Alumni

Alexander Ford, ’12, has built a career on doing what he loves: helping people live healthier lives.

After graduating cum laude from Buffalo State with a Bachelor of Science in Dietetics, Ford worked as a Registered Dietitian while completing coursework to become a physician. While working and studying, he began volunteering as a nutrition educator at 4th Family, a not-for-profit organization that empowers at risk youth and adults through personal development opportunities.

None of it would have been possible, Ford said, without Buffalo State, where he explored his passion for nutrition and was encouraged by mentors to fearlessly pursue his dreams.

Now a family medicine doctor at Community Care Physicians, 4th Family’s director of medical education, and a ringside physician for USA Boxing, Ford returned to campus in April 2025 as a guest speaker for “Buffalo State Talks,” a lecture series featuring faculty, staff, and alumni. He graciously gave a few moments of his time to discuss how Buffalo State shaped his path.

How did you become interested in nutrition?
Growing up, I was overweight and required to physical fitness exams at my high school. I was always failing them. When I got to my senior year, I was tired of my body image; I wanted to be in better shape and feel better about myself. I had no idea what a dietitian or a nutritionist was, but through trial and error, I ended up losing weight and becoming interested in nutrition.

When did you know you wanted to pursue it as a career?
I did super well in the sciences in high school, so I committed to UB as a pharmacy major. I was all about nutrition and fitness but was thinking I’d be a pharmacist and maybe open a gym or do something in the health and wellness sector. The more I thought about it, the more I was like, “I’m not passionate about pharmaceuticals and drugs; I’m passionate about nutrition.”

When did medicine come into the picture?
In my senior year, I was required to complete an internship. I was struggling to find one, but Dr. [Carol] DeNysschen connected me to a dietitian named Maria Haas, a kidney transplant dietitian at ECMC. She was part of a healthcare team with a nephrologist, a renal transplant surgeon, social workers, psychologists. I would hear all these medical terms I wasn’t familiar with, and I was so fascinated. I would go to Maria with my questions, and she was like, “I have no idea, but why don’t you go talk to them?” Dr. Mark Laftavi, chief of transplant surgery at the time, went through all my questions and invited me to go on rounds with him. I talked to Maria and said, “Would you care if for the last two weeks of this internship, I split my time with you and Dr. L?” They were okay with it. I started researching and discovered I was only missing a few courses to be eligible for medical school.

What does your day-to-day look like?
Every fifteen minutes looks different—I might see someone for strep at 8:15, post-partum at 12:15, and an ankle sprain at 3:15. I love that. There are so few dietitians in my area; I’m getting so many referrals. Throughout my education, I was like, “Doctors don’t learn about nutrition in medical school? What if I combined the two?” Now, I’ve created my own wellness practice within my office. It’s amazing; this is what I hoped would happen when I was a dietetics student.

How did Buffalo State help get you to where you are today?
Buffalo State saved my life, in a sense. I don’t know what I’d be doing if I didn’t get into the dietetics program, because that’s how I got exposed to medicine.

What advice do you have for current Buffalo State students?
There’s no such thing as failure; there’s a learning experience in everything. Take risks—that’s one of the main purposes of education. Apply for that grant. Pursue that person that could be your mentor. Push yourself to the limit. Once you become a professional in the real world, you’ve got to hit the ground running. Be aggressive. Believe in yourself. Take chances. Trust the process and listen to the people who tell you you’re meant for more—you owe it to them to go as far as possible.

Jaafar graduated From Buffalo State University in 2012 with honors and earned a B.A. in Biology with a minor in Chemistry.  He continued on to the American University of Antigua College of Medicine and earned his MD in 2020.  After graduating, he completed his internal medicine residency at HCA Florida Oak Hill Hospital. Currently he is a hospitalist at Tampa General Hospital.  Buffalo State provided Jaafar with early exposure into the realm of medicine, which he attributes to sparking his interest and fueling future success in the field.  Jaafar was given access to research opportunities in Dr. Martha Skerrett's lab through which he learned that science and medicine was the right fit for him.  He feels the guidance he received from Dr. Skerrett helped him not only with his achievements at Buffalo State but also equipped him with the knowledge and skills to assist him in his future endeavors.  Jaafar also praised the Pre-health advisement he received at Buffalo State, stating that it has been invaluable to his success.

When Sarah Bonk, ’12, was presented with an internship opportunity during her time at Buffalo State, she had no idea it was the first step toward her dream job.

“I was able to get the job because of the foundation I had at Buffalo State,” said Bonk, the current Commissioner for Mental Health for Erie County. “Buffalo State gave me the courage to start. That guidance and support is the sole reason why I’m able to be in the job of my dreams—and be successful.”

Bonk uses her degree in applied psychology—as well as workplace skills she developed as a Buffalo State student—as she leads her team in resource planning, equitable fund distribution, and service coordination.

Bonk gave a few moments of her time to talk about how Buffalo State’s supportive environment set her up for success.

Tell us about the internship that changed everything. 
I was growing very interested in law enforcement and the intersectionality with mental health. Buffalo State linked me with an internship through the City Courts out of Buffalo—the first court treatment court program in the nation—and to be able to intern there was revolutionary for my career. Buffalo State gave me the courage to ask for a job at that placement [once the internship was over]. The placement didn't have a job for me, but because of the work and the training that I had from Buffalo State, they had enough confidence in me to share the skill set that I had with somebody else. They linked me with Crisis Services and other employment, and that was the start of the journey.

How did Buffalo State’s emphasis on hands-on learning experiences—like internships—help you grow?
The internships allowed my social skillset to blossom. I was a student that struggled with exams and tasks, but if I could demonstrate my knowledge in other ways, through internships or presentations or speaking in public, it really helped. I had those opportunities at Buffalo State.

What role did faculty mentorship and support play in your success?
The consistency from faculty and the mentorship availability was key from the beginning. Faculty were able to identify how they could support my unique interests, and their doors were always open. Buffalo State was a setting that was impactful and supportive, from professors to my work study supervisors in the Financial Aid Office—they were tolerant and accepting but also taught me office professionalism and how to navigate office culture. Being able to express who I was but doing it in an environment where I was accepted is the reason I fell in love with Buff State.

Were there any other aspects of the applied psychology program that you found especially valuable? 
The curriculum was impactful because it was wide enough in its exposure but tailored enough to pique interest and garner continued education. The faculty was careful in setting the scaffolding in a way that would catapult us in any direction, whether it’s moving on to social work like I did, or psychology, or even going onto psychiatry. The department offers a wide variety of options.

How did Buffalo State prepare you for the real world?
Buffalo State has high expectations for their students—appropriate but firm—and they know how they can support their students to meet not just the expectations of Buffalo State, but also the expectations of culture and community, so that when you graduate, you’re coming out with a skill set that can translate into a variety of different workforces. I didn’t realize that while I was there, but afterwards, being successful in those internships really demonstrated that. 

Faculty mentorship and hands-on learning at Buffalo State University helped shape David Charnock's career. His biology degree with minor in chemistry paved the way to medical school; after serving as a surgeon in the military, he worked in surgical practice in Vermont and enjoyed an academic appointment as an associate clinical professor at the University of Vermont. Today, Charnock is an assistant professor at Dartmouth Geisel School of Medicine, works part-time in Vermont Veterans’ Medical Center’s Otolaryngology/Head & Neck Surgery Department, and keeps in touch with former Buffalo State mentors.

What drew you to Buffalo State?
My grandfathers were both born in the late 1880s; one left school in sixth grade and one in eighth grade, and they both worked and raised families in South Buffalo. My dad left high school as a junior and joined the World War II effort. I love to learn and held three jobs during high school; I would study while I was washing dishes. As a first generation college student, I didn’t have a lot of knowledge of where to go or even apply. I talked to my peers, and people recommended Buffalo State. With no prior campus visits, I arrived at Buff State for the first time during orientation and thought, “This is so great; this is so cool!”

How did applied learning opportunities shape your experience? 
I had to become financially independent at age 19; I was on food stamps for a while and held a few jobs in addition to work study. One of my work study jobs was cleaning up the biology labs. I’d clean the saltwater fish tanks; in the animal lab, I’d take care of rats, hamsters…you name it. In class and through independent studies, there was hands-on research where I could use scientific knowledge in a real way—conduct experiments where I got to analyze data. By the time I was gearing up to take my MCATs, I was doing microscopic surgical procedures on hamsters for research in the campus science building. I couldn’t give them any drugs yet; I had to keep it pain-free. That was right at Buff State.

Tell us about your relationships with Buffalo State faculty and staff members.
In Introduction to Biology, I met professor Dr. Hadar Isseroff. The other kids probably didn’t like me because I was disrupting the grade curve—Dr. Isseroff saw that, and as he got to know me and I took more classes, he invited me into his research lab—as an undergrad, I was able to work alongside grad students. Dr. Isseroff was probably the biggest influence, but there were plenty of others. During my work study, professors would see me cleaning and start chatting. I also worked with professors through independent studies, and my sports’ coaches—mentors outside the academic world—offered life lessons about team approach.

How did these relationships impact you? 
I published some research with Dr. Isseroff and others, so, at age 21, I was invited to an international science meeting in Toronto where our paper was presented. I was like, “Wow”—I had no idea that kind thing even existed!  During one of my higher-level biology classes, Dr. Isseroff took us all in a van and drove to SUNY Stonybrook to dredge the Long Island sound on a research vessel. We stopped to visit his parents; they made us lunch and cookies. [Later], he and other professors helped me apply to medical schools. It was very daunting for a kid like me, when nobody [in my family] had even gone to college. You look back and go, “Who influenced my life and the path that I took?” Dr. Isseroff was one of those people. The guy really cared.

How do these experiences affect how you interact with students? 
I want to make it personal. That’s what I try to do. It’s important to help them learn, but you also learn from them.  

What advice do you have for today’s Buffalo State students? 
Don’t be afraid to reach out to professors or staff—they really do want to help. They have knowledge that you don’t know you don’t have. It’s helpful to broaden your perspective. Buffalo State—like my active duty military time—was transformative and gave me a wonderful springboard of opportunity. As a student, you have to have insight into your own motivation and discipline. If you do, you can propel into anything you want to do.  

Raven Baxter has loved science since she was a young child. Growing up, she always imagined herself in a lab coat. In college Baxter realized that children like her needed more relatable role models to encourage them to pursue careers in the STEM fields (science, technology, engineering, and math).

Changing Science Culture By Teaching

“I got fed up with the current state of science culture and decided to get up and do something about it,” said Baxter, who pursued bachelor’s and master’s degrees in biology from Buffalo State.

Baxter is now a STEM college coordinator for Health Charter Sciences School in Buffalo, where she develops college-level science programming and credit-bearing opportunities for high school students.

After graduate school, Baxter worked in cancer research, on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus in downtown Buffalo, for Albany Molecular Research Inc., a global drug discovery and development organization. Baxter loved the work, but she wondered if she could be using her science background to make a more direct impact in the Buffalo community.

“I remember thinking to myself, There are kids literally down the street from me who are failing, and I’m in a lab all day,” said Baxter, who worked in Buffalo Public Schools classrooms as a substitute teacher while pursuing her master’s degree.

Baxter accepted a position as an assistant professor of biology at Erie Community College, which she said changed the course of her professional life.

“I loved teaching and working with the students,” she said. “It’s the reason why I decided to pump the brakes on a career in hard science and do something in science education.”

A New Path for Classroom Engagement

She later returned to Buffalo State for a position as an academic adviser for all biology, physics, chemistry, forensic chemistry, and earth science freshmen. While working full time at Buffalo State, Baxter was accepted to the Ph.D. program in curriculum, instruction, and the science of learning at the University at Buffalo. She was awarded a full scholarship and an Arthur A. Schomburg Fellowship.

“Early in my Ph.D. program, I was still going back to the same question: How can we create better ways to engage underrepresented children in local schools in STEM classrooms and eventually STEM careers?”

The Science Maven

From there Raven, the Science Maven was born. Baxter created a website and YouTube channel to publish science education content and her experiences as a woman of color in STEM. According to Baxter, her alter ego (a play on Bill Nye the Science Guy) was “created in response to a lack of culturally relevant material that engages underrepresented minorities about STEM education.”

Baxter produced, directed, and starred in a rap music video titled “Big Ole Geeks” to add to the narrative about women of color in science and to challenge stereotypes about female scientists.

“The song and video are really about showcasing that you can be smart and still have fun,” she said. “The whole idea started off as a joke with my friends, but it turned out to be really well received.”  

Discovering a Love for Research

Around the same time that she posted her music video, Baxter’s Ph.D. adviser exposed her to academic research about culturally relevant pedagogies. Baxter is now integrating her experience as the Science Maven into her doctoral research and dissertation.

“My interpretation of culturally relevant pedagogy has been primarily through rap and hip-hop music,” said Baxter, who released a full-length album this summer. “There’s a huge body of research around the topic and evidence that there is a need for what I am doing.”

She is currently the principal investigator for a research study about adult attitudes toward STEM digital media.

As an alumna of Buffalo State, Baxter said, she loved advising students with similar educational journeys.

“My biggest piece of advice for my students is always, Be your own biggest advocate and push yourself to do things that cha

Corey graduated From Buffalo State University in 2012 with a B.A. in Biology and a minor in Chemistry.  His current occupation is a Test Equipment Sustainment Logistics Manager at Moog Space and Defense.  Corey shared with us some of his experiences since leaving Buffalo State and what his time at Buffalo State meant to him.

Tell us a little bit about you - we'd love to know about your job, family, experiences, or anything else you would like to share with the Buffalo State community.

Since graduating from Buffalo State, my career has taken me through a wide range of roles in the biotech, pharmaceutical, and engineering sectors, each one building on the foundation I gained during my time on campus. I started my professional journey in Western New York as a QC Technician II in Microbiology at Fresenius Kabi, which gave me my first real exposure to regulated lab environments and quality systems. From there, I moved into Good Start Genetics in Cambridge, MA, where I worked as both an Extraction Technician and later a Quality Control Specialist. Those years pushed me to grow quickly, adapt to new technologies, and understand the fast pace of genetic testing and diagnostics. My next step took me into a remote role with Invitae, where I was based in Cambridge, MA but supported the Process Quality Management team for their San Francisco facility. I served as an Equipment Controller, which deepened my understanding of equipment lifecycle management and gave me the chance to collaborate with teams across multiple locations. I traveled to the San Francisco site periodically, which helped me build strong relationships and stay closely connected to the work happening on the ground. Eventually, I returned home to Western New York and joined Athenex, first as an Engineering Associate and then as a Metrology Supervisor. That transition into metrology and equipment oversight shaped the direction of my career and helped me develop leadership skills I still rely on today. I continued to grow in that field at Pine Pharmaceuticals, again serving as a Metrology Supervisor and supporting teams responsible for equipment reliability and compliance. Most recently, I stepped into a new chapter as a Test Equipment Sustainment Logistics Manager at Moog Inc. This role has allowed me to bring together everything I’ve learned—technical experience, quality systems, equipment management, and team leadership —while contributing to an organization with a strong engineering legacy. Outside of work, the most important part of my life is my family. I’m incredibly lucky to share my life with my wife, our three children, and our Pembroke Welsh Corgi, who believes he runs the household. They’ve been with me through the majority of moves and new opportunities, and they’re the reason I stay motivated and grounded no matter where my career takes me. Across all of these experiences, I’ve been fortunate to build a career that has taken me to new places, introduced me to incredible colleagues, and continually challenged me to evolve. I’m grateful that Buffalo State was the starting point for all of it, and I’m proud to share my journey with the community that helped shape it.

Tell us about how your experience at Buffalo State influenced your career, your trajectory, and your life.

My experience at Buffalo State shaped both my career and my life in ways I’m grateful for every day. The campus atmosphere created a sense of
belonging from the start, and the friendships I made there have stayed with me long after graduation. Being part of a community that was supportive,
down‑to‑earth, and genuinely invested in each other made my time at Buffalo State feel meaningful and formative. Academically, the most influential part
of my journey was working with Dr. Amy McMillan. She was not only an exceptional professor but also a mentor who helped me see what I was capable
of. Her classes challenged me to think differently, ask better questions, and pursue opportunities I might not have considered on my own. She played a
major role in shaping my confidence and direction, and her guidance truly paved the way for the career I’ve built since graduating. Looking back, Buffalo
State gave me more than an education. It gave me a foundation to build upon and thrive. The people, the environment, and the mentorship I received all
contributed to the trajectory I’m on today, and I’m proud to be an alum.

What piece of advice would you give to a pre-health student at Buffalo State?

The most valuable lesson I took from my time at Buffalo State is realizing that I’m never going to be the smartest person in the room—and that’s not a
weakness, it’s an opportunity. Being surrounded by people who know more than you means you’re always in a position to learn, grow, and stretch
yourself in ways you didn’t expect. In the pre‑health field especially, humility and curiosity go a long way. You’re going to make mistakes. Everyone does.
What matters is how you respond to them. Own them, learn from them, and let them make you better. That mindset has helped me throughout my career
far more than trying to be perfect ever could. If you stay open, stay teachable, and stay willing to grow, you’ll be amazed at how far you can go. And trust
me, coming from someone who prides themselves on perfection when it comes to document writing and review, you’ll be much happier learning to roll
with the punches than trying to avoid every misstep.

Hannah graduated from Buffalo State in 2018 with a B.S. in Forensic Chemistry.  She is currently a Field Service Engineer at Sciex. Previously, Hannah was a Toxicologist I at Erie County Medical Examiners Office, a forensic toxicology laboratory where she performed qualitative and quantitative extraction techniques to determine whether drug analytes or metabolites are present in different bodily specimens of the active post mortem, Driving Under the Influence, Driving Under the Influence Drug, and Drug Facilitated Crime cases. She was also responsible for processing of data, maintenance of our scientific instruments and equipment, performing internal and external proficiency tests, continuing education in the field of Forensic Toxicology, and training of other Toxicology personnel.

Tell us a little bit about you - we'd love to know about your job, family, experiences, or anything else you would like to share with the Buffalo State community.

I’m brand new in my FSE position so there isn’t much to share there besides I’ll be training for about a year. I did meet my husband at my first position which I started a few weeks after graduation. We are in the process of buying our next house for us and our dogs to enjoy!

Tell us about how your experience at Buffalo State influenced your career, your trajectory, and your life.

General chemistry is just so important, I’m very grateful to see how strong my foundation was from Dr Pacheco in comparison to the numerous previous coworkers.  Chemistry Club with Anne Marie and Miranda were amazing because it provided a place where students were able to help each other, enjoy food from off campus, and play chemistry games. 

What piece of advice would you give to a pre-health student at Buffalo State?

Having a strong foundation in the general classes will continue to help you later!

Justine graduated from Buffalo State in 2017 with an M.A. in Biology.  Since graduating, Justine has continued on to earn her PhD and is a  Postdoctoral Researcher at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center.  Justine has earned many awards in her career including:

2025 Trainee Award, Society of Basic Urological Research Annual Meeting
2025 Early Career Scientist Award, Kickoff Meeting, Cancer Immunoprevention Network (CIP-Net), NCI/NIH
2024 Best Poster Presentation Award, 5th Annual Roswell Park Post-Doctoral Symposium, Roswell Park
Comprehensive Cancer Center
2024 Best Short Oral Presentation Award, 5th Annual Roswell Park Post-Doctoral Symposium, Roswell Park
Comprehensive Cancer Center
2024 TACS Administrator's Choice Award for Best Lecturer, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center
2023 Award for outstanding presentation, Great Lakes Nuclear Receptor Annual Meeting
2022 Graduate Professional Development Funds, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center
2022 Translational Cancer Research for Basic Scientists Workshop, AACR

Tell us a little bit about you - we'd love to know about your job, family, experiences, or anything else you would like to share with the Buffalo State community.

After Buffalo State, I earned my PhD in Cancer Genomics and Computational Oncology at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center with Dr. Dominic Smiraglia. I am currently a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Departments of Urology and Bioinformatics at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center in Buffalo with Dr. David Goodrich, where my research focuses on understanding how prostate cancer cells can change their identity from prostate cells into neuronal-like cells, allowing them to become more aggressive and resistant to therapy. As a hybrid scientist, my work combines molecular and computational biology to study how chromatin and epigenetic regulation drive these cellular transitions using multi-omics approaches, with the goal of identifying new biomarkers and treatment strategies for patients with advanced disease. Outside of the lab, I enjoy spending time with my husband, daughter, and our many pets!

Tell us about how your experience at Buffalo State influenced your career, your trajectory, and your life.

My time at Buffalo State had a profound influence on both my career path and my development as a scientist. My thesis mentor, Dr. Derek Beahm, played a pivotal role in my training by teaching me foundational molecular biology techniques and, more importantly, how to think like a scientist- understanding the purpose behind every step of an experiment and how to efficiently troubleshoot when things did not work. He constantly encouraged curiosity and creative thinking, and I remain incredibly grateful for his mentorship, friendship, and the example he set balancing science and family.

Several courses were especially impactful and helped build the foundation that prepared me for my PhD and postdoctoral research. One of the most influential was Foundations of Graduate Studies in Biology, led by Drs. Warren and Pennuto when I took it. This course emphasized how to formulate strong scientific hypotheses, develop specific aims, and critically evaluate the scientific literature- skills that remain essential to my work today and that I continue to use when writing grants, designing experiments, and communicating my research in presentations and journals.

Another course that had a lasting impact on me was Developmental Biology, taught by Dr. Derek Beahm, who later became my thesis mentor. It remains one of my favorite classes I have ever taken. The course focused on the fundamental concepts of developmental biology and epigenetics, which ultimately shaped my scientific interests in cancer lineage plasticity. Many of the principles we discussed have direct parallels in cancer biology. I am deeply grateful for the engaging environment that Dr. Beahm created in that class.

Teaching was also an incredibly important part of my training at Buffalo State. I served as a teaching assistant for many semesters with Dr. Randal Snyder (Organismal Diversity and Human Anatomy and Physiology). Through this experience, I learned how to become a more effective educator and mentor, and I greatly appreciated the independence Dr. Snyder gave me while teaching laboratory sections. That experience solidified a lasting interest in teaching, and I have continued teaching courses and mentoring graduate students every year since my time at Buffalo State.

Finally, I am very grateful for the mentorship of Dr. Doug Easton, whom I completed an independent study project with. Dr. Easton, a previous cancer researcher at Roswell Park, spent a great deal of time discussing cancer biology with me and sharing his experience in the field. Those conversations were incredibly meaningful and helped solidify my decision to pursue a PhD focused on cancer research.

I remain incredibly grateful for the mentorship, encouragement, opportunities, and training I received at Buffalo State (especially from Drs. Beahm and Skerrett). The faculty and experiences there not only shaped my scientific career, but also gave me the confidence, foundation, and curiosity that continue to strengthen my work today.

What piece of advice would you give to a pre-health student at Buffalo State?

My advice would be to focus on building strong foundations early in your training and truly take the time to understand the fundamentals. Those core skills will allow you to continue building your expertise later and eventually develop your own ideas, which is what ultimately makes you stand out and be competitive in science and medicine. Equally important is building relationships with faculty mentors and your peers- mentorship and community can open doors and provide needed guidance and encouragement throughout your career.

One quote I’ve always loved is, “You can’t be what you can’t see”, so seek out mentors, ask questions, and don’t be afraid to ask for help. Finally, nurture your curiosity by reading scientific papers, taking courses that interest you, and pursuing opportunities beyond what is required- you never know which experience might shape your future path!