Graduation Year: 2018
Type of Work: Clinical Trial Research
Hometown: Barberton, OH
What are your interests/hobbies?
I enjoy cooking, entertaining, travel, and writing.
What are your favorite Chicago activities?
I love the Chicago Architecture Foundation Open House Chicago – it is an annual free open house to over 200 buildings of architectural interest within Chicago and surrounding areas. I also love Steve’s Segway tour! It is great way to see the city as you’ve never seen it before.
Did you work full time through the program?
I did work full-time during the program. I definitely had to prioritize my time in different ways to accommodate school work. On occasion, I took a day or a half of day off to complete an assignment or finish a paper. I found that setting a schedule and planning my week of readings and assignments definitely helped me stay on track.
Professionally, what are you doing now?
I am the Site Director of Operations for PMG Research. I direct the clinical trials program for a very large medical practice in suburban Chicago.
Tell us about a “Northwestern moment.” More specifically, was there a moment either in class or otherwise associated with the program where something really clicked for you?
One of the great things about this program was that there were many “moments” when something clicked. Each class and each instructor offered a different view of the health communication lens which helped us learn and apply communication and design theories to identify and solve problems in healthcare. There are tons of stars in my note-taking which highlight all the really significant takeaways from the lectures.
How has the program changed the way you view healthcare?
I am not sure the program changed the way I think about healthcare, but I do feel more prepared to analyze the challenges and opportunities in the healthcare space and employ communication and design theories to impact patient care, promote a change in health status, mitigate errors and educate and inform patients, families, providers and communities.
Did you discover anything new or unexpected at Northwestern?
The faculty and staff are really invested in our success — during the program and beyond.