Previous SIP Alumni 2000 SIP Alumni
Ryan Anthony
Brown University, Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ryan is the first of four members of the PTEI Intern Class of 1999 returning for a second summer. He will be working with Joseph Pilewski, MD, at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, on lung cancer research. Ryan will be a junior at Brown, and plans to go to medical school after graduation. His hobbies include tennis, skiing, and classical piano, and he believes that Pittsburgh’s best-kept secret is its diverse number of cultural and recreational opportunities.Neil Badlani
The George Washington University, Economics/Pre-Medicine
Neil is the second 1999 intern returning this summer. He graduated from George Washington University in May, and plans to go to medical school in the fall. Neil will spend his summer working with Johnny Huard, PhD, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Sports, weightlifting, going out, and stand-up comedy are among Neil’s interests. He considers Pittsburgh’s restaurants to be its best-kept secret.Roger Bartolotta
Harvard University, Biochemistry
Roger will be a junior at Harvard, and plans to go to medical school. His internship is with Robert H. Getzenberg, PhD, at the University of Pittsburgh, Prostrate/Urological Cancer enter. He enjoys music, movies and sports. Roger believes Pittsburgh’s best kept secret is Eat ‘n Park – he hasn’t seen anything like Eat ‘n Park anywhere but in Pittsburgh.Chirag Chauhan
Northwestern University, Biomedical Engineering/ Pre-Medicine
Chirag will be a sophomore at Northwestern University, majoring in biomedical engineering/pre-med. His is interning with Yingtian Pan, PhD, at the Department of Medicine and Bioengineering at the University of Pittsburgh and the Science and Technology Center at Carnegie Mellon University, where his research will focus on bone and cartilage tissue engineering. Chirag’s interests include drums, skiing, baseball, soccer, basketball, football, computers, cars, golf and other sports. He considers Primanti Brothers in the Strip District and hanging out with friends in Market Square downtown to be two of Pittsburgh’s best-kept secrets.Sara Cole
Oberlin College, Biology
Sara will spend her summer working in the laboratory of Joseph Ahearn, MD, at the University of Pittsburgh Arthritis Institute. She is a biology major, and will be a junior at Oberlin College. Sara enjoys photography, rugby and guitar, and the Mattress Factory is what she said is Pittsburgh’s best-kept secret.Gretchen Dickson
Saint Vincent College, Biology
Gretchen completed her junior year at Saint Vincent College, and is majoring in biology, with plans to attend medical school. She will intern with Robert T. Rubin, MD, PhD, at the Neuroscience Research Center, Allegheny General Hospital. Gretchen’s hobbies include reading, model building and sewing. The wealth of job and internship opportunities, and the Carnegie library system are what she lists as Pittsburgh’s best-kept secrets.Shalin Jhaveri
Case Western Reserve University, Biology/Economics
Shalin has completed his senior year at Case Western, and will attend medical school in the fall. He was a 1998 PTEI Summer Intern, and will return this year to work with Daniel Farkas, PhD, at the University of Pittsburgh Bioimaging Laboratories. Shalin’s hobbies include participating in and watching a wide variety of sports. He believes Pittsburgh’s best kept secret to be its many educational opportunities.Beth Ann Kaminski
Case Western Reserve University, Biomedical Engineering
Beth Ann is the third intern from PTEI’s Class of 1999 to return for a second summer. She will be a junior at Case Western next year, majoring in Biomedical Engineering. This summer, Beth Ann will be working with Michael Sacks, PhD, in the Department of Bioengineering at the University of Pittsburgh, developing biomaterials for a tissueengineered heart valve. Her many interests include running, aerobics, cooking, swimming, volunteering and lacrosse. In Beth’s opinion, Pittsburgh’s best-kept secrets are the strip district shops and restaurants.Jeffery Griffin Kuremsky
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Biology/Pre-Medicine
Griff will be a junior this fall at the University of North Carolina. This summer, he will intern in the lab of David W. Wright, PhD, at Duquesne University, working to discover new coating materials for orthopedic implants to improve the bone healing process. Griff’s interests include reading, writing, sports, history, and philosophy. He feels that Pittsburgh’s best-kept secrets are Mt. Washington, Primanti Bothers, Point State Park, the Pittsburgh Zoo, and the Carnegie Museum.Thomas M. Meese
Duke University, Biomedical Engineering
A biomedical engineering major, Tom will begin his senior year at Duke University this fall. He will spend his summer working in the laboratory of Kacey Marra, PhD, Carnegie Mellon University, developing and assessing biomaterials for tissue-engineering applications. Basketball, tennis, guitar, and the Rubik’s Cube are among Tom’s interests. He believes Pittsburgh’s best-kept secret to be its industry based around banking and technology instead of steel.Michael W. Miller
University of Pittsburgh, Molecular Biology
Michael is an intern with Paula Clemens, University of Pittsburgh, Department of Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry, and will work on researching gene delivery to skeletal muscle. He will be a senior at the University of Pittsburgh, and is majoring in Molecular Biology. Michael enjoys reading, swimming, scuba diving, and roller hockey. The fact that Pittsburgh is not a steel-based town anymore is what he believes to be Pittsburgh’s best-kept secret.Cara Rabik
Wellesley College, Biological Chemistry
A junior at Wellesley College, Cara plans to attend medical school after graduation. She will intern this summer with Garth D. Ehrlich, PhD, Allegheny General Hospital, Department of Genetics, working on skin tissue engineering. Cara enjoys playing the oboe and piano, figure skating, roller blading, traveling, and reading. Cara considers the variety of wonderful and unique restaurants, and the airport, to be Pittsburgh’s best-kept secrets.Sarah E. Salvaterra
Allegheny College, Chemistry/Biochemistry
After the completion of her senior year at Allegheny College next year, Sarah plans to attend graduate school. Her research mentor this summer will be Phil Campbell, PhD, Carnegie Mellon University, Institute for Complex Engineered Systems; Sarah will be working on tendon and bone tissue engineering. Her interests include sports – especially basketball, running, dancing, and watching movies.Cynthia M. Schmid
Duquesne University, Pharmacy
Cynthia is the fourth 1999 intern returning to the program. This fall, she will begin her third year of pharmacy school at Duquesne University. Cynthia will intern with Massimo Trucco, MD, at the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh and University of Pittsburgh JDF Diabetes Research Center. Her interests include reading, fishing, going to see plays and musicals, movies, and surfing the web. Cynthia believes Pittsburgh’s best-kept secret to be how to get to downtown Pittsburgh from the South Hills in under an hour during rush hour.Spring M. Seeman
Washington and Jefferson College, Biochemistry
A senior at Washington and Jefferson, Spring will be working this summer with Sudha Agarwal, PhD, in the University of Pittsburgh’s Department of Oral Biology. She will be designing and synthesizing polymers for use as scaffolds in tissue-engineered bone grafts. Spring enjoys volunteering at the Washington Humane Society and Jefferson Hospital, exercising, fishing, and reading. For Spring, the fireworks at Point State Park are Pittsburgh’s best-kept secrets.Julia Sero
Pennsylvania State University, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
University of Glasgow - Scotland, Molecular and Cell Biology
Julia has recently completed her second year of exchange at the University of Glasgow, Scotland. She will return to Penn State next year to finish her course requirements and graduate in May, 2001. Her summer internship is with Jeffery W. Clemens, PhD, Duquesne University, in the Department of Biological Sciences, where she will analyze the effects of tissue culture matrices on the function of an ovarian cell line. Julia lists science, writing, travel and performing as her interests. She believes Pittsburgh’s best-kept secrets are the beautiful neighborhoods and old-world feel, with all of the modern conveniences, too.Lorri Wilson
Columbia University, Chemical Engineering/Pre-Medicine
A senior at Columbia University, Lorri plans to attend medical school after graduation. She will be interning with David A. Vorp, PhD, University of Pittsburgh, Department of Surgery, Bioengineering and Mechanical Engineering. Her interests include playing the cello with the Columbia Orchestra and actively participating in the Society of Women Engineers.Robert H. Yenchak
Northwestern University, Biology/Biochemistry
Bob will be spending his summer in the lab of Saleem Khan, PhD, University of Pittsburgh, School of Medicine. He will be a senior at Northwestern, and plans to go to medical school after graduation. Bob enjoys playing the guitar, astronomy, and tennis. He considers the friendly people in Pittsburgh to be the city’s best-kept secret.