STEPHANIE TAYLOR (OoA, 2003)
On September 21, 2021, Stephanie Taylor (Order of Augusta 2003), Vice President and General Counsel at WVU, discussed her trajectory from the WVU College of Law. Graduating first in her class from the WVU College of Law in 2006, she was selected to the prestigious Order of the Coif. After working as a judicial law clerk, she joined the international Pittsburgh-based law firm Jones Day. In 2016, she became part of the University’s executive leadership team; and provides advice and counsel to the President, the University’s administrators, faculty, and staff, and the University’s Board of Governors. In her presentation, she discussed her career path and leadership strategies that have been critical to her development as a leader, specifically emphasizing the importance of building and valuing one’s team.
EMMA HARRISON (OoA, 2019)
On September 28, 2021,
Emma Harrison
(Order of Augusta, 2019), currently a first-year law student at Vanderbilt,
zoomed with the WVU Presidential Student Ambassadors and discussed the benefits
of taking a gap year between graduation and continuing with graduate education.
A
Truman Scholar
in 2018 and heavily involved the West Virginia Innocence Project as an undergraduate
student, Harrison moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, immediately after graduation to
work in the public defender’s office. The experience solidified her decision
to attend law school. Harrison emphasized satisfaction that she already has had
experience with the criminal justice system unlike most first-year law students
who have only a theoretical concept of what it means to be an attorney.
EMILY CALANDRELLI (OoA, 2009)
On September 30, 2021, Emily Calandrelli (WVU Order of Augusta, 2009), aka “ space gal,” zoomed with WVU Presidential Student Ambassadors to discuss the importance of acquiring internships and scholarships in order to compete nationally. She encouraged them to work closely with the ASPIRE Office, stating, “It will be your best resource.” Although she was a Truman Scholar in her junior year, 2008, she did not receive the Goldwater Scholarship . When she returned to ASPIRE and asked for feedback, she learned that her application showed that she was a good team member of research, but that she was not identified as a leader. In her senior year, she became the leader of her research team and started her own research project; she received the Goldwater Scholarship in 2009. She received an M.S. in Aeronautics and Astronautics and also an M.S. in Technology and Policy in 2013 from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The Host and Co-Executive Producer of Emily's Wonder Lab on Netflix and an Executive Producer and host of FOX's Xploration Outer Space, Calandrelli is also a correspondent on Netflix's Bill Nye Saves the World.
BRIAN CAVENEY (OoA, 1995)
On October 12, 2021, Dr. Brian Caveney, a 1995 Order of Augusta recipient, zoomed
with Presidential Student Ambassadors to discuss his leadership experience. Presently
the Executive Vice President, President of Diagnostics, and Chief Medical Officer
at Labcorp, he leads all commercial and scientific efforts for the leading global
laboratory and clinical research organization. Dr. Caveney received his undergraduate
degree, JD, and MD from West Virginia University and his MPH from the University
of Chapel Hill.
Board-certified in preventive medicine, with a specialty in occupational and
environmental medicine, he was a practicing physician and assistant professor
at Duke University before becoming the chief clinical officer of Mosaic Health
Solutions. Prior to joining LabCorp, he served as chief medical officer of Blue
Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina, the state in which he continues to hold
an active law license. Caveney discussed the importance of taking advantage of
opportunities that arise and being an effective communicator.
TREVOR KIESS (OoA, 2018)
On October 28, 2021, Trevor Kiess, a 2018 WVU Order of Augusta recipient and Elkins native who is currently a second-year student in the WVU College of Law, met with the Presidential Student Ambassadors for the sixth consecutive semester. Always a favorite with the students, he talked about The Mountaineer as a Leader. Trevor shared five valuable leadership lessons he learned from being the mascot.
1) Learn to forgive.
2) Keep working. You never know how close you may be to “making it.”
3) Never forget your “why.”
4) Be flexible.
5) Never forget where you come from.
STEPHANIE BALLARD-CONRAD (OoA, 2003)
Stephanie A. Ballard Conrad, a 2003 Order of Augusta
recipient, discussed her leadership experience with the Presidential Student Ambassadors on November 18,
2018, to . A Morgantown native, she emphasized
that “there are amazing opportunities and lessons to be learned wherever you
are planted.” The senior director for
strategic operations at the West Virginia Clinical and Translational Science
Institute (WVCTSI) at West Virginia University, Stephanie was formerly director of
University Events at WVU where she oversaw university-wide events including
commencement, Week of Honors, the David C. Hardesty Festival of Ideas, and bowl
game fan events. A 2003 graduate of the PI Reed School of Journalism (now the
Reed College of Media), she received a master’s degree in corporate and
organizational communication from WVU’s Eberly College of Arts and Sciences in
2021.
MICHAEL DEFEDE (OoA, 2001)
Michael DeFede, a 2001 WVU Order of
Augusta recipient, spoke with the Presidential
Student Ambassadors on November 30, 2021. A Follansbee, WV native, he suggested that the PSAs do the following:
- Join a rocket ship;
- Remember that people are part of the job;
- Focus on their strengths; and
- Avoid chasing money.
Michael is a
co-founder and the current President of Intelligent Shift LLC, a systems and
software engineering and consulting firm focuses on providing high-energy
change agents supporting the intelligence community. The business has been
named a Best Place to Work by the Washington Post in 2020 and 2021.
DANIEL CARRIER (OoA, 2006)
Daniel Carrier, DDS, a 2006 WVU Order of Augusta recipient from Morgantown who is currently the President-Elect of the WV Dental Association, spoke to the Presidential Student Ambassadors on December 2, 2021. Dan focused on three truths in leadership:
- The most powerful leadership tool is your own personal example. (John Wooden)
- No one cares how much you know, until they know how much you care.
- If you want to go fast, go alone, if you want to go far, go together. (African proverb)
Dr. Carrier also has served as President of the Mon Valley Dental Society and Cheat Lake Rotary. The former director of Monongalia County Health Department Dentistry, he currently owns and practices at Mountainview Dental PLLC.