Distinguished Alumni Award

2025 Award Recipients

Katrina Armstrong, Med ’91, HS ’94
Katrina Armstrong, MD, leads Columbia University’s medical campus, serving since 2022 as the Chief Executive Officer of Columbia University Irving Medical Center (CUIMC), which includes the Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons (VP&S), the School of Nursing, the College of Dental Medicine, and the Mailman School of Public Health. She is Executive Vice President for Health and Biomedical Sciences for Columbia University, Dean of the Faculties of Health Sciences and the Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, and the Harold and Margaret Hatch Professor in the Faculty of Medicine. She previously served as Interim President of Columbia University in the City of New York. A Yale graduate, she spent a year at NIH studying diabetes and eye disease before earning her medical degree at Johns Hopkins University. After residency, Dr. Armstrong joined the University of Pennsylvania, where she earned a master’s in clinical epidemiology and launched a research program on medical decision-making, cancer prevention, and healthcare disparities. For over 17 years, she taught courses on clinical decision-making, led the creation of a master’s in health policy research, and held roles including as chief of general internal medicine, director of research at the Leonard Davis Institute, and associate director of the Abramson Cancer Center. In 2013, Dr. Armstrong was recruited to Harvard to chair the Department of Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital, becoming its first woman physician-in-chief. She oversaw 2,000 faculty, residents, and fellows across 10 clinical divisions and 11 research units, led education programs, and founded the Center for Educational Innovation and Scholarship.

Cybele Bjorklund, BSPH ’95
Cybele Bjorklund, MHA ’95, is a veteran of Capital Hill and the healthcare industry and has been navigating complex and politically challenging health issues for over two decades. She has been instrumental in creating federal healthcare policy and ensuring the research of Johns Hopkins University experts is considered in policy decisions on the national stage.  Ms. Bjorklund spent 20 years in senior professional policy roles for the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. During this time, Cybele helped shape and write numerous laws affecting private health insurance and key federal health programs, working with numerous stakeholders and across the political divide to accomplish her work. She contributed significantly to Medicare changes, writing the Affordable Care Act, and many other programs that have provided United States residents with increased access to more affordable, preventive and potentially lifesaving healthcare. As Vice President of Federal Strategy for Johns Hopkins University & Medicine from 2019-2021, Ms. Bjorklund was instrumental in developing the comprehensive strategy to maximize opportunities with the newly acquired landmark property at 555 Pennsylvania Avenue, now the Hopkins Bloomberg Center. She developed and deployed proactive and reactive federal advocacy and engagement agenda across the Johns Hopkins enterprise, ensuring the groundbreaking work accomplished at Johns Hopkins had an impact in shaping policies being made in Washington, DC. From 2021-2023, Ms. Bjorklund led Vitra Health as Senior Vice President, Policy and Government Strategy and served on the executive team while building out an inaugural policy and multi-stakeholder engagement strategy. In this work, she focused on raising awareness of type 2 diabetes and prediabetes reversal and increasing access to Vitra’s transformative approach in public programs, including among Veterans and other key populations.  In her current role as Executive Director of the Hopkins Bloomberg Center and Vice President of Federal Strategy, Ms. Bjorklund utilizes her experience and brings Hopkins’ expertise and research to the forefront of policymaking. She oversees the development and implementation of programming that draws upon and complements the work of the university’s divisions through high-profile partnerships, programming, and engagement opportunities that augment the presence of JHU’s divisions and programs in the nation’s capital.  Ms. Bjorklund’s professional career has been spent working across divides to positively impact federal healthcare policy and strengthen the foundations of healthcare infrastructure. Her leadership on the Affordable Care Act, Medicare changes, and with the Johns Hopkins enterprise has positively and permanently shifted the ways research and policy impact the lives of individuals and communities across nation. She is also an Aspen Health Innovators Fellow and a scholar with the O’Neill Institute at Georgetown Law. 

Alyssa Eve Bowlby, Peab ’04
Alyssa Bowlby is a nationally recognized leader in educational equity whose decade-long stewardship of the Yleana Leadership Foundation (YLF) has left an indelible mark on college access for historically underserved students. A former professional opera singer and Peabody Conservatory graduate, Bowlby brought artistic discipline, entrepreneurial vision, and deep social empathy to the education space, co-founding YLF in 2013 with the mission of empowering low-income youth through transformative college readiness programming. Under Bowlby’s leadership, YLF became a national model for data-driven, culturally responsive, and emotionally supportive SAT preparation. At the core of its offerings was the Socratic Summer Academy, an intensive residential program that combined rigorous SAT prep with mentorship, identity exploration, and strength-based community-building. Over the course of YLF’s 12-year lifespan, the foundation served more than 1,000 students, many of whom saw average SAT score gains of 710 points— a rare outcome in the test-prep field that directly translated into scholarship opportunities and expanded college access. Bowlby’s impact extended far beyond score improvements. She worked tirelessly to remove barriers to participation, providing scholarships, transportation, and year-round support services to students from New York, Baltimore, and Boston. Her innovative programming incorporated academic coaching, mental wellness practices, and leadership development to ensure students were equipped not only for college admission, but for success and self-advocacy once enrolled. Alyssa also cultivated meaningful institutional partnerships to amplify YLF’s mission. In 2024, she partnered with the Johns Hopkins School of Education to host a free SAT Bootcamp on the Homewood Campus for Baltimore-area high school students, bringing YLF’s evidence-based strategies to a new population of aspiring college students. Bowlby was also exploring the integration of AI-enhanced test preparation—particularly generative models—to improve efficiency, accessibility, and customization in future iterations of the program. While the Yleana Leadership Foundation formally sunset in May 2025, Bowlby’s legacy lives on in the lives of the students she served and the educators she inspired. Her work challenged conventional wisdom around standardized testing and proved that rigorous academic preparation can—and must—be delivered with joy, cultural awareness, and emotional support. Today, Alyssa continues to explore opportunities in the education space, committed to expanding access for students traditionally excluded from elite academic pathways. Her career reflects not only the tenacity of an artist and the intellect of an educator, but also the compassion of a servant-leader deeply attuned to the lived experiences of her students.

Ian Lee Brown, Bus ’99, ’04 
Ian Lee Brown is Vice President and Chief Employee Experience Officer at the Duke University Health System. Mr. Brown leads the organizations diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging initiatives and has spent the majority of his career working to enhance the workplaces in which he has been a part. Prior to his role at Duke, Mr. Brown had two professional stints at Baltimore-based Erickson Senior Living, rising to the role of Vice President of Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging in 2017. Through his work at Erickson, Mr. Brown was named to the national board of directors of SAGE, the world’s largest organization charged with improving the lives of LGBTQ elders. And in 2022, he was named to that year’s Class of Influential Leaders by AACSB International, the world’s largest business education network. Mr. Brown received a Master of Science degree in Organizational Development from Johns Hopkins Carey Business School in 1999 and earned a Graduate Certificate in Senior Housing and Elder Care from Carey in 2004. He served on Carey’s Dean’s Alumni Advisory Board from 2018-2022 and has been an outstanding volunteer and advocate for the school. He has served as an alumni mentor for students in Carey’s full-time MBA program and has participated in numerous speaking engagements for Carey, including as a panelist for the Women’s Alumni Network Speaker Series: Creating a Bespoke Workplace Experience. Mr. Brown has also had a meaningful role in Carey’s Leadership Development Program, a nine-month Certificate-level program for up and coming underrepresented business leaders. He was the Spring Residency Director for the 2023 and 2024 cohorts.

Sarah David, A&S ’07
As a Deputy State Prosecutor in the Maryland Office of the State Prosecutor, Sarah David plays a key role in overseeing cases related to corruption and police misconduct, managing legislative agendas and budgets, and focusing on counterterrorism and intelligence. Her work, including collaboration with the NYPD Counterterrorism Division and the Joint Terrorism Task Force, significantly impacts public safety and accountability. Beyond her professional achievements, Sarah is deeply involved in the Baltimore community, particularly within the Jewish community, where she serves as Vice-Chair of the Macks Center for Jewish Connections and has earned awards like the 2023 Harry Greenstein Award. Her leadership has also led to recognition as a Maryland Bar Fellow and acknowledgment by the Maryland Daily Record’s Leading Women. A Phi Beta Kappa graduate, Sarah has remained connected to Johns Hopkins, serving on the Krieger School’s Second Decade Society advisory board and being a Truman Scholar and George J. Mitchell Scholar.

Park Dietz, BSPH ’75, Med ’75, ’84 
Park Dietz is one of the country’s most prominent and accomplished forensic psychiatrists who has testified and consulted in all 50 states. He has consulted or testified in notable criminal cases including the assassination attempts on President Reagan and on Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, the cases of Jeffrey Dahmer and more than 25 other serial killers, and more than a dozen other mass murderers, such as Dzhokhar Tsarnaev (Boston Marathon Bombing), the Menendez brothers (retrial), the Unabomber, the school shootings at Columbine and more. He is also widely sought after as a consultant in civil litigation arising from criminal behavior and is a forensic psychiatrist for both the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit and the New York State Police Forensic Sciences Unit. Educated at Cornell and Johns Hopkins, Dr. Dietz simultaneously earned an M.D., a master’s degree in public health, and a Ph.D. in sociology. He was a psychiatry resident at the Johns Hopkins Hospital and chief fellow in forensic psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania. He has served as an assistant professor of psychiatry at the Harvard Medical School and professor of law and professor of behavioral medicine and psychiatry at the University of Virginia. He is now a clinical professor of psychiatry and biobehavioral sciences at the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine. Dr. Dietz is a past president of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law, a Distinguished Life Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association, and a fellow of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

Patrick Dumont, Engr ’96
Patrick Dumont is the Governor of the Dallas Mavericks and serves as the President and Chief Operating Officer of Sands Corp, a role he assumed in January 2021. He is also a member of the Sands Board of Directors. Sands Corp is among the largest and most successful casino developers, operating some of the world’s largest and most complex integrated resorts. With over 20 years of experience in finance, corporate strategy, and management, Mr. Dumont has a proven track record of designing and executing financial and business strategies that enhance capital returns and maximize company performance. Before assuming the role of president and chief operating officer, Mr. Dumont was appointed chief financial officer (CFO) in March 2016, after holding various senior positions in strategy, operations, and finance since joining the company in June 2010. As CFO, he was tasked with maintaining the industry’s strongest balance sheet, preserving the company’s financial flexibility to pursue development opportunities, advancing Sands Corp’s strong commitment to returning excess capital to shareholders, and upholding the company’s leadership in financial controls. During his time at Sands, Mr. Dumont has played a pivotal role in successfully implementing key financial and business initiatives, including advising on capital return strategies, managing a share repurchase program, enhancing the investor relations function, and negotiating strategic financial deals to optimize capital returns. He exemplifies how a Hopkins degree lays the groundwork for effective business strategies. Additionally, Mr. Dumont fulfills the role of governor of the Dallas Mavericks and serves as the team’s representative on the NBA Board, a position once held by Mark Cuban. In 2023, Patrick, along with his wife Sivan and mother-in-law Miriam Adelson, acquired a controlling interest in the Mavericks, now holding 69% of the team. Mr. Dumont has expressed a commitment to improving the Dallas community and further investing in its success.

Caylah Green, Ed ’21
Caylah Green is a visionary mathematics educator, curriculum designer, and policy advocate whose work is reshaping what equitable, liberatory STEM education can look like in the 21st century. Currently a high school math teacher at Jackson-Reed High School in Washington, D.C., Green nurtures students to build positive math identities, develop critical thinking skills, and see mathematics not just as a subject—but as a vehicle for social change, civic engagement, and self-actualization. Green’s work is rooted in the belief that joy, relevance, and cultural responsiveness are essential ingredients in transformative teaching. Her classroom is a dynamic space where students learn to interrogate and interpret real-world systems through data analysis, financial modeling, and algebraic thinking. While teaching at Hart Middle School, she designed a groundbreaking interdisciplinary unit where students analyzed minority-owned companies on the stock market, exploring financial literacy and intergenerational economic mobility. Her students also engaged with Geographic Information Systems (GIS) engineers to examine local housing trends and systemic inequities, bridging theoretical math concepts with applied social justice inquiry. These innovations have earned her both local and national recognition. In 2023, Green received the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching, the nation’s highest honor for K–12 STEM educators. She was also honored with the Edith Tatel Award for her culturally responsive teaching practices, which center students’ lived experiences and identities as assets in the learning process. But Green’s leadership extends far beyond her classroom. She is a founding member of the D.C. Math Teacher Advisory Council, where she advises education leaders and advocates for systemic improvements to math instruction across the district. She contributes regularly to professional development programs, mentors early-career teachers, and has presented at national conferences on equity-focused curriculum development and STEM inclusion. Through her work with the D.C. Math Hub, she has helped shape instructional tools and policy recommendations that support historically marginalized learners in STEM fields. Green’s interdisciplinary lens is shaped by her own academic path. She earned a B.A. in Cultural Anthropology from Georgetown University, where she developed a strong foundation in social systems analysis and ethnographic research. She went on to complete her Master of Science in Education at Johns Hopkins University, where she sharpened her focus on urban education, social justice, and instructional leadership. A proud alumna of Teach for America, Green continues to be an active member of the Johns Hopkins alumni community. She serves as a mentor to aspiring educators, participates in School of Education recruitment campaigns, and contributes her expertise to conversations around teacher retention, racial equity, and STEM access in under resourced communities.

Ben Hwang, A&S ’95, ’01
Ben Hwang, PhD, is a digital health entrepreneur whose work marks an exciting step forward in the development of game changing preventative care and personalized medicine. From his early exposure as an undergraduate research fellow at the lab of Leroy Hood at Caltech, where the automated DNA sequencer was developed, to bringing cutting edge life sciences tools to the market at Life Technologies Corp. (acquired by Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc.), Ben has seen first-hand the transformative impact that science and technology have to change our world. Ben served in a variety of leadership roles at Life Technologies Corp., including President of the Asia Pacific Region and Head of the qPCR Division. Currently, he is Chairman and CEO at Profusa. Profusa’s mission is to make our body’s chemistry easily accessible to improve health and wellness. The goal, using micro sensors, is to gather information about internal biochemical changes, in real time. The 3 to 5 mm long sensors are designed to be compatible with the body’s tissues for long-term monitoring. They collect data, transmitted to external devices, providing a stream of information for long-term health and wellness. Ben is a leader in the Biotech Industry and in 2024 was a panelist on Building Bridges: Connecting Research, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship in Health at the Hopkins in the Bay Area Presidential event.

Ajit Isaac, BSPH ’96
Ajit Isaac retired from State service in 2015 after over 12 years of dedicated to the State of Maryland as the Deputy Director of the Office of Preparedness and Response. (OP&R). During his tenure with the State of Maryland, Dr. Ajit led the efforts to dramatically improve the Strategic National Stockpile program, perform statewide pandemic influenza exercises, and enhance disease surveillance across the state.  Dr. Ajit was a committed public health servant who exemplified leadership, service and commitment to improving the lives of Marylanders. The groundwork that Dr. Ajit laid at OP&R was the foundation of the agency’s response efforts throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Ajit directed and supervised the novel process of procuring a statewide medical and public health volunteer database registration system with a Health Alert Network (HAN) system. This innovative approach allowed all 24 counties in Maryland to connect to a single state system, like a fire hydrant model of connection saving the state over $20 million. By only paying for one statewide system license (instead of $1 million per county license), the state enabled all counties to access the system without incurring additional costs. When implemented in 2013, Maryland was the only state in the country to adopt such a process, ensuring compliance for all federal preparedness grant recipients, including county-level Local Health Departments (LHDs), to continue receiving federal public health emergency preparedness funds.

Luke Kelly-Clyne, A&S ’10 
Luke Kelly-Clyne is a strong advocate of the arts at Johns Hopkins. A political science major with a post-graduation job on Wall Street in NYC, he initially realized his dream of working in entertainment through the Upright Citizens Brigade. He is leader of the Hopkins in Hollywood affinity group and is focused on growing philanthropic support and alumni mentorship for students interested in the entertainment industry. He serves as a guest lecturer in the Film and Media Studies program, runs its annual Writers Room, and hosts the January Intersession. He is as a member of the Second Decade Society advisory board at the Krieger School. When he isn’t helping Hopkins, Luke is Head of HartBeat’s independent TV & Film Studio, HartBeat Independent. Prior to HartBeat, Luke served as President at Propagate Content’s comedy studio, Big Breakfast and ran Native Content at CollegeHumor. He was a Freelance Contributing Writer to Weekend Update on “Saturday Night Live.”  He authors the long-running Vulture column, “Funny Videos of the Month,” and hosts the HeadGum podcast, “I’m Still Right”. Luke is a member of the Writers Guild of America, Producers Guild of America, and National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. He was named on NextTV’s 2024 40 Under 40 LA list.  

Nai-Wen Kuo, BSPH ’98 
Nai-Wen Kuo received his PhD in 1998 from the Department of Health Policy and Management, Bloomberg School of Public Health. After returning to Taiwan, he joined Taipei Medical University (TMU), where he held numerous leadership positions. Currently, he serves as the Dean of the College of Management. Earlier, Dr. Kuo served as Vice Superintendent of the TMU Hospital (2000-2002) and as Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Taipei City Hospital (2004-2005), a 4,200-bed, nine-hospital system, where he managed daily operations, quality improvement projects, and financial analyses.  In 2016, he was appointed Dean of the TMU College of Public Health. Under his leadership, the College became a critical “think tank” for the Taiwan Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) and partnered with many international universities, including the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Since 2018, with grant support from the Taiwan MOHW, he has been dedicated to improving healthcare accessibility for Taiwan’s disabled population. To address the needs of physically disabled patients, he invited architects and representatives from nonprofit organizations to collaborate on enhancing the barrier-free environments of clinics, especially those in old buildings, through the concept of “reasonable accommodation.” For patients with hearing impairments and other disabilities, Dr. Kuo and his team have worked with experts to establish guidelines and standard operating procedures for hospitals and clinics. Through Dr. Kuo’s leadership and Joint Commission Taiwan (JCT)’s efforts, 1,670 clinics have been certified by the JCT as “disability friendly.” His efforts in promoting human rights and improving healthcare accessibility for disabled patients have earned him praise from physician associations and many nonprofit organizations. Dr. Kuo has also significantly contributed to the Taiwan Center for Disease Control (CDC) by expanding its international cooperation network, including collaborations with the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. He has also supported the Taiwan CDC in the TB Control and Prevention Project in Quang-Ninh Province, Vietnam. By forming a multidisciplinary team from the TMU Healthcare System, he helped the province combat and control multidrug-resistant tuberculosis. Dr. Kuo’s research interests include healthcare quality, clinical pathways, patient safety, and healthcare facility design. He has authored over 100 publications, including journal articles, conference papers, and technical reports. He also serves on the board of directors of several important societies, including the Taiwan College of Healthcare Executives and the Taiwan Johns Hopkins Alumni Association. 

Anuj Kumar Mittal, A&S ’02, Trustee
Anuj Mittal is the current Head of Europe Real Estate at TPG Angelo Gordon. He has overseen more than $6 billion in real estate assets throughout his distinguished career. After earning his BA in International Studies from the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences, he worked at prominent firms like Cerberus Capital Management and Morgan Stanley Real Estate Funds, and became a successful self-employed real estate developer in Germany and the Netherlands. Anuj’s leadership spans multiple markets, focusing on opportunistic investments across Europe and the U.S. Beyond his professional success, Anuj has demonstrated a deep commitment to Johns Hopkins, serving as chair of the Krieger School’s Dean’s Advisory Board and as a member of the Board of Trustees. His involvement with the University dates back to his time as student body president, and he continues to support initiatives that foster education and innovation. Additionally, Anuj contributes to the University of Baltimore’s Real Estate and Economic Development Program as an honorary board member.

Pravin Patel, Engr ’80 
Pravin Patel continues to change the lives of children every day. His specialty is pediatric plastic surgery with a focus on craniofacial and maxillofacial conditions. With over twenty-five years of experience, Dr. Patel has treated over 500 patients with complicated cleft, craniofacial and jaw problems. These patients visit Dr. Patel from across the country and globe. Dr. Patel’s research parallels his clinical practice with a focus in improving outcomes, neurodevelopment of children with craniosynostosis, biomechanics of maxillofacial surgery and development of 3D imaging and computer guided surgery. His focus is children with abnormal development of the skull as a result of craniosynostosis (fused skull joints or sutures), abnormal position of the orbits of the eye (hypertelorisms), malpositioned jaws (overgrowth and undergrowth of the upper and lower jaw bones), conditions such as hemifacial microsomia, treacher collins and other syndromes, children born with facial clefts (cleft lip and palate). Currently, he holds the position of Chief of the Division of Plastic, Reconstructive & Cosmetic Surgery at the University of Illinois. There, he is the Director of the Craniofacial Center and the Chief of Pediatric Plastic & Craniofacial Surgery at University of Illinois Health & Medical Science Center. He is also a tenured Professor of Surgery at the University of Illinois in Chicago.

Hugh Y. Rienhoff, Jr., Med ’81, HS’84, Med ’86 (PGF),’93 (PGF) 
Hugh Rienhoff, Jr. is a San Francisco Bay area physician and entrepreneur, the managing director of the Institute for Further Study, and the CEO of Aluco BioSciences, a biotech startup that is developing treatments for neuropsychiatric and neuro-oncology diseases. He is also founder and former CEO of Imago Biosciences, founder and CEO of FerroKin BioSciences, director of MyDaughtersDNA.org, director of Abingworth Management, and a partner at New Enterprise Associates. Throughout his career, Dr. Rienhoff has held numerous board positions in life science companies, many of which have led to successful exits. He obtained his B.A. from Williams College and earned an M.D. from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He trained in internal medicine as a member of the Osler Medical House staff at the Johns Hopkins Hospital where he was later a fellow in hematology and clinical genetics. Dr. Rienhoff continued his training at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, Washington as a Howard Hughes Investigator.

Marni Sommer, Nurs ’99, ’01, BSPH ’01
Marni Sommer exemplifies the highest standards of excellence and humanitarian service, demonstrating an extraordinary commitment to global health, education, and gender equity. Her impactful work has brought significant recognition to Johns Hopkins University and advanced the well-being of countless adolescents worldwide. Dr. Sommer earned a Master’s in Public Health and Nursing from Johns Hopkins University in 2001, followed by a Doctorate in Public Health from Columbia University in 2008. These accomplishments reflect her commitment to addressing global disparities in health and education. Her career spans groundbreaking participatory research, innovative program development, and tireless advocacy for adolescents’ healthy transitions to adulthood. Dr. Sommer’s formative experiences in the Peace Corps, where she taught English in rural Eritrea, revealed how a lack of menstrual hygiene and puberty education forces many girls out of school. Witnessing this systemic challenge inspired her to focus on addressing the intersection of public health, education, and gender equity. Her doctoral research in Tanzania explored how menstruation and puberty disrupt girls’ academic performance and transition into adulthood, laying the foundation for her lifelong mission: to ensure all adolescents have the information and resources they need to thrive. This work led to the creation of the Girls’ Puberty Book Project, a culturally tailored, illustrated guide that has since expanded into the Grow and Know program, which she founded in 2010. Through Grow and Know, Dr. Sommer has designed and distributed over two million copies of puberty books tailored to diverse cultural contexts across seven countries in Africa, Asia, and the United States. Each book incorporates insights from local girls, parents, teachers, and healthcare workers, ensuring the content is culturally relevant and empowering. Her work has received global recognition, supported by partnerships with organizations like UNICEF, the Nike Foundation, and the United Nations Population Fund. Dr. Sommer’s impact is not limited to girls; she has expanded her initiatives to include puberty education for boys, recognizing the importance of fostering healthy transitions for all adolescents. Her efforts now reach schools in the U.S. as well as underserved communities globally. Her contributions extend beyond publication. Dr. Sommer leads the Gender, Adolescent Transitions, and Environment (GATE) Program at Columbia University where she develops adolescent-focused interventions, integrates menstrual hygiene management into humanitarian response, and mentor’s future leaders in public health. Dr. Sommer’s innovative research and practical solutions address critical needs in emergency contexts, including developing a menstrual hygiene management toolkit for disaster and conflict settings. This toolkit has informed humanitarian teams worldwide, ensuring that the most vulnerable populations have access to basic hygiene and dignity

Tiffany Tate, BSPH ’96 
Tiffany Tate, MHS ’96, has built a distinguished career marked by a decades-long dedication to public health, particularly in the realm of innovation and technology. Recognized across the industry for her groundbreaking contributions, Ms. Tate founded VAULT Technology, a company committed to delivering public health software solutions worldwide. Her work has been widely celebrated, earning recognition from The New York Times, Success Magazine, USA Today, and The Baltimore Sun, where she was named one of the “25 Black Marylanders to Watch” in 2024. She also was listed as #6 on TechRound’s international 2025 award for Black and Minority Entrepreneurs (BAME). Ms. Tate was the visionary behind PrepMod, a revolutionary vaccine management software that played a critical role in the U.S. COVID-19 response, with over 25 states using the platform to schedule vaccine appointments. Additionally, she donated PrepMod to historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) to enable them to participate in the pandemic response. Still the market leader, PrepMod--and other programs that came behind it--contributed to nearly 70% of eligible U.S. residents receiving the COVID-19 vaccine within the first six months of 2021, significantly altering the pandemic’s trajectory. Since PrepMod, VAULT has expanded its products to include systems that automate routine public health services and infrastructure, including interoperability, billing, reporting, and forecasting. Ms. Tate leads production of systems and processes that can connect public health and emergency preparedness worldwide. Ms. Tate is committed to advocating for groups that are underrepresented in the technology space. She is building a global network of Public Health Technologists, a term she coined to describe the growing community of professionals working at the intersection of technology and public health. She accomplishes this through paid internship programs that target women, people of color, and individuals from the LGBTQ+ community, providing them with real-world experience in technology. In 2023, VAULT launched a free software developer training program in Ghana, providing young men with instruction, a stipend, and a computer. This year, the program was expanded to young women in Jamaica. Next year, it will be brought to the state of Maryland through a partnership. In an era of waning trust in public health systems, VAULT Technologies, under Ms. Tate’s leadership, stands as a beacon of hope, bringing automation and innovation to help bridge the gap between public health organizations and the communities they serve.

Shelton Williams, SAIS ’68, ’71
Shelton Williams is a leader in the field of experiential education and an expert on the issue of nuclear nonproliferation policy. In his over 35 years as a professor at Austin College in Sherman, Texas, he created and supervised the college’s Model United Nations team, winning numerous awards at national competitions and transforming a generation of young people into caring, capable, and globally conscious professionals. He has contributed greatly to the field of experiential education through numerous articles and years of faculty and student training seminars. In addition, he has garnered several major teaching awards for his classes in International Relations, American Foreign Policy, and Comparative Politics. Dr. Williams has also worked in government, including a tour of duty in the Department of State under Secretary of State Madeline Albright in which he worked extensively on the permanent extension of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. He also served the Office of International Programs, Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Additionally, Dr. Williams is an accomplished writer. His first non-fiction book, Washed in the Blood, has received wide critical acclaim. He has a collection of fictional stories in Love and Murder Deep in the Heart of Texas. Dr. Williams has dedicated his life and career to inspiring students to pursue careers in international relations. Shelly also founded the Osgood Center for International Studies in honor of Robert Osgood, the third dean of SAIS, and his mentor. The Osgood Center’s vision is a generation of young people who strive to understand public policy issues and who work to find creative solutions to global problems.

Karl Wingate, Peab ’14
Karl Wingate has become a creative force in the world of music engineering. His work as the engineer/mixer on Steve Lacy’s ‘Bad Habit’, which was nominated for Grammy Award Record of the Year at the 65th Annual Grammy Awards, showcases his immense talent. Although ‘Bad Habit’ was not awarded Record of the Year, it played a key role in Lacy’s album Gemini Rights, winning Best Progressive R&B Album, marking Wingate’s first Grammy win. This recognition represents the pinnacle of musical achievement, highlighting Karl’s profound impact on the industry. What sets Karl apart is his remarkable journey. Although engineering began as a backup plan to appease his mother, his passion for the technical side of music flourished in his undergraduate studies. This led him to pursue a master’s degree in Recording Arts and Sciences at the Peabody Institute, where he developed the skills and confidence that would propel him to success. Under the mentorship of Peabody faculty, he honed his expertise in studio equipment and techniques, learning to master the intricacies of sound engineering in Peabody’s state-of-the-art studios. After graduation, Karl took a bold leap by moving to California to work at The Village, a legendary recording studio in Los Angeles. His persistence paid off, and he worked his way up from a runner to an engineer, collaborating with high-profile artists such as Gwen Stefani and Sara Bareilles. His work on Gemini Rights and ‘Bad Habit’ further cemented his reputation in the industry. Karl’s career continues to flourish. In addition to his work at The Village, he has become a sought-after freelance engineer, mixer, and producer, contributing to a variety of projects. One notable example is his role as lead vocal editor on Showtime’s George & Tammy, where his meticulous attention to detail helped bring to life the performances of Michael Shannon and Jessica Chastain. Throughout his career, Karl Wingate has embodied the Peabody Institute’s mission to elevate the human experience through art. With each recording artist, he fosters a culture of learning and respect and through his ingenuity blends technical expertise with creativity to shape the sound that shapes our culture. His resilience, adaptability, and entrepreneurial spirit continue to inspire his peers and the next generation of musicians and engineers.