Case Western Reserve University students graduate in high demand and ready to make an immediate impact in their fields. Meet a few of our smart graduates.
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After starting research in her first semester at Case Western Reserve, Melissa logged more than 3,000 hours in multiple labs as an undergraduate. Her research was in developmental biology and genomics—and her work got noticed. In addition to contributing to several high-impact publications, Melissa presented at the Structural Birth Defects Meeting hosted by the Society for Developmental Biology at National Institutes of Health. As a student in the MD/PhD Medical Scientist Training Program* at University of Michigan Medical School, she is training as a physician-scientist. Melissa plans to spend her medical career treating patients affected by congenital diseases while spending time in the laboratory finding answers to questions about how they occur.
*accepts only 5% of its applicants
CWRU resources and experiences Melissa credits with making her a stand-out candidate for a prestigious MD/PhD program:
- The pre-health advising office set her on the right path to achieve her goals from day one.
- Leading projects in various lab settings allowed her to effectively communicate her work in written form and in interpersonal interview settings.
- The Writing Resource Center reviewed drafts of her personal statement for medical school applications.
The Transformative Innovator
Franco Kraiselburd, '24
Founder and CEO, Asclepii
(for Asclepius, the Greek god of medicine)
- Majors: Biomedical engineering
- CWRU involvement: Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, La Alianza, Residence Hall Association
Franco is on a quest to revolutionize regenerative medicine. In his sophomore year at CWRU, he founded Asclepii, a company working to advance affordable, equitable and globally available cell therapy solutions. Currently, he’s applying the transformational possibilities of cell therapy to chronic wound care and envisions a day when his work scales up to producing easily accessible and lifesaving bio-manufactured organs and tissue. It’s this type of forward-thinking that landed him on MIT Technology Review’s list of Latin American innovators under 35 and honored with its Pioneer of the Year award.
CWRU's entrepreneurial ecosystem played an integral role in the development of Franco’s breakthrough idea.
- He studied with the late Professor Arnold Caplan, creator of the world’s first cell therapy, at the Skeletal Research Center in the Department of Biology.
- As an ENGAGE awardee (at CWRU’s National Center for Regenerative Medicine) and a Veale Snyder Fellow, he furthered his skills and resources as both a scientist and entrepreneur.
- His Case Western Reserve courses connected him to a vast network of venture capitalists and entrepreneur mentors.
- CWRU’s Alumni Association and Medical Technology Group provided funding and infrastructure for professional development.
The Multi-Faceted Attorney
Jeremy Rodrigues, '21
Juris Doctor Student, Yale Law School*
- Major: Philosophy, political science and economics
- Minor: Mathematics and ethics
- Master of Arts: Military Ethics
- CWRU involvement: Inamori International Center for Ethics and Excellence student associate, ROTC–Cadet Wing Vice Commander, Pokémon North American international champion
Jeremy was the first Case Western Reserve University undergraduate to be named a Schwarzman Scholar, which earned him a fully funded master’s program in global affairs at the esteemed Tsinghua University in China. He cites his breadth of experience at CWRU as significant in his selection for this prestigious honor. Jeremy completed four degrees in four years at CWRU—three undergraduate and one graduate. Now pursuing his juris doctor at Yale Law School, he plans to serve as a Judge Advocate General (JAG) in the U.S. Air Force Reserve while working to reimagine legal services as an entrepreneur.
*accepts approximately 5% of its applicants
CWRU attributes Jeremy credits in propelling his success:
- "CWRU empowered me to pursue a broad range of academic interests. I was grateful for the opportunity to enroll in classes at CWRU’s law school, preparing me for the rigors of full-time legal studies."
- “CWRU’s key strength is its flexibility. In addition to constructing a truly interdisciplinary course of study, CWRU allowed me to cross-register into the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) program at Detachment 630.”
- “CWRU’s most valuable resource is its amazing faculty. While my course load was heavy, the great professors made it possible.”
The Design Researcher
Nsisong Udosen, '20
User Experience Consultant
- Majors: Dean’s approved major in human-computer interaction and business management, innovation and entrepreneurship concentration
- CWRU involvement: National Society of Black Engineers president, Undergraduate Diversity Collaborative president, African Students Association, Design for America
Nsisong’s fascination with how humans connect with technology started at CWRU and landed her at Google. There, she worked with Fortune 500 companies to refine mobile user experiences, transforming real-world data into practical product changes. As a CWRU undergrad, it was easy for Nsisong to take courses in engineering, management, and arts and sciences, resulting in “a dynamic combination of professors strengthening my understanding of how technology and cultural factors intersect.” Nsisong added valuable experience to her coursework by completing three internships, routinely competing in hackathons and pitch contests, and participating in the Silicon Valley trek to network with leaders in the technology sector.
Nsisong’s CWRU leadership roles helped drive her career growth.
“Serving as president of the National Society of Black Engineers and the Undergraduate Diversity Collaborative allowed me to sharpen my leadership abilities, manage large financial budgets, engage with a wide range of students, and collaborate with faculty and staff on various campus initiatives, such as Engineering Week. These experiences shaped my approach to team building, problem-solving and community outreach.”
The Savvy Financial Analyst
Sasha Sindhwani, '23
Investment Banking Analyst, Guggenheim Securities
- Major: Management, finance concentration
- CWRU involvement: The Weatherhead Fund president, Women in Finance vice president, Alpha Kappa Psi, Forté Foundation
Sasha came to Case Western Reserve determined to build a portfolio of experiences to thrive professionally in capital markets, specifically in investment banking. And she landed exactly where she wanted—working on mergers and acquisitions on the sell-side in the software and IT services sector at Guggenheim Securities. She impressed them as a summer intern, one of five internships she completed as an undergraduate. Sasha credits her faculty mentors, the alumni network and lifelong friends made at CWRU for “fueling the experience that truly gave me the opportunity to become exactly who I wanted to.”
Sasha’s real-world learning opportunities during her undergraduate years:
- Spring 2020: Wall Street Trek, planned and funded by CWRU alumni, with a visit to the New York Stock Exchange and networking with senior-level executives from premier financial institutions such as Morgan Stanley, Citigroup, Deloitte and more
- Summer 2020: Investment banking intern at Crafted Capital LLC and subsequently private equity intern at MCM Capital Partners
- Fall 2020: Venture capital intern with Jumpstart Foundry
- Summer 2021: Sales and trading summer analyst intern with Citi
- 2022: President of the Weatherhead Fund, a nearly $1.3 million student-managed investment fund in the CWRU endowment
- Summer 2022: Investment banking summer analyst intern at Guggenheim Securities
The Medical Historian
Nihal Manjila, '23
Ancient DNA Research Technician, David Reich Lab, Harvard Medical School
- Major: History and biology
- Minor: Chemistry
- CWRU involvement: The Observer, Sigma Chi, Undergraduate Research Society, Habitat for Humanity, academic societies Phi Alpha Theta and Delta Epsilon Mu
Nihal came to Case Western Reserve to study biology with an eye toward medicine. But an epidemics course sparked his interest in history as a second major. Today, he puts both his degrees to use in the Ancient DNA lab at Harvard, conducting sampling of ancient remains, extracting DNA, and preparing libraries for genomic sequencing. Nihal compiled an impressive list of accomplishments at CWRU, including presenting research at both the American Historical Association and the American Association for the History of Medicine conferences. At the top of his list is the nationally competitive Lynn W. Turn Prize for best paper by an undergraduate. Phi Alpha Theta, the national history honor society, awarded him the esteemed honor for his thesis titled: “Substance of Joy: Serotonin Research at Cleveland Clinic, 1948-1968.”
World-class resources helped Nihal connect academic interests.
“The proximity to expert faculty and resources allowed me to pursue the best of both worlds. I benefited greatly from both my biology and history professors as well as biomedical labs and historical archives. I was able to pursue my interests in medicine and history simultaneously and felt empowered to make my own path.”
The Pediatric Nurse Leader
Madeleine (Maddie) Paolucci '21
Doctoral Student, Nurse Anesthesia Practice Program, Georgetown University
- Major: Nursing
- CWRU involvement: Spartan tennis (five-time All-American and team captain), CWRU Association of Student-Athletes, Pi Beta Phi
Maddie fell in love with the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) during her rotation at University Hospitals Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital near campus. University Hospitals is just one of the four top-rated medical centers where CWRU nursing students get more than 1,000+ hours of clinical training starting in their first year. Maddie parlayed her clinical experience into a NICU nurse internship at The Children’s Hospital of Michigan after her junior year, and into a job there upon graduation. Her involvement as a successful student-athlete helped her prepare for the team sport of healthcare, which requires both respect for your professional collaborators and strong advocacy for your patients. Working toward her doctorate in nurse anesthesia practice, Maddie’s goal is to “specialize in pediatrics and continue to advocate for the tiniest lives as they undergo surgery.”
Distinct training experiences Maddie
had as a CWRU nursing student:
- Clinical specialties: such as intensive care, operating room, pediatrics, cardiac, orthopedics, labor and delivery, and community health
- Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist shadow day during OR rotation: showcasing the skills, autonomy and pride nurse anesthetists take in their work
- Senior practicum: working full time in Cleveland Clinic’s Medical ICU with a preceptor, putting the finishing touches on her training