White House Appoints 2022-2023 Class of White House Fellows

The President’s Commission on White Residence Fellows is delighted to announce the appointment of the 2022-2023 course of White Household Fellows. Established in 1964, the White House Fellows software features remarkable youthful leaders initial-hand expertise operating at the highest degrees of the Federal govt. Fellows shell out a year functioning with senior White Home Staff members, Cupboard Secretaries, and other leading-rating Administration officers, and depart the Administration geared up to provide as superior leaders in their communities. Fellowships are awarded on a non-partisan foundation.

This year’s Fellows innovative through a remarkably competitive assortment method, and they are a remarkably gifted, passionate, and accomplished team. These Fellows deliver practical experience from across the state and from a broad cross-section of professions, including from the private sector, neighborhood authorities, academia, the non-profit sector, drugs, legislation, and the armed forces.

Applications for the 2023-2024 Fellowship yr will be accepted beginning November 1, 2022. The application connection and further info is offered at: https://www.whitehouse.gov/get-involved/fellows/use/.

2022-2023 Class of White Dwelling Fellows:

Samuel Ayres is from Denver, Colorado, and is put at the White Household Domestic Policy Council. Sam acquired a J.D. from Yale Law University, where he released scholarship on environmental law and was a member of the regulation journal. Prior to legislation school, Sam served as a noncommissioned officer in the U.S. Army’s 75th Ranger Regiment. He deployed numerous instances to Afghanistan, exactly where he led a fireplace team and rifle squad of Rangers. Prior to enlisting in the Army, Sam was a overseas policy researcher and writer. Sam acquired a B.A. in English and Political Science from Yale School, where he was a Truman Scholar. Subsequent the Fellowship, he will clerk on the U.S. Court docket of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit and the U.S. District Court docket for the District of Columbia.

Jacqueline Burgette is from Issaquah, Washington, and is placed at the Office of the Nationwide Cyber Director. Jacqueline is a pediatric dentist, educator, and local community-engaged researcher doing work at the forefront of advancing dental health and fitness equity for all People in america. Jacqueline attained her DMD from the Harvard School of Dental Medicine as a Presidential Scholar and Ph.D. in Health Policy and Administration from the University of North Carolina. She served on the college at the College of Pittsburgh where she mentored trainees in investigate and scientific observe. Jacqueline led multi-web site scientific studies that amplified the voices of vulnerable people to improve baby dental health in Appalachia. She developed a dental schooling “video box” for communities with higher prices of tooth decay and started a dental clinic that serves children dwelling with HIV/AIDS in Haiti. Jacqueline spearheaded tutorial-neighborhood partnerships, founded novel interprofessional health curricula, and released outstanding analysis in dental general public health and well being policy.

Makini Chisolm-Straker is from New York Town, New York, and is placed at the Social Security Administration. Makini is an crisis medicine medical doctor and a community overall health specialist concentrated on centering invisible populations and reframing social guidelines as determinants of wellbeing. She led multiple research groups, such as those that generated the initially validated, detailed trafficking screening equipment for undomiciled youthful adults and crisis division sufferers she co-launched the advocacy business Mend Trafficking and she helped broaden the anti-trafficking paradigm to 1 that employs community health and fitness concepts. She has served in Africa, the Caribbean, Central The united states, and the Middle East in small-source, catastrophe, and conflict configurations. Makini co-edited two general public health textbooks and has prepared multiple chapters and academic content on labor and sex trafficking, genderqueer emergency treatment, and unaccompanied/separated minors. Makini acquired an A.B. in Spiritual Reports and an M.D. from Brown University, and an M.P.H. from Columbia University.

Vanessa Cobarrubias is from Harlingen, Texas, and is placed at theDepartment of Wellbeing and Human Solutions and the Office of the First Girl concentrating on the Most cancers Moonshot Initiative. Right after obtaining a Bachelor of Communication Arts from St. Mary’s College and prior to transitioning into healthcare, Vanessa was an accomplished educator and speech language pathology assistant. Given that obtaining a Grasp of Medical doctor Assistant Scientific studies at the College of Texas – Rio Grande Valley, she has labored tirelessly to provide the Rio Grande neighborhood (an space in which COVID-connected deaths were two times that of the rest of the point out of Texas) in the course of the pandemic. In addition to overseeing antibody infusions for above 10,000 individuals, she established and worked diligently on a doorway-to-door vaccine recognition system serving the region’s indigent population. A neighborhood-recognized “Texas Healthcare Hero,” this daughter of educators and granddaughter of immigrant farmworkers is driven to empower those who are not able to talk for them selves.

Kevin Flores is from Springdale, Arkansas, and is put at the Small Company Administration. Kevin is an attorney and former city councilman. Born in El Salvador, he and his family came to the U.S. on fleeing the Salvadoran civil war. At seventeen, Kevin enlisted in the U.S. Maritime Corps, exactly where he deployed to Iraq in 2007 and was then assigned to the Point out Department as an embassy protection guard. Kevin later worked at the Brookings Establishment in Washington, D.C., in advance of returning to Arkansas. In 2020, he turned the initially Hispanic and initial immigrant elected to the Springdale Metropolis Council. Kevin has served on numerous non-profit boards and is an active Rotarian. He has established many mentoring applications and bilingual expert applications in Springdale Public Colleges, the major school district in Arkansas. Kevin attained a B.A. in Worldwide Political Economics from Fordham University and a J.D. from the University of Arkansas, Faculty of Regulation.

Maria Gilbert is from New York Town, New York, and is placed at the Division of Homeland Stability. Maria is a Lieutenant for the New York City Police Section (NYPD). As a Lieutenant, she is liable for evaluating plans and insurance policies that govern in excess of 50,000 workers customers and for all organizational changes. She also volunteers as a peer aid member for the NYPD, supplying essential mental overall health means to workforce in need to have. Outside of the NYPD, Maria is the founder of Beads of Hope Inc., a non-financial gain group focused on most cancers recognition, avoidance, and finding a cure even though emphasizing the psychological properly-currently being of these impacted by cancer. She has a Bachelor of Laptop Engineering Degree and a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from the Harvard Kennedy School, and she uses this skillset to merge technological know-how with policy.

Adan Gonzalez, is from Dallas, Texas, and is positioned at the Department of Education. As the son of immigrants, Adan values the electricity of schooling. He graduated from Georgetown University, majoring in Govt with a slight in Education and learning, Inquiry and Justice. He earned a Masters in Education Leadership at Columbia University and a Masters in Training Policy and Management from Harvard College. Adan has engaged with students and moms and dads globally to advocate for the importance of better education and learning, parental assist, and local community involvement. He has served his community community as a teacher and Director of College & Household Partnerships. He is the Founder of Puede Community, a family empowerment group that delivers underserved minority students—many from Dallas’ Oak Cliff community in which Adan grew up and proceeds to live—with transformative programming encompassing lecturers, wellbeing and nourishment, community stewardship, recreational athletics, and socio-psychological assist. Adan enjoys getting a youth soccer and boxing mentor in his spare time, and he aspires to make his family members happy.

Harrison Hines is from Carmel, Indiana, and is put at the White Home Domestic Plan Council. Harrison is a neurologist who leverages his history in theology and policy to handle healthcare disparities burdening vulnerable populations. As a legislative aide to California Condition Assemblymember Shirley Weber, he championed initiatives growing insurance policies protection for developmentally disabled Californians and increasing representation for incarcerated folks. For the duration of residency schooling at College of California, San Francisco, Harrison served on the boards of trustees for community and condition medical societies exactly where he advocated for equitable COVID-19 vaccine distribution and truthful health care trainee work methods. Harrison founded a volunteer networking organization, directed group outreach at a free of charge clinic, and participated in global study on faith-dependent health care supply. He attained his M.D. from Stanford College, Learn of Theological Reports from Duke Divinity College as a Theology, Medicine, and Society Fellow, and B.A. from Duke College as a Robertson Scholar.

William Jones is from Annapolis, Maryland, and is positioned at the Countrywide Protection Council. Will is a Lieutenant Commander in the United States Navy and has served as a SEAL Officer for 12 many years. All through his career in Naval Particular Warfare, he has deployed multiple instances centered on combating terrorism in East and North Africa, and South The united states. Will’s most current tour was as the Functions Officer for the Intelligence and Focusing on business inside of the SEAL Groups, handling the operational and logistic specifications for a 400-man or woman command conducting sensitive operations. Will is a volunteer for the Naval Specific Warfare variety outreach software, targeted on increasing range in maritime Special Operations by means of education and engagement throughout the civilian sector. Will is a graduate of Penn State College, where by he received a Bachelor of Science in Institutional Management and was captain of his NCAA Division-1 lacrosse method. He earned his Master of Arts in International Organization and Coverage from Georgetown University.

Jeffrey Nadel is from Centennial, Colorado, and is positioned at the Section of Veterans Affairs. Jeff is a resident neurosurgeon at the College of Utah, committed to making sure equitable entry to medical procedures for all. In his do the job combatting health and fitness disparities across the globe, Jeff collaborated with the Costa Rican governing administration to make a national literacy plan for the elderly. He also labored to cultivate a world-wide surgery investigate partnership in Uganda. Domestically, he co-directed a free of charge clinic for the homeless and helped direct an exertion to fund group health and fitness employees in Detroit. Jeff served as a researcher at The Brookings Establishment and the Countrywide Institutes of Wellbeing. He has released additional than a few dozen peer-reviewed papers, reserve chapters, and push articles or blog posts. Jeff earned an M.D. and M.S. (Clinical Study) from the College of Michigan as a Dean’s Scholar, and a B.A. from Colorado School as a Boettcher Scholar.

Elizabeth Ragan is from Beavercreek, Oregon, and is positioned at the Place of work of Science and Know-how Coverage. Lizzy is a community overall health specialist with expertise in infectious ailments and has managed a variety of world-wide and domestic research portfolios. In reaction to COVID-19, Lizzy labored with Boston Professional medical Center leadership to launch and sustain a novel biorepository to support significant pandemic response investigate. She also managed a Massachusetts-wide method addressing inequitable entry to COVID-19 vaccines and care. Most not long ago, Lizzy served in a senior management position in research operations. Lizzy is a incapacity and DEI advocate, and is a former member of Oregon Wellness Authority’s Health Equity Committee. Lizzy acquired her B.S. from Oregon Point out University exactly where she graduated summa cum laude and acquired the two the Waldo-Cummings and Kalervo Oberg Remarkable Senior Awards. She earned her M.P.H. in World wide Health and Epidemiology from the Boston University University of Community Health and fitness.

Graham Van Hook is from Alexandria, Virginia, and is placed at the Place of work of Cabinet Affairs. Graham is a fourth technology Naval Officer, these days serving as a liaison to the Congressional Appropriations Committees. He has deployed 5 moments all around the environment, most not too long ago as Commanding Officer of USS Twister. Whilst in command, his crew seized about 50 million bucks in narcotics, and earned the coveted Battle “E” award as the range one ship in her class. His leadership and coverage articles have been featured in numerous skilled publications. He served on the Board of the Surface area Navy Affiliation and is a Expression Member on the Council on International Relations. Graham dedicates his totally free time to United By Examining, Company2University, and the Oyster Recovery Partnership. Graham holds a B.S. from the U.S. Naval Academy, a M.S. from the University of Arkansas and a M.B.A. from Northwestern University’s Kellogg University of Management.

Lav Varshney is from Champaign, Illinois, and is placed at the Nationwide Security Council, Deputy Advisor for Cyber and Rising Technological know-how. He is a professor of engineering, personal computer science, and neuroscience at the College of Illinois, where he conducts scholarly investigate, technological innovation, educating, and broad community engagement. He will work with Brookhaven National Laboratory on computing for nationwide security. He has published greatly in core regions of facts idea and artificial intelligence (AI), as properly as purposes in weather, sustainability, food, community overall health, drugs, creativity, telecommunications, semiconductors, and infrastructure. As an entrepreneur, he has been chief scientist of startup providers: a single applying AI to enhance wastewater cure, one more working with AI in social new music co-creative imagination platforms, and a third creating food items systems additional resilient and flavorful. He retains a B.S. degree in electrical and laptop engineering from Cornell and a Ph.D. in electrical engineering and pc science from MIT.

Vanessa Velasquez is from Vero Beach front, Florida, and is placed at the U.S. Navy. Vanessa has in depth undertaking administration encounter, most lately at Apple as a Worldwide Source Manager exactly where she served deal with sourcing parts for the Apple iphone. In this part, she engaged with international suppliers for cash tools. Beforehand at Amazon, Vanessa first started in a achievement heart jogging operations, at some point doing work her way up to company headquarters exactly where she focused on Amazon’s engagement with Hispanic enterprises. In her portfolios, she created more than $20 million in revenue and led jobs well worth more than $100 million. As a happy Latina elevated by a solitary mom, Vanessa dedicates her time in and out of perform to underserved communities. She mentors Hispanic Scholarship Fund scholars to cultivate upcoming Hispanic leaders. She beforehand served as the inaugural Director of Fulfillment Middle and Group Engagement at Glamazon (Amazon’s LGBTQ+ ERG). Vanessa attained her B.B.A. and B.A. from Mississippi Point out University.

Joshua Woehr is from Clearwater, Florida, and is put at the Business office of the First Woman Becoming a member of Forces Initiative.  Josh is a Sergeant Big in the U.S. Army and has served over 20 a long time in Distinctive Operations as a Inexperienced Beret and Ranger, obtaining deployed more than 15 occasions. He recently returned from Iraq, the place he led the integration of subsequent-generation technological innovation on to the battlefield. A father of six children, Josh is passionate about serving navy families. In 2014, he and his spouse established the Rick Herrema Basis, setting up “Rick’s Place” at Fort Bragg, NC. Rick’s Put is a 50-acre campus that offers a place of neighborhood and activity to countless numbers of military relatives customers every single calendar year. Josh is a to start with-generation college graduate, keeping a B.A. in Arabic Scientific studies from California University of Pennsylvania and an M.A. in Social-Organizational Psychology from Lecturers Higher education, Columbia College.

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