University
of
Texas
Genetic
Counseling
Program
Volume 11
September 2014
Houston Helix
Update from the UTGCP Director
Inside this issue:
Director’s Update
1
Class of 2016
3
Class of 2015
7
Class of 2014
12
Upcoming Events
24
Alum Updates
25
UTGCP grads
30
Special points of
interest:
 UTGCP Recruitment: p14
 Associate Director Updates: p16
 NSGC Presidency: p17
 New Clinical Supervisors:
p18
 Coast to Coast: p20
 Cancer Genetic Testing:
p22
Greetings from Houston!
We are looking forward to a calm 2014-2015 academic year with some minor
tweaks, but few major changes, at the Program. The 2013-2014 academic
year was consumed by the Accreditation Council for Genetic Counseling
(ACGC) accreditation self-study and site-visit. There were new ACGC Program
Standards that went into effect in June of 2014 that we wanted to speak to in
our self-study since our site visit was in 2014. We also had the task of incorporating the new ACGC Practice Based Competencies into our evaluation matrix. If you are not familiar with the new PBCs, I encourage you to take a
look, particularly if you work with students on rotation. The findings of our self
-study affirmed that our proactive evolution of the curriculum had left us on
solid footing for our review. Mother nature made travel a bit of a gamble for
our site visitors, but when the wintry mix melted and the site visit was complete, the site visitors were overwhelmed at the depth and breadth of experience available in the Texas Medical Center. They marveled at our community
and we were thrilled to show off how much each of you contributes to our
Program. We received a resoundingly positive review and were awarded the
full accreditation extension of 8 years through 2022!
This last academic year brought the first dual offering of the American Board
of Genetic Counseling (ABGC) board exam as well as the advent of instant
scoring. For those of us who waited months to hear our fate, the instant gratification seems exhilarating and terrifying all at the same time! Given that
ABGC pass rates are equivalent in Practice Analysis era whether students
wait or sit right away, we have encouraged students to consider their personal life circumstances, such as moving across country or weddings, as well as
licensure rules in their state of practice when deciding when to sit. I am
thrilled to share that regardless of testing in August or in February, our 2013
and 2014 board examinees had a remarkable 100% pass rate!
While Sarah, Jen and I had told ourselves that there would be no major
changes this year, we could not resist the opportunity to upgrade the technologies we incorporate into the Program. UT purchased the Google Education
suite this year, which includes a UT-specific google drive and google calendars. We have jettisoned the use of Blackboard in favor of the much more
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user friendly google drive. Evaluations and other important Program documents have been converted for
electronic use. We were also able to use GSBS funds to obtain iPad minis for all of the students. Now
they can access the drive with readings, rotation manuals, etc, on their phones or iPads anywhere they
have wifi. We hope to increase our Google IQ throughout the year as well as to encourage the use for visual aids in clinic. If you have suggestions for Apps or Google tricks, please share!
I continue to marvel at the size of the Houston community and am thankful to work with such great people. Our size also translates into a yearly influx and outflux of counselors. We send our best wishes to
Thereasa Rich (CO), Allie Copeland Ortega (UT), Elise Austin (UT), and Alana Cechi (GA) who have left Texas
as well as to those relocating within Texas (Barry Tong) and changing positions within Houston (Kate
Dempsey, Brittany Batte). A big Texas hello to Grace Tran (Cincinnati), Rachel Webster (Emory), Deanna
Julian (Michigan), Sam Stover (Pensacola, FL), Kate Mraz (California), Krista Qualmann (Emory), Kathy
Shao (Emory), Dr. David Rodriguez (UAB) and we are thrilled to keep 4 members of the UTGCP Class of
2014 in Houston: Aarti Ramdaney, Emily Parham, Andi Lewis, and Shannon Mulligan.
I hope to see many of you this year in the fantastic city of New Orleans at the NSGC AEC. Keep an eye out
for our alumni with all of those presenter and board position ribbons on their nametags. I am thrilled that
are too many UTGCP alums and supervisors in volunteer leader positions to name. For those of you looking to get involved, just say the word and we will put you in touch with a friend who has a project. Don’t
forget – ACME Oyster on Thursday evening to reconnect with the UTGCP.
Safe travels,
Claire
UTGCP at the NSGC AEC 2013 in Anaheim, CA
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Welcome to the UTGCP Class of 2016!
Victoria (Torry) Breen
Hi! I’m Victoria Breen but most people know me as “Torry”. I am originally from the beautiful state of New Jersey and completed my undergraduate education at Boston College in Massachusetts where I majored in
Biology. Since graduating in May 2013, I have worked at the Cancer Institute of New Jersey as a Genetic Counseling Research Assistant, a position that solidified my desire to be a genetic counselor. When not at CINJ,
I also worked at my family’s doggie day-care, Camp BowWow, where on
average I got to play with and care for about 75-100 “campers” per day –
yes, I love dogs. Though I will miss my East Coast home, I could not be
more excited to be here in Houston beginning my journey through the
University of Texas Genetic Counseling Program. I have wanted to join
this incredible field for multiple years now, and I am still in awe of the
beneficent care and support that genetic counselors provide to their patients every day. I cannot
wait to meet my fellow classmates, begin my clinical rotations, and learn from a group of worldrenowned faculty, all while enjoying every delicious food Houston has to offer!
Katie Chan
My name is Katie Chan, and I was born and raised in Sugar Land, TX.
This past May, I graduated from the University of Texas in Austin with a
Bachelor of Science in Biology. I am a passionate longhorn and excited
to continue being one. After working as an undergraduate researcher in
neural tube defects in Austin and volunteering at MD Anderson and the
Rise School, I knew I wanted to combine my love for science and people. I am most looking forward to coming home for graduate school and
being surrounded by my family and friends. My hobbies include traveling, shopping, crocheting, and cuddling with my cat. Thank you to the
faculty and students of this program for being so welcoming and friendly! I can’t wait to nerd out with my classmates who are as passionate
about genetics as me!
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Christina Falugi
I grew up in Centerville, Ohio, a suburb of Dayton. I graduated from the
Ohio State University in 2013 with a bachelor's degree in Molecular Genetics. During my undergraduate career, I had the opportunity to intern
at the OSU Division of Human Genetics which strengthened my passion
to become a genetic counselor. During this internship, I mainly accrued
patients to a familial chronic lymphocytic leukemia study but was also
able to work on several breast cancer studies. As an undergraduate, I
also was the Vice President of Communications for the OSU American
Red Cross Club and was able to organize a "Brothers in Blood" blood
drive- a silent protest against the Food and Drug Administration’s MSM
deferral policy which prevents sexually active homosexual men from donating blood. Before graduate school, I spent a year working as a medical scribe in the ER documenting each patient's history of present illness and physical exam during a medical provider's shift. In my free time, I enjoy reading, yoga,
cooking and baking! I'm so excited to be attending UT-Houston and am looking forward to exploring the variety of artistic and culinary cultures which Houston offers.
Meagan Giles
Howdy! My name is Meagan Giles and I'm a recent graduate from Texas
A&M University! While there, I studied both Biochemistry & Genetics and
was actively involved in a wonderful organization called Camp Kesem.
This camp, entirely free for its participants, is a week-long getaway for
the children of cancer patients. Camp Kesem provides them with the
rare opportunity of escaping from their worries back at home and ultimately allows them to connect with peers who understand what it's like
to have a parent affected by cancer. As the camp director, I was responsible for putting this magical week together from start to finish. My passion for serving these kids as well as my discovery of genetic counseling
came from my own experience of having a parent with cancer. My mom
went through the genetic counseling process for her breast cancer and
her experience was incredibly positive. After investigating the career further, I knew it was the
perfect fit for me. I can't wait to get started! When I'm not studying, I like to read, listen to Beyoncé, binge watch television shows on Netflix, eat, and convince myself that I enjoy working out!
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Jessie Ross
Hi! My I’m Jessie Ross and I am from Columbia, Missouri. I moved to Columbia when I was 7 and loved it so much that I decided to stay there for
undergrad to attend the University of Missouri. I graduated this year with
a Bachelor’s of Science degree in both Biology and Psychology. Based off
my background in both of these areas, I knew that Genetic Counseling
would be the perfect match for me. It combines my love of biology with my
skills and passion of helping people. I knew that coming to the UTGCP
would be the perfect way to develop my skills in genetic counseling because of the great support system here and the excellent clinical opportunities. I am so excited to start this new adventure in Houston and can’t
wait to get away from the cold Missouri winters and learn how to live in a
big city! In my free time I love to read, workout, shop, play soccer, and
watch my favorite sports teams!
Ginger Tsai
Ginger Tsai grew up in Atlanta and graduated from the Georgia Institute of Technology with a bachelor's degree in biomedical engineering.
After teaching biology and Mandarin Chinese for two years at the Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School in the north Georgia mountains, she
moved back to Atlanta to pursue further independent studies while
working as a tutor. Genetic counseling seemed like the perfect confluence of her scientific training and her teaching skills, and she is very
excited to begin establishing her new career through the UTGCP and
TMC community. Her hobbies include playing violin and piano, singing,
reading fiction, and doing creative writing. She is looking forward to
exploring Houston's vast medical network as well as the diverse food
and arts options in the city.
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Victoria Wagner
Hi everyone, I'm Victoria! I was raised in rural North Carolina and was
fascinated by the study of genetics ever since my first Punnett square
in 9th grade biology. For my undergraduate study, I attended Rutgers
University in New Jersey and graduated with a major in Genetics and
minor in Chinese Language. While at Rutgers, I worked as a Resident
Assistant and a Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Team member. In my free time, I love to travel, play tennis, and cook vegetarian
food. My two loves of learning about human genetics and helping others led me to the decision to become a genetic counselor and I am very
excited to start my journey at UT in Houston. My mother is also very enthusiastic about me being in Houston because she has been a Texans
fan for years.
Theresa Wittman
I grew up in the mountains of Santa Fe, NM and graduated cum laude
from the University of New Mexico in 2011 with a double major in Biology and Spanish. While at UNM, I worked as a research assistant to
develop better treatment for the parasitic disease Schistomiosis and
volunteered with Be The Match Bone Marrow Registry. After graduation, I moved to Houston, Texas where I worked in reproductive cancer
research, completed GC program prerequisites and volunteered with
different organizations. In my free time I enjoy good coffee, exploring
Houston’s great restaurants with my husband, going to the dog park,
practicing my Spanish and watching crime shows. I am very interested
in genetic counseling roles in infertility but I am excited to explore all
aspects of the field.
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Catch up with the UTGCP Class of 2015
Front L to R: Callie Jenevein, Sarah Mayes, Caiqian Wu, Katie Sagaser-Schutte
Back L to R: Kayla Vaughn, Haley Streff, Lizzie Baack, Carla McGruder
Lizzie Baack
It is hard to the believe that summer is already over and that we are all beginning our second
year but here we are! I had a wonderful experience over my summer rotation. I worked with
the prenatal genetic counselor at the University of Tennessee High Risk Obstetrical Consultants in Knoxville, TN. I had many interesting experiences and even had the opportunity to get
more familiar with reading ultrasounds. Knoxville is a great college town and I truly enjoyed
exploring the city with my fiance.
Also over the summer, my thesis, The Effect of Room Environment on Patient Experience in a
Genetic Counseling Session, was IRB approved and we will be starting data collection soon.
Although it is much warmer, it is exciting to be back in Texas now and starting our second year.
I'm looking forward to working on my thesis, honing my counseling skills and getting more prepared to join the working world of GCs!
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Callie Jenevein
I am happy to be back in Houston after a great summer! I completed my summer rotation in a
prenatal clinic in Washington, D.C. I especially enjoyed seeing different patient populations
and their general attitudes and preferences. It was also interesting to get a glimpse of the genetic counseling network in another major city with a lot of great medical facilities, although
nothing beats what we have here in Houston! I can't wait to get back into clinic as a 2nd year
and really work on my advanced genetic counseling skills. I'm also excited to get to know all of
our wonderful first year students and hopefully be a good source of information and encouragement for them!
Sarah Mayes
I had an exciting summer in Houston at Baylor! My rotation focused on preconception and prenatal genetics. I had the opportunity to observe the process of in vitro fertilization in a laboratory setting and counsel patients who were undergoing these procedures. While not in clinic,
Haley Streff and I took a bootcamp class in Hermann Park and were very proud of ourselves. I
am looking forward to starting data collection for my thesis, which will survey OB's to assess
their awareness of and attitude toward expanded NIPT.
Carla McGruder
I spent my summer here in Houston doing medical genetics, prenatal and cancer! I really enjoyed my medical genetics rotation and experienced more psychosocial dilemmas. My thesis
involves issuing a questionnaire using the clicker system and PowerPoint to all dental students (residents and hygiene students included) to determine their level of genetics
knowledge. I started my data collection in July and I am excited to see the results! The Baylor
lab rotation really helped me understand how important it is to order the correct testing. As a
second year, I look forward to doing more things on my own and delving more into paperwork
and getting to know the larger medical community that supports our profession.
Katie Sagaser-Schutte
I spent my summer doing a prenatal rotation focusing primarily on infertility and IVF with Baylor/TCH and Houston Fertility Institute. I was able to see many interesting cases involving
translocation carriers, abnormal carrier screening results, and various forms of infertility, as
well as spend an entire week observing hysterosalpingograms, tubal catheterizations, oocyte
retrievals, embryo transfers, and ICSI. My thesis, which looks at patient desire for spiritual
exploration within the prenatal genetic counseling session, is also steadily making progress as
well. We officially began data collection on July 30, and I'm looking forward to seeing the results!
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Haley Streff
I stayed in Houston for my summer rotation to work with the Baylor genetics group at Texas
Children's Hospital. While most of my focus was in the pediatric clinic, I also got to spend time
in the adult genetics clinic and various specialty clinics at TCH. I had a wonderful time seeing
lots of new indications, attending and presenting at various conferences, and of course working with a great group of counselors! Now as second year is beginning, my thesis analyzing
the prevalence of cancers other than breast and ovarian in families of BRCA mutation carriers
has me in full data collection mode, but I am happy to be back spending time with all of my
classmates-old and new!-and am excited for the year!
Kayla Vaughn
Over the summer I did a cancer rotation in Houston at Baylor and the Memorial Hermann sites
around the city. I also spent a few days with a genetic counselor from Myriad. It was really interesting learning about the different roles that a genetic counselor could have working for a
lab like Myriad.
For my thesis I’m studying the level of knowledge of neurofibromatosis in individuals with the
condition. I also want to determine if there is a correlation between the level of knowledge
and self-esteem of these individuals. I hope to begin data collection soon! I’m so looking forward to another year of learning and growing as a genetic counselor. I hope to make the most
out of the time that I get to spend with my classmates, supervisors, and others involved in the
UT GCP.
Caiqian Wu
I've made it to my second year, hooray! I did a neurogenetics rotation at Columbia University
in New York City this summer. It was a blast! I got to see many different neurological and neuropsychiatric cases including Huntington Disease, ALS, frontotemporal degeneration, and
muscular dystrophies. The thesis has been approved by the MDACC IRB, and pending its very
last step at the UT IRB. I'm really looking forward to absorbing as much knowledge as possible
from all the super smart GCs around me.
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Graduation 2014
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Graduation 2014
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Class of 2014: Where are they now?
Amanda Hanson
After graduation in May 2014, I packed up my things and drove the 2000 miles back home to Sacramento. After many (humorous) threats that I would be sent away if I couldn't find a job, I am now
happily working as a General Genetics/Peds/RASopathy counselor at the UC Davis MIND Institute in
Sacramento, California. Some of my additional responsibilities are managing and coordinating our
growing population of patients receiving ERT. Since securing my position, I have spent more time
with my family in the past few months than I have in the past seven years, which has been a blessing. My golf game is finally coming together, my fiance and I are planning our wedding, and life is
starting. I miss all of my colleagues and classmates in Houston, and can't wait to see everyone who
will be at AEC this year! Stop by poster 125!
Andi Lewis
Hello fabulous UT alum! I am busy at work at Texas Children’s Hospital/Baylor College of Medicine
here in the great city of Houston, Texas. Right now my clinic responsibilities include general pediatric
genetics clinic, neurofibromatosis clinic, and setting up and staffing our new cardiovascular genetics
clinic. I am really enjoying the diversity of patients and faculty that I get to work with. Unfortunately I
will not be attending the AEC this year, but will stay plenty busy in Houston preparing to move to a
new apartment with my boyfriend (and cat) and hopefully enjoying some post-boards relaxation.
Jackie Mersch
I started as a cancer genetic counselor at UT Southwestern in Dallas/Fort Worth after graduating in
May. I found a great apartment in downtown Fort Worth and have enjoyed exploring a new city. I am
excited for the upcoming AEC, especially to experience it from the GC side rather than the student
side. I will be presenting my research on the BRCA cancer spectrum during a platform session. I
can’t wait to catch up with everyone soon!
Shannon Mulligan
Following graduation, I accepted a position as a prenatal genetic counselor with Baylor College of
Medicine. My primary clinic is the Texas Children’s Hospital Northwest MFM clinic, and so far I love
it. I am currently studying for boards, and after that, I will be working on submitting my thesis work to
the Journal of Oncology Practice. On the non-genetic counseling side, my husband and I bought a
house in Pearland at the end of May, and last November we adopted a dog, Mia.
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Emily Parham
I started working at M.D. Anderson in June and am excited to remain a part of the Houston GC community. Patients and board-studying has kept me busy since then (CGC as of 8/7/14!), and patients
and thesis publication will keep me busy moving forward… I've been enjoying my newfound ‘free
time’-- getting (slowly) re-acquainted with the gym, enjoying Houston’s restaurants, and getting out
and about on weekend trips.
Aarti Ramdaney
So instead of moving back to the northeast as once planned, I was sucked into the genetic counseling community in Houston and could not bear to leave! I am currently a prenatal genetic counselor
with UT Prenatal and I absolutely love working with such a great group. I will be presenting my thesis
work at a poster at the NSGC AEC and have recently submitted my work to the Journal of Genetic
Counseling.
Stephanie Thompson
After graduating in May, I moved back to central Texas with my husband (Yay!) and started working
at Baylor Scott and White Hospital in Temple. I am loving my job! I work with a great team, including
fellow UT alumna Trisha Nichols, and I get to see a variety of patients in the prenatal, pediatric, and
cancer setting. I am looking forward to presenting my thesis as a poster at the NSGC AEC in September and catching up with everyone at the alumni dinner!
CONGRATS to the new UTGCP CGCs!
February 2014 (100% pass rate):
Michelle McDougle, MS CGC (Class of ‘13)
Brad Rolf, MS CGC (Class of ‘13)
August 2014 (100% pass rate):
Andi Lewis, MS CGC
Jackie Mersch, MS CGC
Shannon Mulligan, MS CGC
Emily Parham, MS CGC
Aarti Ramdaney, MS CGC
Stephanie Thompson, MS CGC
GOOD LUCK to the new grads taking boards in Feb 2015!
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UTGCP Outreach and Recruitment Efforts
By Sarah Jane Noblin
On February 15, 2014, the UT GCP was excited to participate in its very first “Science Night” as a part of the GSBS
Outreach Council. This event was advertised to local elementary schools in an effort to engage young children and their parents to hopefully spark an interest in a career in Science! The
UT GCP table featured an opportunity for kids to build their very
own “monster” after choosing certain traits like fur color and
antennae shape! The kids had a blast and 3 members of the
Class of 2014 (Shannon Mulligan, Emily Parham and Stephanie Thompson) were able to engage both students and parents
about genetic counseling.
On August 8, 2014, the UT GCP was thrilled to host its fourth annual recruitment event. Our
goal was to once again host an “open house” where potentially interested applicants could get a better
feel for the UT GCP. Through advertising on our website and face book page (https://
www.facebook.com/UTGCP), we once again had nearly 30 people register for the Recruitment Event
and 26 attendees. Registrants included mainly undergraduates, but several working professionals as
well as 2 seniors from UCLA who flew in for the event! This year’s event was once again held on the
MD Anderson campus. We had several panels of area counselors (Jennifer Czerwinski, Elise Austin,
Michelle Jackson, Timikia Vaughn, Rupin Dhamankar, Christina Settler & Sam Penney) discuss their
different day to day jobs and career paths. We also had a wonderful patient panel of three different
families who shared their touching stories of how genetic conditions have impacted them and their
children. Once again, our current students and recent alumni were a big hit as they described their
personal experiences at the UT GCP and highlighted some of our
unique traits like an elective rotation! Many thanks to all of our
speakers and area counselors that gave of their time to either participate on a panel and/or meet with the participants over lunch.
If you are interested in helping with future recruitment endeavors and/or have ideas to share, please contact Sarah Jane Noblin at [email protected]. In particular, we are looking for
counselors willing to give presentations at undergraduate institutions in Texas and seeking out a contact in their Biology and/or Psychology Departments and/or Career Counseling offices so that the
UT GCP can reach out to these individuals with information about future recruitment events. We also
plan to partner with the GSBS this coming year and accompany them to different Career Fairs, etc. at
area colleges and universities. If you are interested in participating in outreach presentations about
Genetic Counseling in your city, don’t hesitate to contact us – we will put you to work!
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Page 16
An Update from the UTGCP Assistant
Program Director
Since taking on the role of assistant program director for the UT GCP a little over a year ago, I’ve
been fortunate enough to be a part of great accomplishments and change. A couple of the highlights were participating in the successful ACGC reaccreditation process as well as application review
and interviews. I am excited to welcome our incoming first years!
As assistant program director, my responsibilities are primarily to oversee the core clinical rotations
for the students. This includes being the point person for logbooks, the rotation manual and other
rotation tasks and logistics such as the creation and maintenance of affiliation agreements and coordinating the supervisor mentor program. In addition to overseeing rotations, I get to be part of the
oral comps as a member of the core genetic counseling group. It was great to see all of our second
years succeed this past spring!
In addition to the new rotation responsibilities, I’ve been able to continue my involvement with the
prenatal genetic counseling class, lecturing in topics in medical genetics and being a thesis chair.
Being the assistant program director has been fun and challenging, which is a great combination! I
am thrilled to be part of the leadership team and am so very proud of our graduates, current and incoming students.
I look forward to seeing everyone in New Orleans at the Alumni dinner!
Jen Czerwinski
CONGRATS to…
Sarah Jane Noblin
Associate Director, UTGCP
Sarah was recently elected as the president of the Accreditation Council for Genetic Counseling
Claire N. Singletary
Director, UTGCP
Claire was recently elected as vice president of the Association of Genetic Counseling Program
Directors
Kaylene Ready
Class of 2006
Kaylene was recently elected to the Board of Directors for the National Society of Genetic Counselors
Dr. Hope Northrup
Medical Director, UTGCP
Dr. Nortrhup recently celebrated 25 years at UT Genetics
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Reflections on a year as NSGC President
By Jen Hoskovec
When I was asked to write about my experience as NSGC President I jumped at the chance to reflect
upon the first three quarters of my term but quickly realized it was difficult to do. I liken it to a long
awaited dream vacation. First, you decide to pull the trigger and book your flight. Then you anticipate all of the cool things to come… Where will you stay? What sites must you see? Who will you
meet? How will you document the adventures? Months go by and all of a sudden it’s upon you. Your
bags are packed, your research is done, and you are ready to go. You relish and enjoy each moment, the expected and the unexpected, and before you know it you are on the plane back to reality.
When people ask you about your trip, you share a few stories about how awesome it was and what
went awry and when it’s time to reflect you realize what a whirlwind experience you just had.
As I began this adventure I made a conscious decision to simply live in it, enjoy it, and take one day
at a time. I feel like I have held pretty true to that but do find myself wondering where the time went
and thinking about how much I’m going to miss some of the things I’ve come to enjoy very much in
this role.
There are so many things I would like to share with my friends and colleagues about this experience
but, honestly, it is a bit overwhelming. So I decided just to share some of the things I have learned
in this journey so far. I will start by saying that it has been a humbling, exciting, one-of-a-kind adventure that has changed who I am as a person, leader and genetic counselor. I have had the opportunity to interact with amazing people who all leave their own unique mark in the genetics/genomics
world. I have represented NSGC at meetings of ACOG, ACMG, ASHG, AMA, and IOM and each of
these experiences has opened my eyes to how far our field has come and just how collaborative
those in the genomics space are. I have learned that, although each professional (counselor, physician, politician, payer, nurse, etc…) I interact with in this capacity has their own agenda and experiences, we all have at least a few similar goals in the end. I have come to appreciate the importance
of determining where our goals do align and focus efforts as a team toward those goals, no matter
the letters behind our names. I have learned how impactful a simple conversation in the hallway at
a meeting can be. I have learned that people DO want to hear what you have to say. I have learned
that we cannot be expected to know everything, only to own what you know and what you don’t
know. I have learned that stepping out of your comfort zone can open an infinite number of doors
you never knew existed. I have learned that “this too shall pass”. Finally, I have learned that it’s actually easy to be a spokesperson for NSGC. It has allowed me a formal platform to share with others
my passion for genetic counseling and the impact we can make in this ever-changing space in which
we work.
Genetic counselors have a wonderful opportunity and, in my mind, responsibility to continue to be
part of these important conversations and remain active in the collaborative efforts around education, advocacy, policy-making, and patient care. I’m thankful for the experiences I have been afforded by volunteering in NSGC throughout my career. I hope to take the things I’ve learned in this most
recent role as President and leverage them in my career as a genetic counselor as well as in my volunteer pathway in the future… wherever that path may lead, one day at a time!
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The UTGCP Welcomes New Clinical
Supervisors
UTHealth
Kathryn (Kate) Mraz
I am a genetic counselor within the Division of Oncology at UTHealth and I see patients at Memorial Hermann Cancer Center. I recently moved here from California but I am originally a Midwestern girl from Chicago. I graduated in 2009 from Northwestern University with my M.S. in Genetic
Counseling after earning my B.A. in Biology and Biochemistry from Augustana College. Since I
was a native to Chicago, I stayed and took over the cancer genetic counseling program at one of
the academic hospitals from one of my second years who was leaving. I was there for 4 years
and then took the leap to Northern California where I started a cancer genetics program in an
outpatient medication foundation. I was missing the academic environment and am excited to
be one month into the Division of Oncology at UTHealth which has the collaboration on clinical
genetics and research that I was hoping to find. I have always been passionate about patient advocacy and the cancer genetics specialty throughout my career and two years ago and became
very involved in the Hereditary Colon Cancer Foundation which is focused on becoming a universal resource for patients and HCPs on hereditary GI conditions. In my non-genetic time, I really
love to hike, kayak, run, bake, camp, rock climb, and take photos.....I might be the only GC who
drove into Houston with a fishing pole and a tent in their car :) Everyone has been super welcoming from Houston and I'm excited to continue to meet and work with everyone involved in the UT
GCP!!!
Krista Qualmann
I am a 2014 graduate of the University of Cincinnati program. I started working at UTHealth Department of Neurosurgery and Memorial Hermann as part of Mischer Neuroscience Associates
this June. I decided to move to Houston to pursue the many opportunities of this new position. I
am the first genetic counselor to work in Neurosurgery for a few years and have both research
and clinical responsibilities. Working with neurooncologists and neurosurgeons, I counsel patients on conditions such as familial brain aneurysms, hereditary cancer syndromes and neurofibromatosis. In addition, I have started a new Neurogenetics Clinic to provide genetic counseling
appointments for any adult neurogenetic condition. The main research project that I am participating in is a study looking for new genes associated with familial brain aneurysms. After only
living in Houston for a few months, I am enjoying all of the great venues and restaurants the city
has to offer. I enjoy spending time outdoors, going to concerts and sporting events, and hanging
out with my cat.
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Dr. David Rodriguez-Buritica, MD
David Rodriguez-Buritica, MD, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pediatrics, Division of
Medical Genetics. He obtained his Medical Degree at the National University of Colombia, South
America and continued his training at Winthrop University hospital in New York where he completed a Pediatrics residency and a fellowship in Pediatric Endocrinology, followed by a clinical genetics
fellowship at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He is board certified in pediatrics. He is
most interested in exploring endocrine abnormalities and treatment in patients with genetic conditions
Baylor/TCH
Deanna Julian
Deanna received her MS in Genetic Counseling from the University of Michigan in May 2014. She
received a BS with a double major in Biology/Psychology from the University of Massachusetts Amherst in 2012. She joined the Baylor Adult Genetics group in June 2014 and staffs both the Smith
Clinic at Harris Health County System and the Jamail Specialty Care Center at Baylor. Deanna
moved to Houston after visiting and deciding that the hot Houston summers are better than freezing winters in Massachusetts/Michigan. She enjoys being outside, especially going for a run or a
bike ride, and is learning how to cook well. Deanna is excited to run the Houston Marathon this January and to continue to enjoy living in Houston.
Yunru (Kathy) Shao
I am originally from Shanghai, China, and I just graduated this year from Emory University Genetic
Counseling Program. We were the very first class graduates! I will be working as a pediatric genetic
counselor at Texas Children’s Hospital/ Baylor College of Medicine. I was attracted by the active,
diversified and large GC community here in Houston and am so excited to be a part of it! I enjoy hiking, traveling, cooking and painting during my free time.
Sam Stover
I graduated from the University of Alabama at Birmingham GC program in 2012 and have been
practicing in the prenatal field ever since. I recently moved here from Pensacola, FL, with my husband, dog, and snake to join the team at BCM/TCH Fetal Center. I am truly feeling like the country
mouse in the big city but love Houston so far! I enjoy baking, going on trail runs, crafting, and cross
stitching. Hoping to meet everyone soon!
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MD Anderson
Grace Tran
My name is Grace Tran and I am one of the new genetic counselors to join the Clinical Cancer Genetics Department at MD Anderson! I will be seeing patients at one of the MD Anderson’s regional
care centers in the Woodlands and will also have a clinic at the Lyndon B. Johnson Hospital. I graduated from the University of Cincinnati/Cincinnati Children’s Medical Hospital Center’s Genetic
Counseling Program in April of this year. I really enjoy running and hiking and am currently training
to run the Houston half marathon in October. I was born and raised in Houston so I’m thrilled to be
back in Texas!
Rachel Webster
Hi, my name is Rachel Webster, and I am a recent graduate from the Emory University genetic
counseling program (class of 2014). Prior to graduation, I worked with the Georgia Center for Oncology Research and Education on HBOC outreach and education. I came to Houston to work at
MD Anderson in the Breast Center. I have no other tie to the city, but I am enjoying learning and
exploring! I love to bake, which my coworkers have already found out. If you have any great recipes
or know of something I should try, send it my way.
UTGCP Coast to Coast: West Coast
Brad Rolf, Class of 2013
Seattle, WA
My name is Brad Rolf, and I graduated from the UTGCP in 2013. Following graduation I moved to
Seattle, Washington to take a position in the Adult Genetics Clinic at the University of Washington
Medical Center. It was a great move for me! My job is a perfect fit for me and I absolutely love living in Seattle. In our clinic we see any adult patient affected by a genetic condition. There are multiple geneticists in our clinic, most of which sub-specialize in certain types of conditions. We see a
lot of patients with connective tissue disorders, neurogenetic conditions, hereditary cardiomyopathies and arrhythmias, and skin disorders. In addition, we do quite a bit of cancer genetic counseling. When I am not at work I enjoy taking advantage of the beautiful Pacific Northwest. I escape to
the Cascade Mountains to go hiking whenever I get the chance, and I love to run in one of the numerous public parks scattered throughout the city.
One thing I miss about Houston is the tight-knit genetic counseling community. It was so nice to
have so much experience and expertise concentrated in one area. Fortunately, there is always the
NSGC AEC to help reconnect with everyone.
Page 21
UTGCP Coast to Coast: Midwest
Alyssa Wright, Class of 2007
Dearborn, MI
I moved to Michigan after graduate school for two reasons: to be closer to family (in the Midwest)
and also to work in a prenatal position with a good deal of autonomy, but with a support system in
place when necessary.
My position is primarily prenatal; however, I also work in the Cytogenetics laboratory helping to
call out results, making sure appropriate tests are ordered, managing genetic lab reports within
the electronic hospital system, etc. Due to this relationship sometimes I will be asked to see patients with translocations or unusual karyotypes. I also help my cancer colleagues occasionally
see patients when in a pinch, which can be difficult for me with all of the crazy testing options and
insurance pre-auths necessary these days.
Professionally there are definitely some differences between Texas and Michigan. As stereotypically expected, clinics do move at a faster pace with limited breaks and typically no time for lunch.
Not to say that in Texas things are not busy, but I think people there take more time to be respectful and listen to one another – even though Houston is a city, it is still “the South”. The other major difference would be in the relationship between the students and the supervisors. We routinely have students from both of the nearby genetic counseling programs: University of Michigan and
Wayne State University. We happen to be about 30 minutes from each of them. The difference
here is that there is more of a distinct boundary between students and supervisors. We would
never have margaritas with students here and asking a student to babysit could be crossing the
boundary line. These boundaries were difficult for me to understand at first, but I have gotten
used to them with time.
One of the more interesting parts of my job is that Dearborn has the largest Arabic population in
the U.S. About 25% of my patients are Arabic, but most do speak some English. We have three
Arabic interpreters on staff at the hospital who are typically available when needed. The amount
of consanguinity that I see is very high and with that comes unusual syndromes. This is one culture that I had limited exposure to prior to moving to Michigan.
Page 22
Cancer Genetic Testing: A Whole New World
By Cathy Sullivan
The field of hereditary cancer genetics has experienced a massive expansion of test options with
the introduction of multi gene panels utilizing next-generation sequencing. Genetic testing for
hereditary cancer syndromes has traditionally been limited to a handful of highly penetrant, well
studied genes such as APC, BRCA1, BRCA2, MEN1, MLH1, MSH2, MSH6, PMS2, PTEN, RET,
STK11, and TP53. With the advent of next-generation sequencing, many laboratories have created multi gene panels which simultaneously test for multiple genes associated with hereditary cancers in one assay. Clinicians now have the option of initiating genetic testing with a multi gene
panel, rather than taking the traditional stepwise approach of working through a differential by
testing individual genes one by one.
Hereditary cancer multi gene panels vary by laboratory, but often include highly penetrant genes
as well as moderate and low penetrant genes. A sampling of some of the genes currently available include: ATM, BARD1, BRCA1, BRCA2, BRIP, CDH1, CHEK2, MLH1, MSH2, MSH6, MUTYH,
NBN, PALB2, PMS2, PTEN, RAD50, RAD51C, STK11, TP53. Many labs offer panels targeted to
tumor types, however, many also offer more comprehensive cancer panels that may analyze 60
genes or more associated with a broad spectrum of cancers that include a wide variety of genes
ranging from ALK to WT1.
As is typical with most new genetic testing options (most recently chromosome microarray, noninvasive prenatal testing and exome sequencing) the clinical utility of hereditary cancer multi gene
panels is currently much debated. At this time, there are no practice guidelines recommending
when an individual should be offered a multi gene panel rather than traditional gene testing for
individual high penetrant genes.
Some argue that multi gene panels should only be ordered for individuals who have already tested negative for high penetrant genes (such as BRCA1/2), or for individuals whose personal/ family history is suggestive of more than one syndrome, or that some panels should not be ordered at
all. The cancer risks are not well established for many genes currently included on some panels,
therefore the clinical utility of including such genes on a panel is controversial. Furthermore,
many genes do not have established clinical practice guidelines; therefore no recommendations
for screening/ risk reduction options for carriers exist. Lastly, although the percentage of results
identifying variants of uncertain significance is unknown for many of the genes now being tested,
experience has shown that the rate of variants of uncertain significance can be quite high, especially with the larger panels. This then leads to issues regarding individual laboratories variant
classification programs, family study programs, reclassification efforts and of course, sharing of
data, which is a whole other can of worms.
Page 23
Despite the initial controversy and limitations above, many clinicians are adopting the use of
such multi gene tests. Many even argue that multi gene panels should be offered as a first
tier test as the technology allows for more genes to be analyzed at a cheaper price, therefore
obtaining results faster and more economically than stepwise testing via Sanger sequencing.
Multi gene panels have allowed for the identification of individuals and families who carry
mutations in genes such as PALB2, NBN,ATM, CHEK2 and BARD2 that would likely have
gone undetected prior to the utilization of multi gene panel testing. Not only are we identifying individuals with mutations in genes that were not traditionally tested, but we are also
identifying mutations in genes such as PTEN, MLH1, MSH2, and TP53 in individuals that did
not meet typical criteria for testing for those respective genes.
One thing is certain, options for genetic testing for hereditary cancer syndromes will continue
to evolve and expand. Due to the complex nature of such tests, the lack of professional society guidelines for their use and the limited data regarding the clinical utility of some of the
included genes, the role of the genetic counselor is critical to insure proper use, utilization
and interpretation.
Page 24
We hope to see you at...
NSGC AEC 2014: New Orleans, LA
Join us on Thursday, September 18th at 7:30PM for
the annual UTGCP reunion at the NSGC AEC! The reunion this year will be held at ACME Oyster House.
Questions? Please contact Salma Nassef (Class of
‘12) at [email protected] or Nevena Cvjetkovic (Class
of ‘12) at [email protected].
TSGC AEC 2015: Houston, TX
Save the date: the TSGC 2015 Annual Education Conference will be held
at the Embassy Suites in downtown Houston on February 7, 2015. We
are also looking for individuals to help with the planning and execution
of the 2015 AEC, including volunteers for the speaker, printing, CEU,
evaluation, and registration subcommittees. Please contact Brittany
Batte at [email protected] or Barry Tong at [email protected] if
you’re interested in volunteering. We hope to see you all there!
Page 25
Updates from UTGCP Alum
Tricia (Zartman) Page, Class of 1996
Tricia Zartman Page (1994-96) is now Co-Director of the JScreen program at Emory University in
Atlanta, GA, where she is able to continue advocating for the importance of preconception carrier
screening. This past year, Tricia happily married her long-time partner, Mikel Walters, in beautiful
Napa Valley. Her three kids are now 12, 14, and 16, so say a little prayer for her sanity (and stay
off the roads if you visit Atlanta!)
Sarah Jane (Tew) Noblin, Class of 1999
This past spring marked my 15th anniversary of being a genetic counselor, 13 of which I have
spent at LBJ Hospital in Houston! Needless to say, I still love doing what I do, providing both prenatal and pediatric genetic counseling services at LBJ and working with the Latino patient population. I am becoming more involved with the OB Centering Groups in the county health clinics
and I love this service delivery model – in fact, Patti Furman and I got a poster at the AEC that
describes how Genetic Counselors can get involved with OB Centering Groups. I was also thrilled
to be selected to be a 2014-2015 Health Educators Fellow from the UT Medical School – a collaborative effort across the many UT schools in the TMC to teach health care providers how to be
better educators. So far, my favorite new topic is Team Based Learning and I hope to debut it in
the new Ethics Small Groups with the 1st year GC students this fall. I continue to be involved with
the ACGC BOD and enjoy meeting new colleagues and working on improving the education of future genetic counselors. I am excited to be President of ACGC in 2015. The UT GCP continues to
thrive and the leadership was so excited about the excellent outcome of our Self Study, Site Visit
and ACGC Reaccreditation Decision – 8 more years!!! Dave, JD, Sophie and I still love Kingwood!
JD will be in 2nd grade this year, while Sophie will start Kindergarten! We are involved with Cub
Scouts, Dance, Soccer and Swimming and love all of the new families we have met. I look forward to catching up with many of you at the Reunion Dinner and AEC in New Orleans! Safe travels to all!!
Amie (Ortman) Blanco, Class of 2000
Amie just celebrated her 10 year anniversary at University of California San Francisco, where she
holds the title of Gordon and Betty Moore Endowed Genetic Counselor of Hereditary GI Cancer
Prevention. She is feeling very lucky to have worked in such a great environment for so
long. She hopes to carve out more time for research during her next 10 years at UCSF.
Page 26
Leslie Evans, Class of 2000
I’ve spent the last two years with Thermo Fisher Scientific (formerly Life Technologies) working
for a friend of the UT GC program, Dr. Steve Lott. My current title is “Clinical Program Manager”
and I’ve been spending most of my time working with the NCI-MATCH collaboration, which involves using NGS technology on tumor samples to randomize patients into various phase II clinical trials. Professional volunteering over the past year has included completing my third term
on the JEMF advisory committee, participating in the NSGC online course on technology, and
contributing to the preconference symposium on tumor profiling at this year’s AEC. This year, I
also started an online Master’s program in Health Informatics through the University of South
Florida. My personal time is spent volunteering for the corgi and sheltie rescue groups of Florida and had a “foster failure” this year and adopted two new shelties, adding to a household of
two older shelties that permanently reside in our home. One of the biggest milestones this year
was achieving the dream of living in Florida near the beach for half the year and in the mountains of NC near my parents for the other half. I love working from home and having the opportunity to enjoy the outdoors at a moment’s notice. Looking forward to seeing everyone in NOLA
this year.
Laura Wright Nelson, Class of 2001
Most recently I have been working as a stay at home mom to my precious little boy Jack who is
17 months old. I love it!! We moved last August from Chicago to Huntsville, Texas due to my
husband’s job! Patrick got a job at Sam Houston State University which has been a huge blessing! We loved Chicago but we also love being back in Texas with family and friends! I am currently trying to catch up on continuing education! So thankful for online opportunities!
Jennifer Bayliss Saucier, Class of 2002
This year I am celebrating five years with Natera, formerly Gene Security Network. I am now
managing the clinical genetic counseling team in addition to performing telephone counseling
and assisting in product development. Mike and I still love living in The Woodlands; our girls are
now entering 3rd and 1st grades, respectively. Hope to see many of you at NSGC this year!
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Sandra Darilek, Class of 2003
Overall things are going well for me. Work, as always, has been busy which is a good and a
bad thing. We are hiring another genetic counselor to help provide genetic counseling on a
preconception/prenatal basis through our office and to build a cancer genetic counseling service in the community as well. So that will mean some help for me and Salma. I also moved
up into a shared manager position for the prenatal genetics service here at BCM and TCH with
Tammy Solomon, who as you know is also a UT-Houston program grad. Through that I am
learning to appreciate the complexities and frustrations associated with a management position. Next year through BCM it looks like I will also have the opportunity to lecture about genetic counseling at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. I am excited and nervous about that opportunity. I have enjoyed my first year on the NSGC Board of Directors and am learning a lot
about the role of Secretary/Treasurer, with much more emphasis on the treasurer part. It has
been a really great experience and hopefully I have learned enough to be a good Secretary/
Treasurer for next year. On the personal front, I still only have furry children. I lost one of my
dogs last year - Sebastian was 13 years old so he had a good life. While losing him was hard, it
allowed me to welcome a new furry guy into my life. Dickens is about to be 1 year old and is
quite a little devil but is so cute it is hard to stay made at him. He keeps me and his older furry
brother on our toes. My niece and nephew are growing like weeds and I enjoy all the time I am
able to spend with them.
Carolyn Brackett-Wilson, Class of 2003
I have been working at the same job that I took at graduation (which was supposed to be a
temporary position) at the Fullerton Genetics Center in beautiful Asheville, NC. At work I am fortunate enough to get to see pediatric, prenatal, cancer, and adult patients – so never a dull
day and truly wonderful colleagues. We are starting a personalized medicine program, and
moving into a beautiful state of the art building that will house the genetic clinic, laboratory,
and personalized medicine program. I am a member of the Organization of Teratology Information Specialists as a Research Coordinator, and an adjunct professor at the University of
North Carolina, Greensboro. I get to do a lot of teaching, which I really enjoy – to a wide range
of audiences, including physicians, medical student, genetic counseling students, local colleges, high schools, and the public. We have regular genetic counseling rotations from two local
programs (UNCG and USC) which is a wonderful way for me to meet the new genetic counselors and be kept up to date on genetic counseling in the modern age of ipads and apps. Outside of work my husband Clay and I love to travel, and always try to have some vacation to look
forward to. He will be coming to New Orleans after NSGC this year, and we will spend 4 days
being tourists in NO. Earlier this year we had a wonderful trip to visit my family in Northern California, which included an amazing camping trip to Yosemite. While definitely not a runner, I
have started participating in 5K events, and have an upcoming Zombie Run in Georgia that I
hope to complete with a ‘survivor medal’ but if I get an ‘infected medal’ that is all good too.
Maybe someday I will work up to longer runs but for now the 5K is just my speed. I look forward to seeing everyone in New Orleans or other upcoming events.
Page 28
Andrea Atherton, Class of 2004
Wow! I cannot believe 10 years has passed since I graduated from UTHSC – class of 2004.
That doesn’t even seem possible! I am still working at Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas
City, MO, as I have been for the past 10 years and have officially been promoted to a senior
genetic counselor. I primarily work in our metabolic genetics clinic providing services to children and adults with inborn errors of metabolism and lysosomal storage diseases. I am also in
charge of the newborn screening follow up program at CMH for the western third of Missouri
and all of Kansas. Some major changes occurring with newborn screening is that we are now
screening for several lysosomal storage diseases in the state of Missouri. It has been a challenge to lead the way in this area but my experience with lysosomal storage diseases had led
to some new opportunities to help improve education, care, treatment and outcomes in patients with lysosomal storage diseases. In my spare time, I am the lead genetic counselor in
our Neuromuscular and Neurology Clinics and I work a little with our genome center at CMH
providing clinical genetic counseling services to patients identified with rare conditions identified through WES/WGS. On a personal note, I am happily married to Jason and we will be celebrating our 12th anniversary later this year. We have four boys, Dylan (9) and Nicholas, Lucas
and Blake who will be 7 in September. We have also has a chocolate lab and two cats. Life is
crazy as all four boys participate in baseball, soccer, football and basketball in addition to boy
scouts. Life is always interesting as every day is a new day at work and at home.
Jamie Chance, Class of 2004
Hi, All! I am still out in West Texas, going great guns! The Regional Perinatal Center is booming, just like everything else out here. I am keeping busy with seeing patients and coordination
of our Perinatal Hospice program. Last October I had our third child, Katelynn, who is crazy
about her two big brothers, Craig (7) and Carter (5). Between keeping up with them, Kevin's
crazy schedule, and work, my days are full and blessed! I hope to catch up with everyone
soon!
Colleen (Buecher) Wu, Class of 2004
In April, I started a new job with CareCore National doing genetic testing utilization management and policy review. On a personal note, we are busy building a new house and running after our twin boys, Evan and Dylan, who will be turning 2 in September.
Matt Tsgirchi, Class of 2008
2014 has been an amazing year. I’m still a prenatal genetic counselor at Obstetrix Medical
Group in Spokane, WA. I have been able to explore the entrepreneurial part of my personality
and I have done some part-time consulting work for different genetic testing companies. As a
result, I formed a company called Genetix Consulting, LLC in June of this year. I’ve had a lot of
fun jumping into the “business side” of genetic counseling. The kids are all great; they are in
12th, 8th, 5th, 4th, and 2nd grade. Liza, our oldest, has moved back home and is attending
community college here in Spokane. Besides being a stay at home mom, Niki has been blogging more and is in process of publishing her book about growing up in Alaska. She’s also a
Rodan and Fields skin care consultant. Life is good!
Page 29
Rebecca Carter, Class of 2009
It has been another great year working as a prenatal GC for the Texas Fetal Center with UTHouston, being involved with very complex and interesting cases. I continue to love being a part
of the UT GCP as a clinical instructor and co-coordinator of the Psychosocial Practicum course.
On a personal note, we just welcomed our first baby in July! I am sad to miss seeing everyone at
NSGC in New Orleans but hope to see you next year!
Jennifer Fowler, Class of 2009
I am currently working in the San Francisco Bay Area as a prenatal genetic counselor. In my personal time, I have been fortunate to have the opportunities to travel this year to Canada, Alaska,
New Zealand and Australia!
Gina Nuccio, Class of 2010
I'm still in Memphis at Baptist Memorial Health Care. We're in the process of expanding our services through telemedicine. In my free time, I still volunteer and explore new restaurants.
Laura Godfrey Hendon, Class of 2011
Since graduating from UTGCP in 2011, I’ve been working as a prenatal and pediatric genetic
counselor at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson, Mississippi. This past year
I’ve been working very hard to get our prenatal services up to date, and have really enjoyed
working with our MFM fellows. I’ve also delved into offering tele-genetic prenatal counseling for
rural Mississippi, giving talks to our DO school and osteopathic medical association, and recruiting Mississippi high school and undergraduate students to the profession through shadowing
experiences. In my spare time I’m still coordinating a therapeutic horseback riding program and
enjoy seeing many of my pediatric patients on the weekends having fun on horseback. I’m still
happily married to my husband of 5 years and we are the proud parents of our little four-legged
Houstonian, Pudge. Since turning 30, I’ve essentially lost all self-consciousness and have
delved into hip-hop dancing, Pilates, and am strongly considering Celtic dancing classes. I like
to think I’m getting both a little more and a little less awkward each day.
Laura Panos, Class of 2011
I’ve been staying busy at Ambry, where I’ve been working in a field based genetic specialist role
for the last year. I’ve started to transition into a new role, and will be doing more marketing and
training for the sales team. I’ve been amazed at how much I’ve learned in this role, both about
the technical and clinical aspects of genetics. On a personal note, I’ve become an avid yogini
and have been taking full advantage of having a flexible home office schedule to finesse my yoga practice. I have started dabbling in the garden when it’s not 100+ degrees in Dallas (any and
all tips for keeping hydrangeas alive in Texas are welcome). I’m excited to be going to the AEC
this year and hope to connect with lots of classmates and supervisors
Page 30
Allison (Copeland) Ortega, Class of 2013
2014 brought a lot of changes for me- professional and personal. In June 2014 I moved from
Houston to Salt Lake City, UT to get married and be closer to both of our families. Shortly after,
I began working for Lineagen, Inc in a hybrid laboratory/clinical position. I miss Houston, the
community of counselors and friends, and margaritas there, but have loved being back in the
mountains (and out of the humidity) and exploring all the hiking and camping possibilities with
my new husband and family!
Kate Dempsey, Class of 2013
In May 2014, I began a new position as the cancer genetic counselor at Houston Methodist
Hospital. Moving from a group of many counselors to a group of me, myself, and I has been
quite a change, but I am loving every minute of it. If anything, it has further reaffirmed just how
close knit the genetic counseling community is, as I have had to call on many of y’all with the
crazy cases I am running into. Outside of work, I relocated to inside the loop and have vowed
to never leave again. I’m enjoying exploring everything the city has to offer and will not rest until Houston’s Best Margarita has been discovered!
UTGCP Alumni
Class of 1991
Deb Durand
Class of 1992
Patricia Sculley
Pamela (Nackajski) Welgenhausen
Class of 1993
Becky Finkboner
Marnie Rocklin
Cathy Wicklund
Class of 1994
Fara Etzel
Jennifer McKeand
Cassidy Rodnick
Class of 1995
Melanie Andrews Casal
Robin (McKenney) McGoey
Jill Sawyer
Class of 1996
Heather (Ferguson) Coldebella
CarolLynn (Lockmiller) Crossman
Sadie Ellen (Maynard) Blake
Tricia Zartman Page
Class of 2000
Saleen Chenevert
Angie (Gibson) Jacobson
Amie (Ortman) Blanco
Leslie (Rogers) Evans
Class of 1997
Noelle (Agan) Danylchuk
Ellen (Friday) Steinwachs
Andi Ybarra
Class of 2001
Betsy Clark-Gaye
Laura Pine Ellis
Kendra Waller
Laura (Wright) Nelson
Class of 1998
Erika (Martin) Miller
Joylnn Swantkowsi
Melissa Trant-Kline
Class of 1999
Sara Cooper
Ashley (Nelson) Solomon
Michelle Strecker
Sarah Jane (Tew) Noblin
Class of 2002
Valerie Banks
Jennifer Bayliss Saucier
Stephanie (Manzo) Hill
Jennifer (Seifert) Eichmeyer
Class of 2003
Sandra Darilek
Emily (Gutter) Burke
Jennifer (Malone) Hoskovec
Carolyn Wilson-Brackett
Page 31
Class of 2004
Andrea Atherton
Colleen (Buechner) Wu
Jamie Chance
Carol (Linsner) Brooks
Alice Schindler
Class of 2005
Jennifer LeMoine
Tamara Solomon
Cindy Trotter
Class of 2006
Marianna (Horz) Raia
Gabriel Lazarin
Stacey Miller
Kaylene (Whetstone) Ready
Jennifer (Sherrill) Czerwinski
Julia Wynn
Class of 2007
Jennifer (Defant) Burgess
Alyssa (Knisley) Wright
Erin Salo-Mullen
Cathy (Sullivan) Crapitto
Catherine (Tipps) Vendola
Amy (Stanford) Wells
Class of 2008
Lauren (McNair) Baggett
Sarah Guerra Seth
Lauren (Spurck) Youngborg
Blair Stevens
Matt Tschirgi
Class of 2009
Laura Amendola
Sarah Colosimo
Jennifer Fowler
Travis Morgan
Lauren Murphy
Rebecca (Sample) Carter
Marisa Vineyard
Class of 2010
Justine Cooper
Carrie Crain
Deanne Darnes
Leslie (Newman) Dunnington
Gina Nuccio
Amy (Sommer) Poole
Class of 2011
Emily Gabitzsch
Laura Godfrey Hendon
Trisha Nichols
Sarah (Swain) Barnett
Laura Panos
Ashley (Henriksen) Woodson
Class of 2012
Nevena Cvjetkovic
Carolyn Garby
Roya Mostafavi
Salma Nassef
Sam Penney
Katie Rock
Ann Simmons
Class of 2013
Allison (Copeland) Ortega
Jessica Davis
Kate Dempsey
Michelle McDougle
Nikki Mohrbacher
Brad Rolf
Class of 2014
Amanda Hanson
Andi Lewis
Jackie Mersch
Shannon Mulligan
Emily Parham
Aarti Ramdaney
Stephanie Thompson
That’s 106
grads!