Student & Alumni Profiles
More to come, please check back!
Who are our alumni?
Click on a name to read what our alumni are saying about their time in the program and how they are integrating their MBE training into their professional lives.
Steven Handler, MD, MBE (2004) - Endowed Chair and Associate Director, Division of Pediatric Otolaryngology, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
Patrick Hennessy, MBE (2007) - Manager, Amerihealth Administrators/Independence Blue Cross and candidate for PA State Senate, 2008
Sarah Hull, MD/MBE graduate (2008)
Victoria Koszowski, MBE (2007) - Senior Associate, Benefit Risk Management, Quality Systems, Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Research & Development
Vicki Lachman, PhD, APRN, MBE (2002) - Associate Professor, Drexel University College of Nursing and Health Professions
Ahud Sela, MBE (2007) - Rabbi, Sinai Temple, Los Angeles, CA
Dominic Sisti, MBE (2000) - PhD Candidate, Department of Philosophy, Michigan State University
Anthony Vernillo, DDS, PhD, MBE (2005) - Professor, New York University College of Dentistry
Alumni Profiles
Steven Handler, MD and MBE 2004
Endowed Chair and Associate Director, Division of Pediatric Otolaryngology
The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
Professor, Otorhinolaryngology: Head and Neck Surgery
University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
Going back to school 30 years after finishing medical school?? Well, the 4 years it took to get my MBE (1 class a semester while continuing my full time clinical practice) were amazing. My eyes were opened to the countless ways in which I could apply my newly acquired knowledge to my activities as a Pediatric Otolaryngologist (ENT) at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). I began to serve on the hospital Ethics Committee and moved up to a leadership position on that committee. I have been one of the clinician champions in the process of implementing an electronic medical record (EMR) at CHOP. Among many other advantages, the EMR is one major advance in helping to reduce medical errors by providing legible prescriptions, allergy alerts, best-practice guidelines, etc.
My interest in medical education fit well with my bioethics training, preparing me to participate in UPenn courses for medical students introducing clinical and research bioethics. I have been a faculty preceptor in a long-term course (2 ½ years) that is called “Doctoring” that is intended to provide medical students with an introduction to issues of professionalism, ethics, humanism, etc as they make the transition from basic science courses to clinical involvement with patients. This has been particularly fulfilling as I can see the difference this has made in the evolution and maturation of these young student-doctors.
The accomplishment of which I am most proud, however, is my role in CHOP’s establishing a full-time position for a medical ethicist. After my degree program at the Center for Bioethics, I saw multiple opportunities for the introduction of ethical guidance and education into our clinical programs. While most clinicians work very well utilizing their own personal ethical compass, there are often new areas/problems/disputes which could benefit from open discussions facilitated by someone trained in bioethics. I proposed a new position at CHOP which was enthusiastically approved and funded by our administration. The new medical ethicist (the search is ongoing) will help to facilitate these ethical discussions, develop and participate in educational courses, coordinate research in bioethics, interact with the Center for Bioethics at Penn and facilitate ethical discourse throughout CHOP. This can only improve the care we provide to our patients.
Lots to credit to my four years at the Center for Bioethics. More to come…
Patrick Hennessy, MBE 2007
Manager, Amerihealth Administrators/Independence Blue Cross
Arguably, the issue of the uninsured is the most pressing domestic policy issue of our time. With over 40 million Americans with little or no health care coverage, it is clear that the crisis is at hand. Presently, the guidelines that govern the relationship between most providers, patients, and the third party payers are both administratively and ethically complex. In my career as a Manager with the nation’s largest health care insurer, my experiences in the Masters of Bioethics program have been invaluable in considering (a) what is at play, (b) what could be introduced, and (c) what ought to be factored. Here’s why:
- The excellence of the faculty and staff is unparalleled. Dr. Caplan, Dr. Fiester, and the faculty as a whole are consistently challenging in their pedagogy and familiarity with current research.
- From the Conceptual Foundations course through to the completion of the curriculum, students are introduced to competing analytic models for the consideration of modern-day ethical challenges in medicine and health care.
- I learned as much from my cohorts as from the distinguished faculty. In this regard, the program offered me the opportunity to speak to many other high level administrators in related, real-life business case studies.
- Bottom line: I consider myself, not only a better manager as a result of completing the program, but also a better representative to my constituents and to my family. I recommend this program in the highest terms
Sarah Hull, MD/MBE graduate 2008
I decided to pursue a career in medicine because I believed it would best satisfy not only my passion for science but also my humanistic side. After completing my first semester of medical school, which sometimes felt fraught with minutiae and where most answers were clearly either right or wrong, I yearned for a philosophical complement to my medical education. The Master of Bioethics program seemed like the logical choice, although I confess to having harbored some reservations given the considerable demands of medical school. My hesitation, however, quickly dissolved halfway through my first course, as I realized the extent to which the faculty at the Center are genuinely supportive and understanding of the fact that their students often have competing demands. I have never felt that pursuing the MBE has in any way detracted from my medical education; on the contrary, I feel that my medical school experience would have been in some ways incomplete without it. This has been especially true in my fourth year, as I have begun a research project under the mentorship of Art Caplan to address the ethical controversies surrounding the HPV vaccine. As an aspiring cardiologist, there are many ethical concerns in my future field to be explored as well, from gender disparities in cardiovascular care to end-of-life issues. Whatever my ultimate direction, I hope to continue ethics research throughout my career and to use the knowledge that I have gained from this program to become a more thorough and understanding physician.
Victoria Koszowski, MBE 2007
Senior Associate, Benefit Risk Management, Quality Systems, Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Research & Development
One of the many great things about the Center of Bioethics are the opportunities that are presented to the students outside the classroom. In 2006, Autumn Feister, PhD, Director of Graduate Studies, forwarded a message to the bioethics community about a fellowship being offered by Penn's Global Health Program. Being acutely interested in health disparities and international healthcare, I pursued the "Global Framework Fellowship". At the time, I was a part-time student pursuing my master's degree in biomedical ethics (I graduated August 2007). To my delight, I was accepted and in May 2007 I headed to Ghana to work at a hospital in Kumasi with children who have sickle cell disease. This project was lovingly sponsored by a citizen of Ghana, Dr. Kwaku Ohene-Frempong, who is a Professor of Pediatrics and Director of the Sickle Cell Center at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.
I knew that it would be a life-changing experience, but I did not know how much this opportunity would inspire and motivate me to continue to learn about the state of health in developing countries. Today, I continue my work on perceptions of pain management in the world with Michele Meltzer, MD (currently a student in the bioethics program and also a participant in the Frameworks Program) and Christiaan Morssink, Ph.D., M.P.H., who is extremely dedicated to improving the lives of the world's poor.
Vicki Lachman, PhD, APRN, MBE 2002
Associate Professor at Drexel University College of Nursing and Health Professions
Since graduating from the program I have had multiple opportunities open up to me. I took a position as Associate Professor at Drexel University College of Nursing and Health Professions teaching ethics to doctoral and masters nursing students and physician assistant students. I got a book contract and edited a book entitled Applied Ethics in Nursing, which was released by Springer Publishing in 2006. Also in 2006 I became the Ethics column editor for MedSurg Nursing and the chair for the Nurse Affinity group of the American Society for Bioethics and Humanities. I have been invited to be on three ethics committees, the most recent being in assisted living organization. I have been invited to give over 30 presentations on a variety of ethics topics at national conferences. In 2007, I had the opportunity to meet some of my England colleagues, as we took our nursing doctoral students to London for two courses; the one I taught was entitled Clinical and Applied Ethics in Nursing. My Masters in Bioethics has opened many doors and I will be forever grateful for the knowledge and skill I gained from the program.
Ahud Sela, MBE 2007
Rabbi, Sinai Temple, Los Angeles, CA
I have always been fascinated by bioethical dilemmas. In college I planned on becoming a scientist, but my senior year I changed directions and decided to become a rabbi. While in rabbinical school I missed learning about science and while reading articles about Jewish bioethics was interesting I wanted more. I learned from an adviser about the MBE program at Penn and it was exactly what I was looking for. The education I received was second to none. I would often spend the two hours driving home from Philadelphia to New York going over and over the dilemmas and debates that we had discussed in class. The MBE program made it possible for me to bridge my interests in religion and science. Having received such a foundational education in bioethics has made me a better rabbi. I hope to publish many of the papers that I wrote for my classes in Jewish journals and become a resource for the American Jewish community on issues of bioethics. I have taught a number of classes on Jewish bioethics and have already become a resource to my rabbinic peers on matters of Jewish bioethics. I am currently serving as one of three rabbis at Sinai Temple in Los Angeles. (Serving under Rabbi David Wolpe, Dr. Paul Wolpe's brother). I plan on joining one of the local hospital's bioethics committees and to continue teaching about Jewish bioethics.
Dominic Sisti, MBE
PhD Candidate, Department of Philosophy, Michigan State University
Visiting Researcher, Center for Bioethics, University of Pennsylvania
I began the MBE program in 1998, while working for a pharmaceutical company. I had recently graduated from Villanova University and entered the MBE program knowing I wanted to cultivate my interests in philosophy and biology through bioethics. As my MBE coursework progressed, I found myself increasingly eager to begin “doing bioethics” full time. It was tough leaving the security of a great job for uncharted waters. Nonetheless, I felt confident that the MBE program was a solid foundation upon which to build a bioethics career—though I also realized that I would need to complete a terminal degree someday. Eventually, with an MBE in hand and the unwavering support of mentors, I began a clinical ethics position where I stayed for several years. Meanwhile, as a Center staff member, I started to develop my research goals and began teaching and writing about bioethics.
It soon became clear that it was high time to do what Professors Caplan and Magnus had urged all of the early career MBE students to do: get that doctoral degree! So in 2006, I began the PhD program in philosophy and bioethics at Michigan State University. On this intellectual journey, I find myself exploring the philosophical foundations of bioethics—an exploration primed by the Penn MBE.
All this is to simply say that the Penn MBE program grounds what I now consider my vocation. And by “program” I mean the people of the Center: its director, faculty, staff, and students. I feel proud when I tell new colleagues where I received my Master’s degree and am indebted both to the Center’s superb faculty and to my incredible classmates— many of whom are now successful bioethicists. I am truly honored to be a member of the Penn bioethics family.
Anthony Vernillo, DDS, PhD, MBE
Professor of Oral & Maxillofacial Pathology, Radiology & Medicine
New York University College of Dentistry
One of the best things I ever did in my career was to study Bioethics at Penn. The instruction was superb and the resources at Penn were unparalleled. I could go as far as I wanted—there was simply no limit. I was given the analytical skills to study ethical issues; new thoughts and ideas that I had never considered were there for further study. I also made very good friends.
I developed an interest in ethics while I was a graduate student in Pathology at the University of Chicago. Many years later, I decided to take a one year sabbatical leave from New York University to pursue the MBE degree. My keen interest in ethics had never left. When I checked out the Penn Bioethics web site, I knew that this was something I needed to do.
After completing my MBE degree requirements in August 2005, I joined the ethics committees at the Manhattan Veterans Administration Hospital. I am working with some of its members to put together a forum at the VA this fall on the relationships between physicians and the pharmaceutical industry. I am also an ethics consultant at Bryn Mawr Hospital—a position that I obtained with help from Dr. Autumn Fiester. Collectively, these hospital appointments remain very rewarding. In October 2006, I presented a 15 minute talk at the American Society for Bioethics and Humanities (ASBH) on HIV infection in Africa. This is an area of keen interest because I participate in dental outreach work in Tanzania every summer. With the expertise of Dr. Paul Wolpe and Dr. Scott Halpern as co-authors, I published my master’s thesis work in Critical Care (April 2007). It is this kind of professional, scholarly collaboration that is a vital part of my Penn experience.
New York University College of Dentistry is unique—it merged with the New York University College of Nursing, the first merger of its kind in the country, to explore new paradigms in health care delivery. Given this new environment, I am also teaching ethics to dental and nursing students. There are many more exciting things to which I now look forward because of my outstanding education from Penn—writing additional manuscripts for publication, participation on ethics panels at dental meetings, and working as an ethics consultant on an NIH grant with the College of Nursing in the area of elder mismanagement. Best of all, I remain in touch with the faculty from the Penn Bioethics program—they are my colleagues and friends.
