Department of Epidemiology

Meet Our Staff

Biographies

Alan Berkeley, Program Coordinator and Staff Assistant

Alan is the Program Coordinator for the Nutritional/Epidemiological Transition studies, and the Staff Assistant for Dr. Donna Spiegelman and her research team in the Epidemiology and Biostatistics departments. Alan is a graduate of the University of Connecticut and brings 17 years of experience in finance and information technology to the Harvard School of Public Health.

Jessica Bugg, Administrative Coordinator

Jessica is currently the Administrative Coordinator in the Department of Epidemiology. She joined the department in September 2008 as a Staff Assistant and was promoted to her current role in August 2010. She is responsible for managing the department’s operations which includes, but is not limited to, reception, managing mail, ordering, distributing and maintaining inventory of supplies, managing departmental calendars, serving as the liaison with Operations/IT/Telecom, and other duties as needed. She also works closely with the Department’s Director of Administration processing new hire paperwork, working with Harvard’s International Office, and various other projects. Jessica has over 15 years of experience providing administrative support. She received her Associate’s Degree in Business Management at North Shore Community College.

Rebecca Cantor, Staff Assistant

Becky is a Staff Assistant in the Department of Epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health. She coordinates faculty searches, faculty appointments, and produces EPItome, the department newsletter.

Becky joined the department after graduating Vassar College in 2007. Although she went back to school (for her MSW/MPH at Boston University) in fall 2009, Becky couldn't leave the department altogether, so continues to work Friday afternoons.

Randall Chaput, Staff Assistant

Randall is currently a Staff Assistant in the Department of Epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health. He joined the department in April 2001. Randall is currently providing administrative support for the Causal Inference group (Drs. Miguel Hernan, Sonia Hernandez-Diaz, Jamie Robins, Eric Tchetgen, and Tyler VanderWeele). He also assists with various departmental projects, such as weekly seminars, web.

Prior to working at HSPH, Randall had 20 years of experience assisting at banking and mortgage companies.     

Linda Coventry, Staff Assistant

Linda is a part-time Staff Assistant who supports the Infectious Disease Epidemiology program. She works on a variety of projects, helping to ensure a smoother flow of work in the office and balance the workload of the Assistant Director of Infectious Epidemiology. Her duties include maintaining the department website, coordination and publicity for the spring seminar series and other special events, assisting with grant and progress report submissions, sending out weekly events and opportunity listings to department members and affiliates, and a number of other tasks as required.

During the other half of her work life, Linda maintains a private acupuncture practice in Bridgewater, MA. She has practiced acupuncture since graduating from the New England School of Acupuncture in 1996, and enjoys serving the health needs of a diverse population. In addition to her private practices, since 1998 she has provided acupuncture clinical and home care for many HIV clients through the not-for-profit AIDS Care Project (now part of Pathways to Wellness, a public health organization providing alternative medical care in Boston).

Linda has a B.A. in Latin American Studies from Wittenberg University in Ohio (her original stomping grounds) and is fluent in Spanish. She also has an MBA from Simmons Graduate School of Management and an M.S. in Acupuncture. She continues to augment her education in the field of acupuncture and alternative health modalities, and welcomes opportunities to educate others in the great benefits of this ancient medical practice. Outside the work arena, she enjoys a diverse array of activities—including canoeing, kayaking and camping, gardening, listening to jazz, blues and Latin music, and dabbling in various art forms.

Jackie Craigue, Director of Administration

Jackie received a BS degree in Education from Kent State University and has spent her career in the academic arena of the Longwood Medical Area. She began at Children's Hospital in the Genetics Division of the Department of Medicine, moving up to the departmental ranks there to oversee the research/administrative functions of the Blood Bank, Blood Donor Center, Transfusion/GCRC treatment center and thirteen of their academic divisions. Her next stop was the Beth Israel Deaaconess Medical Center working for the DF/HCC Renal Cancer/ SPORE Program, and advanced to become a Director of Research Administration, serving multiple large academic departments.

After a brief tenure as Director of Operations for the Osher Research Center for Complimentary and Alternative Medical Therapies at Harvard Medical School, she arrived in the Department of Epidemiology at HSPH. She has a wide breadth of experience in academic department management, with an emphasis on pre-and post- award management, facilities/space allocation/renovation and human resource management.

David Havelick, Program Coordinator

David was the Assistant to the Chair in the Department of Epidemiology from 2006-2010. This was his first full-time job after getting his undergraduate degree in political science at the Commonwealth College at UMass Amherst in 2005. From 2006-2007, he assisted Dr. Meir Stampfer; and starting in 2007, he assisted the new Chair, Dr. Hans-Olov Adami. 

Starting in January 2011, David moved over to be the Program Coordinator for Dr. Lorelei Mucci's Prostate Cancer Research Group in the Department. Dr. Mucci is a new Associate Professor in the Epi Department, and the group resides on the 9th Floor in the Kresge Building. 

David continues to be intimately involved with the Africa/HSPH Partnership for Cohort research and Training (PaCT), led by Dr. Hans-Olov Adami and Michelle Holmes. He is responsible for organizing trips to Africa (and has had the opportunity to travel to Uganda, Tanzania, Nigeria, and South Africa), as well as maintaining the communications among collaborators and with the public. 

One of David's biggest passions is environmentalism. Currently enrolled in the graduate program at the Harvard Extension School in Sustainability and Environmental Management, he plans to start his thesis this year.  He represents the Epidemiology Department in the School-wide Green Team (EcoOpportunity), and he recently started a Department-wide Green Team that brings together faculty, staff, students, and researchers. They recently helped the Department to achieve Leaf One Green Office Certification, and hope to go for Leaf 2 by the end of this school year. In 2011, David's environmental efforts won him an award at the University-wide Green Carpet Awards. 

Through his work with the Boston Vegetarian Society, David also spends much of his free time spreading the word about the environmental and health impacts of the livestock industry. So don't be surprised if you go to a lunch organized by David and find no meat or dairy products. As he would say, "it’s good for you and the planet!"

Jennifer Hyde, Program Coordinator

Jennifer is the Infectious Disease Epidemiology Program Coordinator providing coordination, administration, and programmatic oversight of the School-wide Interdisciplinary Concentration in Infectious Disease Epidemiology.  

Jennifer's previous career was in the environmental field as a solid waste and recycling consultant. She has been interested in public health since she was a Peace Corps volunteer in the Congo (then Zaire) teaching farmers to raise fish and thus improve access to a badly needed food supply. While there Jennifer had malaria, amoebic dysentary, and more, and observed people suffering and dying from highly preventable afflictions.

Ochide Iep, Senior Grants Manager

Ochide Iep is a Senior Grants Manager for the Program in Molecular and Genetic Epidemiology (PMAGE). She has been with the department since 2003, beginning with her role as a Financial Associate. Her responsibilities include activities involved in pre and post award management. She provides financial support to the program by working with the PIs in grant preparation, budget development, application submission, effort reporting, financial reporting, and payment processing. She also serves a resource to PIs and other staff with interpreting university and grant policy information.

Colleen Keller, Assistant to the Chair
Colleen Keller is the Executive Assistant to the Department Chair, Dr. Michelle Williams, ScD. Hired in January 2011, Colleen brings four years work experience from the Mayor’s office. She is the main contact for the Department Chair, website, events, and general department goings-on.

Colleen graduated from Boston Latin School and received her bachelor’s degree in Sociology and Human Services from George Washington University. She is currently pursuing a master’s degree in management at Harvard Extension School.

Mel Larsen, Coordinator

Mel joined the Center for Communicable Disease Dynamics in April 2010. She graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Colby College with a BA in Government and Italian Studies in 2008, and then from 2008 - April 2010 worked at Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders (GLAD), of Boston, MA, in their Development Department. In addition to her work at the Harvard School of Public Health, Mel volunteers for The Eastern Massachusetts Abortion (EMA) Fund to assist and empower women by providing financial grants to help them afford the cost of their abortions.

Shawn Lee, Finance Manager

Shawn is the Finance Manager in the department of Epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health.  He has a significant role in accounts payable, payroll, budgeting, financial planning, and sponsored program administration. Shawn works with the Epidemiology team to ensure compliance with Harvard’s rules and regulations.

Shawn holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Trinity College. He brings eight years of experience from the Office of Financial Services within the Harvard School of Public Health. He worked with other key members in the Office of Financial Services to manage the School’s finances and support strategic planning. He also worked with the Director of Financial Strategy and Planning to monitor the School’s annual fiscal budget process by utilizing the University budget tool. His responsibilities included, but were not limited to, extracting and analyzing data from various systems, developing and producing regular and ad hoc financial reports for Senior Management and other senior School meetings, and monitoring the Dean’s Contingency fund. 

Shawn served as key liaison to departments throughout the School of Public Health. He established solid relationships that have benefited his reputation and the strength of the school.

Molly Lyons, Contract Specialist, PHACS

Molly is the Contract Specialist for the Pediatric HIV/AIDS Cohort Study (PHACS). She has served in this role since August 2007. She manages the 5 core and 37 clinical site subcontracts generated by PHACS. She communicates with all subcontractors throughout the year, particularly during the budget and contract negotiation phase. Molly also closely manages the flow of subcontract invoices related to PHACS, totaling 42 awards and over $15 million in obligations in the current year. She reviews invoices and communicates with sites regarding missing or incomplete invoices.

As the financial administrator of the account, Molly oversees the funding and monitors expenses to ensure compliance with applicable regulations and award terms and conditions. She compares budgeted to actual expenditures and provides the PI with expenditure projections and assists the PI in the submission of timely, accurate, and complete technical and financial reports. Molly has 15 years experience in grants and contract management. She previously managed a portfolio of 17 programs totaling $20 million dollars at MIT-Lincoln Laboratory. Prior to that, she served as the Grant Manager for the Program on Genetic and Molecular Epidemiology at HSPH.

Jill McDonald, Staff Assistant

Jill is the Staff Assistant for Peter L. Kraft, PhD, Alkes L. Price, PhD, and Liming Liang, PhD in the Epidemiology Department’s Program in Molecular and Genetic Epidemiology (PMAGE). She is also responsible for organizing PMAGE’s weekly Journal Club, maintaining its website, and organizing events. 

Jill joined the department in November 2010. She holds a BA in History from Smith College.

Felisa Nobles, Outreach Manager

Felisa received her BA from the home of the terrapins, University of Maryland at College Park. After graduating, Felisa worked at the National Institute of Mental Health, and later the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, which sparked her interest in public health. She later realized her passion for outreach after working for a superintendents’ association on school health and wellness policies. She co-created the first interactive health pavilion for thousands of superintendents, and enjoys thinking of ways to generate interest of public health issues using her creativity. She has been at HSPH since January 2008 and joined the Center in January 2010. She is currently pursuing a MS in business management and is excited to finish her degree next year.

John Paulson, Assistant Director of Graduate Studies

John is the Assistant Director of Graduate Studies for the Epidemiology Department at the Harvard School of Public Health. He began in his current position in October of 2009. In partnership with numerous individuals and departments he serves both prospective and current students as well as faculty and administrators within the Epidemiology Department and throughout the school.

Among John’s primary responsibilities are the development and implementation of recruitment strategies, the management and facilitation of the admission process within the Epidemiology Department, and the management and allocation of departmental financial aid. As a strategic partner with the Department Chair, Deputy Chair and Student Activities Committee he works to develop and implement departmental policies on program requirements for both doctoral and masters students. He also serves as an advisor to faculty and students on the processes for all academic issues.

John’s previous administrative experience includes time as both an Assistant Registrar and Assistant Director of Admissions. He was previously on the faculty at Lesley University and the University of Massachusetts Amherst. John did his graduate work in Choral Conducting at Boston University. He remains active as a musician through his work as the Music Director at University Lutheran Church in Harvard Square and as coach/conductor of a small ensemble of student musicians at Boston College.

Meredith Sablosky, Grants Manager

Meredith is currently a Grants Manager in the Department of Epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health and has been with the department since 2011. She began her career in the Research Administration field in Florida working for Nova Southeastern University, beginning as the Grant/Accounting Administrator for the Oceanographic department and working her way up to a Grants Officer for the central office of Grants and Contracts.

Meredith is responsible for providing service and support to principal investigators, departmental contacts, and other appropriate individuals in the pre-award and post-award phase of federal, state, local, foundation and corporate grant and contract activities; specifically, proper submission of proposals, the implementation of grant/contract budgets and overseeing the maintenance of Federal, State, and University compliance standards, regulations and policies.

Meredith received her Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Accounting from Nova Southeastern University. She started as an internal auditor for Grant Thornton before her move to research administration. Meredith has over four years experience in the Research Administration field and is an active member in the National Council of University Research Administrators (NCURA). She also plans to become a Certified Research Administrator as designated by the Research Administrators Certificate Council.

Alissa Scharf, Project Director

Alissa came to Harvard in the fall of 2009 to become Project Director for the newly formed Center for Communicable Disease Dynamics. She received her MPH in Epidemiology from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. Prior to attending graduate school, Alissa worked for several years as a Bacteriologist at the Massachusetts State Laboratory, focusing on diagnostic and susceptibility testing of MDR-TB patients in Peru, Haiti and Russia. In addition, Alissa was part of a team that tested for the presence of anthrax after the attacks in 2001 and assisted in writing and implementing the first "white powder" protocols for the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH).

Most recently, Alissa was appointed by the Governor to be the Deputy Director for Emergency Preparedness at the Massachusetts DPH and was heavily involved with pandemic flu planning and the response to the H1N1 outbreak in 2009.

Namasha Schelling, Project Coordinator and Staff Assistant

Namasha was hired in February 2010 as the Project Coordinator and Staff Assistant to Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian in the Cardiovascular Epidemiology Program (http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/research/cvdepi/). Before coming to Harvard, Namasha was an Environmental Health Organizer at Clean Water Action. She graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University with a Bachelors in Science and recently received a Masters from Harvard Extension in Environmental Management. After an internship at the Ifakara Health Institute in Tanzania, she knew her passion lay in Global Health and Sustainability, especially women's health and its links to poverty in sub-Saharan Africa. She looks forward to pursuing this passion at HSPH.

Rosa Veras, Senior Grants Manager

Rosa is currently a Senior Grants Manager in the Department of Epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health. She joined the department in May 2001. Rosa currently handles a diverse portfolio in the department, assisting PIs in preparing applications, submitting and managing funds received. She recently participated in one of two Pilots (K pilot) for the Research Transformation Project for the School. This project was created after reviewing the School's existing research management process and seeing that it can be improved. Participants in both pilots’ comments and suggestions are being taken well into consideration by officials in order to implement a new model of research administration school-wide.

Rosa had worked at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital and a CPA firm prior to working at HSPH.

Kar Li Wong, Financial Associate

Kar Li is the Financial Associate in the Department of Epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health and has been with the department since 2008. Kar Li provides accounting support in the department. She generates financial reports, reconciles accounts, and monitors training grants to ensure proper stipend charges. She retrieves and reviews financial data on a monthly basis and resolves errors or discrepancies. She assists with completing sponsors’ yearly and final financial reports, including review of final invoices and closeout procedures prepared by Office of Sponsored Programs.

Kar Li has more than six years of experience in financial management. She received her Bachelor of Science Degree from University of Massachusetts in Management Information Systems.

Bizu Gelaye, Program Director, MIRT

Bizu directs the Multidisciplinary International Research Training (MIRT) Program. The HSPH MIRT Program is a global public health research and training program that provides life-enriching experience to undergraduate and graduate students while working on major health problems with host researchers in developing countries.

 Bizu joined the department in November, 2011. He brings 8 years of experience as a program manager of multiple research and training grants at the University of Washington.  He earned his Master’s in Public Health from the University of Washington and is currently finishing his PhD in Epidemiology