Alumni Videos

Listen and watch alumni reflect on the Miami experiences that were influential in their career paths. These alumni often provide useful advice for current Miami students.

A Comparative Advantage

Sarah Stewart de Ramirez (Miami, 1999) majored in Chemistry. She then spent time in Namibia and Botswana as a Fulbright scholar involved in HIV AIDS education with the United Nations. Later, she received masters degrees in both public health and economics from the London School of Economics and then her MD from Harvard Medical School. She is now an emergency medicine physician at Johns Hopkins Medicine and the assistant director of the hospital's Global Emergency Services division.
[April 2017]

A Comparative Advantage Video Transcript

Be Brave; Take Chances

Christine Hajdin (Miami, 2008) majored in Biochemistry. After completing her PhD in biochemistry and biophysics from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill in 2013, she began working at Explorys, Inc. to examine "big data" from hospitals for cost analysis and risk prevention. She now lives in Boston, where she is an investigator at Novartis in the CADD (Computer-Assisted Drug Design) group.
[April 2017]

Be Brave; Take Chances Video Transcript

Work Toward Your Dreams

Wilson Cardwell (Miami, 2008) majored in Psychology. He is currently a graduate student at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, where he is studying for a license as a school counselor in mental health therapy. Wilson was honored in 2016 as one of the alumni recipients of Miami's prestigious 18 of the Last 9 award.
[October 2016]

Work Toward Your Dreams Video Transcript

Making the Stuff We Want to Make

Daisy Levy received her MA in English and emphasis in Creative Writing at Miami in 2005. She later received her PhD in Rhetoric and Writing at Michigan State University. She currently teaches writing as an associate professor at Southern Vermont College. She visited Miami in fall 2016 to give a lecture called "The Creative Dialogue: Approaches to Language in Poetry, Translation, Journalism, and Rhetoric" along with two former M.A. colleagues.
[September 2016]

Making the Stuff We Want to Make Video Transcript

A Blooming of Sorts

Darren C. Demaree received his MA in Creative Writing and Poetry at Miami in 2009. He has published a number of poetry collections, the sixth and latest of which is called Many Full Hands Applauding Inelegantly. The recipient of 9 Pushcart Prize nominations, Darren visits elementary schools to give free poetry lessons. He returned to Miami in September 2016 to speak to current students about using language effectively in terms of composition, rhetoric, and other devices.
[September 2016]

A Blooming of Sorts Video Transcript

Be Open to Opportunities

Alyssa Hopun (Miami, 2013) majored in International Studies, Spanish, and Latin American, Latino/a, & Caribbean Studies. She is the country director for a small nonprofit organization called Community Empowerment Solutions in Leon, Nicaragua and was honored in 2016 as one of the alumni recipients of Miami's prestigious 18 of the Last 9 award.
[October 2016]

Be Open to Opportunities Video Transcript

Be Flexible

Christoper Michel received his English MA in Creative Writing at Miami in 2006. Christopher was awarded a Fulbright grant, and attended Syracuse University for his MFA. He's done everything from working as a legal researcher at the New York State attorney general's office, to selling organic pasta, to being a stay-at-home dad. He is now the digital editor of Runner's World.
[September 2016]

Be Flexible Video Transcript

'College Land'

Douglas Tirola (Miami, 1988) majored in Philosophy and English. He had minors in both film studies and political science. He is a writer, director, producer, and filmmaker whose career began as a crew member on such films as When Harry Met Sally and A League of Their Own. He now focuses on documentaries, including his most recent film, the award-winning Drunk Stoned Brilliant Dead.
[April 2016]

'College Land' Video Transcript

Get Your Hands Dirty

Chad Wollett (Miami, 2002) majored in Mass Communication with a focus on production. He had minors in both film studies and management. He is a coordinating producer for NBC's The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, where he oversees the film unit and is involved in marketing, ratings, and research.
[April 2016]

Get Your Hands Dirty Video Transcript

Stick with It

Ida Lieszkovszky-Hargitai (Miami, 2009) majored in Journalism and Psychology. She is a reporter who covers court cases for cleveland.com, which collaborates with The Plain Dealer. She also is part of a team producing a series entitled "Best of…" to cover everything from the best preschools and defense attorneys to the best margaritas and food trucks. Ida was invited back to campus in April 2016 to be part of the MJF department's Distinguished Alumni Days event.
[April 2016]

Stick with It Video Transcript

Look and Dabble

Kirk Mueller received his MS in Statistics at Miami in 1992. He works as a statistician at the Bureau of Labor Statistics in Washington, DC. Kirk is also the program manager of the Current Employment Statistics (CES) program, which releases the monthly national unemployment rate reports.
[April 2016]

Look and Dabble Video Transcript

Be Very Persistent

Jennifer Duck (Miami, 2004) majored in Mass Communication. She began working for ABC News in Washington, DC. By 2007 she was a producer covering the White House and traveling the world on Air Force One. Jennifer now works as a producer for CNN's Anderson Cooper 360, where she books guests and accompanies the host to cover a variety of stories, including the Michael Brown shooting in Ferguson, MO and the 2016 presidential election.
[April 2016]

Be Very Persistent Video Transcript