May 8, 2007
EDITORS NOTE: ATTENTION EDUCATION, FEATURES, ASSIGNMENT AND COMMUNITY EDITORS: Please check for residents from your coverage area. Contact Nicole Pride at 732-932-7084, ext. 610, or npride@ur.rutgers.edu to schedule interviews or gather additional resources.
RUTGERS CLASS OF 2007
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An international human rights activist, a trained ballet dancer with a 4.0 grade point average in engineering and an up-and-coming playwright may have little in common academically, but they share a sense of pride, along with nearly 11,000 other students, as they are days away from receiving their degrees from Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey.
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Craig Dana
Hometown: Wayne, N.J.
Major: Chemical engineering
From ballet to beakers, student credits dance for success in science
Craig Dana entered his final semester of study with a 4.0 grade point average in chemical engineering and plans to pursue a doctoral degree in the same field at the University of California at Berkeley. Ironically, Dana credits his training in ballet for all of his undergraduate accomplishments, including research on DNA microarray data and cancer and protein engineering, role as president of the departments honor society and completion of a fellowship at Merck & Co.
Ballet taught me discipline and determination, he said. In ballet, theres absolutely no way to cut corners. You can do it or you cant. You have to learn the fundamentals. Its the same in engineering. There are great parallels between the two fields.
Before enrolling in engineering three years ago, Dana was singularly focused on a career in ballet. He got hooked on ballet in high school at his mothers dance studio in Wayne. He later studied at the American Repertory Ballets Princeton Ballet School and appeared in area performances of the Nutcracker. Yet while he relished the discipline and artistry of ballet, he also
craved an academic challenge. After taking some Rutgers courses in mathematics, also a passion of Danas during high school, he began full-time study in the fall of 2004.
Danas aspirations include developing novel drugs that attack debilitating illnesses and conditions, such as Alzheimers disease. And, if he can find time, he wants to take up ballet again this time, only as a hobby.
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Sarah Figueroa
Field of Study: Management and labor relations
North Brunswick, N.J.
Making a difference on both coasts and points in between
When Sarah Figueroa was attending the University of San Francisco (USF), the Los Angeles native couldnt help but notice that the private Jesuit schools undergraduate minority population was extremely small. So Sarah set out to change that. The daughter of parents born in Mexico and the first in her family to graduate from college, Figueroa, a sociology and Latin American studies major, took part in a Latino Recruitment and Retention program. And upon graduation in 1998, she spearheaded a three and a-half year effort that resulted in Latino enrollment rising 30 percent at USF. I traveled throughout Central America and the United States, speaking to parents and church groups, doing lots of community outreach, she says.
But when Figueroa decided to resume her studies and to take on a whole new set of challenges she headed, at her own expense, to New Jersey and Rutgers renowned School of Management and Labor Relations, whose reputation and programs are appreciated from coast to coast. While pursing a masters degree in Labor and Employment Relations, Figueroa interned with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) as a field examiner, investigating unfair labor practices. She made such an impression on her supervisors that her six-month internship was extended another six months.
As a field examiner, I make recommendations as to the disposition of cases, Figueroa explains, from when the charges are filed through the completion of the investigation unless there is a trial. Then, the case is turned over to an NLRB attorney.
Its challenging and rewarding work, Figueroa notes. Each case is different, so you must be creative in your investigations. Apparently, creativity is one of her strong suits along with juggling. Sarahs accepted a full-time position as a field examiner for NLRB Region II, which includes Manhattan and upstate New York, where shell have to investigate from seven to 13 cases at any one time.
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Matt Ingrassia
Hometown: Howell, N.J.
Field of Study: Psychology
Misdiagnosis inspires research for better health care
Matthew Ingrassias headaches, extreme fatigue, heart palpitations and other ambiguous symptoms were all attributed to stress by his primary health care physician. What the psychology student didn't know was that he was infected with Lyme disease. After persistent urging from a friend, Ingrassia decided to see an infectious disease specialist, who confirmed the diagnosis.
It was the misdiagnosis, or incomplete diagnosis, by his primary doctor that inspired Ingrassia to pursue research on doctor-patient communication and health care planning. Using Lyme disease as the template, Ingrassia recently conducted a study to explore how physicians diagnose their patients when presented with ambiguous symptoms headaches, vision problems and fatigue. Some of the variables for the study were age, gender and the length of a stressful event. The preliminary findings indicated female patients are more likely recommended for a psychiatric referral than males. Males experiencing symptoms were more likely to externalize stress and be referred to counselors for coping.
I had suspected something more complicated than stress was the source of my illness. I needed significant hours of sleep, and that was extremely out of character for me, said Ingrassia. Unfortunately, the most common blood tests for Lyme disease lack sensitivity. If someone suspects they have the disease, he or she should see a specialist. According to Ingrassia, the disease may have been dormant in his body and became active after he experienced the stress of final exams.
Ingrassia is employed by the Institute for Health, Health Care Policy and Aging Research at Rutgers and is continuing his own research while working on other projects.
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Bahareh Hassanzadeh
Hometown: Newark, N.J.
Field of Study: Neuroscience
Vahid Tohidi
Hometown: Newark, N.J.
Field of Study: Biological sciences
Partners in science, partners in love
Love brought Bahareh and Vahid together the love of science, that is. Bahareh met her future husband, Vahid, nine years ago while both were medical school interns in their native Iran. As they worked together to help patients with neurodegenerative diseases or spinal injuries, both discovered they shared a passion for this area of research and for each other.
When Vahid decided to pursue a doctorate overseas, Bahareh who also planned to pursue a Ph.D. decided she didnt want to be apart. She had realized that, We complete each other, as people and as scientists, a discovery that eventually resulted in their marriage and move to the United States to jointly pursue their doctorates at Rutgers-Newark, his in biological sciences, hers in neuroscience.
Leaving behind extensive families and coming to a totally different culture was trying, both admit. As they focused on their academic and career goals, they developed friendships and forged local support networks. Bahareh loves working with the strong, independent female scientists she has met here, as she did in Iran. In fact, that is something she loves about science, a field populated by such women.
Continuing their studies at Rutgers-Newark provided husband and wife with the opportunity to enhance their research skills in neuroscience and prepare them for future challenges, they both believe. Upon graduation, they hope to work together at a research center that specializes in neurodegenerative diseases. We would be doing what we love, and helping people and society as well, they say.
Vahid also has flourished professionally, enjoying his pursuit of science for sciences sake, as well as conducting research that will benefit individuals and society. Although he is more reserved than his wife, he also has enjoyed doing some teaching and working with younger students.
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Danielle Josephs
Teaneck, N.J.
Field of Study: Political science and Middle Eastern studies
Student creates a house of peace to address issues of Middle East
During Danielle Josephs freshman year, she wandered into a pro-Palestinian rally on campus. Behind the speaker was a banner that read, Zionism is Racism. She overheard someone in the crowd mutter, Death to Jews.
Josephs was chilled. The Teaneck native whose father is Israeli, and mother, Jewish-American determined then to do something about the virulent hostility that I witnessed on campus between Jews and Muslims.
At first that conviction led her to join Jewish organizations and activities on campus; last year she was president of Rutgers Hillel. Meanwhile, open animosity between Jews and Muslims on campus had quieted significantly. But Josephs felt it was an uneasy truce and that the two groups still did not communicate well or understand each other.
In 2004, Josephs proposed to the university to create a living-learning environment where students could gain knowledge about the Middle East and improve Jewish-Muslim relations at Rutgers and beyond. Josephs saw the fruit of her labor in September 2006 when the Middle East Coexistence House opened its doors to 11 female students five Jewish, three Muslim, one Hindu, one Christian and a student who is agnostic.
As part of their curriculum, the young women gathered weekly in the residence hall for a conflict resolution class, where they engaged in passionate discussions on the history, cultures and current events in the Middle East. The students did not hold back on hot-button topics in politics or religion, including the war in Iraq, the last conflict between Israel and Lebanon, and tensions between the U.S. government and Iran.
Josephs will graduate with degrees in political science and Middle Eastern studies. She hopes to make a career in Middle Eastern policymaking and negotiation at the U.S. State Department.
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Natalie Jesionka
Hometown: Middlesex, N.J.
Field of Study: Journalism
(Note: video is available)
Tragedy sparks a relentless international pursuit of womens rights
Human rights activist, filmmaker, business leader and scholar inadequately describe the dynamic Natalie Jesionka, 21, who is graduating from Rutgers College with a degree in journalism.
Jesionka had undergone a cataclysmic moment in the eighth grade. She experienced the loss of a friend due to domestic violence. Through that tragic, yet defining period in Jesionkas life, she made a lifelong commitment to advocate for human rights. That year, she founded a chapter of Amnesty International (AI) at her middle school.
By the time she enrolled at Rutgers, Jesionka was the Northeast area coordinator for AI. When I arrived at Rutgers, I was thrilled to learn that there was a Human Rights House on campus, she said. Rutgers provided a supportive environment for me to continue my work in advocating for human rights. Jesionka has been a peer leader at the special interest residence for the past two years.
At a time when young adults typically look forward to fine-tuning their skills and fantasize about
the social thumbprint theyll leave on society, Jesionka already has accomplished as much as many have by mid- or late career. In 2005, she co-founded Prizm Project, a global nonprofit advocacy group for young women. As its executive director, Jesionka hopes to make human rights education accessible internationally and to help young women realize their potential as agents of change.
To date, the Prizm Project has conducted retreats for young women nationwide and recently held its first international event in Teso, Kenya. In August, the organization will open a womens center in that country. Also this summer, Prizm will hold events in Bulgaria and South Africa.
Through the United Nations, Jesionka produced a Korean documentary in 2005 on illegal immigration. She says the documentary received wide acclaim in Korea, and noted, I was a guest on the Korean equivalent of Oprah for my film. She also has produced documentaries on human trafficking and gender discrimination. She serves on the advisory board for Idealist.com and POV American Documentary, one of the longest-running showcases for independent nonfiction films
The day after graduation, Jesionka will leave for Thailand, and then travel to Cambodia as part of a Henry Luce Fellowship to begin work on the next Prizm chapter.
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Raja Murthy
Hometown: South River, N.J.
Major: Planning and public policy
First enrollee graduates from Rutgers undergraduate planning and public policy program
Raja Murthy completed two years of undergraduate study and was enrolled in the Rutgers Business School when he abruptly decided to make a change. After completing a summer internship at Macys in New York, he came back to New Brunswick and pursued a new offering at the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy.
I was curious about why people live the way they live, said Murthy, who was the first student to enroll in the Bloustein Schools undergraduate planning and public policy major. Murthy saw the program a revision of the schools former urban studies curriculum as a major that provided a big picture perspective on property ownership and regulation, with a sense of social responsibility and consciousness. The concept of ownership is fluid, especially in this age of eminent domain challenges, he said. When you understand the laws of community, you can change the landscape around you.
Murthy is earning his Bachelor of Arts degree this spring and will continue his studies next year under the Bloustein Schools five-year dual degree bachelors and masters program in city and regional planning. He is also completing a minor in Latino and Hispanic Caribbean studies, an area of interest that developed when he studied abroad in Costa Rica.
Murthy has served as the founding president of the Edward J. Bloustein Public Service Association, vice president of the Rutgers College Class of 2007 and community service chair of the Alpha Kappa Psi fraternity. He is also a member of the Cap and Skull senior honor society of Rutgers College.
Murthy said his grandparents, who moved here from India in the 1970s to pursue economic opportunity, instilled in him the importance of keeping a positive mindset and working hard regardless of obstacles. He also credits his mother, a business major and 1983 graduate of Douglass College, for trusting his judgment and giving him the opportunity to make his own decisions when he decided to change majors. And he said the Rutgers environment provided unlimited opportunities through relationships with people of various perspectives, backgrounds and cultures.
After completing his masters degree next year, Murthy plans to pursue law school and study property law.
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Samuel Brett Williams
Hometown: Hot Springs, Ark.
Field of Study: Playwriting
Students journey from rural South to renowned theater proves destiny for playwriting
Growing up in the Deep South, Samuel Brett Williams was 22 before he ever saw a play performed on stage. Yet, less than two months after he receives his MFA in playwriting from the Mason Gross School of the Arts, his own dramatic work will be performed on one of the most coveted stages for up and coming playwrights the Eugene ONeill Theater Center in Waterford, Conn.
Last month, Williams play, The Woodpecker, was one of eight scripts from among more than 600 to be chosen for development at the centers prestigious 2007 National Playwrights Conference. It is one of five plays he wrote as a student in the masters program in playwriting.
Williams journey from the rural South to one of the nations most significant stages is dotted with serendipitous twists and turns that would themselves make for good theater. Raised by strict Southern Baptist parents in Arkansas, he graduated from Ouachita Baptist University with a degree in English and political science. He taught English to seventh- and eighth-graders, and began dabbling in playwriting. Nonetheless, when he pondered another career, it was law, not theater, that was in his sights.
Three years ago, on a visit to a Northeast law school, Williams stopped at Rutgers, where award-winning playwright Lee Blessing was, and still is, head of the playwriting program. Williams promise as a writer prompted Blessing to accept him into the exclusive program. Being so small, the program is very hands on, Williams said. Absolutely everything Ive learned is from him.
For inspiration, Williams draws on the people and settings he knows best. But unlike another Southern playwright with whom he shares a last name, he depicts the depleted South, not the genteel one of Tennessee Williams. Hes created a neighborhood of characters that float in and out of his plays, set in impoverished Arkadelphia.
During his three years at Rutgers, where hes also taught screenwriting and expository writing, Williams has become a playwright to watch. His works have placed high in several important competitions, have been selected for the Philadelphia New Play Festival and were given staged readings at several professional theaters. Derby Day, a dark comedy about three warring brothers, received a full production this spring at Mason Gross.
But his selection for The ONeill, as its called by theater buffs, tops the list. For me its huge, Williams said. I will work with artistic directors from reputable theaters around the country, and its going to give me an audience I couldnt find anywhere else. Who knows? Some good stuff could happen.
Contact: Steve Manas
732-932-7084, Ext. 612
E-mail: smanas@ur.rutgers.edu
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