Dr. Rene Bermea ’12

Clinical Fellow, Harvard Medical School Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine Fellowship, Massachusetts General Hospital / Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center; Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Center for Transplantation Sciences, Massachusetts General Hospital

MAJORS: BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHILOSOPHY

Since his youth, Dr. Rene Bermea ’12 has understood the profound impact that biomedical research has on people’s lives. He was a freshman in high school when his younger sister, at only six years old, was diagnosed with a rare and life-threatening brain tumor that required surgery and left her dependent on a slew of medications to support her endocrine system. This served as his motivation to pursue a career in medicine. Understanding that his sister’s life-sustaining drugs wouldn’t have been possible without the work of biomedical scientists, research became his priority. 

Following high school, Bermea made the trip from his rural Texas town on the Mexican border to his dream school, Notre Dame, and spent his summers conducting research. He eventually made his way to the labs affiliated with MD Anderson Cancer Center, the hospital that saved his sister’s life. He later attended the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine for medical school, where he stayed for residency training in internal medicine. Now, as a fellow in the Harvard Medical School Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine Fellowship Program at the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC), Bermea is caring for critically ill COVID-19 patients while conducting research in pursuit of subspecialization in lung transplantation and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO).

While caring for patients in the ICU, Bermea was the lead author on a published study that found an association between devastating intracranial hemorrhages and inflammatory markers in patients with COVID-19 on ECMO, a machine that continuously removes blood from the body, oxygenates it when the lungs cannot, and then returns it back to the patient. He is now working in the laboratories at MGH’s Center for Transplantation Science, hoping to uncover the immunological mechanisms of chronic rejection after transplant. He is also working with a group at BIDMC and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) that aims to use artificial intelligence and machine learning to identify systemic disparities and existing biases affecting the receipt of lungs for transplantation.

Matt Conaghan ’15

Head of Marketing, Change Donations

MAJOR: MARKETING

In 2019, Matt Conaghan ’15 hopped a one-way flight from Washington, D.C., to Dublin. After leaving his copywriting role with Ogilvy & Mather, his journey to the Emerald Isle led him to the opposite end of the marketing spectrum and into the world of nonprofit fundraising at Change Donations. 

Co-founded by Lizzy Hayashida and Conaghan’s brother, William, Change Donations is an international fundraising platform that helps nonprofits and schools grow with the power of spare change. The platform allows users to round up their purchases to the nearest dollar and donate the difference to their favorite causes. As the head of marketing and branding, Conaghan leads the conception, creation, and promotion of marketing materials while also focusing on design and charity growth. 

A Maryland native, Conaghan earned his degree in marketing from Notre Dame in 2015 and his master’s in 2020 in digital marketing and strategy from Trinity College Dublin, where he now also works as an adjunct teaching fellow. While at Notre Dame, he was also selected as the youngest head writer in the history of the Keenan Revue. Conaghan continues to showcase his comedy chops on his social media channels, where his impressions and humorous skits have earned him over 120,000 followers.

Dr. Claire Conley ’12

Assistant Professor of Oncology, Georgetown University

MAJOR: PSYCHOLOGY

The journey to clinical psychology was a deeply personal one for Dr. Claire Conley ’12. Having witnessed her mother, aunt, and grandmother undergo breast cancer diagnosis and treatment — all surviving — Conley answered the call to devote her work to supporting other women through their own cancer experiences. 

Since earning her masters and, ultimately, doctorate in clinical psychology from The Ohio State University, Dr. Conley has focused her work and research on psychosocial issues across the cancer continuum, from prevention to end-of-life. Her research aims to promote health behavior change and improve quality of life in the context of cancer. She has a particular interest in reducing health disparities in cancer screening and survivorship.

Dr. Conley joined the faculty at Georgetown University’s Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center as an assistant professor of oncology in May 2020. As an early-stage investigator, her accomplishments have been nationally recognized by organizations such as the American Psychosomatic Society, the American Psychological Association, and the Society of Behavioral Medicine.

As a psychology major at Notre Dame, Dr. Conley forged an intellectual relationship with her undergraduate thesis mentor, Professor Thomas Merluzzi, with whom she continues to collaborate. Their shared interest in spirituality as a mechanism for coping with cancer is a research topic that originated in her Notre Dame liberal arts education. In her free time, Dr. Conley volunteers as a STEM penpal with the organization Letters to a Pre-Scientist. She also plays Australian rules football and sings with The Washington Chorus.

Kiersten DeHaven ’14

COO Kidame Mart

MAJORS: POLITICAL SCIENCE, SPANISH MINOR

Resourcefulness, relentless drive, and service have guided Kiersten DeHaven ’14 throughout her young career. From her service stint in the Peace Corps to her current role as COO of the for-profit social enterprise Kidame Mart, she has exhibited a commitment to supporting less fortunate women and children throughout the world.

Kidame Mart is Ethiopia’s largest last-mile distribution network, empowering over 3,000 rural female micro-entrepreneurs to earn incomes by selling high impact consumer goods door-to-door or in market shops to over 1.5 million rural customers. Kidame Mart works with a range of partners to create opportunities for rural Ethiopians to live better lives, from large corporations such as Unilever and Vodacom to aid groups such as USAID. Kidame Mart recently assisted Catholic Relief Services in providing two months worth of emergency food relief for 6,000 refugees displaced due to Ethiopia’s on-going civil unrest. DeHaven believes strongly in market-driven solutions to sustainable development and devotes her career to addressing development challenges with innovative private sector solutions.

DeHaven earned her bachelor’s in political science with a minor in Spanish from Notre Dame, where she was also a four-year monogram winner with the Fighting Irish women’s rowing team.  She holds a master’s degree in Global Human Development from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service. Between earning her degrees, she served for two years as a English literacy teacher with the Peace Corps in Western Samoa, where she raised money locally for a creative learning center for over 300 students and obtained grants to retrofit the school’s water supply so that students are never barred from attending school due to a lack of access to running water  After the Peace Corps, DeHaven served as a high school rowing coach in Hamilton, New Zealand, until attending graduate school. She is from Tampa, Florida, and currently lives in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Dr. Austin Hickman ’16

Co-Founder and CEO, Soctera, Inc.

MAJOR: ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING

Austin Hickman ’16 has always had an eye for business, but his predilection for science led him down the path of electrical engineering as a Notre Dame undergraduate. He followed his passion for research to Cornell, where his graduate studies focused on the development of aluminum nitride (AIN)-based power amplifiers, which have yielded a breakthrough in the ability to produce high-power millimeter-wave frequency signals. Today, Hickman is combining his cutting-edge research developments with his business interest as the co-founder and CEO of Soctera, Inc.

As a member of the Cornell Engineering Commercialization Fellowship program, Hickman founded Soctera to develop AIN-based electronics with areas of application including defense radar and satellite communications. The company is a member of Launch NY, a nonprofit venture development organization serving upstate New York, and Cornell’s Praxis Center for Venture Development.

Hickman earned his bachelor’s in electrical engineering from Notre Dame in 2016, and his Ph.D. from Cornell in 2021. At Notre Dame, he served as a resident assistant in Dillon Hall and was a member of the men’s rowing team. In Ithaca, he co-established the Cornell Rowing Club, where he remains a coach. In his spare time he also enjoys golfing, balcony gardening, and listening to Arctic Monkeys.

Michael Hillmer ’17

Cyber Warfare Officer, U.S. Air Force; Graduate Student, Georgia Tech

MAJOR: COMPUTER ENGINEERING

As a commissioned officer in the United States Air Force, Captain Michael Hillmer ’17 has dedicated his life to the defense of his country. But his duty extends far beyond America’s borders. Though his exceptional work ethic has served him well as a cyber operations officer, Hillmer’s service also includes work to preserve local landmarks near his home on Oahu, Hawaii, and to support the families of his fellow military members. 

After more than two years of training following his Air Force commissioning, Hillmer began serving as a cyber warfare officer in Honolulu, consistently performing at or near the top of his training cohort. His high marks earned him placement in an offensive cyber operations unit and a relocation to Oahu in January 2020, where he also serves as a Physical Training Leader and Technical Tool Champion. He is concurrently working toward a master’s degree in computer science from Georgia Tech, a pursuit complicated by deployments around the world. Though a stint in the Asia-Pacific meant attending classes and taking exams in the middle of the night, Hillmer has completed half of his graduate studies and is projected to graduate in 2023. 

In his few remaining free hours, Hillmer — who worked as a research assistant while earning his bachelor’s in computer engineering in 2016 — volunteers in the local Hawaiian community and plays guitar with the Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam Mass Choir. While his fellow airmen are deployed, he sees to the needs of their families, and serves as a tour guide to visiting Notre Dame classmates and military colleagues.

Marissa Koscielski ’17, ’18 M.S.

Founder, Enlighten Mobility; Clinical Director, 3Spine

MAJORS: MATHEMATICS, ESTEEM

Not walking again was not an option for Marissa Koscielski ’17, ’18 M.S. That was the prognosis she received in 2013 following a procedure to remove a mass from her spine. The surgery had left her paralyzed from the waist down on her left side. Determined to recover, but faced with a lack of effective equipment to facilitate it, Koscielski set out to create her own medical device to get her back on her feet.

Koscielski is not only walking — and running — again, but she has used her experience to fuel her entrepreneurial pursuits in the health care space. As a student in Notre Dame’s ESTEEM program, she founded Enlighten Mobility, which offers patient-driven early intervention solutions in mobility care. In addition to Enlighten Mobility, she has founded three healthcare ventures and has held a leadership role in another successful medical device startup. Koscielski is a mentor to Mayo Clinic Pediatric Rehabilitation, where she was treated, and a former intern for A Rosie Place respite care hospital for medically fragile children.

In 2017, Koscielski graduated from Notre Dame with her bachelor’s in mathematics. She pursued the ESTEEM program for its emphasis on the intersection of innovation and entrepreneurship, with an intent to disrupt existing healthcare delivery models and improve patient outcomes. Her company, Enlighten Mobility, was one of two grand prize winners in the 2018 McCloskey New Venture Competition.

Zoe (Rote) Kourajian ’16

Social Studies Teacher, Edgewood Middle School

MAJORS: POLITICAL SCIENCE; EDUCATION, SCHOOLING & SOCIETY MINOR

Now entering her fifth year as a middle school social studies teacher, Zoe (Rote) Kourajian ’16 discovered her vocation to public education under the mentorship of Dr. Stuart Greene and Dr. Maria McKenna at Notre Dame. In the years since, she has established herself as an innovator in the instruction of history, creating a curriculum reflective of the cultural experiences of all students. She strives to ensure that every single student, regardless of their background, sees their history valued and taught as essential to the American story.

In Kourajian’s classroom, students become historians as they actively question the past, analyze sources for credibility and bias, and conduct historic argumentation research projects reflecting their own interests and backgrounds. Through this process, students feel empowered to create change in their communities using the skills, knowledge, and confidence gained through their study of history.

In addition to her teaching responsibilities, Kourajian is a co-coach of the nationally competitive Quiz Bowl team, co-director of the middle school musical, and an active member of the National Geographic-certified teacher community.

Kourajian earned her bachelor’s from Notre Dame and her Master of Education from Peabody College at Vanderbilt University. At Notre Dame, she led the World Hunger Coalition in raising money for hunger-relief organizations, volunteered at the Robinson Community Learning Center, and taught classes in Spanish at the Snite Museum of Art. 

Kourajian met her husband, Adam ’15, while studying abroad in Santiago, Chile, and they are expecting their first child in January. In her free time, Kourajian is an avid cook, a founding member of her parish’s Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Team, and a regular volunteer with Catholic Charities.

Sarah Mervosh ’12

National Correspondent, The New York Times

MAJORS: PSYCHOLOGY AND ARABIC, JED MINOR

For much of the past year and a half, Sarah Mervosh ’12 has worked tirelessly to document coronavirus outbreaks, investigate government failures during the pandemic, and examine the complicated grief of the nation as a national correspondent for The New York Times.

Mervosh’s empathetic and informative reporting on the pandemic has taken her from rural West Texas, where the virus threatened to overwhelm an area with just one hospital for 12,000 square miles, to West Virginia, where nursing home residents celebrated their first day out of lockdown. In 2021, the staff of the Times won a Pulitzer Prize for public service for its reporting on the pandemic. Mervosh also contributed to coverage of 2020’s historic racial justice protests. In her own time, she also donated to Notre Dame scholarships for underrepresented students, and funds to support journalists of color and journalists affected by job losses and trauma during the pandemic. 

A psychology and Arabic major with a minor in journalism, ethics, and democracy, Mervosh got her start in journalism at Notre Dame, where she served as managing editor of The Observer. She worked for six years as a reporter at the Dallas Morning News before joining the Times in 2018. She is now looking forward to a new beat covering PreK-12 education in the United States. Mervosh and her husband, Alex Huth ’12, live in New York City.

Tia B. Paulette ’18 J.D.

Assistant Attorney General

MAJOR: LAW

As the Founding President of the Notre Dame Law School’s Exoneration Project, Tia B. Paulette ’18 J.D.’s influence will be a lasting one at the University and in the State of Indiana. By reviving the school’s dormant club — at the time affiliated with the separate Innocence Project — as a second-year student in 2016, Paulette laid the foundation for Notre Dame’s Exoneration Justice Clinic, which provides law students real-world experience representing wrongfully convicted clients. 

Starting with just six students, the Exoneration Project slowly built a culture in the Law School of investment in criminal justice reform and equal access to justice. As support for the movement grew within the law school, alongside Professor Jimmy Gurulé and co-founder Erika Gustin, Paulette spearheaded the creation of the Wrongful Conviction Externship, a clinical program that provided students with real opportunities to represent northern Indiana clients believed to have been wrongfully convicted of serious crimes. In 2020, the externship evolved into the Exoneration Justice Clinic, which celebrated its first exoneration in July 2021 when Elkhart County prosecutors dismissed a murder charge against Andy Royer, who spent 16 years in prison despite being innocent.

Paulette currently serves as an Assistant Attorney General within the public service legal sector where she primarily focuses on litigating Title IV-D cases under the Social Security Act and aiding the underprivileged in navigating various legal proceedings. In her personal time, she continues to give back to her community through volunteerism and mentoring high school and college students seeking to attend law school. She is currently working to establish a scholarship fund to recognize Notre Dame law students committed to public service and criminal justice.

Jessica Pedroza ’17

Legislative Assistant, Rep. Ruben Gallego (AZ)

MAJOR: POLITICAL SCIENCE

As the child of Mexican immigrants and a first-generation college student, Jessica Pedroza ’17 may have never predicted she would one day walk the halls of Congress. Nevertheless, those experiences — as well as her years navigating public and private education — deeply inform her work advocating for equity in the American educational system.

After obtaining her master’s in teaching from Relay Graduate School of Education and teaching fifth-grade science and social studies in Chicago through the Teach for America program, Pedroza earned an Educational Graduate Fellowship with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute. As a Fellow, she worked with UnidosUS, the nation’s largest Latino civil rights organization, to unpack how school climate and discipline issues disproportionately affect students of color. Then, she worked for Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez (NM), a member of the House Education and Labor Committee. Now, as a legislative assistant in the office of Rep. Ruben Gallego (AZ), Pedroza works to help advance just national K-12 educational policy that ensures students have access to a high quality education, fully funded schools, and diverse teachers. 

A native of South Phoenix, Arizona, Pedroza was a member of the inaugural cohorts of both the AnBryce Scholars and Fighting Irish Scholars programs, going on to earn her degree in political science in 2017. Additionally, as the Anchor intern for Latino Campus Ministry, vice president of the Student Coalition for Immigration Advocacy, and co-founder of 1stG ND, she devoted her time to Latino spirituality and identity, immigration and activism, and support of fellow low-income and first-generation students at Notre Dame.

Qing Zhu ’19 MGA

Founder and CEO, Pumbaa Eco

MAJORS: MASTER OF GLOBAL AFFAIRS, PEACE STUDIES

Peace is the central principle guiding Qing Zhu ’19 MGA, whose efforts in sustainable development and positive peace are improving local governments and businesses in his home country of China. It is what led him to Notre Dame’s Peace Studies program in the Keough School of Global Affairs, and continues to influence his work to improve the lives of his fellow citizens.

In 2013, Zhu began his career in environmental conflict mediation, managing over 50 municipal projects in Tianjin, China, to improve water quality, reduce pollution, and conserve wetlands. After matriculating to Notre Dame, an internship took him to East Africa in 2018, where he conducted research on peacebuilding with Act Change Transform in Nairobi, Kenya, and led him to co-found Pumbaa Eco, China’s first environmental social innovation consultancy. Pumbaa Eco consults with leading Chinese companies and government departments on solutions to urgent global issues such as biodiversity protection and climate change.

Through their work, Zhu and his team were named one of China’s Top Ten Social Enterprises, while Zhu himself accepted the Cheng Siwei Social Entrepreneur Award. Additionally, he was named to Forbes China 30 Under 30 in 2020 and is a member of the Harvard Seed Social Innovation Community.