The Future is Now

and LVC Alumni are Leading the Charge

Valley alumni are at the cutting-edge of many fields, transforming the country—and the world.

I HAVE A VERY HIGH TOLERANCE FOR FAILURE…AND THINK IT’S IMPORTANT TO HAVE A PLAN—ALBEIT ONE WRITTEN IN PENCIL.

It’s the can-do attitude of alumni like Angie Magazino ’07 who are exploring new and advancing technologies, science research, health professions, and businesses and helping change the world. They are not afraid of failure, are flexible and adaptable, and confront change as a challenge and opportunity—traits gained during their LVC humanities education. They’re also willing to travel to learn and lead the way, with these 11 graduates having lived, worked, studied, or interned in 15 states, Washington, D.C., and six countries.

Spatially Resolved Transcriptomics, bio-MEMS, and Immunotherapy

Dr. Mary Olanich ’05

I kept thinking about my grandmother, who passed away from liver cancer only a few months after diagnosis. She presented with very mild symptoms at diagnosis, and I was interested in how a disease could be so quietly aggressive.

Like many LVC alumni before her, Dr. Mary Olanich ’05 is in cancer research. A biology and neurobiology major who earned a Fulbright Fellowship to conduct research and study in France, Olanich was influenced by a life event to transition from neuroscience to a different research area once starting her graduate training at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Mo.

“I kept thinking about my grandmother, who passed away from liver cancer only a few months after diagnosis,” said Olanich. “She presented with very mild symptoms at diagnosis, and I was interested in how a disease could be so quietly aggressive.”

This curiosity led her to study molecular oncology. Specifically, Olanich chose a thesis mentor who studied a canonical tumor suppressor frequently inactivated in many human malignancies. She added additional knowledge during her post-doctoral training at the National Cancer Institute (NCI).

Today, Olanich is the scientific manager at Leidos Biomedical Research Inc. in Rockville, Md., where she leads a molecular and digital pathology laboratory that fully supports investigators at the NCI’s Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics.

“We are essentially a core facility, which allows me to collaborate with numerous scientists, work with multiple tumor types, and use the newest, cutting-edge technologies and instrumentation,” noted Olanich.

Olanich has a helpful way of describing her challenging to understand research to the general population.

“Tumor heterogeneity is a major challenge in cancer biology. If one thinks of a tumor as a fruit salad, it might comprise chopped strawberries, blueberries, grapes, and mangoes. In the past, the best we could do to characterize a tumor molecularly was to take that fruit salad, put it in a blender to make a smoothie, and then take part of the smoothie and sequence it. We would learn the fruits present and their relative abundance from sequencing data, but that approach provided no spatial information. Spatial context, however, is important—it matters where the pieces of fruit are located. For example, a biopsy might sample from a region with only blueberries, and there could be negative prognostic or treatment implications for missing the other fruits present.”

In January 2021, Nature Methods named spatially resolved transcriptomics as the Method of the Year 2020.

“Spatially resolved transcriptomics allow us to detect the presence and numbers of strawberries, blueberries, grapes, and mangoes and determine how they are arranged in relation to one another. My research group has added new spatial technology platforms to our laboratory, and I expect to see the fruits of our labor soon,” said Olanich with a laugh.

Rebecca Campbell ’19

Rebecca Campbell ’19 uses her LVC physics degree to research another potential cancer breakthrough, which could also alleviate some of the treatment side effects that Olanich noted. A Ph.D. candidate in electrical engineering at Temple University, Campbell’s research focus is to develop a bio-MEMS (bio-microelectromechanical system) device capable of delivering targeted, localized treatments against tumors. She also was inspired due to the loss of a grandmother to cancer.

According to her LVC advisor, Dr. Keith Veenhuizen, director of cooperative engineering and assistant professor of physics, “Rebecca’s research has the potential to improve the lives of millions of people undergoing cancer treatment by reducing side-effects.”

“Bio-MEMS are devices that go inside or on the body [biocompatible] and perform a task using a mechanical or electrical component,” explained Campbell. “These devices must be on the micro-scale.

“The primary draw of the micro implantable cisplatin generator is reducing the side effects associated often with cancer treatments. Many side effects from systematic chemotherapy are caused by the cisplatin attacking healthy non-tumorous cells. By introducing the cisplatin regionally within the tumor, less of the drug is needed, and fewer non-tumorous cells are affected.”

Providing Opportunity for Youth

Munyaradzi “Munya” Jakazi ’10

In being connected more than ever through advances in technology, our world is much smaller— through economics and trade, entertainment, the increased exposure to people of different cultures and ethnicities, and, unfortunately, recently a global health pandemic.

This aspiration to help others is the foundation of LVC’s mission— and the basis for the career paths of many other alumni, including Munyaradzi “Munya” Jakazi ’10, a program officer at World Learning in Washington, D.C., who oversees its Iraqi Young Leaders Exchange Program for Undergraduate Students.

“I always was geared toward a career in the service of others,” said Jakazi, who hopes to found and run an organization that provides youth in need with opportunities for education, employment, and entrepreneurship.

Turns out, Jakazi, who hails from Zimbabwe, made the right choice. Since graduating slightly more than a decade ago, his internships and work have taken him worldwide, including positions as a program facilitator for Jovenes en Accion (Youth in Action) Digital Program and senior program associate for the International Visitor Leadership Program, which the U.S. Department of State funds.

“Having had the privilege and opportunity to encounter, inspire, and impact the lives of youth in the Philippines, South Africa, Iraq, across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), as well as here in the U.S., has been profound,” shared Jakazi.

“I was inspired to an international development career by my upbringing in Zimbabwe—seeing the necessity to offer those in need the opportunities and tools to succeed in life—and my Peace Corps experience,” said Jakazi, who served for three years in the Philippines.

“Youth, in whichever society or country, hold the keys to the future. That is why it is important to reach and inspire them during their formative years.”

Angie Magazino’s ’07 post-graduate journey began as a high school English teacher but quickly expanded to helping youth and adults throughout the country.

“After graduation, I set out to do the job I’d always dreamed of: teaching. I loved being a teacher, but I realized after a few years that I wanted to teach people, not English.”

Magazino’s sense of adventure has taken her to four states and Washington, D.C., where she recently became chief of program and training with Hugh O’Brian Youth (HOBY). This educational non-profit focuses on teaching lifelong leadership skills to participants around the world.

“I went to HOBY when I was 15 years old and have volunteered with them for 14 years. In my new role, I will enhance our youth leadership programs and create a lifelong leadership journey for alumni and volunteers,” said Magazino.

Before HOBY, Magazino worked in various positions at Michigan State University, Dickinson College, and the College of William & Mary, but is probably proudest of co-founding Girls With Ideas in 2015.

“We created Girls With Ideas because of our passion for female-led leadership and the understanding that experiences as a leader can differ dramatically based on gender identity,” said Magazino. “The ideal intervention age for a girl is nine years old—that’s when her confidence peaks and social pressures creep in, for better or for worse.

Magazino said “she will always be a teacher at heart, wherever her career takes her.”

Darnell Epps. ’08

Darnell Epps ’08 is similarly inclined to help youth overcome, persevere, and succeed.

After graduating from LVC with a degree in music education and earning a master’s degree in music at Washington State University, Epps used his time as an LVC Valley Ambassador [admission tour guide] to launch a career as a college diversity officer and recruiter. Recently, he returned to secondary education to become director of fair play (diversity, equity, and inclusion) at the Hawken School in Lyndhurst, Ohio.

Epps, originally from Maryland, was drawn to LVC by several factors.

“My high school band director knew of LVC and the strong reputation of the Music Department. I found it especially appealing that the department offered a conservatory-style music education in a liberal-arts setting. I knew I wanted the freedom and flexibility to study other subjects I was interested in, such as sociology, religion, and film.”

Though still active in music, Epps’ Valley Ambassador work gave him a glimpse into higher education as a career choice.

“I LOVED showing prospective students and families around LVC’s campus and helping influence their college decision,” said Epps.

After earning his master’s at Washington State, Epps worked in higher education with stints as associate director of the Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Access, and Social Justice (IDEAS) Center at Allegheny College, and senior assistant director of admissions and coordinator of multicultural recruitment, also at Allegheny.

Epps has crucial advice to help colleges like LVC recruit and retain diverse students and help them feel welcome and succeed.

“Colleges can work closely with high school counselors and college-bound organizations to consider enrolling underrepresented students in cohorts,” said Epps. “Colleges should offer on-campus and community programming and training on topics such as implicit bias, microaggressions, gender, consent, sexism, LGBTQ+ inclusion, race and racism, ability and disability. Establish strong bias reporting protocols; listen and take meaningful action when issues arise. Having these topics and foundations interwoven throughout the life of the College will help diverse students feel better represented and supported.

“LVC alumni, specifically, can help create structures for formal and informal mentoring to occur. Help students connect with important alumni networks for internship and career opportunities, and establish scholarships to assist students with all financial costs associated with attending college.”

Gaming for a Living

Bradley Snyder ’11

Staying along musical lines, Bradley Snyder ’11 works at the cutting-edge of sound technology as a lead audio designer. His career started through a chance meeting that ended with him enrolling as a music recording technology (now audio & music production) major at The Valley.

“I was in high school planning on a career in animation, focused on 2-D Art, while also picking up my first guitar,” said Snyder. “I attended a Christian conference in the Midwest, where I saw this massive praise concert and introduced myself to one of the band’s guitarists. He turned out to be Chris Keeney ’04, a fellow Lancaster resident attending LVC for MRT. He became my guitar teacher and encouraged me to enroll at LVC. Somehow way out in the Midwest, I bumped into the catalyst for my current career path and trajectory.”

Coincidentally, a classmate and future department adjunct professor, Dave Nazario ’09, provided the next rung on Snyder’s ladder. He also made Snyder, an avid gamer since the age of four or five, realize that he could combine his love for sound and gaming into an amazing career.

“Dave interned at Insomniac Games in Burbank, Calif., during my junior year, and I knew I needed to find out more about how he nailed that gig,” said Snyder. “I followed in his footsteps, getting an internship at Insomniac the following year.

“I was paid to work on video games during my internship in 2010 while being in sunny California. I was making sound effects that would ship in a game millions of people would play.”

This dream lifestyle didn’t initially pan out for Snyder as Insomniac wasn’t hiring at his position by the time he graduated. But, ever persevering, Snyder eventually returned to California, landing a gig at Respawn Entertainment in Los Angeles.

His first project was on the Titanfall game, which received more than 100 award nominations at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), including several for audio. Snyder also worked on Titanfall 2, which IGN, a prominent video game news and culture website, ranked as the second-best game all-time in its category.

Snyder recently left Respawn after almost nine years to join Unbroken Studios, a small independent group. He can’t say yet what he is working on but knows “it will be a fun project for people to enjoy.”

Kyle Wagner, CFP, ’14

Kyle Wagner, CFP, ’14 also works in the burgeoning video gaming industry. Wagner, a financial advisor with Wagner Wealth Management, advises professional esports players and social media content creators. He is also a caster for professional esports competitions with Complexity Gaming, a professional esports organization partially owned by Jerry Jones, owner of the National Football League’s Dallas Cowboys.

Like Snyder, Wagner soon realized he could pair his two loves— finance and gaming—into a rewarding vocation.

“I’ve been fortunate to be a caster with Complexity Gaming in Dallas, Texas,” said Wagner. “I broadcast competitive events in World of Warcraft that Complexity airs on Twitch as part of their commentary team.”

And the business is growing each year. According to the Esports Reporter, total industry revenue eclipsed $1 billion in 2020.

“There’s an entire generation who grew up playing. video games,” said Wagner. “They see esports the same way as previous generations view traditional sports such as Major League Baseball. Regardless of the sport, people enjoy watching the best-of-the-best compete.”

Wagner has big plans for the future.

“I want to become known as the ‘esports financialadvisor.’ If you are a highly successful streamer, You-Tuber, or professional esports competitor, I want to bethe person you think of when you need help withyour finances.”

Innovation in Major League Baseball

Dr. Andrew Pipkin ’08, D’11

Dr. Andrew Pipkin ’08, D’11 is a physical therapist and medical director in Major League Baseball (MLB). His young career has taken him to four states and pursuing a master’s degree from Australian Catholic University to his current role with MLB’s Toronto Blue Jays.

Along the way, Pipkin gained skills and expertise withMLB’s Cleveland Indians (minor league rehab coordinator in Arizona), The Ohio State University Wexner MedicalCenter (upper extremity athlete fellowship), University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics (sports physical therapy residency), and is in the process of pursuing a master’s in high performance sport in Australia.

In Toronto, Pipkin uses evidence-based medicine and performance principles to develop injury prevention and rehabilitation programming for the team’s professional athletes.

“We use the latest technology in sport and performance areas to better quantify what an athlete’s activity, or workload, is on a given day, and also how they are responding to this workload,” said Pipkin. “This allows us to manage injury progressions better and monitor athlete’s workload to reduce the risk of injuries.”

Pipkin is grateful to LVC’s physical therapy faculty for creating his fondness for continuous learning. He also shared some professional advice for current majors.

“My physical therapy faculty have been incredibly supportive since my student days,” he said. “LVC’s program instilled in me the values of continuing to learn and improve myself even after I graduated.”

LOS ALAMOS SCIENTIST

Dr. Katherine Myers Mesick ’05

Dr. Katherine Myers Mesick ’05 is on a career trajectory similar to Dr. Elizabeth Miller Bains ’64, one of LVC’s earliest female physics majors. But unlike Bains, who spent much of her career as a NASA scientist, Mesick is exploring space in another dimension through her role as a member of the Space Science and Applications (SSA) group at the Los Alamos National Lab in New Mexico.

Mesick’s expertise is in designing and testing radiation detectors for nonproliferation and space applications. She also conducts data analysis and simulations for nuclear physics and planetary science applications.

“The U.S. has flown radiation detectors in space since the 1963 Limited Test Ban Treaty between us, the United Kingdom, and then-Soviet Union,” said Mesick. “The treaty prohibits the testing of nuclear weapons underwater, in the atmosphere, or space. We deploy radiation sensors on various space platforms to verify treaty compliance.”

Mesick needed extensive training and education to achieve such a distinguished position of national safety. She earned her Ph.D. in physics from George Washington University in Washington, D.C., working on research at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility and a post-doctorate at Rutgers University.

Now, Mesick and her Los Alamos colleagues assess several types of radiation.

“The radiative outputs from a nuclear weapon include neutrons, gamma-rays, and x-rays, so we design radiation detectors for each of these signatures,” said Mesick. “There are detectors optimized for each radiation type. For treaty monitoring, our charge is to be able to detect, locate, and report nuclear detonations.”

In addition, Mesick and her SSA group perform research beyond radiation detection.

“Our group does a lot of basic science research—studying the Earth’s magnetosphere, studying the Sun and interactions at the interstellar boundary, gamma-ray astrophysics, and planetary science, to name a few.

“I’ve always been fascinated by space. I ended up studying nuclear physics in graduate school, and I’m so happy that I found a job where I can do both—nuclear physics in space!”

WORKING ACROSS THE AISLE

The Hon. Bryan Cutler, Esq., ’01

When we understand each other, we understand how we make decisions. When we understand and respect each other, we can solve problems.

The Hon. Bryan Cutler, Esq., ’01 took a circuitous path to become the Speaker of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. After earning his associate’s degree in radiology, he attended LVC’s then-Lancaster campus to earn his bachelor’s degree. He took evening and Saturday classes while working second- and third-shift at Lancaster General Hospital. Cutler didn’t stop there.

“I had a lifelong dream of going to law school,” said Cutler. “I ultimately chose Widener University, due to its nationally ranked Health Law Program and my unique background from the clinical and business sides of healthcare.”

Cutler continued combining interests and knowledge through volunteering at the township level for the local planning commission.

“I became frustrated with Harrisburg. That was 2006 when the Legislature voted themselves a substantial pay raise,” noted Cutler. “I started looking for someone to support in the election, but after a couple of people asked me why I wasn’t running, I decided to do so.

“I was raised that you never asked someone to do something that you wouldn’t be willing to do yourself. In this case, it meant learning how to run a campaign during my third year in law school. I ran the contested primary against the incumbent during my final semester, won the primary on Tuesday, and graduated that Saturday.”

Cutler handily won his subsequent elections and became Republican Majority Leader in 2018 and Speaker of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives in 2020. During his government tenure, he has supported and welcomed bipartisan support of efforts to improve the lives of all residents of the Commonwealth.

“I always try to visit numerous districts to understand people and their communities,” added Cutler. “When we understand and respect each other, we can solve problems.”

DATA-INFORMED CHANGE

Dr. Gregory. Phillips II ’05

Dr. Gregory Phillips II ’05, an assistant professor at Northwestern University in Chicago,Ill., researches COVID-19 testing and prevention behaviors among racial/ethnic minority and sexual and gender minority (SGM)young people with funding from a new National Institutes of Health (NIH) initiative. He and his colleagues have conducted extensive data-driven research to explore concerns of underrepresented populations in theU.S. and potential solutions.

This past summer, Phillips conducted a study focused on the impact of COVID-19 on LGBT adults, which served as pilot data for his new NIH funding.

“Due to these preliminary results and the omnipresent concern about students returning to school, we thought it was vital that someone collected information on LGBT youth and young adults to see how the pandemic has impacted them and their families.”

Phillips has conducted other research projects to benefit underrepresented groups.

“I’ve overseen the evaluation of Chicago’s HIV funding portfolio for the last six years, and the ability to work directly with diverse agencies throughout the city has been rewarding. Many of those early interactions have turned into positive and prolific research partnerships that are informed by community priorities, and that meaningfully include the community of interest throughout the process.”

Phillips stresses areas of concern and improvement.

“My work has been increasingly focused on developing structural interventions as the only way to directly address the root causes of stigma (e.g., racism, homophobia, transphobia). We need to change the system in which people are embedded.

“Despite a clear need for structural interventions for all conditions, not just HIV or COVID-19, funders have been reluctant to support their development. We’ve worked to highlight the need for structural change in commentaries and systematic reviews, and I hope that we’ll be able to make progress toward changing the funding paradigm.”