Alumni News

Elizabeth Barcellona, MS, Research Assistant

Elizabeth Barcellona received her Masters of Science in Biology from East Stroudsburg University in August 2018. During her graduate studies, she spent a semester as an intern at the Northeast Wildlife DNA Laboratory researching the potential for winter ticks to pose a future risk on Pennsylvania elk. This project won the Faculty Memorial Award for best graduate level research presentation at the 2018 Sigma Xi competition as well as the Pennsylvania Vector Control Association’s Outstanding Graduate Student Award. After graduation she was offered a position with the Northeast Wildlife DNA Laboratory as a Research Assistant where she continues to assist in tick and tick-borne diseases research as well as wildlife research.

Samantha Pelletier, BS, Laboratory Manager

Samantha Pelletier received her Bachelors degree in Biology from East Stroudsburg University in May of 2017. As an undergraduate she interned at the Northeast Wildlife DNA Laboratory and completed research on tickborne pathogens in American black bears of Pennsylvania. This research was presented at the 2017 ESU Student Research and Creative Activity Symposium. After taking the rest of the year off after graduation to travel around the country, Sam returned to work as a research assistant at the lab before being promoted to manager. She continues to work on tick testing, tick-borne disease and wildlife research.

Kacie Chern, MS, Staff Scientist QPS Holdings, LLC

Beginning in 2014, Kacie conducted independent research and an internship at the DNA Lab during her undergraduate career at ESU. After graduation she continued to work at the DNA lab and conduct independent research for her master’s thesis while contributing to DNA lab research, grant writing, and publications. Independent research awards she received include PVCA undergraduate and graduate student research awards, PAS outstanding presentation award, Sigma Xi most outstanding graduate presentation award, Sigma Xi Grant-in-Aid of Research, and a PAS student research grant. Following completion of her MS studies, she continued to work for the DNA lab until 2018 when she accepted a position as a Staff Scientist elsewhere.

Gregory Berry, PhD Clinical Microbiology

Graduated from East Stroudsburg University with his Bachelors of Science in Biology in 2007. He completed his Doctor of Philosophy in 2014 from Penn State University. Following his completion of his PhD, he moved to Galveston Texas for his fellowship in Clinical Microbiology. Just recently, Dr. Berry has accepted a position in Long Island NY as the Assistant Medical Director of Infectious Disease Diagnostics and an Assistant Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine. Congratulations Dr. Berry on all your achievements and your new position! Welcome back to the Northeast!

Patrice Weiss, MD. CMO of Carilion Clinic (Roanoke, Va.)

Dr. Weiss, an Alumni of ESU was recently recognized in “100 Hospital and Health Systems CMOs to Know 2016”. Prior to her appointment as CMO of Carilion Clinic in November 2014, Dr. Weiss was chair of the department of obstetrics and gynecology at Carilion and a Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine professor. She is a founding board member of the Society of Academic Specialists in General OB-GYN, has served on the board of directors for the Association of Professors of Gynecology and Obstetrics and is program chair for the Council of Residency Education of OB-GYN.

Kathie Bensen, MS, MEd

Gold Award AGOV and Melbourne Gold Brush Winner October 2015. Kathie received both her Masters in Education and a Masters in Biology from East Stroudsburg University.