspective on the art of building and sustaining a robust professional network.

Alia Hamdan
Alia Hamdan is a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Rochester Institute of Technology, specializing in the study of affective factors—such as empathy and learning-related emotions—in physics education. She earned her PhD from the University of Arizona, where she researched the experiences of introductory physics students as they participated in group work. As a physics education researcher, she explores the culture of physics and how students' identities evolve through experiences, and how faculty develop an understanding of their students and colleagues both in and outside of the classroom. Her work emphasizes fostering inclusivity and diversity in academic environments through open communication and understanding leading to justice-based approaches.

Pepsi Holmquist
Dr. Pepsi Holmquist is a professor at NTID, teaching lab instrumentation courses to deaf students. She graduated from Rochester Institute of Technology with her B.S. in Biochemistry in 2012, and then she would go on to earn her Ph.D. from the biochemistry program at The Ohio State University in 2020 before returning to her alma mater, Rochester Institute of Technology - National Technical Institute for the Deaf. Pepsi aims to establish her own structural biology research lab at NTID/RIT, studying protein-protein interactions using mass spectrometry and mentoring students in research.

Niaya Jackson
Niaya Jackson a Biochemistry major at RIT and graduated in 2021. She was selected for the CLIMB UP Program at University at Buffalo and then the highly competitive post-baccalaureate program for the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences in Buffalo. Niaya is now a first year medical student at Jacobs. Niaya is a Rochester-native and was a Rochester City Scholar and long-time member of the Michel Research Group at RIT.

Linda Kerrigan
Linda Kerrigan ’02, MBA ’03 is Associate Director, Research & External Partnerships at Bristol Myers Squibb and has over twenty years experience in pharmaceutical drug development covering both Clinical Trial Sourcing and Research. Before her progressive roles at BMS she worked for over a decade at Celgene in portfolio sourcing and relationship management. Linda also spent five years with Wyeth Vaccines Research as a research scientist. Linda majored in biotechnology and completed her MBA, Technology Management through RIT’s 4 + 1 program.

Elena Lopez Peredo
Dr. Elena Lopez Peredo is interested in how plants adapt to new environments. She earned my PhD at the University of Oviedo (Spain) working on the assessment of the genetic stability of hops plants after in vitro culturing. Dr. Peredo was a Fulbright scholar at UCONN working on biogeography, speciation, and genomic adaptations to aquatic environments in submerged green plants. At the Marine Biological Laboratory, she worked on plant-microbe interaction over a range of environments and on the genetic basis of transition to land. In August 2023, Dr. Peredo moved to the College of Science at RIT where she is now an Assistant Professor in the Thomas H. Gosnell School of Life Sciences.

Andi Pina
Andi is a postdoctoral research associate in the school of physics and astronomy at RIT. They received a BS in physics from California State University Fullerton in 2019 and a PhD in physics from the University of Maine in 2024. Andi’s research has primarily in the field of physics education. Their projects have included students’ mathematical sensemaking in physics courses at different levels, curriculum development, and examining the landscape of quantum instruction in higher education. As a first generation, queer, person of color Andi has aims to make physics a more accessible and welcoming field to folks from diverse backgrounds through both their scholarship and teaching.

Namitha Pradeep
Namitha is a first-year Ph.D. student in the School of Physics and Astronomy at RIT. She earned her BS-MS dual degree in Physics from the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) in Pune, India, followed by a master’s degree in Physics from the University of New Mexico, where she briefly worked on quantum computing and simulations. Currently, her graduate research focuses on physics education, specifically on curriculum development for quantum sensing. Her academic interests include quantum education, students' STEM identities, and exploring gender differences in STEM fields.

Stefan Schulze
Originally from Germany, Stefan went to college at the University of Potsdam (B.Sc. in Biochemistry in 2010) and then did his PhD at the University of Muenster (M.Sc. in 2013, Ph.D. in 2017) before coming to the US as a postdoc at the University of Pennsylvania. During these times he worked on phage-bacteria interactions, microalgal proteomics, and archaeal biofilm formation – with glycobiology as the connecting theme between these areas. With the beginning of the Fall semester 2022, Stefan started his lab as an Assistant Professor in the Gosnell School of Life Sciences at RIT, aiming to elucidate the functions of prokaryotic glycoproteins.

Melissa Scrimo
A seasoned change management and process improvement consultant with 30 years in the pharmaceutical industry. Melissa has led global initiatives across large, mid-size, and startup companies. As the founder of Applied Intelligence Consulting, she helps companies improve their operations. She works with clients to design, develop and implement key business processes and employee training programs to ensure that employees are equipped to do their jobs. Melissa's background includes roles as an instructional designer, trainer, and cell biologist. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Biotechnology from RIT, a Master of Arts in Biology from Villanova, and a Professional Certificate in Innovation and Technology from MIT.

Korinne Shaver
As a career services professional in the Office of Career Services and Cooperative Education at RIT, Korinne's goal is to help RIT students and alumni reach their career goals by providing comprehensive career development and job search services, and coordinate recruiting activities for companies interested in hiring RIT students and alumni. Currently, Korinne works with students in the Colleges of Science and Health Sciences & Technology.

Joy Snyder
Dr. Snyder has recently assumed the role of Clinical Research Pharmacist at the Wilmot Cancer Institute, where she brings her expertise in public health and pharmacy to advance oncology research and patient care. Previously, she served as Chief Pharmacist for the Monroe County Department of Public Health, playing a pivotal role in COVID-19 vaccine logistics and coordination during the pandemic. Dr. Snyder completed her Doctor of Pharmacy and Master of Public Health degrees at St. John Fisher University, where she also trained as a Public Health Pharmacy Fellow in collaboration with the Monroe County Department of Public Health. Her dedication to vaccines and public health remains a cornerstone of her career, now focused on clinical research initiatives in cancer treatment. Dr. Snyder studied at the Rochester Institute of Technology where she majored in Biochemistry, minored in Business Administration and Deaf Cultural Studies, and spent many hours in Dr. Lea Michel's lab researching Nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae. Beyond her professional pursuits, Dr. Snyder enjoys beekeeping, gardening, and studying to become knowledgeable in all things wine.

Jenny Sullivan
Jenny began working for RIT in 2010 and is responsible for managing outbound students, faculty-led program development and international fellowship advising. Her research interests include access to study abroad for diverse students, strategic fellowship advising, and study abroad in career development.

Originally from Portland, Oregon, Jenny earned her undergraduate degree in Communications and Business from the University of Evansville in Evansville, Indiana and her Master’s degree in Higher Education Administration from Oregon State University. As an undergrad, Jenny studied abroad to England which inspired a life-long mission to get students out of their comfort zone and engage in the world. Since then, she has lived and worked in Ireland and Ecuador and traveled extensively in Europe and South America. Jenny lives in Rochester with her husband and two young sons who already have their passports.

Zachary Ward
Zachary is a fifth-year Ph.D. candidate in the Biomedical Genetics program at the University of Rochester, working under the mentorship of Dr. Douglas Portman. His doctoral research focuses on unraveling the genetic mechanisms that shape neural circuits and drive neurodevelopment. Using C. elegans—a microscopic nematode as his model organism—Zachary investigates how genetic sex influences the nervous system, shedding light on fundamental principles of neurogenetics. In 2020, Zachary earned his Bachelor of Science in Biotechnology and Biomedical Science from the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT). As an undergraduate, he conducted research in Dr. Lea Michel's lab, exploring protein biochemistry, while balancing his commitments as a member of the RIT swim team and serving as a Student Ambassador.

Zach Williams
Zach currently serves as the President of the Surgery Club and Vascular Surgery Interest Group at Upstate Medical University, where he is a second year medical student. He also conducts research with the departments of Trauma Surgery and Vascular Surgery at Upstate and had the opportunity to conduct translational basic science research through Harvard Medical School this past summer. While at RIT, Zach was an undergraduate researcher and group leader under Dr. Lea Michel for 3 years, and he served as the both the HSTSA President and Honors Program Vice-President. Outside of academia, Zach enjoys hiking, skiing, rock climbing, and playing trivia and the electric guitar.

Michael Wilson
Michael Wilson is a Systems Engineer working at L3Harris in Rochester. He has 25+ years of engineering experience in both commercial and aerospace industries working on space-based programs. Michael obtained his electrical engineering undergraduate degree from Clarkson University and graduated from RIT with an MBA in 1997. He serves on the Board at Pearce Church as Treasurer. Michael is a certified Dave Ramsey Financial Master Coach and provides financial coaching for people of all ages in critical areas like debt reduction, emergency savings, budgeting, investments, college savings, and estate planning.