Co-Presidents
Cheryl Quartey
Co-President
Cheryl Quartey is a senior from Antioch, TN who is double majoring in Molecular and Cellular Biology and Communication of Science and Technology with a minor in Data Science. As a Nashville native, she fondly remembers VSVS teams coming to her 6th grade classroom and is excited to be completing her immersion with VSVS by updating the lesson videos! Outside of VSVS you can find her dancing with Nilaja Amari African Dance Troupe, growing brain organoids, or training new learning assistants!
Kyle Vallone
Co-President
Outreach
Committee
Aneesh Batchu
Outreach Co-Chair
Aneesh Batchu is a Junior from St. Louis, MO who is double majoring in Neuroscience and CSET. He has been doing VSVS since his first semester at Vanderbilt and his favorite memory is the outreach event where he got to go to a school’s Hispanic Heritage night and speak about VSVS to students. Outside of VSVS, Aneesh enjoys several on campus organizations such as SACE, VURJ, and Project CURE as well as other hobbies such as listening to music of any kind and watching sci-fi movies. He is looking forward to a great semester of events with the outreach committee!
Saksham Saksena
Outreach Co-Chair
Saksham Saksena (he/they) is a senior from Memphis, TN who is double majoring in Molecular & Cellular Biology and MHS. He has been doing VSVS since his second semester, and his favorite VSVS memory is heading cryo smash at VSVS Voyage. Outside of VSVS, Saksham is involved in various orgs on campus including Pride Serve (an LGBTQ+ activist organization), VSG, Vanderbilt Association for South Asian Cuisine, and Association of Biology Students. Saksham also serves as an RA in Rothschild and an LA for Intro Biology and conducts research on mosquito physiology. He is looking forward to coordinating outreach events as the co-chair of the outreach committee.
Florence Lei
Outreach Committee Member
Florence is a junior from Queens, NY majoring in Neuroscience. She joined VSVS her first semester of sophomore year and is grateful to have the opportunity to engage with and teach students from the Nashville area. Outside of VSVS, she enjoys trying new foods, crocheting, and playing volleyball!
Hannah Bhattacharya
Outreach Committee Member
Hannah Bhattacharya is a junior from Nashville, TN who is majoring in biomedical engineering on the pre-medicine track. She has been involved with VSVS since her first semester of freshman year. Outside of VSVS, Hannah is involved in Vanderbilt Student Government, Minority Women in STEM, and Vanderbilt UNICEF. She is looking forward to an awesome year of volunteering and giving back to her community!
Lily Mae Cochell
Outreach Committee Member
Lily Mae Cochell is a junior from Charlotte, North Carolina who is double majoring in Neuroscience and Psychology. She’s been apart of VSVS since her first semester at Vanderbilt! Outside of VSVS, Lily Mae is involved in several organizations such as Run Club, Chi Omega, and RUF. She is also an undergraduate research assistant in the Brain Development Lab in Peabody. She’s looking forward to becoming more involved in VSVS as a board intern!
Abtin Ghelmansaraei
Outreach Committee Intern
Abtin is a senior from Danville, CA who is majoring in Biomedical Engineering. He has been doing VSVS since his sophomore year and his favorite VSVS memory is pouring liquid nitrogen down the hallway and watching it evaporate. He is looking forward to helping coordinate VSVS’s robotics program and working with the outreach committee.
Angelina Ehara
Outreach Committee Intern
Elizabeth Han
Outreach Committee Intern
Elizabeth Han is a junior from Nashville, TN majoring in BME with a minor in engineering management. She has been involved with VSVS since her second semester of freshman year. Outside of VSVS, Elizabeth is involved in other organizations including EWH, RAM, and research in a Biophotonics Lab. She is looking forward to being more involved in outreach events!
Ellie Jones
Outreach Committee Intern
Ellie Jones is a junior from San Francisco, California who is majoring in computer science with minors in economics and legal studies. She has been in VSVS for all her semesters at Vanderbilt in addition to being a member of SWE, D4D, run club, and a sorority. She is looking forward to being an intern!
Taein Yoon
Outreach Committee Intern
Recruitment
Committee
Jonas Brown
Recruitment Co-Chair
Jonas Brown is a junior from Fairfield, CT, who is majoring in Neuroscience and minoring in Russian Studies. He has been doing VSVS since his first semester here. His favorite VSVS memories are talking to our outreach event Lyft driver about brickmaking and playing Codenames and Exploding Zombie Kittens in Board Bonding. Outside of VSVS, Jonas plays in a band called The Low Darts (check us out on YouTube) and conducts research with VUMC’s Surgical Outcome Center for Kids (SOCKs). He is hoping to get to know you guys better while tabling—it’s fun I promise—and at Board Bonding.
Gabriella Glomp
Recruitment Committee
Gabriella is a from Chicago Illinois. She is a junior studying biomedical engineering on the pre-med track. She has been doing VSVS since Freshman year. Outside of VSVS she is involved in run club and research (in a Cardiac Surgery Lab.) She is looking forward to a successful recruitment season and another great semester of VSVS.
Michael Herschbach
Recruitment Committee
Michael is a Junior from Maryland majoring in physics and minoring in biology. He has been participating in VSVS since his first semester and his favorite VSVS memory is packing lesson kits. Outside of VSVS he is involved with medical physics research and working at VUMC. He is looking forward to more fun classroom lessons this semester!
Neely Womble
Recruitment Committee Intern
Neely Womble is a sophomore from Dallas, TX who is majoring in Biology and Medicine, Health, & Society and minoring in Spanish. She recently joined VSVS and her favorite VSVS memory was making banners for recruitment with all of the VSVS board! Outside of VSVS, Neely is involved in Undergraduate Neurology research at VUMC, is the House Manager for Zeta Tau Alpha, and the VP of Philanthropy for Momentum Dance Company. She’s looking forward to being a board member and getting to know the members!
Jordan Walker
Recruitment Committee Senior Advisor
Cerys Egan
Recruitment Committee Senior Advisor
Training
Committee
Karen Nie
Training Co-Chair
Karen Nie is a junior from Needham, Massachusetts who is majoring in Molecular and Cellular Bio and minoring in Neuroscience on the premed track. She has been doing VSVS since the spring of her freshman year. In VSVS, she is one of the current Training Co-Chairs. Outside of VSVS, she is involved in research in the Skaar Lab, in the Kpop dance team Vivid, and SIM. She’s excited for the year!
Keval Patel
Training Co-Chair
Keval is a junior from Memphis, TN. He is double majoring in Molecular Cellular Biology and Medicine, Health, and Society. He has been has been in VSVS since his first semester and his favorite VSVS memory is teaching the Chemistry in a Ziplock bag. During sophomore year, he served as a EDI chair, where he started an initiative where the current lessons plans were modified to account for ESL or Special Education classrooms. During his junior year, he became part of the training chair where he introduced pedagogy education into the training.
Kate Ashton Redrupp
Training Committee Intern
Kate Ashton Redrupp is a sophomore majoring in Medicine, Health, and Society with a minor in Spanish for the Professions. She recently joined VSVS her first semester sophomore year and immediately became a team leader. Her favorite VSVS memory has been watching her students become more interested in science after each lesson. Outside of VSVS, Kate Ashton is involved in various orgs on campus such as Chi Omega, Panhellenic Exec, and Lights on the Lawn. She is looking forward to working on the training committee!
Shayaan Essani
Training Committee Intern
Shayaan Essani is a sophomore from Birmingham, AL studying psychology and medicine, health, and society. He’s been doing VSVS since his first semester (an OG) and loves to teach! His favorite VSVS memory is funny car rides on the way to schools. He’s involved with Vanderbilt Recording Studios, Alternative Spring Break, and research at VUMC, and is super excited to begin teaching VSVS lessons at Monroe Carrell Children’s Hospital!
Sowmya Senthilkumar
Training Committee Intern
Hi! My name is Sowmya Senthilkumar. I am majoring in Neuroscience and Applied Mathematics. I love to hike and do all things nature! I am part of the Bhangradores Dance Team, Project Sunshine, Relay for Life, and work in a research lab! My favorite VSVS memory is singing Noah Kahn in my car with my VSVS group to the school we were teaching at. My fun fact is I am scared of ladybugs. I am looking forward to learning all the hardwork the VSVS board puts into to making this organization run!
Dora Anghelina
Training Committee Senior Advisor
Dora is a senior from Columbus, OH majoring in Neuroscience and Spanish. She has been a member of VSVS since her first semester at Vanderbilt and recently finished her term as Training Committee Co-Chair. She loves to cook, figure skate, and travel!
IT Committee
Carlos Ortiz
IT Chair
Carlos Ortiz is a Junior from Fort Worth, TX who is majoring in Computer Science and minoring in Electrical Computer Engineering. He has been a part of VSVS since the Spring of 2022 and his favorite memory is working alongside his fellow IT teammates one day as they were refining bugs in the sorting script. Outside of VSVS, Carlos likes to stay up to date with everything soccer related and he is excited to be serving as our IT Chair for this year!
Sagnik Yarlagadda
IT Committee
Sagnik is a junior from Valrico, FL double majoring in Molecular and Cellular Biology and Anthropology. He joined VSVS his first semester at Vanderbilt and has enjoyed being a part of it for the last three years. He is looking forward to improving the scheduling program this semester with the IT committee!
Vienna Parnell
IT Committee
Vienna Parnell is a sophomore from San Jose, CA, who is majoring in computer science and applied math with a minor in engineering management. She has been doing VSVS since second semester freshman year and is on the IT Committee. Outside of VSVS, Vienna co-hosts a podcast called Hot Girl Tech and is in the Engineering Council.
Neel Gundavarapu
IT Committee
Kevin Song
IT Committee Intern
Kevin Song is currently a freshman from Clarksburg, MD, majoring in CS and minoring in Business. He started his VSVS journey first semester as a volunteer for teaching lessons, and now serves as a VSVS board intern under the IT committee. Outside of VSVS, Kevin likes to compose and produce rap music (his artist name is KSONG if you wanna check out his music), and loves to perform on stage. Kevin is also involved in a variety of student orgs, including VINES, Vanderbilt Recording Studio, VandyHacks, and Google Student Developer Club. He is looking forward to supporting and maintaining the IT systems powering VSVS with the IT committee!
Selene Wang
IT Committee Intern
Selene is a sophomore from Beijing, China majoring in Math and Econ. She joined VSVS last semester and enjoys doing experiments with students. Outside of VSVS, she loves listening to music and exploring new restaurants with friends.
Monica Shen
IT Committee Senior Advisor
Monica is a senior double majoring in Child Development and Cognitive Studies. She’s from Shanghai, China. She loves traveling, photography, listening to music, learning languages, and reading nonfictions. Fun fact about Monica: She can speak four languages. She has been doing VSVS since her sophomore year. She is also the president of Tutor Nashville and the event coordinator for the Japanese culture association. Her VSVS memory is teaching the small classroom of neurodiverse students from the Next Steps at Vanderbilt. She is looking forward to managing the Newsletter and blog posts this year with the IT committee and the secretary team.
Secretaries
Parwan Ahmed Machingal
Secretary
Parwan Machingal is a junior from Nashville, TN who is double majoring in Medicine, Health, and Society and Molecular and Cellular Biology. He has been doing VSVS since his second semester and his favorite VSVS memory was returning as a volunteer to the middle school he attended growing up in Nashville. Outside of VSVS, Parwan is a Resident Adviser and is involved in research and the Muslim Students Association. He is serving as VSVS Secretary this year and is currently studying abroad in Switzerland this semester.
Han Nguyen
Secretary
Han Nguyen is a sophomore from Orlando, Florida majoring in Neuroscience and minoring in Asian Studies. She has been doing VSVS since her first semester. Outside of VSVS, Han is involved with The Vanderbilt Institute for Global Health’s Student Advisory Council and Vanderbilt Figure Skating Club. Even though she live in Florida and love going to water parks, she don’t know how to swim.
Isaac Ayala Vega
Secretary
Isaac Ayala Vega is a freshman from Salem, OR who is double majoring in psychology and neuroscience (but the way things are going that might change). His favorite VSVS memory is having a student ask if he could eat the chemical powder provided. Outside of VSVS, Isaac is running, reading, exploring, or sleeping. A fun fact about Isaac is that he musics his way through life and so you can always find him wearing headphones.
Treasurer
Gillian Heimple
Treasurer
Gillian is a sophomore from Summit, New Jersey, and is majoring in Neuroscience. This is her second semester with VSVS, and her favorite part about VSVS is getting to teach students our lessons. Outside of VSVS, Gillian is involved in volunteering and shadowing at the VU hospital, and loves to run. She is looking forward to being more involved with VSVS this semester as a part of the recruitment team of board interns.
Robotics Coordinator
Daniel Liu
Robotics Coordinator
Daniel Liu is a second year BME student minoring in CS from Fort Wayne, Indiana. He has been in VSVS since his first semester and his favorite memory was making ice cream with liquid nitrogen in the cryogenics lesson. Outside of VSVS Daniel participates in research through the SyBBURE research program and reads nonfiction novels.
Intern Coordinator
Christina Kim
Intern Coordinator
Christina Kim is a sophomore from Atlanta, GA who is double majoring in Biochemistry and MHS with a minor in Gender and Sexuality Studies. She has been doing VSVS since her first semester as a freshman and her favorite VSVS memory is surprising her 5th students with Rand cookies on their last lesson. Outside of school, she enjoys exploring restaurants in Nashville, thrifting and taking photos of her friends. She loves being in VSVS and is looking forward to more fun semesters!
Monroe Carell Program Chair
Rishik Bethi
Monroe Carell Program Chair
Rishik is a junior from Dallas and New Orleans! He is double majoring in Neuroscience and MHS. He has loved volunteering with VSVS for the past 3 years and as VCH Chair this semester, he plans to expand VSVS to the Monroe Carrell Jr. Children’s Hospital. Rishik is passionate about education, and you can find him at the Tutoring Center and as a Physics Learning Assistant. In his free time, he like rock climbing listening to music, and trying new restaurants in Nashville!
VSVS Coordinator
Paige Ellenberger
VSVS Coordinator
Paige moved to the Nashville area to begin working with VSVS in October 2018. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education with concentrations in general science and social studies from Mississippi State University and a Master’s degree in Curriculum & Instruction with an emphasis in mathematics and science education from The University of Mississippi. Before beginning her work with VSVS, she spent time both as a classroom teacher and working outside the classroom in teacher professional development and science outreach programs.