Georgia Tech Chapter: About Us
GT Ripple Effect Executive Board
Hasan Khosravi President3rd Year Biochemistry As an Iranian American, Hasan Khosravi never thought HIV to be a significant problem in the Middle-East. Little did he know, his own country, Iran, was coping with high transmission rates due to proliferated drug abuse. After learning more about the virus, he decided to launch Ripple Effect along with 7 other Global Changemakers to bolster HIV activism around the world with an innovative pledge system. If you would like to join Georgia Tech’s Ripple Effect chapter, please add your name to the mailing list! Email: hasan.khosravi@gatech.edu
Stanley GuillaumeBeing that my parents are from Haiti, I always had some exposure to the affects of HIV/AIDS in the community. I saw how it affected a whole country, and as a pre-med student and a son of Haitian parents I have always felt the need to do something to help others with this disease. So when Hasan proposedto start an HIV awareness organization, I felt like it was the perfect opportunity for me to accomplish this. As aco-founder of the Georgia Tech chapter and the Director of ExternalAffairs, my responsibility is to organize and keep contacts with external organizations and such. I am also in charge of the Ripple Effect partnership with the Hope Child Initiative run by World Vision. My hope is that Ripple Effect will become known by many as a unique organization that uses creative ideas and dedication to not only spread awareness of this pandemic, but also an organization that sets to create a major impact in the lives of others who are affected by the disease. Email: stanguil@bellsouth.net Michelle Partogi Director of Website Development 1st Year Major: Computational Media Michelle Partogi initially questioned why spreading AIDS awareness would be necessary in a developed nation like America, but she soon realized that more than a million AIDS patients reside in the U.S. After watching Ripple Effect’s video, Michelle realized the disease’s darker implications. The video not only inspired her to take action, but also highlighted how her passion for media has potential to encourage change—either in one person or the world. Email: michelle_partogi@gatech.edu Naman Kanakiya Communications Chair
3rd Year Major: Biology Naman Kanakiya is in charge of all our communication activities including e-mails, our Facebook page, and overseeing the website. Email: naman@gatech.edu Ashish Patel
3rd Year Major: Biochemistry It can be easy to feel immune to such global epidemics as HIV when they do not directly effect you, but that does not sit well with Ashish Patel. Ashish was in disbelief after discovering the extent to which HIV has continued to proliferate with all that is known about the virus today. With the desire to educate, he plans to spread the message of Ripple Effect to others in hopes of creating a wave that will not only halt the virus’ progress in his local community but also the rest of the world. Email: apatel300@gatech.edu Marisa Casola Secretary 1st Year Major: Biomedical Engineering Marisa Casola will be in charge of Ripple Effect’s membership this year! Feel free to contact her if you have any questions about joining Ripple Effect. Email: mcasola3@gatech.edu Biola Ogunfuyi
4th Year Major: Biochemistry Biola Ogunfuyi previously viewed HIV and AIDS as serious matters that were usually discussed in books and on television. It was not until she began volunteering at a hospice in Atlanta that AIDS became a reality. Hearing stories of how drastically a preventable disease had affected an individual’s life bothered her. Real people are being infected with a real virus, a preventable virus. This reality is one she hopes to share with others. She hopes that increasing HIV and AIDS awareness around campus will inspire others to take the necessary precautions to stop the spread of the illness. Email: biola.ogunfuyi@gatech.edu |
Sadib Abdullah
Director of Internal Affairs 3rd Year Industrial Engineering Growing up in Papua New Guinea, I saw firsthand the affects HIV/AIDS Shibani Kansara Director of Finance 2nd Year Major: Business Administration Born and raised in the United States, Shibani was never exposed to people infected or affected by HIV. After hearing about the Ripple Effect, its mission, and an HIV victim speak about the impact of this virus, Shibani decided that she wanted to help spread the ripple of HIV awareness with a great team of people who shared the same goal. She strives to encourage others to take the pledge and step forward to prevent the spread of HIV. Email: skansara@gatech.edu Joshua Matthew Kinnemore Co-Fundraising Chair 3rd Year Major: Mechanical Engineering Joshua (Matthew) Kinnemore’s goal is to raise awareness about HIV and AIDS throughout the world. However, he also finds it just as important to raise awareness in his hometown of Atlanta, which has one of the highest HIV rates in the U.S. Through Ripple Effect, Matthew hopes not only to make people aware of HIV, but to also provide a way for people to become actively involved in HIV prevention. Email: jkinnemore3@gatech.edu Heba Gill
4th Year Major: Management I was first introduced to HIV during my freshman year at the AIDS Walk in Atlanta. Hearing everyone’s story was very moving because it made me realize that AIDS was not just a disease, it was people. From that moment, I wanted to be involved in HIV prevention by helping start an initiative on Georgia Tech’s campus. As co-recruitment chair, I hope to increase student involvement and interest in the organization! Feel free to contact me with any questions. Email: hgill7@gatech.edu Ulcka Patel Co-Recruitment Chair 1st Year Major: Biology Having spent most of her life in the small towns of Georgia, Ulcka Patel underestimated the prevalence of HIV/AIDS in her own community. She was aware of the widespread affects the virus had in other countries but was astounded by the impact it had in the United States. As co-recruitment chair, Ulcka believes it is important to spread knowledge about HIV/AIDS in order to promote and encourage awareness. Once the ripple begins it can’t be stopped. Email: upatel9@gatech.edu Megha Mandal
Historian 1st Year Major: Biomedical Engineering Megha Mandal grew up in the small town of Lilburn, GA but was always aware of HIV/AIDS and its terrible implications. She understood that she was lucky to have been educated so well on the virus and that fighting ripple with ripple by spreading knowledge to others was a key factor to ending the HIV/AIDS. Now, she is set on joining the fight against HIV/AIDS through powerful forms of media and communication, such as Facebook and blogging, in an effort to permanently put Ripple Effect on the map. Every bit of help counts, and each passionate person added to the numbers is another crippling blow against HIV/AIDS ripple. Email: smandal9@gatech.edu
|
