Meet the Alumni Association Board
President Kelly Pesanelli (CGS’94, Sargent’96, ’98), she/her/hers
Kelly is president of the Sargent College Alumni Association (SCAA) and a faculty member at Sargent College. She graduated from Sargent with a BS in health studies and MS in physical therapy. After graduating, she worked at the New England Baptist Hospital in outpatient orthopedics for 10 years. She then joined the Boston University Ryan Center as a senior physical therapist and clinical coordinator. Currently, she is a full-time lecturer in Sargent’s Health Sciences Department where she helps place students in their practicums and teaches the courses “Organization and Delivery of Health in the United States” and “Critical Inquiry.”
Vice President Christie Amorosino (Sargent’93, ‘94), she/her/hers
Christie graduated with a BS in health studies and an MS in physical therapy. Upon graduation, she worked at Boston University Medical Center as an inpatient therapist, rotating through the hospital’s floors and specialties. After approximately three years, she chose to specialize in outpatient orthopedics, enrolling in the Institute of Orthopedic Manual Therapy and earning a certificate in OMT. During that time, she also became a lab instructor and lecturer in the musculoskeletal track at BU, mentoring students and assisting in DPT final projects. In 2002, Christie joined the Boston University Physical Therapy Center as a senior physical therapist and clinical education coordinator, where she remained until 2007 when she began working in her hometown with her husband Paul in their own clinic. In 2019, Christie returned to BU, teaching in the lab once again. She is pursuing her DPT from the Arcadia University online transitional program and continues to practice outpatient orthopedics in a large orthopedic practice in Plymouth, Mass. She is proud of her ongoing strong ties to Boston University and the opportunities her BU education has afforded her.
Past President Lauren Tamburello (Sargent’15, SPH’17), she/her/hers
Lauren is the previous SCAA president. She went on to pursue her MPH from the BU School of Public Health after graduating from Sargent in 2015. Lauren is a division program manager at Beth Israel Medical Center Division of Urology where she works passionately to improve efficiency, patient experience, quality, and staff wellness through program development and process improvement.
Secretary Allie Davis (Sargent ’22, SPH ’23)
Allie is a graduate of Sargent’s 4+1 (BS/MPH) program with Boston University School of Public Health, earning her BS in Health Sciences from Sargent in 2022 her MS in Public Health in 2023. During her time at BU, she worked in multiple healthcare settings, from hospitals to doctor’s offices to outpatient cancer infusion clinics. She also worked as a teaching assistant for Sargent College during the last two years of her program, which sparked a passion for improving the US healthcare system to provide more equitable and higher quality healthcare. She takes pride in her detail-oriented approach to producing innovative deliverables in both academic and professional work environments, which she owes to the curriculum, faculty, and students at Sargent College. She currently works as a financial analyst at Patient Funding Alternatives, which provides services to help patients access healthcare funding options while also enhancing revenue for hospitals. In her free time, she enjoys being active, working out, riding and showing her horses, traveling, spending time with friends and family, cooking, and exploring new restaurants and stores in Boston.
Speech-Language Pathology Representative Alexander Carroll (Sargent’18), he/they
Alex is a Boston native who graduated from Sargent’s MS-SLP program in 2018. He currently works for two Boston Public charter schools in Dorchester, Mass. Alex’s clinical interests include childhood speech and language disorders, social skills, and interprofessional collaboration. He currently lives in Newton with his partner Jim and enjoys weekends in Provincetown, running, and playing video games
Speech-Language Pathology Representative Christiana Moustakas O’Hara (Sargent’98, ’00)
Christiana graduated with her BS from the Sargent College Communication Disorders program in 1998 and her MS in Speech-Language Pathology in 2000. She started her career in the Boston area working with the adult population providing evaluations and treatments in skilled nursing facilities and a specialty hospital for ventilated dependent and tracheostomy patients in areas of swallowing and communication. She moved to Maine in 2003 and worked for hospitals in both inpatient and outpatient settings, evaluating and treating both the adult and pediatric population in the areas of speech, language, swallowing and cognition. She settled in Connecticut in 2005 with her husband Stephen; and shortly after, they had two sons Drew and Nate. Since 2005, her focus has been with the adult neurological population. She has worked in a variety of settings, and since 2016, has been at Yale New Haven Hospital working with the adult neurological inpatient and outpatient setting. She is certified with Lingraphica for speech generating devices since 2007, a TBI brain Specialist through Gaylord Hospital in 2008. In 2023, she became a SPEAK OUT! & LOUD Crowd provider for the Parkinson’s population and an MBSImP Clinician for Modified Barium Swallows.Health Science Representative Stephanie Randolph (Sargent ’18, ’21)
Steph is a Boston native who graduated from Boston University in 2018 with a BS in behavior and health and a minor in special education. She was a recipient of the 2018 Twiness Award for “service, loyalty, thoughtfulness, and excellence of scholarship.” She earned her doctor of occupational therapy at Sargent College in 2021 with a capstone project focused on social participation of adults on the autism spectrum without intellectual disabilities. Since graduating, Steph has worked as an occupational therapist at Encompass Health Inpatient Rehabilitation Hospital of Braintree. Her interests include traveling, recreational sports, cooking, baking, and spending time outside.
Human Physiology Representative Gabrielle H. Cherfane (Sargent ’21, MED ’25)
Gabrielle graduated from Boston University Sargent College in 2021 with a BS in human physiology and a minor in public health. She then enrolled into the Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, through the Modular Medical/Dental Integrated Curriculum (MMEDIC) where she currently is a third-year medical student (2023-2024). Gabrielle plans to pursue obstetrics and gynecology as her field of choice and has been involved with a variety clubs and organizations during her time at BU and BUCASM including the Sargent College Alumni Association, Sargent College Honors Society, Beta Psi Omega, BU Educational Resource Center, Massachusetts Trial Court, Health Leads, UNICEF, Lebanese Club, Socially Responsible Surgery, Global Health Equity Program, American Medical Women’s Association, the BUCASM Admissions Team. She is an avid soccer player, loves to cook, and enjoys poetry writing.
Human Physiology Representative Carol Simon (Sargent ’93)
Carol is a 1978 nursing school graduate from the University of Southern Maine and has enjoyed a long career as nurse. Her diverse experience includes home care, operating room, medical legal work, outpatient services, and inpatient hospital care. Her favorite specialty has been in Orthopaedics, and she has served on the Board of the National Association of Orthopaedic Nurses. These experiences helped her see the value of prevention in health care and a possible career in helping people achieve maximum health, even in the face of handicaps, medical conditions, and/or recovery from surgery. Carol decided to go back to school, and in 1993, graduated from the BU Sargent College Exercise Science program. LShe then worked as a personal trainer and continued working as nurse. She supplemented her career with training in energy healing and Reiki, and loves to provide a wholistic approach to healing and patient care. Carol is now “semiretired,” and has returned to the BU Alumni Association to mentor students in similar fields and foster continued and new professional relationships.
Nutrition/Dietetics Representative Nicolette Maggiolo (Sargent’15), she/her/hers
Nicolette graduated with a BS in nutritional science (dietetics) with honors. She completed her dietetic internship at Brigham & Women’s Hospital in 2016 and joined Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center as a a clinical dietitian. Nicolette now works as the registered dietitian for Home Base, a Massachusetts General Hospital and Red Sox Foundation program. At Home Base, Nicolette provides individual and group nutrition counseling and teaches cooking classes for veterans and their families. Nicolette enjoys hosting sauce Sunday dinners, training for the 2018 NYC marathon, traveling around the world, and bowling with friends.
Occupational Therapy Representative Laura Ryan (Sargent’91, ‘21)
Laura Ryan graduated from Boston University Sargent College with a Bachelor of Science in Occupational Therapy in 1991 and a post-professional Doctorate in Occupational Therapy in 2021. Laura began her career as an inpatient OT practitioner on the orthopedic and multiple trauma units at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. She then moved to the Spaulding Rehabilitation Network outpatient center in Framingham where she treated clients with upper limb orthopedic diagnoses and clients with post-polio syndrome through the clinic’s International Rehabilitation Center for Polio. While at Spaulding, Laura was a key developer and contributor to Spaulding’s Differing Abilities school program. Currently Laura is the Occupational Therapy practitioner for the middle school, high school and transitional (18-22 year old) students in the Holliston Public School System. Outside of school, she writes a quarterly column, “All Things OT” for Exceptional Needs Today and provides occupational therapy using equine movement (Hippotherapy) as a treatment strategy on her family’s 100 acre farm where she grew up. Her doctoral dissertation centered around the healing capacity of the horse in the rehabilitation of those with breast cancer. When not playing with the horses, Laura is busy with her three children ages 25, 23 and 20 and reading on her favorite Cape Cod beach.
Occupational Therapy Representative Debra A. Kerrigan (ENG’84, ENG’90, SAR’02)
After a 15-year career in systems engineering, Debbie returned to BU to pursue a master’s in occupational therapy. She graduated from Sargent College in 2002. Debbie began her career as an inpatient OT at Newton-Wellesley Hospital treating adults with a variety of medical, orthopedic, and neurological conditions. She authored one chapter and co-authored another chapter in the 1st and 2nd editions of Occupational Therapy in Acute Care. Debbie developed the Drive Safe Program at NWH and is passionate about talking to older adults about how they can stay driving safely for as long as possible. Debbie is currently working in outpatient OT at NWH where she helped to develop a multi-disciplinary concussion program, continues with the Drive Safe Program, and treats adults with a variety of neurological conditions and chronic diseases. She is LSVT Big and CarFit certified. When not at work, Debbie volunteers her time with the Lions of Massachusetts. She enjoys running, working out, reading, and spending time with family, friends, and her two cats.
Kerry Blossfeld (Sargent’99, ’01), she/her/hers
Kerry graduated from Boston University with a Bachelor of Science in health science and a Master of Science in physical therapy. She has worked in outpatient settings treating children and adults with a variety of orthopedic and neuromuscular conditions, specializing in spine care. For 18 years, Kerry has worked in a outpatient hospital, managing orthotics clinics, performing clinical mentoring, and developing resource and clinical improvement strategies for the staff. Additionally, she held a leadership position in the International Rehabilitation Center for Polio, a center of excellence for patients seeking comprehensive treatment for post-polio syndrome. She has lectured and published nationally on the subject of post-polio syndrome rehabilitation and received three “Partners In Excellence” awards for her work with polio survivors and development of disability awareness
Young Alumni Representative Shani Gilmor Sarkis (CGS’12, Sargent’14), she/her/hers
Michael G. Anchan (Sargent’23, CAMED’27)
Michael Anchan graduated from Sargent College in 2023 with a BS in human physiology. After being admitted to the MMEDIC program his sophomore year of college, Michael became a member of the Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine Class of 2027. During his time at Sargent College, Michael was the Sargent Class of 2023’s President and helped lead several other on campus initiatives, including the BU Premedical Society. Over the past few years, he has also spent his time working part time as the Assistant EMS Coordinator for the Sherborn Fire Department and an Advanced EMT in the Brockton EMS system. He additionally spent a few years working as an ED technician at BID Milton. Currently Michael is an M1 at BUCASM and is interested in trauma surgery and EM/EMS. In his free time, he spends his time with family and friends, often exploring the outdoors.
Savannah Rose Bitzas, (Sargent’20, SPH’21)
Savannah graduated with a BS in health sciences from Sargent College in 2020 and an MPH from Boston University School of Public Health in 2021. After graduating, she worked as a patient enrollment coordinator with Patient Funding Alternatives at Cohen Children’s Medical Center. Savannah is currently a medical student at Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, spending time with friends, and running.
Christian Hahm (Sargent ’23)
Christian Hahm is a 2023 graduate from BU’s Sargent College with a major in health science. During his time at BU, he worked in various fields and positions, including co-chair at BU Class Gift, unit coordinator At Spaulding Hospital, and teaching assistant at Sargent College. Initially, Christian began his journey at BU as a premed student and was admitted to the MMEDIC program, which offered him early assurance to BU School of Medicine, as he planned to specialize in psychiatry or pediatrics. However, during his senior year, he decided to change his career path to pursue his other interests. Currently, Christian works as a healthcare and biopharma consultant at Hayden Consulting Group in Boston. In his role, he advises biopharma and biotech companies on various critical business ordeals, including improving patient access to medications, establishing patient assistance programs, optimizing product profitability and lifecycle growth, among others. Through his work in healthcare consulting, Christian is dedicated to contributing to the development of a more efficient healthcare system and positively impacting the lives of patients on a broader scale.
Steven Gorin (Sargent ’94)
Steven, originally from Colombia grew up in Miami, FL. He began his higher education at Sargent College where he earned a Bachelor of Science in human physiology in 1994. He went on to earn a Master’s Degree in sports medicine from the University of Miami in 1996 and his doctor of osteopathic medicine, or DO, from Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, in 2000. Continuing his education, he earned a Master’s in business administration from the University of Miami in 2018. For his training, Dr. Gorin completed his residency in Orthopaedic surgery in 2005 at the Medical Center of Independence in Independence, Missouri. Not stopping there, Dr. Gorin received a fellowship in Orthopaedic sports medicine and stem cell therapies. He has been in private practice in the Aventura, FL area since 2006. Dr. Gorin is certified by the American Osteopathic Board of Orthopaedic Surgery and he’s an active member of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgery, the American Osteopathic Association of Orthopaedics, the Arthroscopy Association of North America, and the International Society of Arthroscopy, Knee Surgery and Orthopaedic Sports Medicine. He is currently the Past-President of the Miami Orthopedic Society.
Neil Jain (Sargent’15, CAS’ 15), he/him/his
Neil has shown a sincere dedication to patient advocacy and the field of medicine. He has held numerous leadership positions in the Medical Society of New Jersey and the American Medical Association (AMA), regionally and nationally. He created the policy for implementing naloxone into the Basic life Support (BLS) certification program, which was applauded by the US Surgeon General and subsequently adopted by the AMA. He has organized healthcare policy conferences where students from across the state learned and discussed current healthcare challenges. For his dedication to medicine, he was awarded the Excellence in Leadership Award by the Medical Society of New Jersey and was invited to join the Gold Humanism Honor Society by Rowan University SOM faculty and students. During the recent pandemic, Neil founded the COVID-19 New Jersey Medical Student Coalition. As part of this initiative, he leads medical students from across the state to gather, create, and allocate the necessary resources to local hospitals. Neil also enjoys teaching and giving back to the community. He regularly attends his high school and undergraduate alma maters to give lectures. In July, Neil will start his Interventional Radiology Residency at Georgetown University Hospital where he plans on continuing to advocate for the specialty and his patients.
Fernando J. Limbo III (Sargent’16), he/him/his
Fernando earned a BS in health science from Sargent College and is also an alumnus of the BU College of General Studies. Fernando has more than seven years of executive search experience, and he currently works as a search consultant in the Boston office of executive search firm Howard Fischer Associates (HFA). In this role, he partners with private equity firms and venture capital backed start ups to recruit executive leadership. Prior to joining HFA, Fernando was an executive search consultant for ZurickDavis, a retained search firm with a focus in the healthcare and social services industries, for clients such as Boston Children’s Hospital, Cambridge Health Alliance, Dimock Community Health Center, and Children’s National – DC. Fernando serves on the national leadership committee of local not-for-profit Pure in Heart America.
Jay Patruno, MS, RDN, LDN, CPT, CNC (Sargent ’18) (he/him/his)
Jay Patruno (he/him/his) is a registered dietitian and certified personal trainer. He graduated from Sargent in 2018 and pursued his post-graduate dietetic internship at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. He then completed his graduate degree through Johnson and Wales University after spending some time in nutrition practice. It was during his dietetic internship that he found his passion for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the field of nutrition and dietetics, as well as a love for eating disorder care. He has held various roles in the field of nutrition and dietetics including inpatient dietitian, residential care, private practice, serving as program director for a dietetics program, and working as a manager in corporate health and wellness, all of which he continued to have a hand in some form of eating disorder treatment. Jay currently is the assistant clinical nutrition manager for Baystate Health, overseeing the teams of dietitians at three community hospitals and supporting inpatient coverage for adults and pediatrics, including supporting the eating disorder protocol implementation for the institution.Nikita K. Saini, (Sargent ’23)
Nikita graduated from Sargent College in 2023 with her BS in health science and minor in biology. As an undergraduate, she worked as a CNA in Lahey Hospital and Medical Center’s Hematology and Oncology Department, studied abroad on BU’s London Internship Program where she completed her health science practicum, and joined a mission driven health-tech start-up, ReKlame Health, to support the expansion of psychiatric care access among marginalized populations across the US. Her professional experiences and coursework in Sargent College fostered the development of an unwavering passion to facilitate the development of an equitable and accessible healthcare landscape in the US. Nikita has recently joined the operations team at Patient Funding Alternatives, an organization that collaborates with payors and providers to offer patients improved healthcare funding options. Outside of the professional sphere, Nikita enjoys a captivating book, rejuvenating workouts, and exploring new eats around Boston!
Chih-Cheng Wu (Sargent ’21), He/Him/His
Originally from Las Vegas, Nevada, Chih moved to Boston to study biomedical engineering and later on human physiology at Sargent College. He participated in research at the Laboratory of Addiction Genetics on BU’s medical campus, volunteered for Kesem and Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and worked as a patient care technician at both Tufts Medical Center and Beth Israel Medical Center during his 4 years at BU. Upon finishing his BS in 2021, he planned to take a gap year teaching English in Spain and then use the second gap year to apply to medical school. That later changed as his interests changed as well. Chih is now an ABSN student at the University of Pennsylvania and also works part-time at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. He hopes to become an acute care nurse practitioner or a nurse anesthetist in the future. Outside of academics and school, his interests include traveling, cooking, and working out.
Undergraduate Student Representative Wesley Jones (Sargent’21), he/him/his
Wesley is a senior pursuing a BS/MPH 4+1 program at Sargent College and the BU School of Public Health. He is passionate about improving access and equity in global health by leveraging philanthropic resources. During his time at BU, he has become a student leader on-campus as part of the Howard Thurman Center and Sargent College Peer Mentor team, as well as off-campus through internships at GLBTQ Legal Advocates and Defenders (GLAD) and International Rescue Committee (IRC). Outside of class, Wesley enjoys cooking, traveling, and exploring Boston. He is excited to bring a student voice and perspective to the SCAA.
Faculty Representative Professor Karen Jacobs (Sargent’79), she/her/hers
An occupational therapist and board-certified professional ergonomist, Karen is Sargent College’s associate dean of digital learning and innovation, a clinical professor of occupational therapy, and program director of the online post-professional doctor of occupational therapy (PP-OTD) program. She has worked at Boston University for 37 years and has expertise in the development and instruction of online graduate courses, the use of technology to enable social participation among various populations of persons with disabilities, ergonomics, telehealth, and health care marketing. In collaboration with faculty in the PP-OTD program, Karen is part of a mixed-methods study investigating equal peer-to-peer mentoring in occupational therapy online post-professional graduate education. She has authored, co-authored, edited or co-edited more than 80 peer-reviewed journal articles and more than 50 books (multiple editions) and book chapters. She is the founding editor-in-chief of the international, interprofessional journal, WORK: A Journal of Prevention, Assessment and Rehabilitation. She is also the co-author of 17 children’s books and the moderator of two podcasts: Lifestyle by Design and HealthMatters@BUSargent. Karen earned a doctoral degree at the University of Massachusetts focused on educational leadership in schooling, a Master of Science in occupational therapy at Boston University, and a Bachelor of Arts in psychology at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri.
Academic Counselor Erin Phair
Erin is an administrative representative to the SCAA and an academic counselor to sophomores, juniors and seniors. She meets with outside transfer students to evaluate their credentials and offers professional development seminars in collaboration with the Sargent College Alumni Association and the Assistant Dean of Development and Alumni Relations. She serves as co-advisor to the Peer Mentor program and advises the Sargent College Honor Society.