Our Volunteers
M2 Contacts
Danielle Nicole Anderson
Email: dander36@utmem.edu
Relationship status: Single
Children: None
Pets: None
Hobbies: Shopping; reading fictional books; talking on the telephone; going out to restaurants; going to the movies; volunteering; “enjoying life to the fullest”
Academics: I attended Duke University and received a B.S. in Psychology with a concentration in personality and a minor in Chemistry.
Other: Since I believe that communication is important, I usually keep my phone nearby so I can easily be reached when anyone needs to talk.
Gabriel Bruffy-Holmes
Email: gbruffyh@utmem.edu
Relationship status: Single
Children: No
Pets: No
Hobbies: Soccer, Chess, Piano, Hebrew, Spanish
Academics: University of Connecticut: B.A. in Judaic Studies
Other: I came to UT with a B.A. and very little science background. I know first hand how difficult med school can be, especially when seeing a lot of the material for the first time. During my first year, I spoke with a lot of the students ahead of me and they helped by sharing their perspective and letting me know what to expect down the road. I look forward to sharing my experience and talking about school or whatever.
David Carrigan
Email: dcarrig1@utmem.edu
Relationship status: Single, not dating, no children
Pets: No
Hobbies: Exercise, meditating, scrabble. Before starting medical school, I was a political activist.
Academics: BS from Vanderbilt, Computer Science and Mathematics
Favorite things: Cathy (my best friend in Nashville), Internet surfing, Netflix, slapstick humor,
spending time in my own thoughts, traveling, visiting local restaurants
Eric Cohen
Email: ecohen@utmem.edu
Hometown: Army "brat" so I moved around quite a bit and lived all over
Relationship status: In a long distance relationship with my girlfriend of 3 years.
Children: No
Pets: No
Hobbies: Hanging out with friends, Reading, Watching and playing any sport, Fishing
Academics: BS in Biology from UT-Chattanooga
Favorite things: Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough or Peanut Butter Chocolate Ice cream (it is a toss up), Wii (when I get a chance to play it)
, Long drives, Watching House, Grilling out with my friends, Running, Reading a good book,
Catching big fish, Canoeing, and Naps.
Ryan Dougherty
Email: rdoughe2@utmem.edu
Relationship status: Married
Favorite Things: my wife, chocolate & peanut butter, The Daily Show, Jack Johnson, The Princess Bride, LOST,
The Office, Mountains Beyond Mountains, and a Tuscan Sun from Miss Cordelia’s
Academics: College of William & Mary ’05 – B.S. Neuroscience, minor Art History
Old Dominion University ’07 – M.S. Biology
Other: My motivation for going to medical school originates from my experiences abroad. I’ve been given the opportunity to
serve on medical relief trips to the nations of Haiti, Guatemala, Trinidad, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, The Dominican Republic,
Mexico, and Panama. Thru these experiences I’ve realized my desire to help others and dream of establishing an international
relief organization in the future.
Heidi Griffith
Email: hgriffi3@utmem.edu
Hometown: Collierville, TN
Single/Married/Other: In a relationship
Children: No
Pets: No
Hobbies: Reading, shopping, trips to the lake, cooking, napping, watching movies
Academics: : Louisiana State University 2006, Biological Sciences
Favorite things: Family, friends, LSU Football, Will and Grace, my new car, Coca-Cola in a can (not a bottle!), riding
with the windows down, sleeping under a ceiling fan, candles, waterskiing, re-reading a good book, home-cooked food…
Paul Kunk
Email: pkunk@utmem.edu
Hometown: Military Brat so really don't have one...(Germany, Seattle area, San Francisco Bay area, San Antonio and now Memphis!)
Single/ Married/ Other: Single
Children: No
Pets: None but REALLY want a dog
Hobbies: Rowing (three years in college), soccer, movies, learning Spanish
Academics: BS in Biology and BS in Chemistry; Minor in History from Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, CA
Favorite things: anything to do with the water, Netflix, traveling, Orange Fanta, chocolate, not taking science all the time, delicious liquors,
my family, Boondock Saints, trying to persuade my friends to go somewhere else other than Beale Street every night.
Shayla Merry
Email: smerry@utmem.edu
Hometown: Jackson, TN
Relationship status: Single
Children: No
Pets: None; Sometimes it’s enough for me to walk and feed myself after a long day in the GEB!
Hobbies: Working out; playing basketball; reading; going to museums and cultural exhibits; trying to
learn how to play the acoustic guitar!
Academics: BA in Biology from Fisk University
Favorite Things: Learning more about God and sharing the love of Christ with everyone
I meet; Music! I love gospel music and jazz; poetry; quiet time; lazy summer afternoons; naps after church on Sunday
Adam Militana
Email: amilitan@utmem.edu
Hometown: Cookeville, TN
Relationship status: I have been in a relationship for three years.
Children: No
Pets: My girlfriend and I have a tuxedo cat and a Boston terrier.
Hobbies: Smallmouth fishing, jig tying, independent music, exercising (hopefully).
Academics: I majored in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Belmont University in Nashville.
Favorite things: Falling snow, drinking coffee, finding arrowheads, watching Antique Roadshow, etc.
Adrienne Moul
Email: amoul@utmem.edu;aemoul@gmail.com
Hometown: Harriman, TN
Relationship status: Married
Children: No
Pets: two cats, Penny and Jude
Hobbies: spending time with family and friends, playing with my kitties, reading for fun
Academics: B.S. in Biology from Middle Tennessee State University, plus a minor in Chemistry
and Health Education; A.S. Roane State Community College
Favorite Things: purses, school supplies, organizers, movies, the internet
Janice M. Nazario
Email: jrober81@utmem.edu
Hometown: Anywhere and nowhere…. A military brat
Single/Married/Other: Other-Divorced
Children: No
Pets: No pets yet
Favorite things: Hanging out with family and friends, traveling, bowling: both in an alley and on the Wii, cooking,
the gym, chocolate chip cookies, the beach, reading-anything non-medical, watching re-runs of the Golden
Girls, finding a good sale….
Academics: BS in Biology, minor in chem.- University of Memphis
Other: A non-traditional student with seven years of military experience (U.S. Air Force)
who’s willing to be an open ear to anyone who needs help.
Joshua Parlaman
Email: joshua.parlaman@gmail.com
Relationship status: In a relationship for 3.5 yrs
Children: No
Pets: Gunnar, ~6 yo Weimaraner. Can be found cowering in the bathtub during thunderstorms and firework displays.
Hobbies: Forcing myself to workout in the sweltering Memphis heat. Hunting for fun restaurants/hangout spots in town.
Watching the Food Network and HGTV. I just played Frisbee Golf the other weekend...is that a hobby?
Academics: : I graduated with a B.S. in Biology from Virginia Tech in 2003. Go Hokies.
Other:I worked for several years after college before starting medical school, so I can relate to folks not feeling
like they fit in age wise. Also I'm particularly interested in helping GLBT students having a hard time adjusting in Memphis.
I know what it's like to feel like you stick out like a sore thumb.
Urvi Patel
Email: upatel2@utmem.edu
Hometown: Born in Florida, raised in Zambia, Africa.
Relationship status: Single
Children: No
Pets: No
Hobbies:reading, baking (usually from Betty Crocker boxes), and movies.
Academics: B.S. in Integrated Life Sciences from Kent State University, Ohio
Favorite Things: Chocolate (it’s an addiction!), ice-cream (preferably with the former),
sleeping, Harry Potter books, and spending time with family
Amerson Pegram
Email: tpegram@utmem.edu
Hometown: Murfreesboro, TN
Relationship status: Currently Dating (started before M1 year)
Pets: None here, but two Boston terriers in Murfreesboro. Almost bought a turtle.
Academics: B.S. in Advanced Mathematics with a minor in chemistry and physics
Hobbies: Tennis, cycling, riding my scooter, going to the movies, and starring in concerts in my car on the way to school in the morning.
Favorite things: Music, trying to exercise, anything outdoors, mindless television, and playing with dogs.
Van Pham
Email: tpham1@utmem.edu
Relationship status: Doing the whole long distance thing with a very busy guy.
It’s been two years and 3 months. It’s been really hard, but it’s definitely doable
Children: No
Pets: None, but I do want a kitten or a puppy.
Hobbies: Baking, reading trashy/fun magazines, reading fiction, pretending to be healthy, and attempting to be environmental.
Academics: Graduated from Rice ’06 with a Biology degree. I took a year off to travel and bum around before med school.
Favorite things: Dinners with friends, good conversations, hanging out with great people, watching movies, and eating food!
Racquel Spencer
Email: rspence7@utmem.edu
Hometown: Moscow, Tennessee
Relationship status: Married
Children: One daughter, Mya
Pets: Two dogs, Scooby and Prince Charming
Hobbies: I enjoy reading, listening to music especially praise and worship, and spending time with my family.
Academics: : I earned a BS in Biology from Xavier University of LA. I took several years off before coming to medical school.
Favorite Things: Watching movies with my daughter, Snuggling with the hubby, Comfy pajamas, Coke Zero =),
Pedicures, Shopping on the clearance rack, Sharing the Gospel of my Lord and Savior
Blair Walden
Email: wwalden@utmem.edu
Hometown: Johnson City, TN
Relationship status: Single
Hobbies: Playing guitar, Crossfit, Climbing, Cycling, Hiking, Slacklining, The Outdoors, Beale Street,
Eating
Academics: Biomedical Engineering at UT Knoxville (Undergrad)
Favorite Things: I really like barbeque, Jimi Hendrix, watching good movies, road trips, the lake, ice cream, and hanging out at the lake.
M3 Contacts
Harry Michael Baddour Jr. "Michael"
Email: hbaddour@utmem.edu
Relationship status: I've had a girlfriend for four years. We made it through the first year of med school long distance after hanging out everyday in college. It's doable but no fun.
Children: None
Pets: I have a roommate who lives like an animal.
Hobbies: Crossfit, the best exercise program ever, trying to beat my brothers 13.8 lb bass record, golf, stocks, darts, listening to Goljan for fun, dancing so hard at Alfreds I hurt myself.
Academics: I attended the University of Georgia and received a B.S. in Genetics and a minor in Spanish.
Other: Like I mentioned above I am in a long distance relationship (10 hours away = flights only), so I am here to help anyone who might be struggling with this situation.
Jason Booton
Email: jbooton1@utmem.edu
Hometown: Bristol, TN
Relationship Status: Currently Dating
Children: None
Academics: BS from Lipscomb University in Biology
Hobbies: Backpacking, sports, biking, running, traveling, Mission Trips (the only way to see the world is through the eyes of change)
Favorite Things: Sharing my life in Christ with others, traveling to third world nations or my backyard, spending time with friends and making new ones.
Lynn Ferguson
Hometown: Knoxville, TN
Married, no children
Pets: my two dogs, Penny and Nickel
Academics: B.S. in microbiology from UTK, minor in Asian Studies and ¾ of a minor (so close!) in piano.
Hobbies: reading, food (making it, eating it, talking about it, reading about it, anything to do with it), sewing.
Favorite things: Puttering around on my motorcycle (even better if it’s with my husband), penguins, aquariums, hugging my dogs and talking to them,
crossword puzzles, my MacBook, avoiding the sun, traveling (if it’s not on my tab),
planning scuba diving trips (but none have actually happened yet), Japanese TV and comic books, lazy Sundays at the house with my husband and dogs, teas.
Heather Holmes
Hometown: My dad was in the Air Force, so I moved around quite a bit. However, I attended high school in Oregon and college in Tennessee.
Relationship status: I have been dating Dan for a year and a half, and luckily he just moved here from Missouri to teach at an inner-city high school (no more commuting!)
Pets: One very fat cat. He fuzzes everything.
Hobbies: I love playing outside; climbing, camping, biking, diving, riding, playing catch, and rollerblading (80’s style ;-)
Academics: I earned a BS in Biology and a minor in Spanish from Vanderbilt, but took a couple of years off before deciding to go to med school.
Favorite things: Along with my hobbies I love Rio Loco’s queso and margaritas, reading (non medical books), Netflix, google-ing random things, playing in the ocean, karaoke night at P&H, salsa dancing, and watching dodge-ball tournaments.
Lesley Starnes
Email: starnes@utmem.edu
Hometown: Waverly, TN
Single/Married/other: Married
Children: None
Pets: None
Hobbies: Biking, Traveling, Reading, Music, Cooking
Academics: B.S. in Biochemistry and Cellular and Molecular Biology (BCMB) from UT Knoxville
Favorite Things: UT Football, Dr. Pepper, Gus’s Fried Chicken, Lord of the Rings, Skittles, Flip-flops, Special Dark Chocolate
Katie Ziegler
Email: kziegler@utmem.edu
Hometown: Chattanooga, TN
Single/ Married/ Other: Engaged
Children: None
Pets: None
Hobbies: Spending time with friends and family, movies, baking, trying to motivate myself to exercise :)
Academics: BS in Biochemistry from UT Chattanooga
Favorite things: The ocean, music, guitar solos, comfortable silence, pedicures, southern storytelling, tea of any kind, vintage clothing (but sadly you will probably see me at school or studying = jeans and comfortable shirt haha), new shoes (I'm a girl...and will wear them with said jeans and shirt), road trips anywhere, baking, kickboxing (aka stress relief).
M4 Contacts
Jonathan English
Email: jenglis4@utmem.edu
Hometown: Bartlett, TN
Single/Married/other: married
Children: 1, two and a half week old girl (I always have pictures, just ask)
Pets: None, one would be nice to spoon with when my wife kicks me out of the house
Hobbies: backpacking, snowboarding, drums, football, baseball, soccer, ultimate (basically playing any sport)
Academics: B.S. in Neuroscience from Brigham Young University
Favorite things: UT football, bluegrass music, being with family and friends, talkin’ politics, anything fried, going to the movies with my wife, hearing my baby girl fart louder than me.
Amber Evans
Email: aevans18@utmem.edu
Hometown: Crossville, TN
Single/Married/other: Single
Children: Nope
Pets: I want a fish, does that count???
Hobbies: Reading non-medical stuff, pilates, ballet (on occasion), playing card games, walking around, and drinking diet coke
Academics: B.S. in Biochemistry and B.S. in Microbiology, Tennessee Technological University Favorite things: Diet Coke! Top Chef, Barenaked Ladies, Twizlers, my cushy running shoes, and the Friday afternoon after tests!
Carrie Holloway
Email: chollowa@utk.edu
Hometown: Columbia, TN
Single/ Married/ Other: Single
Children: None
Pets: None
Hobbies: Reading, painting and restoring furniture, jogging
Academics: BA in English Literature from UT Knoxville Favorite things: Diet Dr. Peppers and Sour Twizzlers, my family, sailing, a great cup of coffee, Harry Potter novels, UT football games, shoes and purses (I'm a girl, I had to throw those in there!)
Holly Ivey
Email: hbivey@utmem.edu
Hometown: Crossville, TN
Single/Married/other: single
Children: nope
Pets: nope, but my family has a Yorkie named Elvis
Hobbies: Taekwondo, knitting, juggling, piano, stargazing
Academics: B.S. in Biology from Vanderbilt University Favorite things: talking with old friends, summer camps, the outdoors, southern accents, eating, sleeping
Manish "Manny" Patel
Email: mpatel9@utmem.edu, utmanny@gmail.com
Single/Married/other: single
Children: 0
Pets: 2 dogs (Ashi, Simi) well...they aren't really my dogs, but I like to say they are
Hobbies: college football, movies, traveling, mountain biking, reading (maybe), rafting, and of course food
Academics: Biology and Chemistry - Christian Brothers University, M-Town (Memphis)
Favorite Things: Working in Uganda with a school we established for children afflicted by war in Northern Uganda. The school is called Hope North. I also enjoy working with many local charities in Memphis, like the Church Health Center and Catholic Charities.
Bryan Sabbe
E-mail: bsabbe@utmem.edu
Hometown: Knoxville, TN
Single/Married/Other: Married (Recently 6/17/06)
Children: None yet, I can barely handle my cat
Pets: One spoiled rotten cat….Zoe
Hobbies: GOLF, backpacking, traveling, cooking, projects of all sorts (usually in conjunction with my wife)
Academics: B.S. Civil Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Favorite things: Playing golf, UT football games, going to the lake, the mountains (not too many in Memphis unfortunately), fixing up old furniture with my wife (refer to projects of all sorts above)
Other: I spent all of my M1 year with my wife (fiancée at the time) in Nashville, aka a long distance relationship, and am willing to share with anyone how we were able to make it through the first year of Medical School together.
Sarah Taylor
Email: zazlas@yahoo.com
Hometown: Memphis, TN
Single/ Married/ Other: Single
Children: None
Pets: a sheltie
Hobbies: swing dancing and lindy hop, playing tennis, painting, reading, rollerblading, seeing the world
Academics: B.S. bioengineering, MS State 2004
Favorite things: family, friends, faith, my boyfriend, music, live theatrical and musical performances, trying new things, rain while it’s still sunny outside, the victorious feeling when I cook something that isn’t burnt, the summer after M1 year, Les Miserables and the Count of Monte Cristo
Other: I struggled through at the least the first half of my M1 year because my college biology background was minimal and I had been out of school mode for a year. Thankfully I had great support, and I learned a few tricks that helped me through. If things are tough for you, I’d love to share the support I received or what I learned that helped me.
Faculty Advisor
Renate H. Rosenthal, Ph.D.
(Clinical Psychology)
Professor
Director of Medical Student Education in Psychiatry
Hometown: Born in Germany, raised in Austria
Education: Ph.D. from University of Arizona
Favorite things: The outdoors, time with Robert, time in my yard
with my dogs. Great old trees. Driving through the Delta while listening
to folk music and the Blues. Travel, good food, art, and live music
events.
