WCH 2020 Interns

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Christine Heffernan

Christine Heffernan

VP of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for Net Impact, Kenan-Flagler School of Business


Christine graduated from Colgate University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology. She has six years of experience conducting legal and policy research in pursuit of data-driven solutions to national poverty and income security. At UNC Kenan-Flagler, Christine serves as the VP of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for Net Impact, and is a Dean’s Fellow, member of the Consortium, and B Corp Clinic consultant. This summer, Christine is focusing on community and economic development in rural North Carolina with Whole Community Health. In her free time, Christine enjoys hiking, cooking, running, and listening to podcasts.

Stephanie Hwang

Stephanie Hwang

Pharmacy Doctorate Candidate at the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy


Stephanie Hwang is a Doctor of Pharmacy Candidate at the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy. Originally from Richmond, VA, she studied Biology and Music at the University of Virginia. In the past, she has volunteered for the Student Health Action Coalition (SHAC), NC Harm Reduction Coalition, Charlottesville Free Clinic, International Rescue Committee, Remote Area Medical, and Ronald McDonald, among other non-profits. She hopes to make a lasting impact in the local, national, and global community and to contribute to a greater goal in a meaningful way.

Chelsea Fitzhugh

Chelsea Fitzhugh

Medical Student , UNC School of Medicine


Chelsea Fitzhugh, a native of rural Albany, Georgia, is a fourth year medical student at UNC School of Medicine. She received her undergraduate degree in Biological Sciences at The University of Georgia. As a medical student, Chelsea has been involved with the Kenan Rural Scholars Program and provided care to rural and underserved populations through programs such as the Bloomer Hill Free Clinic. Following her interest in care for resource limited-populations, she chose to participate this internship to learn more about interdisciplinary solutions to social determinants of health.

Catherine Theuer

Catherine Theuer

Software Engineer, UNC Kenan-Flagler MBA


Catherine Theuer is a 2020 graduate of the UNC Kenan-Flagler MBA program. Before business school, she worked as a software engineer in security and credit card processing. She received her undergraduate degree in Computer Science from Cornell University. Catherine is participating in this internship in order to further her understanding of community development after taking Professor Bonds and Johnson’s class this spring and also to give back to underserved areas.

Taylor Hammonds

Taylor Hammonds

UNC School of Law


My name is Taylor Hammonds, and I am originally from Lumberton, North Carolina. I obtained my Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from UNC- Pembroke, and I am currently a rising second year student at UNC Law. I decided to participate in this internship because I have a particular interest in civil rights work, and I’m actually from the Robeson County area, so this was a great opportunity for me to give back to my very own community.

Prasanth Sukhavasi

Prasanth Sukhavasi

MBA Candidate UNC Kenan-Flagler School of Business; Computer Science


Prasanth graduated from Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University in Hyderabad, India with a degree in Computer Science. He has six years of consulting experience in developing strategic supply chain solutions for global pharma and healthcare clients. A passion for developing sustainable healthcare solutions and to learn the business aspects of the healthcare industry drove him to pursue his MBA at UNC Kenan Flagler School of Business. His long-term goal is to work on ‘affordable healthcare for all’ has led him to work for Whole Community Health: Rural Innovation this summer.

Zakiya Smith

Zakiya Smith

Business Administration: Marketing and Entrepreneurship, N.C. Central University


Zakiya Smith recently obtained her Bachelor’s of Business Administration in Marketing and Entrepreneurship from North Carolina Central University. Her passion for innovating economic development in her hometown, Durham, NC, has led her to explore new opportunities in development and redevelopment for other counties in North Carolina. Her goal is to identify and innovate policies that promote economic progress for people of color

Xinyu (Jocelyn) Zhu

Xinyu (Jocelyn) Zhu

MPH Student, Gillings School of Global Public Health


My name is Xinyu (Jocelyn) Zhu, a rising second-year MPH student at Gillings School of Global Public Heath. I am an international student who originally comes from China. I earned my BSc. degree in Nutrition from McGill University in Montréal, Canada. The reason why I am interested in this project is that it helps me develop CEPH MPH Competencies such as performing effectively on interprofessional teams. Public health professionals alone cannot solve the social issue for sure. Therefore, I really appreciate this opportunity for me to form a ‘whole community’ mindset, and learn from students having different backgrounds.

Savannah Morgan

Savannah Morgan

UNC School of Law


I’m from Mt. Ulla, N.C, and I attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for my undergraduate degree in Journalism and English. I am now about to start my second year at the UNC School of Law. I chose to participate in the Whole Community Health Collaborative this summer because I am passionate about civil rights and issues that affect rural, working class, and minority populations. Additionally, I love North Carolina, and I have always wanted to work within the State to uplift the people and communities who define it.

Sisi Tran

Sisi Tran

Health System Pharmacy Administration


This past November, I participated in the UNC Kenan Flagler healthcare case competition with a team consisted of students from different graduate and professional schools. We proposed an innovative population health management program and value-based care centered around utilizing local community pharmacies, for patients with multiple chronic illnesses in North Carolina. Through this experience, I have gained interests in population health management in the context of managed care. Recently, I also participated in the KFBS, BCBS and Share Care data analysis competition, in which my team analyzed key well-being and SDOH metrics explaining the health and well-being of North Carolinians, and proposed solutions targeting the barriers. This opportunity solidified my interest in population health. With a background in health system pharmacy administration, I am passionate about using data driven insights to understand the key barriers to the community well-being, and then use those data to inform policies and leveraging local hospitals or health system to address the issues.

Theodore Moore II

Theodore Moore II

M.D. Candidate, Class of 2023, UNC School of Medicine


Theodore Moore II was born and raised in the rural town of Stedman, NC. He then obtained a B.S. in Biology from UNC Chapel Hill in 2018. Currently, Theodore is a 2nd year medical student at UNC School of Medicine. One of the main reasons he chose a career in medicine was because of the variety of ways a physician can impact the community (e.g. health, education, and policy).

This project spoke to Theodore because he is from a rural setting and it gives him the privilege of learning more about another rural North Carolina community from not only a healthcare provider’s lens, but also through interdisciplinary teams. This summer experience with Whole Community Health Rural Innovation is an educational launchpad for his future aspirations in medicine and assisting underserved communities.

Towqir Aziz

Towqir Aziz

UNC School of Law


Towqir has a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science from UNC-Chapel Hill, and a Masters in Bioethics and Science Policy from Duke University. Throughout his diverse research experiences, Towqir grew concerned about the gap between scientific research and science communication and decided to go back to school in order to bridge his research background and his interest in his public policy and law. As part of his graduate studies, Towqir researched topics at the intersection of science and society– leading him to winning the Duke Innovation and Entrepreneurship’s $10k Clean Energy Prize

Currently, Towqir is back at Carolina as a law student. Towqir’s interest in interdisciplinary work and a dedication to evidence-based decision-making has helped guide his research and work, and has led him to the work being done through the UNC Center for Civil Rights. Towqir joined the Whole Community Health Collaborative in order to utilize his experience and skills on an impactful project that will affect meaningful change in marginalized and underserved communities. As a future lawyer, Towqir hopes to work with leaders in the technological field in order to address and mitigate societal threats, and to help foster a safer, more equitable community.

Ayat Hamza

Ayat Hamza

UNC School of Law


Ayat Hamza is a third-year law student at the University of North Carolina School of Law. Before attending law school, Ayat conducted moral psychology research at Wake Forest University, where she obtained a Master’s Degree in Psychology. She received her undergraduate degree in Psychology and Anthropology from the University of North Carolina. Ayat is participating in this internship because she is broadly interested in issues of social equity and she hopes that her contributions to the project will help make a positive impact.

Alexis Pendergraft

Alexis Pendergraft

J.D. Candidate, Class of 2021, UNC School of Law


Alexis will start her third year at UNC School of Law in the fall of 2020. She is originally from Raleigh and Chapel Hill, NC and played Division 1 soccer at the University of South Carolina, graduating with a BS in Psychology. She wants to pursue Civil and Human Rights law following graduation. This internship offered the unique opportunity through professional collaboration to help folks who deserve it most.

Emily Meggs

Emily Meggs

Student at the Eshelman School of Pharmacy


Emily Meggs is a current third year student at the Eshelman School of Pharmacy. Before pharmacy school, she graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill with a degree in Psychology and minor in Spanish. Emily joined this project because she wants to use her pharmacy knowledge to help rural communities similar to the one she grew up in. She hopes to use the tools she acquires from participating in this project to help her meet the needs of her patients in a holistic way when she becomes a licensed pharmacist.

John Gauthier

John Gauthier

MBA Candidate Kenan -Flagler School of Business; Real Estate


John Gauthier, Kenan-Flagler Class of 2021, is pursuing his MBA with a concentration in Real Estate and an enrichment in Sustainability. Born and raised in Middletown, Connecticut, he is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania (B.A.) and Washington University in St. Louis (J.D.). John previously worked at Davis, Polk & Wardwell, LLP and Davis & Gilbert, LLP in New York. John is passionate about real estate, affordable housing, and community economic development. These interests led him to Whole Community Health, where John hopes to make a positive impact on the vibrancy and health of the communities it serves.