Doctoral Students
Dawit Demissie, Doctoral Candidate.
Dawit Demissie is a Ph.D candidate at the College of Computing and Information (CCI), University at Albany. He received a BS in Computer Science from The State University of New York at Oswego, and an MS degree in Telecommunications & Network Management (TNM) from Syracuse University.
Before joining the INF PHD program, he had been a Software Test Engineer at Applied Theory and prior to that, he served as a System Consultant at SUNY-Oswego. He also had been an adjunct IT Instructor at Hudson Valley Community College, University at Albany, Bryant & Stratton College-Albany Campus, SUNY-Oswego, Le Moyne College, Onondaga Community College, and Syracuse City School District.
His research interests include empirical testing of models and theories of information technology (IT) use, acceptance, and adoptions, E-government index computation frameworks, cross-boundaries information sharing and integration, and knowledge management.
Mary Graham, Third Year Doctoral student.
Mary Graham graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University at Albany, having received her B.S. in Mathematics and Computer Science. Currently she is a third year Graduate Research Assistant at the University at Albany's College of NanoScale Science & Engineering, where she is actively pursuing her Ph.D. in the field of NanoBiotechnology. Her research focuses on the fabrication of antifouling nano-scaled topography for the prevention of bacterial adhesion on polymeric substrates.
Keith Gonzales, Ph.D. Candidate
Keith Gonzales is a fifth year PhD student in Dr. Christine Wagner’s laboratory within the Psychology department. While pursuing his bachelor’s degree at University at Albany, he met Dr. Wagner through the NSF funded Research Experience for Undergraduates program. After hearing about her work, he decided to continue his graduate training at UAlbany.
His research is aimed towards elucidating the mechanism by which estradiol exerts its effects through interactions with ERα and ERβ in the developing mammalian brain. His findings will contribute to the poorly understood actions of estradiol in the brain, which will support the advancement of reducing potentially harmful neural and behavioral side effects of hormonal drug treatments in women.
Throughout Keith’s graduate career at UAlbany, he has been invited to speak about his research at the Annual Meeting of the Endocrine Society, won awards for excellence in research from the Endocrine Society, and recently has been appointed to the NIH funded Neuroscience Scholars Program from the Society for Neuroscience.
With the support of funding agencies, SUNY’s UAlbany AGEP, and his advisor, his goal is to finish his dissertation work this year and secure a post-doctoral fellowship the following year.
Sascha McKeon, Second Year Doctoral Student
Sascha McKeon was born and raised on the island of Kauai, Hawaii to a teacher/nurse practitioner and a fire fighter. Early on in her life, medical science and service were driving forces that fueled her ambition. She graduated from high school as a junior and completed her bachelor’s in biomolecular science in three years. She took time off from school to evaluate her options and worked as a science educator in Hawaii for youths and young adults from a range of ages, including 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders, as well as undergraduate students.
Currently she is pursuing a Ph.D. in Infectious Diseases at the University at Albany, SUNY. After completion of her terminal degree, she hopes to teach at a small liberal arts college. During her first year in the Biomedical Science program, she participated in research involving the identification of the gene(s) responsible for tuberculosis latency, designed a multiplex PCR protocol for Staphyloccocus enterotoxins C, D and TSST and now conducts research for the Vector Biology and Population Genetics Laboratory at Wadsworth Center’s Griffin Laboratories. Her thesis research will focus on the delineation of hypothesized cryptic species in the Albitarsis complex, a close family of mosquito species, which are regionally important vectors of Malaria. Sascha has also participated in two poster sessions, demonstrating her preliminary research along a horizontal transect of the Amazon River and the identification of several mosquito populations, including what appears to be a new species. She also completed her first qualifying exam and scored in the top 5 of her class. When she is not studying or working in the lab, Sascha enjoys reading fictional stories and spending time with her husband and two dogs.
Carmelle Sanders, First Year Doctoral Student
Carmelle Sanders is from Westchester, NY. She starts with the Biology Department this fall and is very excited and honored to have been admitted to both UAlbany and AGEP. Carmelle earned a Bachelor’s degree in Biology in 2006, and has been working at Avon Products most recently. Her school activities included being a McNair Scholar and an Honors Scholar through the CSTEP program. As a McNair scholar she completed a research project on Human Limb Development and Defects Using the Avian Model. This research was presented at Mercy College and the Community in summer of 2005. After further laboratory experiments, the updated research result was presented at the Southwestern Regional Meeting of the Society for Developmental Biology at the University at Boulder, Colorado in October 2005.
As an Honors scholar, she prepared a thesis paper on the FGF Gene Family’s Involvement in Cancer Development. The paper was completed in summer of 2006.
She had volunteered at the Albert Einstein Cancer Center for a period of five months in fall 2004 until late spring 2005. As a volunteer, she investigated the effects of a psycho-spiritual (P-S) versus psycho-educational (P-E) intervention to improve the quality of life, and the outcome among advanced stage cancer patients within the urban, multi-ethnic cancer center. She had also completed a clinical rotation in fall 2005 at Montefiore Hospital in Bronx, NY shadowing the Emergency Room Coordinator, Dr. Holden; a contact and experience that was fostered through the Beta Beta Charter at Mercy College.
Her personal goals are to earn a PhD in Molecular Biology and perhaps also obtain an MD in Obstetrics and Gynecology with a specialization in Oncology. Her personal achievements are being a mother and a student. She felt that without her mentors and advisors at Mercy, the unbelievable support from her husband, and the friendships that she had forged, she could not have reach so far into her plans. She hopes to complete her goals here at UAlbany, and knows that AGEP will provide her with many opportunities to do just that.
Ph.D. Recipients
Dr. Nelson Sivers
Dr. Nelson Sivers received his Ph.D. in Physics from the University at Albany, SUNY in 2006. Currently he is a research fellow at the General Electric (GE) Global Research Center. He is part of an engineering team that is developing medical digital x-ray imagers, which are a replacement for x-ray film. In this picture, he is standing next to his mentor and doctoral advisor Dr. Susanne Lee.
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