2020 Award Winners

SARAH ELLIOTT (CFA), although American, has lived most of her life abroad including Hong Kong, Shanghai, Florence and most recently, near Toulouse, France. Throughout her life she has worked as a freelance artist and has taught art to children at International schools and to adults of many levels. She received her BA from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and is due to complete her MFA in Painting at BU in the Spring of 2021.

“I am just so moved, thrilled and deeply honored to have been selected for this scholarship. I’m sure every candidate deserves it!  I so appreciate the importance that you are clearly giving the visual arts to the greater community through selecting me. Of course, I believe in it whole-heartedly and have certainly felt the fundamental importance of the visual arts in my life. It is interesting for me to sense how many people during this time of Covid-19 are engaging with the arts as a means of digesting and transforming what is happening in their personal lives and in the larger context of society. From hopeful messages in sidewalk drawings, to online galleries and concerts, the arts speak to people’s humanity…to our basic needs in life, which includes the need for feeling joy in our lives regardless of our outer circumstances! So onward and upward! This scholarship is of practical help for sure, but also a much appreciated morale boost at the end of a very intense and challenging semester. I am truly grateful!”

STEPHANIE HUANG (QST) is a Social Impact MBA candidate at Questrom School of Business, who is passionate about creating value for the community.  She is an international graduate student from China, a first-generation college graduate, and a proud mother of a twelve-year-old daughter.   Before starting the MBA program at Boston University, she worked as a project manager in the tech industry for ten years.   At Questrom, she has been involved in the Questrom Mentorship Program to mentor undergraduate students and participated in Link Day 2020 to provide consulting services to nonprofit organizations in Boston.  She will be working with a social entrepreneur in a project to develop sustainable, patented biodegradable fabrics for the healthcare industry in the summer.

“I’m thrilled to have the honor of being one of the scholarship winners.”

SOFIE ISENBERG (COM) is a graduate student in Journalism at Boston University’s College of Communication, where she is a 2020 WBUR Fellow and Pulitzer Center Reporting Fellow. Before moving to Boston, she worked for several years at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. She also holds a Master’s degree in the Anthropology of Learning and Cognition from the London School of Economics, and a Bachelor’s degree in Latin American Literatures and Religious Studies from UC Berkeley.

“I am so pleased to receive this news, and deeply honored besides.”

SHANNON MARDER (SAR) is a doctoral candidate studying Occupational Therapy. Her doctoral project is in the realm of horticulture therapy, where she hopes to connect the therapeutic power of gardening, the needs of older adults, and the growing problem of social isolation and loneliness. She has a BS in History from the U.S. Naval Academy. Before studying at BU, Shannon was a Surface Warfare Officer in the Navy. She is also a soon to be first time mom, expecting July 2020.

“I’m honored, flattered, and grateful to be an award recipient.”

CASSANDRA PIERRE-JEROME (GSDM) is a DMD candidate at Boston University Henry M Goldman School of Dental Medicine. Prior to moving to Boston, she earned her Master of Science degree at Johns Hopkins University. Cassandra Pierre-Jerome is a devoted volunteer with a passion for service, mentoring, and reducing health disparities. As a dental student, she serves as President of the Student National Dental Association and Vice President of the Hispanic Student Dental Association. She volunteers regularly as a screener and an oral health educator, reaching the underserved in Boston. She actively helps recruit and support underrepresented predental and dental students. Ms. Pierre-Jerome aspires to expand the scope of her community outreach to help bridge the access gap and elevate the status of marginalized groups through education.

“I want to express how honored and grateful I am to be selected for a Boston University Women’s Council Scholarship for the academic year 2020-2021.  I am appreciative for the recognition of my academic and community efforts and this investment into my future inspires me to continue to give back.”

ROXANNE SEGINA (SAR) is a master’s student in the Speech-Language Pathology program in Sargent College. She received her B.A. in Spanish & Linguistics from Boston University in 2019. She aims to offer high quality speech and language services to her future clients, and she hopes to set an example for first generation students interested in pursuing advanced degrees.

KYLIE WOODALL (SAR) is a second-year graduate student in Boston University’s Entry-Level Occupational Therapy Doctorate program with interests in trauma-informed care, health disparities, and maternal and child health. Prior to returning to graduate school, Kylie served as the Lead Housing Specialist at the Homeless Prenatal Program in San Francisco, CA and received her bachelor’s degree in Health Promotion at the University of Georgia.

“This was wonderful news! I am in such sincere gratitude to the Women’s Guild. “

AMY KUNBERGER (CFA) is an artist and graphic designer from the Boston area. She is halfway through the MFA in Graphic Design program here at BU. She has been working as a graphic designer professionally since 2005, focusing on non-profit marketing, publication design, and branding for small businesses. With her MFA, Amy plans on sharing her love of art and design with her future students. Amy lives on the North Shore of Massachusetts with her husband and two daughters.

“I am very honored and humbled. This will make a significant difference for me while working on my MFA!”

MACIE FLETCHER (SAR) is a graduate student at Boston University working towards a doctorate degree in Occupational Therapy. She holds a bachelor degree in exercise science from the University of Vermont, and a master degree in health and exercise science from Wake Forest University. Macie aspires to return to her home in Northern Vermont after graduation to work on health care accessibility in rural communities.

“Thank you so much for this opportunity. I cannot express how much financial stress this scholarship lifts off my shoulders.”

DR. BOLANLE (BOLA) BANIGBE (SPH) is a physician and doctor of public health (DrPH) candidate at the school of Public Health. Her current research aims to inform the design of a comprehensive health system response to cardiovascular diseases in Nigeria.

She is a mom of two, and an Activist fellow with the Office of Local and Regional Health (OLRH) at The Massachusetts Department of Public Health, where she is helping to implement activities aimed at strengthening cross jurisdictional sharing in Massachusetts.

SIGAL VAX (SAR) is a Ph.D. candidate in the Rehabilitation Sciences program at Sargent College. She moved to Boston with her husband and three kids to pursue  advanced studies after working in the field of community mental health for 17 years as an occupational therapist, a trainer, a consultant, and a director of vocational rehabilitation services. Her research focuses on developing methodologies for increasing the uptake of evidence-based practices to support the recovery and community participation of people with psychiatric disabilities.

“I feel honored and lucky to be part of the BU community that supports her students and acknowledge their wish to make an impact. Today more than ever, as we are forced to stay away from the campus, it feels good to know our efforts are being recognized.”

MAJA CARRION (SPH) is a DrPH student at BU SPH and a full-time lecturer at BU’s Sargent College in the Department of Health Sciences. She has spent over 12 years leading and managing public health projects and research in Asia, Africa, South America, Europe, and the US. Her primary research interests are Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) and their control, elimination, and eradication. Her doctoral work is focused on Chagas disease in the United States, with an emphasis on Massachusetts.

MAYOWA ALADE (SPH) is a first year DrPH student at the Boston University School of Public Health and a medical doctor by training.  Prior to starting the DrPH program, she worked with the World Bank in Nigeria where she provided technical support for maternal and child health (MCH) programs focused on improving access and quality of MCH services. Her research interests lie at the intersection of health policy and systems strengthening to improve child health outcomes in poor and vulnerable populations in LMICs.

“ I am truly honored to be one of the 2020 recipients of the Boston University Women’s Guild Award. This award was a glimpse of hope during this difficult and uncertain time. Thank you for your generous offer, this will go a long way in achieving my academic and career goals. I remain humbled by this opportunity.”

FOUZ ALJAMEEL (CFA) is an MA student in the philosophy of art education in the College of Fine Arts at Boston University.  She received a BS in fine art from King Abdulaziz University in Saudi Arabia. In her studies, she focuses on researching the history and philosophy of art education in the United States of America and Saudi Arabia. She is very interested in studying the role of the arts in developing the conditions of Saudi women to obtain their rights.

KIRA GANGA KIEFFER (GRS) is a Ph.D. candidate specializing in American Religious History. She graduated magna cum laude with Honors in Religion and History from Brown University in 2008. Her dissertation research examines contemporary contestations over authority in the United States through the interactions between religion, alternative health movements, politics, and consumption.

JEANNA KINNEBREW (GRS) is a Ph.D. candidate in the History department, studying the intersection of public health, gender, and philanthropy. Her dissertation, “Inventing Sexual Health in the Puritan City, 1929-1980,” explores how Boston-area organizations shaped national sexual health policy.  A first generation college student, Jeanna holds an A.B. degree from Harvard University, and worked for Planned Parenthood and the ACLU before joining BU. She is the proud parent of a four-year-old son.

KATE MITCHELL (SPH), MPH, is a doctoral candidate at Boston University School of Public Health. Kate works at the intersection of public health policy, practice, research, and communications to improve the quality of maternal-newborn healthcare. Her dissertation is focused on respectful maternity care at a large public hospital in the Dominican Republic. She is collaborating with colleagues to better understand the experiences of women as they give birth as well as the experiences of providers as they support women giving birth.

REITUMETSE L. PULUMO (MET) first fell in love with programming during an undergraduate elective course. After graduating with a BA in Neuroscience, from Wellesley College, she worked in clinical research at Massachusetts General Hospital. This past year, she finally decided to pursue her love of programming through an MS in Software Development at BU. She hopes to marry her undergraduate background in Neuroscience and current research in Neuroendocrinology with her graduate work in Software Development to advance the convergence of digital technology with healthcare delivery.

“It is an honor to be a recipient of the Boston University Women’s Guild Award. Thanks to this generous offer, I am one step closer in my academic pursuits and long-term career goals.”

Amy M. SCOTT (GRS)is a PhD candidate in Biological Anthropology. Her dissertation research investigates the interaction between male and female reproductive strategies in orangutans. She conducts fieldwork on wild orangutans in the rainforest in Borneo and genetics laboratory research in Jakarta and Boston. This research will contribute to our understanding of sexual selection and sexual conflict in primates.

ANGELICA SIERRA (SSW) is a graduate student at BU’s School of Social Work.  She decided to get her MSW after years of working diligently within her local and surrounding communities with under-served populations to address socioeconomic inequities. Angelica is interested in clinical practice as well as social policy, and how systems that affect individuals, groups and communities are examined from a macro perspective. Angelica is committed to her community and invested in becoming a better agent of change.

GRADUATE PRIZE

VAL OTAROD is a writer and editor from Scranton, Pennsylvania. She is currently completing her MFA at Boston University, where she is the 2019-2020 Leslie Epstein Fellow and an intern at AGNI magazine. Previously, she worked in the children’s publishing group at Macmillan.

UNDERGRADUATE PRIZE

MAKENZIE ARNOLDS MAGEE for “Baby Bird.”  She was born and raised in Dallas, Texas, and is a rising COM junior currently pursuing a degree in media science.  She has had a passion for writing since she was a little girl and looks to everyday, seemingly mundane life for inspiration in her work.