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Alumni Society Board

Board Members

Executive Committee

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Lori Schrider

Vice President of Sales, Specialty Lab Solutions, Siemens Healthineers

B.S. Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Penn State - 1998

As the Vice President of Sales, Specialty Lab Solutions at Siemens Healthineers, Lori serves as a member of the North America leadership team where she drives sales for the US Laboratory Diagnostics Specialty testing business. Prior to Siemens Healthineers, she was Director of New Systems Marketing and Business Development at ZEUS Scientific where she was responsible for commercialization strategies for infectious disease and autoimmune products. Before ZEUS, Lori held various roles of increasing responsibility over 17 years of service at Ortho Clinical Diagnostics, formerly a Johnson & Johnson company. Lori held roles in sales, marketing, training and operations for diagnostic solutions ranging from basic chemistry assays to infectious disease serology assays used in clinical laboratories and transfusion medicine.

In addition to her Penn State degree, Laurie also has an MBA from Fairleigh Dickinson University. She enjoys giving back through career coaching and mentoring. She considers her biggest achievement as being a mom to her three children: Emily, Eric and Eliana (future Nittany Lions, if Lori gets her way). Her other interests include cooking, gardening and classic cars.

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Liana Trigg

Sales Director, Peergenics

B.S. Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Penn State - 2015

Liana works as a sales director for a salesforce consultancy firm, assisting clients as they look to build and expand their businesses. Peergenics provides its customers with implementations, projects, trainings, and managed services to increase visibility, accountability, and profitability. Prior to Peergenics, Liana sold mobile device management security solutions for IBM.

During her time at Penn State, Liana presided over the Association of Residence Hall Students, researched in Dr. Timothy Jegla's neuroscience lab, sang in an a cappella group, participated in Science LionPride, and studied abroad in Seville, Spain.

Liana serves on the Executive Board of the Philadelphia Chapter of the Penn State Alumni Association with her husband, who is also a Nittany Lion. She previously served two elected terms on the Penn State Alumni Association Alumni Council. In her free time, Liana enjoys making homemade soap, watching Penn State football, traveling, and exploring Philadelphia with her dog, Moose.

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Christina Winnicker

Director for Animal Welfare External Due Diligence, GSK

B.S. Biology, Penn State – 1993

D.V.M. Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University – 1998

M.P.H. Toxicology, Columbia University - 2005

Prior to her current role as Director for Animal Welfare External Due Diligence for GSK, she commissioned and managed 37,000 square feet of multi-species vivarium for academic research for Columbia University in the Manhattanville neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City. Prior to that, she served as the director of enrichment and behavioral medicine for Charles River Laboratories, harmonizing environmental enrichment practices and developing behavioral husbandry programs to enhance animal welfare and operational efficiency. In this role, she garnered an international reputation as a behavior and enrichment expert in the laboratory animal medicine field, led research to provide evidence-based data for enrichment and behavioral management initiatives, and published in the field of laboratory animal enrichment and behavior management multiple species.

Winnie earned her DVM from Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine. She completed an internship in Small Animal Medicine and Surgery at the Animal Medical Center in New York City. She completed both a residency in laboratory animal medicine and earned a master’s in public health with a focus on toxicology at Columbia University in New York. She earned her Six Sigma Black Belt from Six Sigma Academy in 2011.

Board Members

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Paul Battle

Executive Director, Infrastructure Solutions Group (ISG) – US Corp. and Healthcare, Lenovo

B.S. Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Penn State – 1998

On July 1st, 2020, Paul was named Executive Director of Lenovo’s Infrastructure Solutions Group (ISG) US Corporate Business having previously run the VAR and Distributor business in NA for DCG. In addition, Paul recently took over US Public Sector in the beginning of January 2021.

After graduating Penn State University in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology (BMB), Paul worked at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) conducting Colorectal Cancer Research and publishing several times with Dr. J. Milburn Jessup, MD. and his team. During this time, Paul completed Computer Engineering Hardware and Software Design Courses at University of Pittsburgh.

In 2000, Paul joined IBMs PC/Server Division in Atlanta as an Inside Sales Representative. Paul quickly progressed on the inside sales team and moved to Field Sales in 2002 in NY Metro.  In 2005, IBM PC Division was acquired by Lenovo. Paul held various positions for Lenovo in NY from Enterprise Sales Rep to Global Account Executive.

Paul and his wife moved to London, UK in 2008 where Paul stayed with Lenovo and was responsible for the EMEA Telco business. In addition to PCs, Paul covered Business Development for Android Tablets, Android Phones, Telco as a Channel and Data Center.

In 2015, Paul and his wife moved back to NYC where they still reside, staying with Lenovo once again, to lead a team as Director of National Channel Partners.

Paul enjoys mentoring and giving back in various ways including volunteering, philanthropic work, etc. He joined the Penn State Eberly College of Science Alumni Board in May 2019. In addition, Paul loves playing sports (soccer, tennis, golf, skiing, etc.) and watching sports (All Pittsburgh Teams, All Penn State teams and Manchester United FC).

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Sarah Boehm

Associate Director for Education and Outreach, Center for Nanoscale Science, Penn State

B.A. Chemistry, College of the Holy Cross – 2011

Ph.D. Chemistry, Penn State – 2016

Sarah joined the Materials Science Research and Engineering Center (MRSEC) at Penn State as the Associate Director of Education and Outreach in July 2022. She manages the educational and professional development portfolio of a large materials research grant that consists of roughly 20 faculty and 35 graduate students and postdocs. She is passionate about providing equitable access to STEM education and encouraging the next generation of scientists.

Prior to returning to PSU, she worked at the German chemical company, BASF, where she held a variety of positions across the U.S., including the Ph.D. Leadership Development Program where she rotated through Product Development in Construction Systems (developing and scaling up low-dust production of cementitious mortars and grouts), Incubation and Scouting in BASF’s Northeast Research Alliance (fostering academic collaborations with BASF businesses), and as a Research Scientist in 3D Printing Solutions (increasing suspension stability for ceramic photoresins). Her most recent position was Senior Chemist within Automotive Catalysts.

Sarah earned her Ph.D. in Chemistry from Penn State in 2016 in the Keating Lab. Her graduate work focused on utilizing nanowire assembly techniques to develop reconfigurable materials with switchable optical properties. Outside of work, Sarah enjoys cycling, skiing, golf, and spending time with family, friends, and her dog Dottie.

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Amy Bucher

Managing Director, Accenture

B.S. Mathematics, Penn State – 1986

B.S. Computer Science, Penn State – 1986

M.A. Mathematics, Penn State - 1986

After graduating from Penn State, Amy has spent over 35 years working in Information Technology. She was a leader for many years at IBM and Kyndryl, and joined Accenture in 2021 as a Managing Director in technology. Throughout her career, she has supported clients across multiple industries, leading cloud and data center migration and transformation programs, enabling large scale delivery of managed services, and leading engineering teams as they create new capabilities for clients through use of technology.

Amy grew up on a dairy farm in the southwest corner of Pennsylvania. Her father was a Penn Stater and instilled the love of Penn State early in her life. Amy and her husband, Paul, currently split their time between homes in State College and Windermere, Florida, enjoying free time with family and friends and their five children and four grandchildren. Their son graduated from Penn State in 2021 with degrees in Mathematics and Economics, and their daughter graduated in 2023 with a degree in Animal Science and is beginning vet school at LSU.

Amy is an advocate for women in technology and is passionate about bringing talent into the industry. She participated on the IBM Women’s Executive Council for diversity and inclusion, with focus on Allyship. She also is a volunteer and mentor for Special Olympics.

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Rob Clare

Retired (Executive Director, Clinical R&D, Pfizer, Inc.)

B.S. Microbiology, Penn State - 1983

M.S. College of Life Science and Agriculture, University of New Hampshire - 1985

Ph.D. College of Life Science and Agriculture, University of New Hampshire - 1988

Certificate in Project Management, Penn State Great Valley - 1991

Rob is retired after 29 years in pharmaceutical research and development, where he led multiple global multidisciplinary drug development teams for both biopharmaceuticals and small molecules targeting diseases in autoimmunity, inflammation, oncology and transplantation.  Throughout his career, he negotiated, chartered and led numerous development partnerships and alliances. Rob’s career has involved leadership roles at SmithKline Beecham, Lilly, Wyeth and lastly with Pfizer.

Rob graduated from Penn State in 1983 with a dual major in Microbiology and Animal Bioscience. Subsequently, he attended the University of New Hampshire where he received M.S. and Ph.D degrees from the College of Life Science and Agriculture while studying genetic control of the immune response to the avian coccidium, Eimeria tenella. During 1990/91 Rob completed a certificate program in Project Management offered by Penn State Great Valley.

During his time at Penn State he played sousaphone for the Blue Band. During Graduate school, Rob chartered the Penn State Alumni Chapter for Maine-New Hampshire and served as its president. Subsequently, he served as the president for the Penn State Alumni Chapter for Chester County. In retirement, Rob is a member of the Sons of Union Civil War Veterans where he currently serves as senior vice commander of Baker-Fisher Camp 101.

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Kristina Kaldon

Senior Program Manager, UiPath

B.S. Physics, Penn State - 2015

B.S. Astronomy & Astrophysics, Penn State - 2015

Kristina works as a senior program manager at UiPath on the Learning Alliances team. Kristina helps professors, students, and general community members develop skills to be successful Robotic Process Automation (RPA) professionals. Prior to her role on the Learning Alliances team, she was on the professional services team as an RPA developer, developing software robots that automate manual tasks for businesses, training the next generation of RPA developers, and consulting as a subject matter expert for the certification team. Prior to UiPath, Kristina worked as a software engineer at Abarca, a pharmacy benefit manager in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and as assistant technical staff in the space division at MIT Lincoln Laboratory in Lexington, Massachusetts.

She graduated from Penn State in May 2015 with two degrees in Astronomy & Astrophysics and Physics. While at Penn State, she researched with Dr. Kevin Luhman, working on infrared astronomy, specifically finding brown dwarf companions to known stars. She was a teaching assistant for the physics department and president of the Society of Physics Students. She interned at the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico researching fast radio bursts. After graduation, while working as an analyst and engineer for MIT Lincoln Laboratory, she took graduate classes at MIT through the advanced study program in the AeroAstro department and Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences department.

Kristina’s passions are advancing diversity and inclusion and STEAM education in underrepresented areas, traveling to new places, and hanging with her dog, Snax.

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Donna Marron

Retired (Director, Compliance Officer, Merck & Co., Inc.)

B.S. Biology, Penn State - 1987

M.S. Quality Assurance & Regulatory Affairs, Temple University - 1996

Donna has over 30 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry and recently retired from her role as the Ethics & Compliance Officer responsible for supporting several departments in Merck Research Laboratories (MRL), including clinical research, regulatory affairs, and outcomes research, as well as managing the MRL Ethics & Compliance Assessments team. In this role, Donna partnered with her client groups to define and implement compliance policies, monitor and assess risk, advise and recommend actions for improvements, and identify solutions while maintaining an independent view into MRL operations.

Donna joined Merck in 1989 as a Pathology Biologist, moved on to Adverse Experience Reporting and Worldwide Product Labeling, supporting a broad range of products, before moving into a research compliance role. Prior to joining Merck, Donna worked as a Research Assistant in the Anatomy department at Temple School of Medicine and as a Pathology Research Assistant at Rorer Pharmaceuticals. While at Merck, she also served as an Adjunct Professor the Quality Assurance and Regulatory Affairs master’s program at Temple University.

Donna, her husband, and their two daughters are Life Members of the Penn State Alumni Association and Donna has been actively involved as a mentor in the Eberly Alumni Mentoring Program and the Fast Start Program. Donna lives in Harleysville, Pennsylvania with her family, including three horses, dog, and cat. She has been an avid horsewoman for over 40 years and is currently pursuing her passion helping horses through body work (currently enrolled as a student at the Vluggen Institute for Equine Osteopathy) and as a certified practitioner in pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) modalities.

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Linde Miles

Assistant Professor, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center

B.S. Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Penn State – 2009

Ph.D. Pharmacology & Molecular Sciences, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine – 2016

After graduating from Penn State, Linde Miles went on to receive her Ph.D. in Pharmacology & Molecular Sciences from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in 2016. In 2017, she began a postdoctoral fellowship at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, focusing on the underlying biology of acute myeloid leukemia. Afterward, she joined the faculty at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center as an Assistant Professor in the Experimental Hematology & Cancer Biology Division. Her research continues to focus on the evolution and development of acute myeloid leukemia. With over 15 years of research experience, Linde has contributed to multiple landmark translational studies and received numerous awards and fellowships for her research achievements.

Linde is extremely dedicated to volunteering her spare time to Penn State. Since 2015, she has been involved in her local Penn State Alumni Association NYC Chapter. She currently serves as the Immediate Past President of the Chapter and co-leads the Chapter Advisory Board. She also serves as a mentor to students interested in STEM careers through the Eberly College Mentoring Program.

Linde is an avid runner, enthusiastic Penn State sports fan, and life member of the Penn State Alumni Association. Linde is a native of Huntingdon, PA and currently lives in Cincinnati, OH with her husband, Cary.

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Ryan Poole

Senior Program Manager, TekSynap

B.S. Science, Penn State - 1983

Ryan Poole is a senior program manager for TekSynap, a Federal Government Information Technology service provider in Reston, VA. Prior to his role with TekSynap, Ryan served as program manager at Acuity, a management and technology consulting firm. Throughout his career, Ryan has also supported a wide variety of federal organizations with his expertise in program/project management, IT service management, IT operations, and business intelligence.

As a Penn State undergrad, Ryan was a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity and was a writer for The Collegian. Ryan is a proud alum of the Eberly College of Science as well as Loyola College, where he received a Master of Engineering Science and an MBA. A native of Madison, New Jersey, Ryan lives in Leesburg, Virginia.

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Jennifer Ranton

POD Leader, Northern Mid-Atlantic Region, Landmark Health (now part of Optum/United Health Group)

B. S. Premedicine with Honors in Human Development and Family Studies, Penn State – 1992

M. D. Temple University – 1996

Jennifer currently serves as a local physician lead for the Allentown region, supervising advanced practitioners while the group provides in-home medical care for the chronically ill as an adjunct to primary care and specialty physicians with the goal to prevent unnecessary hospitalizations, as well as advocate for and align care with patient goals.

After accepting a US Navy Health Professions Scholarship, Jennifer was stationed at MCAS Cherry Point, ultimately becoming officer-in-charge of the medical group deployed to support Operation Iraqi Freedom in the Middle East in 2003.  After completing her military commitment, she went on to work for various health care organizations across the country including PeaceHealth, St. Luke’s University Health Network, and Lehigh Valley Health Network, before recently leaving traditional primary care.

Jennifer has been consistently involved in leadership and education, serving on medical staff executive committees as assistant department chair, regional practice lead, and has held positions as core faculty for a family medicine residency and clerkship director for medical schools. She completed the Behavioral Science Family Systems Educator Fellowship through the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine and the Physician Leadership Academy, a joint venture between Lehigh University Vistex Institute for Executive Learning and Research and Lehigh Valley Physician Group Executive Leadership.

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Andy Santacroce

VP of Technology Development, TMNA Services, LLC

B.S. Mathematics, Penn State - 1988

Andy Santacroce is Vice President of Technology for Tokio Marine North America Services (TMNAS). He leads an interdisciplinary team at TMNAS that identifies and develops differentiating technology to engage commercial insurance customers, empower team members, and provide a uniquely positive insurance experience across its national footprint. Prior to joining TMNAS in 2016, he served as the Deputy Chief Information Officer and Vice President of Global Applications & Digital Products at BDP International in Philadelphia. He has held key leadership positions at the Verizon companies, Cable & Wireless, SmithKline Beecham, PECO Energy, The PMA Group and Prudential Insurance. He serves on the Board of Directors for Encore Series, Inc. (The Philly POPS) since 2012, the Board of Directors for Cradles to Crayons since early 2019, and on the Executive Board of the Penn State Alumni Association for several years. He has also served as a director on several other non-profit, governmental and quasigovernmental boards and is actively engaged as an Advisor for key technology incubators. In 2016 he received industry recognition as a Premier 100 Technology Leader by Computerworld Magazine and as an Alumni Fellow by Penn State University.

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Bonnie Shaul

Retired (Managing Director and General Manager, Abbvie)

B.S. Science, Penn State - 1988

M.B.A. University of Michigan - 1992

Bonnie is a retired sales and marketing executive with over 25 years of U.S. and international healthcare industry experience. She worked for Abbvie/Abbott Laboratories in Chicago for over 25 years and upon retirement, she was director of market access for Allergan Integration. She led the integration of the market access function, which included identifying synergies and overseeing multiple workstreams. Additionally, Bonnie lived and worked outside the U.S. when she served as managing director and country general manager for Abbott in the Republic of Ireland and in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

In addition to serving on the Eberly Alumni Society Board, she also serves on the Lion’s Paw Alumni Association Board of Trustees, which promotes the welfare and perpetuates the traditions of the University. She was also recently elected to serve on the board of trustees of her local public library.

In addition to her Penn State degree, she also has an MBA in Marketing and International Business from the University of Michigan and will soon complete a Masters in Public Health at Loyola University of Chicago. Bonnie lives in the Chicago area with her husband, John. They have three children, one of whom is a 2020 Penn State graduate with a B.S. in Health Policy and Administration.

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Dale Spadafora

Dentist, Dale F. Spadafora DMD

B.S. Biology, Penn State - 1986

D.M.D. University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine - 1990

After Dale received his Biology degree from Penn State, he went on to the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine and received his Doctorate in Dental Medicine in 1990. He completed his residency at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in Youngstown, Ohio and immediately opened his own dental practice in Hermitage, Pennsylvania, which he still runs today.

Dale is a member of the Academy of General Dentistry, the Pennsylvania Academy of General Dentistry, the International Congress of Oral Implantologists, the Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, and the Dental Organization for Conscious Sedation.

In his free time, Dale volunteers for his church and community. He has served as a youth and high school soccer coach since 2002. Dale’s wife, Deanna, is also a graduate of Penn State, with a 1989 B.S. in Nursing. His daughter, Isabella, graduated from Penn State in 2019 with a degree in Advertising/Public Relations and his son, Sergio, is a current student at Penn State, majoring in Biology.

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Laurie Stanell

Dentist, Laurie Anne Stanell, D.M.D., P.C.

B.S. Biology, Penn State - 1980

D.M.D. Temple University - 1985

Laurie was born into a Penn State family. Her parents both graduated from Penn State with Science degrees. After Laurie graduated from Penn State, she took a gap year and worked as a research assistant at Rohm and Haas Company in Bristol, Pennsylvania. She also taught Advanced Chemistry at her local high school for a semester. Both her brothers followed her lead and also graduated from Penn State.

Laurie graduated from Temple Dental School in 1985. During her last summer before graduation, she received a Fellowship in Head and Neck Cancer Surgery at Temple Hospital She opened her own dental practice in October of 1988. She is a member of the American Dental Association, the American Academy of General Dentistry, and the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine. From 2008 to 2012, she served as adjunct faculty at Temple Dental.

Laurie volunteers for Sharing the Journey International, which provides clean water, dental care, and cleft lip and palate repair to children in third world countries.. Laurie and her family enjoy boating, traveling, fishing, and exercising.

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Karissa Thal

Physician, Mount Nittany Physician Group

M.D. Penn State College of Medicine - 2019

B.S. Biology, Penn State - 2015

Karissa is a physician at Mount Nittany Physician Group, where she has a dual appointment in the Family & Community Medicine and Neurology departments. She splits her time working as a family practitioner and supervising her headache clinic.

During her time as an undergraduate at Penn State, Karissa participated in Science LionPride, served as a teaching assistant for multiple biology courses, and worked in Dr. Andrew Patterson’s research lab, where she studied metabolomics.

While at the Penn State College of Medicine, Karissa’s research endeavors on preventing hospital readmission rates were recognized with a Dean’s Award at graduation. Following medical school, she completed her Family & Community Medicine Residency at Penn State Health, where she served as Chief Resident.

As a young child, while her mother was completing her master’s degree at Penn State, Karissa would often tag along to classes and could frequently be seen riding her bicycle through the HUB. Karissa is an avid Penn State sports fan and enjoys exercising, outdoor recreation (including hiking with her chocolate Labrador, Tank) and cooking.

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Abralena Wilson

Acute Care Surgeon, Long Island Surgical, PLLC

B.S. Biology, Penn State- 2001

D.O. Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine - 2006

MPH Walden University - 2021

Abralena De Jesus Wilson, DO, MPH, practices Acute Care Surgery at Long Island, New York, in a private group, practicing in Nassau County. She started her surgical training in the United States Army Medical Corps, where she completed her surgical internship at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. She served as the Administrative Chief Surgical Resident at St. Barnabas and was appointed to the Program Evaluation Committee, serving as the voice and liaison for surgical residents, which eventually led to her passion for and commitment to collaborating with colleagues for the improvement and development of program initiatives and goals for current and future surgical residents. She has been selected to be a core faculty and Program Evaluation Committee Chair for the upcoming general surgery residency program at St. Catherine of Siena Hospital. She already serves as NYITCOM Clinical Instructor, and mentors at the Women's Health Institute and the Rutgers, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, as her interest is to mentor the next future generation of medical students. Her interests include spiritual development, travel, and philanthropy, all of which transcend from her personal life into her professional dedication and commitment to helping others through medicine.