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ALUMNI NEWS

RONA JOBE, NAMED ‘RISING STAR’ R ona Jobe , a 2013 graduate of the Schar School’s Master of Public Policy program, was presented with the Deborah Farnell Rising Star Award by the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO), a nonprofit organization advocating for more than 10.6 million women entrepreneurs and business owners around the country. “The award recognizes entrepreneurs who excel at strategy, operations, finances, problem solving, innovating, overcoming adversity, and giving back to her community,” NAWBO said in announcement. Jobe is the CEO of LVL-Up Strategies, a consulting firm based in Arlington, Virginia, that works to help women-owned enterprises reach the next level of success. As a first-generation immigrant from the Philippines and the

BIODEFENSE MASTER’S DEGREE FOR NEUROSURGEON NICK MARKO T here are lifelong learners and then there are individuals like Nick Marko , who graduated with a Master of Biodefense and a graduate certificate in illicit trade analysis from the Schar School.

“I had read as much as I could on my own in my spare time, but there is always the situation of ‘You don’t know what you don’t know,’” he said. Initially planning to earn a graduate certificate in biodefense, Marko’s coursework piqued his interest and led him to earn both the master’s degree and certificate. Because he completed his degree and certificate coursework completely online (with a few in-person campus visits), Marko appreciated the Schar School’s flexibility. “The Dean’s office was accommodating to my somewhat unique situation and was open to facilitating solutions that allowed me to pursue the degree,” he said. “I was grateful that such an opportunity was available because I couldn’t have made it work

Marko also happens to be a board-certified neurosurgeon who currently serves as director of neurosurgery for LewisGale Health System in Salem, Virginia. “I am someone who has a hard time not continuing to learn,” he said. Marko decided to pursue a master’s in biodefense at the Schar School because of an interest in the history of biological and chemical weapons development, proliferation, and use, including both the science and the policy/political dimensions.

wife of a U.S. Foreign Service employee, her company employs U.S. military spouses and Foreign Service spouses while partnering with minority-owned businesses. It helps that she’s fluent in Tagalog, Kapampangan, and Brazilian Portuguese.

otherwise.” —Erin Egan

“The [MPP] program helped me understand the intersection of policy and business practices,” she said. “It gave me a deep understanding of how policies impact business practices. Courses in tech-based policy, statistics, and survey methodologies were instrumental in developing goal-oriented metrics.” As for the Rising Star award, Rona said, “This award is a validation that we, foreign service and military spouses, have the support of fellow women leaders as we pursue our own career and business and personal development.” —Buzz McClain

HOW ’17 GRAD EVAN DUNNE IS RESHAPING TRIBAL HEALTH

EVAN DUNNE DURING A BLANKETING CEREMONY.

E van Dunne has taken his Schar School academic foundation and built a career that’s not only influencing policy but also reshaping how tribal health is approached across the country. The 2017 government and international politics graduate launched the first-ever HIMSS Native American and Indigenous Community, a platform he designed to unite tribal members and experts in culturally sensitive policy discussions, strategic planning, and the promotion of cutting edge health technology best practices for tribal health. “My job,” Dunne said, “is to analyze policies at every level—federal, state, local—and also to manage our grassroots HIMSS Chapter Advocacy program.” Dunne credits his Schar School education not just for the political know-how, but for the network of ambitious peers who helped sharpen his focus and allowed him to be a catalyst for change. —Buzz McClain

The Pulse Winter 2024 | 25 NICK MARCO, LEFT, WITH BIODEFENSE GRADUATE PROGRAM DIRECTOR GREGORY KOBLENTZ

24 | The Pulse Winter 2024