Together, the Newcomb Scholars make up a community of diverse thinkers, leaders, and activists, which challenges and empowers them to be innovative and compassionate feminist leaders in the 21st century. Since the program's inception in 2009, more than 150 Newcomb Scholars have gone on to pursue graduate degrees and careers in a variety of fields around the world. Your contribution to the Scholars Program will allow us to continue this work and to expand the program to reach more students.
Amelia Bayroff (SLA '16)
Law student at St. John's University
View Amelia's LinkedIn
"Newcomb Scholars allowed me to embrace my commitment to liberal arts and to hone in on my reading, writing, and research skills. My enhanced liberal arts education and my development of these skills further confirmed my path towards law school and a legal career."
Carol Wise Named Scholar
Blaze D'Amico (SLA '20, L *23)
Law Student, Research Assistant, Lobbying Intern
J.D. candidate at Tulane University Law School
View Blaze's LinkedIn
Audrey Davis (SLA '17)
J.D. from Lewis and Clark Law School
Attorney
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Emily Galik (SLA '18)
Law student at University of Pennsylvania
View Emily's LinkedIn
"The Scholars program reinforced the importance of seeking out community in academic and professional settings--especially in settings where there is less attention to intersectionality."
Frances Chesworth Diboll Named Scholar
Kara Ramsey (SLA '14)
J.D. from Cornell Law School
Judicial Law Clerk
Annie Bell (SSE '18, M *22)
B.S. in Cellular and Molecular Biology, Fourth-year medical student at Tulane
View Annie's LinkedIn
"Newcomb Scholars has had a huge impact for me post-graduation. I continue to use the research and writing skills that I gained during my time as a Newcomb Scholar, and I feel so grateful for the leadership and career workshops that have shaped my path."
Kylene and Brad Beers Named Scholar
Maya David (SSE '20)
Current medical student
Briah Fischer (PHTM '13)
M.D., M.P.H from the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California
Resident Physician, OB/GYN
"My fellow Scholars from the inaugural cohort are still friends to this day; these ambitious, driven, thoughtful women have encouraged me to pursue my goals and are just as responsible for where I am today as I am!"
Nicollete Guillou (SE '13)
B.S. in Psychology, Masters of Public Health from Columbia
Senior Associate at Grant Thornton LLP in healthcare advisory and NAA Board Member.
View Nicollete's LinkedIn
Sara Gottesman (SLA '14)
B.A. in Economics, Doctor of Medicine from University of Louisville
Medical Resident
"The Newcomb Scholars Program taught me about the value of good mentorship and the joys of having a cohort of classmates pursuing the same goals."
Amanda V. Hardy (SLA '14, SSE '14)
Resident Physician (combined Internal Medicine and Pediatrics)
"In all honesty, the Newcomb Scholars program helped me transform from a hesitant, apprehensive, young adult who was full of self-doubt into a confident, resilient, and proud woman that recognizes my adversity and intersectionalities not as reasons to stand down, but rather as reasons to stand up. My time with the Newcomb Scholars program showed me that the things I thought would forever create obstacles for me in my quest for meaningful leadership roles were not obstacles at all but instead assets and my very strengths. The Scholars Program helped me to see that my voice matters and that my biggest obstacle, in all honesty, is myself. Newcomb Scholars and my experience with my fantastic cohort and the wonderful learning opportunities provided me with personal and professional tools that have helped me to persevere and stand by what is right without feeling at all apologetic.
Sometimes, though very rarely, I imagine who I would be had I not had the tremendous experience of the program. Admittedly, I do not let myself dwell on that too long because my involvement with the program, and the people involved with the program, helped shape me into the person I am today. And I am extremely proud of that person.
In my career in medicine, I make every effort to advocate for those unable to do so for themselves, I respectfully fight for what is right even when it may not be the most popular opinion, and particularly in my pediatric patients or young adults, I try to be their advocate and encourage them to bet on themselves just as I was encouraged during my time as a Scholar. There are no words to truly capture how my involvement with the Newcomb Scholars program has shaped my life, but I stand by the belief that who I am today is largely because of the investment, time, and belief of the leadership involved as well as the skills I acquired through my experiences and exposures with my cohort.
I will forever be indebted to those who granted me the opportunity to participate in the remarkable journey that was the Scholars program. Whether I wear my Newcomb acorn ring on my hand or on a necklace, I bring it with me to work every day to remind myself who helped me arrive where I am. And while my journey is far from over, I will take a piece of Newcomb with me every step of the way."
Suzanne Raad McShane (SLA '15)
Doctorate of Dental Surgery at University of Buffalo School of Dental Medicine
Dentist
"So much of what I learned with the Scholars program carried me through post-grad life. I still have a wonderful group of Scholar friends. I was able to complete multiple research projects because of my mentors. I got my first job because of recommendations and financial support through the Scholars Program. I learned so many things through the program; my eyes were truly opened."
Patricia Hurley Named Scholar
Prakriti Mehta (SSE '19)
Clinical Researcher
Currently attending medical school
View Prakriti's LinkedIn
"I conduct research now! I am actually currently a Quality Assurance Specialist at a private research company in Metairie, and we conducted the Pfizer, Moderna, and Janssen COVID-19 vaccine trials. Before that, I was a clinical research coordinator for Tulane's Janssen COVID-19 vaccine trial. The Scholars curriculum, from literature reviews to case studies, has actually been very beneficial to me in the clinical sphere. Even though medical research is structured differently than humanities research, the writing up of data is fairly similar in its complexity. Learning how to navigate reading, conducting, and displaying my research has been a great lesson for me, and I am thankful to the program for helping me get this far!"
Samantha Morris (SLA '18)
Medical student at the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine
Frances Chesworth Diboll Named Scholar
Natasha Navejar (SSE '18)
Current medical student at Baylor College of Medicine
View Natasha's LinkedIn
Frances Chesworth Diboll Named Scholar
Tina Nguyen (SLA '18)
M.D. from LSU HSC School of Medicine - New Orleans
"I still think often about what makes for an effective leader as well as how gender shapes the way that I lead. Leadership in Medicine as a whole continues to largely be male and White. I put myself into leadership positions where I feel that I am not well represented, and I have the Scholars program to thank for pushing me to believe that I am capable of doing well in those positions."
Lanier Scott Isom Named Scholar
Michelle Sheena (SSE '16)
Graduate student at University of Illinois at Chicago
"The Newcomb Scholars program exposed me to a field that I didn't know anything about before, and gave me the opportunity to really get to know a cohort of individuals in all fields."
Gene Koss Named Scholar
Mary Bryan (PHTM '15)
Team Lead, User Operations at Yelp
Pursuing an M.B.A. at the University of Pennsylvania
View Mary's LinkedIn
Marjorie Cowen Named Scholar
Meagan Knowlton (SSE '13)
M.A. in Environmental Management from the Nicholas School of the Environment at Duke University
Director, Sustainability
View Meagan's LinkedIn
"I'm still friends with a number of Newcomb Scholars women across the country, whose friendships I hold dear. All of these women are doing excellent work in their fields while also giving back to their communities."
Hannah Dean (SLA '17)
Communications Coordinator and Lead Network Interpreter/Translator
View Hannah's LinkedIn
"My public speaking abilities, as shaped by the Newcomb Scholars program, have been extremely important in my work as an advocate and in the field of communications. I have also used the knowledge that I gained from my thesis research in the positions that I have held in New Orleans since graduation, and that knowledge has fostered a much greater understanding of the issues at hand and how to create more effective solutions for them."
Marjorie Cowen Named Scholar
Sarah Jones (SLA '20)
Research and Outreach Associate
View Sarah's website
"The Newcomb Scholars program has shaped and continues to shape my passion for pursuing a career in research. Having the resources to develop my thesis, allowed me to see the possibilities of how research can start necessary conversations and inform change-making practices."
Marjorie Cowen Named Scholar
Madeline Ninno (SLA '20)
M.P.A. in development practice from Columbia University
Non-profit consultant
View Madeline's LinkedIn
Carol Clarke Smith Named Scholar
Emma Saltzberg
M.P.A. from NYU
Program and Development Officer
View Emma's LinkedIn
"I regularly use the research skills I developed as a Newcomb Scholar. I am currently pursuing new opportunities in public policy analysis/research and have leaned heavily on my research experiences during my time as a Scholar in preparation."
Caroline Sampson (SLA '14)
Senior Admissions Officer, Director of Campus Programs
M.B.A. from Georgetown University
View Caroline's LinkedIn
Lilith Winkler-Schor (SLA '17)
Program Director for Algiers Economic Development Foundation
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Ella Zimbalist (SLA '20)
VISTA, Family Mobility Coordinator at United South End Settlements
Charlotte Grace Sprehn (SSE '12, SSE *14)
B.S. and M.S. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from Tulane
Policy and Agreements Officer at Joint Genome Institute
View Charlotte Grace's LinkedIn
Nina Baumgartner (SSE '16)
Ph.D. in Neuroscience from Tulane
Postdoctoral Researcher
View Nina's LinkedIn
"I met my Ph.D. advisor through the Scholars program when I interviewed her for the second-year scholars class! We immediately hit it off and I joined her lab as an undergrad researcher, then stayed for my Ph.D."
Carol Clarke Smith Named Scholar
Gisele Calderon (SSE '13)
Ph.D from Rice University
Research Associate
View Gisele's LinkedIn
"The Newcomb Scholars program has shaped my life post-graduation by fostering strong interdisciplinary research skills; importantly, because Newcomb Scholars was such a diverse group of women - all excelling in their own field - I learned how to communicate my work to a broad range of people beyond my own field."
Masha Chadovich (SSE '14)
Clinical Research Coordinator at the University of Utah
View Masha's LinkedIn
Meg Harlan (SLA '16, SSE '16)
M.S. and Ph.D from the University of Copenhagen
Ph.D. Candidate at the University of Tasmania
View Meg's LinkedIn
"The great access to resources and encouragement to pursue research set me on the path and prepared me well for graduate school and academic research."
Isabella Johnson (SSE '19, SSE *20)
B.S. and M.S. in Biomedical Engineering from Tulane
Project Manager at Daré Bioscience, Inc.
View Isabella's LinkedIn
"The Newcomb Scholars program helped solidify my interest in pursuing a career focused on women's health, and helped me better understand and articulate my perspective about feminist issues."
Newcomb Alumnae Association Named Scholar
Amie Settlecowski (SSE '15)
Ph.D. candidate at Louisiana State University
View Amie's profile
Victoria Troeger (SSE '13)
M.P.H. from Emory University Rollins School of Public Health
Epidemiologist
Jennie Barker (SLA '16)
Pursuing a Ph.D. in political science, UC Berkeley
View Jennie's LinkedIn
"Our first- and second-year seminars (with Dr. Katy Simpson-Smith) provided such a welcoming environment for intellectual and emotional growth--something that I had been seeking since I first arrived at Tulane. I am still very close friends with members of my cohort, and I still turn to them for both professional and personal advice. I am very thankful for those relationships!"
Patricia Hurley Named Scholar
Julia S. Chen (PHTM '13)
M.P.H. from Emory University Rollins School of Public Health
Senior Consultant, Communications Specialist
View Julia's LinkedIn
Mikayla Stern-Ellis (SE ’17)
B.S. in Ecology, Evolutionary Biology, and Anthropology
Currently studying nutrition in Chennai, India
Marian A. Glenn Named Scholar
Sophia Leonard Falvey (SLA '15, SLA *16)
Ph.D. Candidate in English at Emory University
View Sophia's LinkedIn
"I am grateful to the Newcomb Scholars program for helping to cultivate the critical thinking and research and writing skills that are essential for graduate study. My desire to pursue a doctorate in English grew directly out of my experience designing and developing a senior honors thesis in the Newcomb Scholars program, and I'm thrilled to say that my dissertation, which I'll be turning in very soon, is a continuation of that project, all these years later."
Frances Chesworth Diboll Named Scholar
Kate Grover (SLA '15)
Ph.D. candidate in American Studies at University of Texas at Austin
View Kate's profile
"The Newcomb Scholars program solidified my commitment to feminist research. The projects I first began as a Newcomb Scholar inspired me to pursue a doctoral degree and I'm now a Ph.D. candidate writing a dissertation on gender equity in popular music. I loved the community. It was so inspiring to be around brilliant, engaged, creative scholars that wanted to make the world a better place. I learned so much from my cohort!"
Frances Chesworth Diboll Named Scholar
Tanya Isaac (PHTM '20)
M.P.H. candidate in Environmental Health Sciences at Columbia University
View Tanya's LinkedIn
Sam Perry (SSE '19)
Member Experience Associate
Meredith McInturff (PHTM '17, PHTM *18)
M.P.H. in Epidemiology from Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine
Emergency Preparedness Lead for the New Orleans Health Department at the City of New Orleans
View Meredith's LinkedIn
"Newcomb Scholars gave me opportunities to collaborate with scholars across disciplines early on in college and understanding how individuals of diverse learning and educational/research backgrounds can end up working together to solve big problems. This experience has shaped my work with the City of New Orleans greatly and understanding other prospects to have at the planning/decision-making tables. The Scholars program has also connected me with a great network of motivated and talented scholars who are now all across the country working on big projects, which is an inspiration to keep going when the work feels tough - I can reach out to others who are sharing in similar experiences."
Alexa C. Schwartz (SLA '13, SLA *14)
M.A. in Spanish from Tulane, Ph.D. candidate in Higher Education Leadership and Policy Studies at the University of Houston
Assistant Director of Alumni Programs at Rice University
View Alexa's LinkedIn
"I don't think I would have considered a Ph.D. if I hadn't gained the research, writing, and advocacy skills through the Scholars program. I also made some of my closest friends and found important mentors through the Scholars program and working at the Newcomb Institute during my master's program was an incredibly important professional experience that helped me learn that I wanted to work in higher education. I am a huge advocate for women-centered cohort experiences like the Scholars program and recently presented about women's colleges at a University of Houston leadership conference."
Katie Weaver (SLA '13, SLA *21, SLA *24)
M.A. in Social and Cultural Analysis from NYU, Ph.D candidate in political science at Tulane
Assistant Director, Center for Public Policy Research, The Murphy Institute
View Katie's LinkedIn
"The Newcomb Scholars program taught me that I love research - and that solitary work is made better if you have great colleagues around you to commiserate and just chat with. Also, having good mentors makes the difference between just doing okay and figuring out what you really want to do in life. Sally Kenney's case study class was so much fun - we discussed great cases of all sorts of women in politics and at the same time laughed a lot in every class. Anytime I got advice from Charlotte Maheu, whether in her class in our first-year seminar or more informally, I walked away feeling hopeful and more inspired than before I talked to her."
