Our 2016 Speakers

		Mario Capecchi ’56 Distinguished Professor of Human Genetics and Biology, University of Utah Mario received the 2007 Nobel Laureate in Physiology and Medicine. His talk will be about how his work with genetic manipulation is opening new possibilities in cognitive science, including adaptive strategies for addressing the illnesses of the brain that are so prevalent in an aging society. Read more.			Kevin Lewis ’99 Assistant Professor, Earth & Planetary Sciences, Johns Hopkins University As a post-doctoral fellow at Princeton University, Kevin was a member of the NASA team that conducted research using the Curiosity rover and his work has found links between climate variability in the thick sequence of sedimentary rocks and the forces that may be responsible for climate change. Read more.

		Sarah Dohle ’01 Assistant Professor, Plant Science, Delaware Valley University Sarah is an assistant professor in the Plant Science Department at Delaware Valley University, teaching crop science classes to the next generation of growers, researchers and eaters. She is interested in broadening the genetic base of agriculture to increase diversity in our food systems as a way to help improve agriculture and mitigate the effects of climate change. Read more.			Joseph Ravenell ’92 Associate Professor of Population Health and Medicine, NYU School of Medicine Joseph will speak about his innovative approach to clinical practice. In parallel with developing unique expertise in multi-level cardiovascular and cancer research, Joseph is a leader in hypertension clinical care and training and has pioneered the practice of taking hypertension screening out to African-American barber shops in New York City. Read more.

		Dr. Kanani Titchen Adolescent Medicine Fellow, Children’s Hospital at Montefiore; Co-chair, Physicians Against the Trafficking of Humans (PATH) In response to research to identify healthcare providers’ knowledge about human trafficking, Kanani created a series of educational videos and an interactive website to educate medical professionals about sex trafficking victims. PATH has also conducted webinars and supported local conferences on the issue of human sex trafficking. Read more.			Dr. Timothy Block President and Co-Founder, Hepatitis B Foundation, its Baruch S. Blumberg Institute, and the PA Biotechnology Center Timothy is co-founder and president of the Baruch S. Blumberg Institute and the Hepatitis B Foundation, created in 1991 to research a cure for Hepatitis B. He has been involved in hepatitis research for more than twenty-five years and is internationally recognized for his scholarship and scientific contributions to the field. Read more.

		Dr. Sigrid Adriaenssens Structural Engineer and Associate Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Princeton University Sigrid focuses on one of the most exciting and innovative areas of structural and architectural engineering concerns—the exploration of thin shell membranes as possible alternatives to a world of shrinking material resources. Read more.			Radhika Thekkath Co-Founder and CEO, AgiVox AgiVox is an early-stage start-up company devoted to bringing about hands-free and eyes-free mobile access to online content. The cloud-based software is a “talking newspaper” that turns news media and online news sources into audible and interactive news providers. Read more.

		Andrea Barthello Co-Founder, ThinkFun Andrea Barthello and her husband Bill Ritchie founded ThinkFun in 1985 with a dream. They wanted to change the world through play. Their mission was to translate the brilliant ideas of the craziest mathematicians, engineers, and inventors into simple toys that make learning fun – at any age. Read more.			Christine Cox Artistic and Executive Director, BalletX In 2005, Christine co-founded BalletX with Matthew Neenan and has become a respected arts leader in the city of Philadelphia. BalletX unites distinguished choreographers with an outstanding company of world-class dancers to forge new works of athleticism, emotion, and grace. Read more.

		Alison Grantham Agroecologist & Farm Sourcing Operations Manager, Blue Apron Alison is the Farm Sourcing Operations Manager at Blue Apron, a meal kit delivery service the sends weekly recipes and ingredients for people to cook at home. Today, Blue Apron ships eight-million boxed meals every month. Alison is part of the team that looks at crop data to decide what to grow and when, and works closely with farmers in a crop-planning system that turns the traditional retailer-grower relationship upside down. Read more.			Victor Khodadad ’85 Co-Founder, New Camerata Opera Victor is one of the founders of New Camerata Opera, an organization designed to broaden the reach of opera to current and future generations by offering a wide range of repertoire through both live performances and digital media. One of their exciting new projects is Opera Shorts for YouTube. Read more.

		Matt Morris ’89 Founder and CEO, VisibleHand, Inc. Matt is the founder and CEO of VisibleHand, Inc. a company that developed innovate mobile software to better connect clinicians and caretakers of patients with behavioral challenges. The company champions active engagement over passive interaction where caregivers aren’t just accountable to the chain of command, but to each other. Read more.			Ralph Lelii International Baccalaureate Program Coordinator, George School For the past twenty years Ralph has been the director of the International Baccalaureate Diploma program at George School. Read more.