This month’s newsletter is available for download in PDF format.
Table of Contents
Events Calendar
WDCSA Alumni Potluck Dinner Series
Saturday, March 23 5:30-8:30 pm
Private Residence Rockville, Md
Join us for our first Alumni Potluck dinner event of 2019. Stanford Parents ’16 Lucy and Cesar Lopez will host a casual buffet style dinner where the food theme is Wellness. Think fruit smoothies, protein bowls, vegetarian lasagna, red wine, a sundae bar, you get the idea… This is an adults-only event.
Bring your curiosity and share your interests and tips on all things healthy. Bring a friend. Make a friend. Click on the link to RSVP and signup for a dish. https://www.
Bring enough to feed 6 guests. Space is limited to the first 40 guests. Questions? Please reach out to Stephanie Tan at stephanie.tan@
WDCSA MEMBER SPOTLIGHT: JASMAINE MCCLAIN
Jasmaine (MS Medicine ’15, PhD Cancer Biology ’15) is a Senior Manager at Avalere Health, a healthcare consulting firm based in Washington D.C. She currently lives in Congress Heights with her husband Erik and dog Callie. She also serves as the Treasurer for the Washington D.C. Stanford Association!
Jasmaine was born and raised in Decatur, Georgia. She graduated from the University of Georgia with undergraduate degrees in Biology and Spanish. When searching for an institution to complete her graduate training in cancer biology, Jasmaine was attracted to the multidisciplinary research opportunities available at the Stanford School of Medicine. In particular, the Masters in Medicine program provided a unique training opportunity for biosciences PhD candidates to complete pre-clinical training alongside MD candidates in the School of Medicine.
While on campus as a graduate student, Jasmaine worked closely with the Graduate Life Office in several capacities to promote personal and professional development for graduate students across all disciplines. She served as a Community Associate in Munger Graduate Residences for three years. Of her many fun memories at Stanford, one of Jasmaine’s favorites is attending Harry’s Last Lecture with Oprah Winfrey in Memorial Church.
Following graduation in 2015, she moved to Washington D.C. with her husband to pursue healthcare consulting. Her current work at Avalere Health focuses on quality improvement, partnering with multiple stakeholders across the healthcare industry to enhance care coordination and improve patient outcomes. She is driven by the collaborative, dynamic nature of her work and having a positive impact on patient care.
Jasmaine enjoys meeting Stanford alumni throughout the D.C. Metro Area! She looks forward to connecting with leaders of other local Stanford clubs and continuing to strengthen the network of Stanford alumni here in the nation’s capital.
If you have suggestions for other alumni in the DMV area to profile in upcoming newsletters, please send them to Jasmaine McClain (jasmaine.mcclain@
Baltimore Book Club Discussion
Monday, March 18 7:30 pm
Mother’s Federal Hill Grille 1113 S. Charles St., Baltimore, Md
The March selection is The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America’s Shining Women by Kate Moore, winner of the 2017 Goodread’s Choice Award under History and Biography, rated 4.7 out of 5.0 stars by over a thousand Amazon readers. This is the non-fictional health and legal saga of the women who painted radium onto the tiny watch dials, making them glow in the dark, not only the dials, but also the women!
The May selection is The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah.
Questions/RSVP: Helene Myers, Ph.D., P’14, at cedarhouse@comcast.net
Washington DC Book Club Discussion
Sunday, April 14
5-7:45 pm Private Residence
The book group will discuss Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee: An Indian History of the American West by Dee Brown. This is an account of how white American expansion into frontier zones during the late 1800s clashed with established American Indian cultures. Using primary sources, Brown wrote from the perspective of the Native Americans allowing the great chiefs and warriors to tell us in their own words of the arc that took them from masters of North America to displaced survivors eking out a bare existence.
For more information, contact Ann Cowgill ’82 at ann.m.cowgill@gmail.com.
Beyond the Farm: Alumni Day of Service
Saturday, April 27
Stanford’s national day of service – Beyond the Farm – is coming up and we need project leaders! Are you interested? Do you have a partner organization in the DC area in mind? End homelessness, support humane societies, clean parks! Project ideas are due on March 8th. Additional Information can be found at the following link:
https://alumni.stanford.edu/
Get Involved
WDCSA Elections
WDCSA is a volunteer organization led by a team of four officers: President, two Vice Presidents, and Treasurer. We are currently seeking candidates for two offices, President and one of the Vice Presidents, for a term of two years, beginning in April. The other two officers’ terms end in 2020. We hope you will consider nominating an enthusiastic alum (selfnominations are welcome) to help us move the organization forward! The following is a description of the position responsibilities
President
- Oversees WDCSA’s daily operations
- Serves as the primary liaison to the Stanford Alumni Association and other Washington, DC-based Stanford alumni organizations
- Oversees all WDCSA sponsored events
- Delegates the planning, implementation of events
- Conducts, facilitates planning meetings
- Sets agenda for planning meetings
- Ensures copies of the Agenda, Treasurer’s Report, and other materials are provided for sharing at meetings
- Sets planning meeting dates and location • Attends or assigns Alumni Leadership training on Stanford campus
- Serves as an ex-officio officer for six months to one year, as agreed upon, after her/his term ends
Want to learn more before deciding? Contact WDCSA’s outgoing President, Kevin Coyne, at kevin.coyne@stanfordalumni.
Vice President
- Assists with WDCSA’s daily operations
- Plans and presides over meetings, in coordination with the Co-Vice President, when the President is absent
- Chairs special events and ongoing activities
- Prepares minutes of meetings
- Becomes acting president when presidential position is vacant
- Attends planning meetings, keeps weekly communication with President
- Serves the President on special assignments
- Time Commitment: 5-10 hours per month
If you are interested in running for one of the two positions, email a short Bio/Statement of Interest (100-150 words in length) and photo to John Smithson at jsmithson@gmail.com by Friday, March 15th. Voting instructions will be emailed to WDCSA members, and the polls will be open until March 31st. Thank you for your interest and support for WDCSA!
Want to learn more before deciding? Contact WDCSA’s co-Vice President, who is continuing through March 2020, Ingrid Jernudd, at ingridj@alumni.stanford.edu
Stanford In the News
- Stanford University has named Apple CEO Tim Cook as its 2019 commencement speaker. The university’s 128th commencement ceremony is slated to take place at Stanford Stadium on June 16th. Stanford President Marc Tessier-Lavigne praised the Apple CEO’s efforts in speaking about “the challenges and responsibilities confronting corporations and our society today.”
- Stanford is expanding its live entertainment offerings with two partners who will help program the university’s Frost Amphitheater. Stanford Live, the university’s performing arts organization, will co-present a concert series at the venue with Goldenvoice, which promotes more than 600 shows in Bay Area each year. Stanford Live will also partner with the San Francisco Symphony to launch a new musical series beginning July 2019.
- Stanford Libraries has received a $25 million gift from the Harold C. and Marilyn A. Hohbach Foundation to create a vibrant collections-centered research hub and endow the Silicon Valley Archives program.