Highmark Fellows

Year 1 [1998-1999] Highmark Fellows

Kimberly Calhoun is a native of Pittsburgh, who resides in Penn Hills with her mother and sister. She recently received her undergraduate degree from the Pennsylvania State University, with a major in Exercise and Sports Science. While pursuing her degree she was a four year letter winner on the Lady Lion Basketball team, serving as captain her last two seasons. She was named a Parade Magazine All-American, and a Big Ten Academic All-American. While in college, she was in charge of a community outreach program that connected athletes to various organizations and schools.

She has been a volunteer for the Special Olympics, for "Just Say No" and for the United Way. Over the past year she has gained valuable experience working in fitness and health education for the Pittsburgh Pirates, the Pittsburgh Athletic Association and Mercy Hospital's Center for Healthy Living. Kim particularly enjoyed working in the community, and especially with or in agencies that focus on senior citizens.

In 1998-1999, she pursued her graduate degree in Library and Information Science from the University of Pittsburgh and continued her work with Mercy Hospital. With the MLIS in hand, Kim began working as a web designer and information systems specialist with Community Care Behavioral Health, a managed healthcare company in Pittsburgh.

Kristina Carlstrom Graham is from West Mifflin, Pennsylvania. She graduated from West Mifflin Area High School in 1994 with highest honors and a 4.0 average. Kristina then attended Grove City College. Her education was financed through 3 scholarship awards: WMX Technologies academic achievement award, America's Junior Miss, Inc, and Pittsburgh's Scholar Athlete award. Kristina majored in Molecular Biology and minored in Political Science.

She was active in the National Biological Society, the Tri-Zeta sorority, and had several scientific summer internships at Magee Women's Hospital/Magee Research Institute. She has also worked as a Coordinator for summer craft classes for children at the Baldwin Borough Public Library.

In 1998-1999, she pursued her graduate degree in Library and Information Science from the University of Pittsburgh, and works in sales and marketing with a pharmaceutical company.

Year 2 [1999-2000] Highmark Fellows

Tamara McCullum CHES is a Certified Health Education Specialist, who graduated from Slippery Rock University in August 1999 with a degree in Community Health Science and a minor in Gerontology. Tamara maintained a high scholastic average while involving herself in many extracurricular activities. During Tamara's undergraduate career she was senator for the Student Government Association, secretary of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc., National Pan Hellenic Council, Alpha Phi Omega Service Fraternity, and an active member of the Black Action Society and Slippery Rock Gospel Choir. Tamara was also secretary of her house council, and National Residence Hall Honorary and a member of the Association of Residence Hall Students. During her time at Slippery Rock, Tamara also volunteered for Special Olympics, the Feed my Sheep Food Cupboard, and was a Saturday visitation tour guide for Slippery Rock Admissions.

Tamara completed her MLIS degree in August 2000, and took a position as Assistant Coordinator of the Knowledge Connections Centers, a part of the Allegheny County Libraries Association.

Teressa Grimes is from Akron, Ohio. She received her undergraduate degree from Malone College, with a major in Management with an emphasis in systems. While attending college, Teressa was awarded a United Parcel Post Academic Scholarship Award. She is a member of the National Honor Society, Alpha Kappa Mu National Scholastic Honor Society, Phi Sigma Pi National Honor Fraternity, and the Association of African Women Scholars. Teressa is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated. She is interested in educating youth and working in the community. She especially enjoys music, particularly jazz.

Before becoming a Highmark Fellow, she worked for the Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine as a Program Assistant in the Office of Minority Affairs and Affirmative Action. In January 2000, she began pursuing her graduate degree in Library and Information Science at the University of Pittsburgh. After finishing her MLIS degree, she accepted a position at the University of Delaware as the Pauline A. Young Resident for Library Administrative Services.

Year 2 [1999-2000] Honorary Highmark Fellows

Honorary Fellows enjoy the privileges of the Highmark Fellowship, including travel and program activity support, but do not receive stipend or tuition support; they are responsible for building webpages, and they receive graduate academic credit for their work on the Highmark Minority Health Link.

Holly Harden, a native of Hampton VA, pursued her MLIS degree specializing in health sciences and medical informatics. She earned a bachelor of science degree in Biology from Randolph-Macon College in Ashland VA, where she published her work on the premature rupture of membranes in mice. Upon completion of her undergraduate degree, Holly worked in a clinical laboratory at Riverside Regional Medical Center, a tertiary care facility in Newport News VA.

Prior to coming to Pittsburgh, Holly was employed in various library organizations, including public, academic, and medical libraries in Virginia. She currently works part-time as an intern at the Civitarese Library of Mercy Providence Hospital and as an information assistant in the Engineering and Science Library of Carnegie Mellon University. Holly is very active in campus organizations such as the School of Information Sciences' Minority Concerns Council, and the student chapters of ALA, SLA, and ASIS. She is also a student member of the Medical Library Association. Holly completed her MLIS degree in August 2000, and is now an Outreach Librarian with the Welch Medical Library at Johns Hopkins University.

Gretchen Higginbottom is a Magna Cum Laude graduate of Jackson State University, where she received her Bachelor's of Business Administration. She was the recipient of the many academic awards and recognitions, including election to Alpha Chi Honor Society, Beta Gamma Sigma Honors Society, and Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society. In addition, she was actively involved with various student organizations.

Gretchen earned her MLIS degree at the University of Pittsburgh, serving as a Graduate Student Assistant; she was the 1999-2000 recipient of the E.J. Josey Scholarship, President of the Minority Concerns Council, and Chair of the Student Chapter of the American Library Association. In addition, she was selected to represent the School of Information Sciences at the 2000 ALA Annual Conference in Chicago. In April 2000, she was awarded the Jay Daily prize for the year 2000, an annual award honoring a student for "outstanding contributions to the graduate program in library and information science."

Her past work experiences as a Radiology Film Librarian and as a Document Delivery Specialist at the Jackson State University library in Mississippi led to her decision to seek the MLIS degree.

Gretchen then served a year as a Medical Informatics/Library Trainee in the National Library of Medicine-funded program at the Health Sciences Library System and the Center for Biomedical Informatics at the University of Pittsburgh. She is now employed as a reference librarian at the California State University, Fresno.

Udo Oyoyo was an undergraduate Pre-med/Biology student at Washington University in St. Louis, and worked part-time as the assistant biomedical librarian for Washington University Institute for Biomedical Computing. While there, he utilized his strong background in computing to create searchable databases of articles published by the Institute's scientists and engineers. After graduating in 1998, he accepted a full-time position as an instructor of Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer courses at the Synergistic Computer Learning Center in northern New Jersey.

A strong community service focus has been a driving force through his student and professional life. Among Udo's most memorable activities are participating in the integration of computer systems into the after-school programs of underserved St. Louis area public schools. In New Jersey, he did the same thing for high school students in the Paterson area and for residents of neighboring communities. He has organized town hall meetings in his father's native village in southeast Nigeria to address health concerns there.

Nigerian by blood, Californian by birth, Pittsburgher by residency, Udo has had the opportunity to share in the cultural blend of not only this country but also England, the Netherlands, and his fatherland of Africa. He holds this international focus as he pursues his long-term goal of becoming an international medical information specialist. Upon completion of his MLIS degree in August 2000, Udo became a post-master's Trainee in the Medical Informatics program at the Oregon Health Sciences University in Portland OR.

Year 3 [2000-2001] Highmark Fellows

Angel Hill is from Akron, Ohio,and was formerly a resident of Cincinnati. Angel attended the University of Pittsburgh where she earned her BSIS with honors from the School of Information Sciences. She minored in psychology and earned a Women's Studies certificate. While a student, she worked part-time at the Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic

She began her collegiate community service efforts by participating in Habitat for Humanity, Canned Food and Clothing Drives, Global Links, and Pittsburgh Food Repackaging projects. Later she served as an elected officer of Circle-K International, in which she helped plan service projects for Ronald McDonald House, Family House, Heartland Nursing Home visits, various fundraisers for Iodine Deficiency Disorder, and Myriam Women's Shelter. Angel was honored by the National Council of Negro Women for her concern for female minority retention at The University of Pittsburgh, and was recently accepted as a member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc.

Her work experience includes three summer internships as an INROADS intern with Champion International in Hamilton, OH. She was also a summer scholar with Deloitte Consulting in Pittsburgh, PA, and interned with Eli Lilly Pharmaceutical Co. in the summer of 2000. She earned her Masters in Library and Information Science in August 2000, and was employed as an information specialist with the Eli Lilly Pharmaceutical Company.

Eric Woods is a native of Pittsburgh PA. He received his udergraduate degreee from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, with a major in criminology. While attending class at IUP, Eric was also interested in African studies, and attained the Dean's List as an undergraduate. As a brother of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc., Eric spent time in peer mentoring to assist freshman adjusting to college life, and and in food drive activities to help homeless individuals in Indiana PA.

After undergraduate school, Eric moved to Columbus OH, where he worked as a social worker for a community agency. As a social worker, Eric encountered various people from diverse backgrounds, and he values the experience of working with a wide spectrum of people. Eric earned his MLIS degree at the University of Pittsburgh in December 2004.

Eric's extracurricular activities include natural bodybuilding, sport bikes, pro football, travel and a growing interest in photography.

Linda Robinson is from Baltimore, Maryland. Her undergraduate degree is in Chemistry from Morgan State University in Baltimore. She earned a Master of Science degree in Extension Nutrition Education from the University of Maryland. Linda completed her MLIS degree in December 2001.

Linda has worked for over 15 years in public health education at institutions which include Johns Hopkins Medical Services Corporation and the Baltimore City Health Department. She was Nutrition Consultant for Metro Delta Head Start System in Baltimore for 4 years, as well as Assistant Professor of Nutrition and Health at Coppin State College's Helene Fuld School of Nursing. Her interest in studying for the MLIS degree is a result of working as a Library Associate at the Enoch Pratt Free Library in Baltimore.

In addition to committee work in the community, she served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Senegal's health program. There she co-founded L'Association Nationale des Albinos du Senegal, and was responsible for the construction of a center which provides literacy classes, health and social services for albinos. One of her memorable experiences, while serving in the Peace Corps, was to be featured on the Oprah Show with her daughter Tanea, for Mother's Day.

Following her year and a half as a Highmark Fellow, Linda accepted a position at Baltimore's Enoch Pratt Free Library in their Business, Science and Technology Department, and subsequently was appointed as a professional librarian in the Howard University medical library in Washington DC.

Year 3 [2000-2001] Honorary Highmark Fellow

An Honorary Fellow enjoys the privileges of the Highmark Fellowship, but does not receive stipend or tuition support; she is responsible for building one or more webpages, and received graduate academic credit for her work on the Highmark Minority Health Link website.

Patricia Clark was originally from Chicago, Illinois. She earned her undergraduate degree in marketing from Grambling State University. She has always sought to balance her interests with a variety of projects and experiences. One of her most memorable experiences was having the opportunity to be exposed to the unique culture of Japan while touring both Osaka and Tokyo.

She has performed survey and research work for the University of Illinois and the American Medical Association on the topics of AIDS, smoking, and national healthcare. The survey results were used for the development of educational health programs for high school students and adults in Illinois. Her most recent experience included an internship in consumer health with the Health Learning Center at Northwestern Memorial Hospital.

Patricia was a 2000-2001 American Library Association Spectrum Scholar. While pursuing her MLIS degree, she staffed the Minority Resource Office of the School of Information Sciences. As part of a team of graduate student assistants, she provided information and materials that supported minority students in achieving their personal and educational goals. After completing her MLIS degree, she returned to Chicago.

Year 4 [2002-2003] Highmark Fellow

Lonelyss Charles earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee. She also earned a Master’s degree in Education from the Tennessee State University. Ms. Charles received several academic awards during her work at both universities. Ms. Charles was also involved in various cultural, academic and social organizations.

Prior to coming to Pittsburgh, Ms. Charles was a staff member at Meharry Medical College in Nashville. Her work there included working with a predominantly African American community. Her tenure at Meharry piqued her interests in African American health care, with particular attention to the health disparities that exist in the population. She was also able to work with the geriatric community, especially through the Alzheimer’s program with which she was involved each year.

Ms. Charles chose to pursue her MLIS degree in medical librarianship for several reasons. Her first impetus is the strong medical roots in her own family; secondly, she wants to help eradicate the health disparities that exist within the black community, and thirdly, she believes that this course of study brings her full circle in her life, family and community.

Lonelyss Charles was named an Associate Fellow at the National Library of Medicine. After completing two years as an NLM Fellow, Lonelyss entered the PhD program in the School of Information and Library Science at the University of North Carolina/Chapel Hill.

Year 4 [2002-2003] Honorary Highmark Fellow

An Honorary Fellow enjoys the privileges of the Highmark Fellowship, but does not receive stipend or tuition support; she is responsible for building one or more webpages, and receives graduate academic credit for her work on the Highmark Minority Health Link website.

Hadiya Drew is from originally from Chicago, Illinois. In 2000, she earned an undergraduate degree in communication from Millikin University in Decatur, Illinois, with an emphasis on information management and promotion. After obtaining her degree, she served as a Deputy Registrar for a voter registration campaign for the Democratic Party of Illinois. She accompanied state representatives in neighborhoods and worked on community outreach by providing information to the public about elections. She was active as a part of the state legislative campaign staff whose focus was promoting awareness on voting in the south suburbs of Chicago.

Her past work experience at a local library back home in Chicago-land allowed her to interact with patrons about concerns within the local community. This eventually led to her decision to seek an MLIS degree. Hadiya has always had an interest in promoting awareness about issues of concern to African Americans. Therefore, she wishes to pursue a career that will allow her to combine her degree in communication with the health science to promote health awareness in African American communities.

Hadiya is now a Reference/Instructional Librarian at the South Suburban College in South Holland, IL, 20 miles south of downtown Chicago. She is active in the Biomedical and Life Sciences Division of the Special Libraries Association.

Year 5 [2003-2004] Highmark Fellows

Aisha White was born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In 1987 she earned an undergraduate degree in Media Communications from the University of Pittsburgh. She earned her Master's Degree in Library and Information Science in 1993, also from Pitt. As a Highmark Fellow, she pursued her doctorate in Library and Information Science from the School of Information Sciences, University of Pittsburgh.

She has worked as an independent consultant for Dewey & Kaye, and for the Southwestern Pennsylvania AIDS Planning Coalition, The Partnership for Minority HIV/AIDS Prevention, and Family Communications Inc., the producers of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood. Prior to her consulting work she was employed as Outreach Coordinator for the National Black Programming Consortium (NBPC), which funds the production and promotion of independent Africana film. Before working with NBPC, she was National Coordinator of the Mister Rogers' Neighborhood Child Care Partnership, a public television outreach project which brought the Mister Rogers' Neighborhood television program, training, and educational activities to child care providers. Prior to that she worked for Beginning With Books, an emergent literacy organization, as Coordinator of Project BEACON, their Early Childhood Outreach Network.

In mid-December 2003, Dr. White successfully defended her dissertation on the information needs of women in prison, which included findings about these women's specific needs for health information. This research reflects her continuing interest in human rights, diffusion of information, and library and information services to marginalized populations. In March 2004 she began showing independent Africana film at the newly restored Homewood Branch of the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh. Her work with the Homewood library continues her ongoing awareness of the role of independent Africana and documentary film as information sources for underserved library populations.

Tywanna Whorley was born in Lynchburg, Virginia and raised in Alexandria, Virginia. In 1993, she earned a bachelor's degree in history from the University of Virginia. She stayed on to earn her Masters in history as well. She moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania where she earned another Masters in social history from Carnegie Mellon University in 1998. She then enrolled in the Ph.D. program at the University of Pittsburgh's School of Information Sciences, concentrating in archives and records management.

As a doctoral student in the LIS program, she taught two core courses in the archives specialty, and she will be assisting in the MLIS course on Resources and Services for Healthcare Consumers. Her teaching experience has given her an opportunity to construct syllabi, deliver lectures, and evaluate students, skills which she will use when she becomes an Assistant Professor at Simmons College in Boston, a post she will assume upon completion of her doctorate.

Ms. Whorley's dissertation, entitled "The Tuskegee Syphilis Study: Access and Control over Controversial Records," provides a historical case study analysis of the Tuskegee Syphilis Study records and their maintenance within the custody of the National Archives and Records Administration. The effect of the changing social context on the National Archives recordkeeping practices of the Tuskegee Syphilis Study records is explored in this research on one of the century's most famous medical experiments involving African American patients. Ms. Whorley's investigation of the archival issues surrounding African American participation in clinical trials is ground-breaking. In September 2004, Tywanna started as an Assistant Professor in the graduate school of library and information science at Simmons College in Boston MA.

Page last updated 09.09.05