Human rights activists, scientists: a look at our 2013 graduates

April 23, 2013

Editor's Note: This is an ongoing feature that looks at some of ASU's spring 2013 graduates. Check back for updates, as more grad profiles will be added throughout the week of graduation.

This spring, more than 12,700 students are set to graduate.

Though they come from diverse backgrounds and have explored a range of disciplines, they all have one thing in common: total immersion in an innovative atmosphere where they are able to chart their own path to success.

Here's a look at the class of 2013.

Spring 2013 commencement in pictures

	Andrew Albert: kinesiology Andrew Albert, a kinesiology major and the recipient of this year’s Barrett Honors College Outstanding Graduate Award, joined Barrett to take advantage of the breadth of academic and extracurricular opportunities available at ASU. Pilot data from Albert’s honors thesis helped win a grant from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development in 2012.
	Jaleila (Jill) Brumand: sustainability As she prepares to graduate, Jaleila (Jill) Brumand now boasts an outstanding resume. Her internship experience helped her earn a Fulbright award at Lancaster University in Northwest England. After graduation, she'll begin work on her master's degree in energy and the environment through the Lancaster Environment Centre.
	Shayok Chakraborty: computer science Shayok Chakraborty recently earned his PhD in Computer Science with the School of Computing, Informatics and Decision Systems Engineering (SCIDSE), part of Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering, and his dissertation was nominated for the best thesis award in the department.
	Jose Delgado: law Jose Delgado, nicknamed “Robo” by many of his classmates for his robotic adherence to schedule, organization and hard work, will graduate first in his class from the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University, with a 4.06 grade point average. “Jose is an amazing student with all the academic gifts of intellect, reason and clear articulation,” said Dean Douglas Sylvester.
	Tejas Dhadphale: sustainable design As he graduates with his doctorate in Design, Environment and the Arts, Tejas Dhadphale wants to open the world of product design to multiple disciplines, as well as providing cultural relevance in the global marketplace.
	Brittany Ebbing: family and human development Majoring in family and human development at the T. Denny Sanford School of Social and Family Dynamics at Arizona State University provided Brittany Ebbing with extensive knowledge in child development as she works toward her goal of becoming a pediatrician.
	Michael Feyrer: human rights For Michael Feyrer, receiving his degree this spring fulfills a promise he made to himself decades ago. The interdisciplinary studies major with concentrations in human rights and African and African American Studies seeks to make a difference in the world.
	Vanessa Fonseca: Spanish Vanessa Fonseca, a graduating doctoral student from the Spanish program in the School of International Letters and Cultures, knows that "hard work always pays off." Between graduating, contributing to the school’s "Hispanidades Project," receiving a prestigious essay award, and landing a tenure-track job offer, Fonseca speaks from experience.
	Joe Frankl: psychology As he completes his bachelor’s degree in psychology from ASU’s New College of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences, Joe Frankl is set to spend a year in the Post-Baccalaureate IRTA (Intramural Research Training Award) Program at the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health.
	Lashanda Glasgow: criminology and criminal justice Lashanda Glasgow graduated with her master’s degree from the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Arizona State University and will begin work at a federal agency as a Presidential Management Fellow. More than 12,000 graduate students applied for the federal leadership training program last year. Only five percent were accepted.
	Rebecca Halpin: life sciences Rebecca Halpin says the opportunity to share her research in animal behavior with leading scientists in the field was “the icing on the cake” for her undergraduate career. The budding scientist has a bright future, according to her honors thesis advisor who compared the level of her research to that of a doctoral student.
	Marcus Jones II: public service and public policy A public service and public policy major on the Downtown Phoenix campus, Marcus Jones II almost missed the opportunity to attend ASU. The Sun Devil wasted no time, however, once he was admitted; Jones quickly became a highly valued student leader and community organizer.
	Inbar Maayan: biology Inbar Maayan, a National Merit Scholar and graduating senior with ASU’s School of Life Sciences in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, pursued her biology degree by weaving her interests together – writing, research and education in the life sciences. Now, she is receiving the Student of the Year Award in Biology and Society.
	Deven Marrero: criminology and criminal justice Deven Marrero is a member of the Arizona State University School of Criminology and Criminal Justice class of 2013. But he didn’t attend graduation. Marrero couldn’t. He was 2,000 miles away in Salem, Va. at his full-time job, playing shortstop for the Boston Red Sox High Class A farm team, the Salem Red Sox.
	Kristell Millan: business and finance Bound for New York, where a full-time position at J. P. Morgan Bank awaits her, Kristell Millan leaves ASU this spring with dual degrees in business (global politics) and finance. Community service was a major focus of her undergraduate career; Millan served as a mentor and leader for the Barack Obama Scholars and Pat Tillman Scholars programs.
	Arthur Morales: English When Arthur Morales enrolled in Arizona State University’s New College of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences, he was already a published poet. Morales has made the most of his two years at the West campus, further exploring his interest in poetry, developing expertise in video production, and producing oral histories from the Lost Boys of Sudan.
	Nikki Oxford: family and human development When Nikki Oxford finishes her studies at Arizona State University in May, she’ll be the first in her family to graduate from college. Earning her bachelor’s degree in family and human development from the T. Denny Sanford School of Social and Family Dynamics, in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Oxford maintained a 4.0 GPA throughout her undergraduate program.
	Erick Ponce: civil engineering Erick Ponce is graduating with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering and in the fall will begin studies to earn a master’s degree in the field. Originally from Guatemala, Ponce overcame many struggles in his first years at ASU, and is looking ahead at strong career prospects.
	Lindsay Rabicoff: law Lindsay Rabicoff is the recipient of the Daniel Strouse Prize, awarded by the Center for Law, Science & Innovation, in honor of Strouse – a longtime center director and professor who died of cancer. The $10,000 award is annually made to the student whose academic strengths, contributions to the center and personal qualities most closely mirror those of Strouse.
	Isa Rodriguez-Soto: global health When Isa Rodriguez-Soto began her global health doctoral program at ASU in 2008, she wasn’t exactly sure what "global health" as a concept meant. But she wanted to investigate issues of health regarding body size and knew that she’d come to the right place to do that.
	Samantha Russak: anthropology Samantha Russak, who will receive her doctorate in anthropology, had a rather unusual class curriculum - she spent one year on her own in western Tanzania to do firsthand research. As a doctoral student in the School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Russak has been steadily working towards being able to have this experience from the time she decided to be a primatologist.
	Randy Sanders: Russian Thirty-six years after having to drop out, Randy Sanders returned to ASU to immerse himself in the study of languages. Though his journey hasn't been easy, he graduates this spring with a bachelor's in Russian and a future in teaching. "Randy was the best student in my History of Slavic Languages course last fall," says professor Danko Sipka.
	Madeline Sands: anthropology As she began her university experience as an honors student at ASU, Madeline Sands knew she wanted to be a doctor. Her interest in anthropology complemented a shift in focus towards medicine and public health research. She combined these interests and will graduate with a 4.0 grade point average and a bachelor’s degree in anthropology, with a focus in pre-medicine and a minor in global health.
	Jeanne (Juno) Schaser: fine arts A double major in photography and museum studies, Jeanne (Juno) Schaser found herself learning as much outside the classroom as inside, through internships, work-study programs and capstone projects that stretched her abilities and helped her talent bloom.
	Jack Schwimmer: music performance Jack Schwimmer, saxophone virtuoso, turned down Harvard and the Peabody Conservatory to come to Barrett. For his academic and musical accomplishments, he has been chosen as the honors college Outstanding Graduate for Creative Project.
	Lorraine Sekito: global health Lorraine Sekito found herself drawn to the ASU School of Human Evolution and Social Change’s global health program as a way to study the issues that had greatly influenced her as a child and about which she now feels strongly.
	Molly Smith: digital print journalism Molly Smith will receive her Bachelors of Arts in Digital Print Journalism from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication She’ll says she’ll look back at her four years at ASU much like she would a photo scrapbook, with great fondness and a smile.
	Anne Stegen: journalism Anne Stegen, who is graduating cum laude in May with a degree in journalism from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication, represents a new breed of journalist that can do it all - write, photograph, and code. She has been tagged to be a marketing consultant for ABC15 this summer and will then move to Bakersfield, Calif., to be an online content producer for 23ABC for six months.
	Ryan Stewart: mechanical engineering Working to overcome personal health struggles, Ryan Stewart proved his true Sun Devil determination as he prepared to complete his degree in mechanical engineering. Stewart looks forward to entering the workforce, where he dreams to one-day work on the design and creation of cars from a manufacturing standpoint
	Easton White: mathematical biology The School of Life Sciences is honoring Easton White and his research contributions with its Outstanding Graduating Senior award. White, a biological sciences major with a minor in mathematics, studies animals in some surprising places. His research has taken him from Mexico, California and Arizona, to the Southeastern coast of the U.S. and the Bahamas.

Student