Graduated 2023
Amari Boyd
Graduate Student
Ms. Boyd graduated with her Master’s from penn State in 2023 with a specific interest in Kinesiophobia after injury and the psychological processes that surround injury. Currently, Ms. Boyd is the Director of Recruiting and Creative Content for Penn State Women’s Basketball.
Akhil Bolisetti
Undergraduate Intern
Mr. Bolisetti graduated with a degree in Biology under the neuroscience option and minored in Psychology and Neuroscience. Mr. Bolisetti spent three years in the lab, and is currently attenfing medical school on Hershey.
Anna Farantzos
Undergraduate Intern
Ms. Farantzos graduated with a degree in Kinesiology Movement Science and minored in Neuroscience. She worked in the lab for three years, and is now planning to attend PT school, specializing in vestibular work.
Hunter Boyd
Undergraduate Intern
Mr. Boyd graduated with a degree in Biology with a double minor in Psychology and Neurology. Mr. Boyd plans on attending medical school.
Ryan Alt
Undergraduate Intern
Mr. Alt graduated with a degree in biology from the Schreyer Honors College. Mr. Alt is currently attending dental school in Florida.
Claire Leidy
Undergraduate Intern
Claire graduated with a degree in Biobehavioral Health, minoring in Neuroscience. Next, Claire plans to attend a Physician Assistant (Associate) program.
Trijal Kaistha
Undergraduate Intern
Trijal Kaistha graduated with a degree in Biology. He currently has aspirations to attend medical school.
Alexander Hamarich
Undergraduate Intern
Mr. Hamarich specialized in Neuroscience with a minor in Psychological Science. Mr. Hamarich plans on attending medical school.
Justin White
Undergraduate Intern
Mr. White graduated with a degree in Psychology and minored in Kinesiology. He aspires to work in the Sport Psychology field with collegiate and/or professional athletes.
Sebastien Saliba
Undergraduate Intern
Mr. Saliba graduated with a degree in kinesiology. Sebastien is gaining hands-on experience in the medical field before attending medical school in 2024.
Daniel Slogosky
Undergraduate Intern
Mr. Slogosky graduated with a degree in Biobehavioral Health. Daniel plans on attending medical school to become a sports medicine physician.
Austin Hoopes
Undergraduate Intern
Graduated 2022
Robert Fornini
Graduate Student
Mr. Fornini graduated with his Master’s from Penn State in 2022, Bachelor’s in 2019, and worked in the lab since 2017. After multiple concussions in high school that put an end to his wrestling career, he has been intrigued with brain injuries while sharpening his research skills. After graduation, Mr. Fornini matriculated into the medical school program at UNECOM.
Madison Smith
Undergraduate Intern 
Ms. Smith graduated in 2022 with a major in Biobehavioral Health and a dual minor in Global Health and Biology. Her interest in sports concussion research is fueled by her passion for sports medicine. Madison plans to become a Physician Assistant and strives to apply the behind-the-scenes knowledge of cutting-edge concussion research to properly assess and treat her future patients.
Carly Pattison
Undergraduate Intern 
Carly Pattison graduated in 2022 with a major in Athletic Training. She has worked with collegiate and professional athletes, and wanting to better understand her athletes’ recovery from concussions motivated her to get involved with research. After graduation, she hopes to pursue a career in sports medicine with a specialization in football and/or gymnastics.
Jason Wang
Undergraduate Intern 
Jason Wang graduated in 2022 with a major in Movement Science. He has worked in a pediatric care facility as an exercise instructor/caretaker and a neurology clinic as a front desk/medical records aid. He loves working with both athletes and non-athletes in training but even more so in rehabilitation. Jason is a student in the Integrated Undergraduate-Graduate program pursuing a Master’s of Public Health alongside his B.S. in Kinesiology/Movement Science, and after finishing the program, he wants to go into medical school and hopefully become a Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PMR) doctor.
Peyton McGuire
Undergraduate Intern 
Ms. McGuire is currently a senior studying Biology, specializing in Neuroscience with a double minor in Psychology and Neuroscience. Her interest in sports concussion research stems from her passion for athletics throughout her lifetime, coupled with her love for the medical field. Peyton plans to attend a Physician Assistant (Associate) program following her Bachelor’s degree and pursue a career in the field of psychiatry and associated neurology.
Shivanie Dhamija
Undergraduate Intern 
Shivanie just recently graduated from Penn State with a Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience Psychology. Her interest in sports concussion research comes from her personal experiences with concussions as a competitive dancer, in combination with her regard for the medical field. Shivanie is currently taking a gap year and plans on attending medical school next year to pursue a career in sports medicine.
Graduated 2021
Gillian Walsh
Undergraduate Intern 
Ms. Walsh is currently a junior majoring in Kinesiology: Movement Science and minoring in Neuroscience and Biology. Her interest in concussions and neuroscience comes from personal experience with concussions and other injuries in high school, as well as exposure to family members with various neurological disorders. After graduation, she plans on attending graduate school and becoming a nurse.
Teja Kondeti
Undergraduate Intern 
Ms. Kondeti majored in Kinesiology. She began working as a volunteer at the center in Summer 2017. Her interest in the lab stems from her fascination with prevention and rehabilitation of concussions. After graduating from Penn State, she plans on attending medical school.
Matthew Yeckley
Undergraduate Intern 
Matthew Yeckley pursued a major in Biology Vertebrae/ Physiology. Sustaining a concussion while competing in high school sports intrigued Mr. Matthew’s interest on why a concussion can be so devastating with so many side effects. After Penn State, Mr. Matthew plans to attend medical school, and working in the concussion center has helped him look into how the brain is affected during an injury, like a concussion.
David Peters
Undergraduate Intern 
Mr. Peters majored in Biology with a vertebrate physiology option, and minored in French and Kinesiology. His interest in concussion research stems from a passion for fitness, sports medicine, and helping others, as well as sports involvement throughout his life. After graduating, he plans to apply what he has learned in the lab while attending medical school.
Matthew Bucci
Undergraduate Intern 
Mr. Bucci studied within the College of Health and Human Development with an emphasis in Biobehavioral Health. He also completed a minor in Neuroscience. Mr. Bucci has been playing sports his whole life, and was a manger of the Penn State Football Team. It is this love for sports that led him to the research center. Although he has never sustained a concussion, he has seen many first hand and is interested in learning more about how concussive blows affect the brain long term. After graduating, Matthew went to the University of Auburn to start graduate studies.
Vinoshi Weerakkody
Undergraduate Intern 
Ms. Weerakkody majored in Biology with a minor in Human Development and Family Studies. She has been an intern for the center since Fall 2019. Her interest in sports concussion research stems from past involvement in sports and an overall fascination with how the brain works. After graduation, she plans on attending medical school.
Mackenzie Ebinger
Undergraduate Intern 
Ms. Ebinger majored in Biology, the Neuroscience Option, with a minor in Psychological Science. Her interest in sport concussion research began after experiencing an acute subdural hematoma from a car accident in high school. This recovery along with being involved in many contact sports herself has peaked her interest pertaining to the short-term and long-term effects of repeated blows to the head on brain structure. After graduating, she has hopes of attending medical school and pursuing a career in neurology.
Yash Reddy
Undergraduate Intern 
Mr. Reddy is a junior in the Premedical-Medical Program. This is his second semester as an undergraduate intern in the center. His interest in sports concussion research comes from his passion for the fields of sports medicine and neuroscience. After graduating from Penn State, he will attend Sidney Kimmel Medical College in Philadelphia.
Nicolle Wolf
Undergraduate Intern 
Ms. Wolf graduated with a Kinesiology degree. She began assisting in the concussion lab after developing a strong interest in neuroscience and sports related injuries throughout her academic career. She has been a horseback rider for about 16 years. Nicolle is interested in either continuing her Kinesiology education post-graduation or attending medical school, and she is interested in working in the sports sector of the health field in the future.
Graduated 2020
Alexa Kaudy
Undergraduate Intern 
Ms. Kaudy majored in General Science (Biological Life Science option) with a minor in Neuroscience Psychology. She began working as an intern for the center in Summer 2017. After graduating from Penn State, she plans to attend medical school to pursue a specialty in either neurology or orthopedic surgery. She became interested in joining the concussion research center after facing many concussions of her own from playing volleyball. Her own concussions also led her to an overall interest in how the brain functions.
Kristin Hickey
Undergraduate Intern
Ms. Hickey began working as an undergraduate intern for the center in Fall 2016. She majored in Biobehavioral Health and minored in Biology. Her interest in the lab stems from her sports background and experiencing her own sports related injuries, as well as the ever-increasing coverage about concussions in today’s media. In addition, she had an internship opportunity with Allegheny Health Network in Pittsburgh, working in their Orthopedic Surgery and Sports Medicine Department. At this internship, she continued to increase her knowledge about concussions and their mechanism of injury. Following graduation from Penn State, she plans to attend post graduate program to receive her masters in physician assistant studies.
Isabelle Meszar
Undergraduate Intern
Ms. Meszar graduated with her degree in General Science with a Biological Science and Health Professions focus. She has been a member of the center since the Spring of 2017. Her interest in concussion research stems from her participation in sports throughout school and the possible interventions that affect the symptoms and severity. Following graduation in the spring, she plans to attend a post-graduate program to receive a masters degree in physician assistant studies.
Michael Luba
Undergraduate Intern
Mr. Luba graduated with a degree in biology. He spent three years as an intern at the center. He has played football much of his life, which has led to an interest in concussions and working at the center. After graduation, he plans on attending medical school.
Justin Ceasar
Undergraduate Intern
Mr. Ceasar studied Biology-Vertebrate Physiology Option and obtained a Kinesiology minor. He is currently planning on attending medical school. He joined the concussion research center because of his interest in how the brain works, and also had a family member whose life was severely affected by a concussion.
Janine Whalen
Undergraduate Intern
Ms. Whalen studied Biobehavioral Health and minored in Psychology during her time at Penn State. She began working as an intern for the center in the fall of 2017. Her interest in concussions came from a strong background in sports and sustaining many sports-related injuries of her own. After graduating from Penn State, she plans to take a year off before continuing her education in a medical related field.
Ryan Wilkie
Undergraduate Intern
Mr. Wilkie studied Kinesiology Movement Science at Penn State. He began working as an undergraduate intern for the center in Spring 2016. His interest in sport concussion research is rooted in personal experiences sustaining multiple concussions as well as playing sports throughout high school. After graduating, he plans on attending graduate school to become a physical therapist specializing in neurology and orthopedics.
Alexandra Macholz
Undergraduate Intern
Ms. Macholz studied Kinesiology Movement Science during her time at Penn State. Her interest in concussions originally stems from her own experiences in high school athletics. She became interested in working for the lab after gaining experience working with athletes as an athletic training intern. After graduating from Penn State, she plans on going to graduate school to continue her studies in performance science.
Elaina Faerber
Undergraduate Intern
Ms. Faerber started working at the center in the spring of 2019. She was a Kinesiology major and member of Penn State’s Swimming and Diving team. Her long history of concussive injury is what sparked her interest in working in the lab. She is still unsure of her exact path after college, but she knows she wants to pursue a career in a health field.
Grace Pfarr
Undergraduate Intern
Ms. Pfarr graduated with a degree in Kinesiology: Movement Science. She volunteered for four semesters in the center. Her passion for studying brain injuries is a result of the exposure she had to patients with these injuries during her summers spent volunteering as an EMT. After graduating from Penn State, she plans to further her education through completion of a Master’s degree in Physician Assistant studies.
Riley Horner
Undergraduate Intern
Ms. Horner obtained a Bachelors’ of Science in Athletic Training degree from Penn State. She became an undergraduate intern in Fall 2019. Her interest in concussion research was provoked through management and treatment of concussions while completing a clinical practicum rotation with Penn State Football. After graduating from Penn State, she plans to further her education through completion of a Masters’ of Science Degree.
Graduated 2015-2019
Ryan Tysarczyk
Undergraduate Intern
Mr. Tysarczyk began working with the center’s research protocols in the Spring 2016. He was kinesiology major in the movement science option, and graduated in 2017. Upon graduating from Penn State he plans to continue his education by completing a physician assistant program.
Christian Kaschak
Undergraduate Honors Thesis Researcher
Mr. Kaschak began working at the center in 2014 because of his interest in concussions/neurology and his involvement on the Penn State men’s soccer team. The center allowed him to combine his love for sports and his desire to gain further insight into concussion, which resulted in him completing his honors thesis on mTBI and the impact it has on academics. Christian hopes to have this thesis published, and plans to continue on to pursue medical school.
Jay Eiben
Undergraduate Intern
Mr. Eiben began working with the center in Spring 2016. He majored in Kinesiology, and is the vice president of Penn State’s men’s club lacrosse team. After graduating from Penn State, Jay intends to use the knowledge and skills he acquired at the center to pursue medical school and work towards his M.D.
Mike DeGaetano
Undergraduate Intern
Mr. DeGaetano began working as an undergraduate intern for our center in Spring 2016. He graduated Spring 2017 with his B.S. in Kinesiology. After graduating, he plans to continue his education to earn his master’s degree to pursue a career as an athletic trainer or as a physician assistant.
Hamna Atif
Undergraduate Honors Thesis Researcher
Ms. Atif joined the center as an undergraduate intern in Fall 2014. She completed her honors thesis research in 2017 and completed her degree in science: biological. After graduating from Penn State, Hamna will be attending the Penn State College of Medicine to pursue her goal of becoming a pediatrician.
Ryan Starner
Undergraduate Intern
Mr. Starner began working at our center at the beginning of 2016. He majored in Kinesiology: movement science, and became increasingly interested in concussion after the large media surfacing of CTE & professional football. He is working to further our research in hopes of making contact sport safer and lowering the frequency of concussions in sport. After graduating from Penn State he plans to pursue graduate school to obtain his degree in physical therapy.
Anurag Garikipati
Undergraduate Intern
Mr. Garikipati began working with the center in Spring 2015 to work on circuit design and development for our research protocols. He majored in electrical engineering with a minor in biology. After graduating from Penn State, Anurag plans to attend graduate school for electrical engineering to pursue a career in the medical device industry.
Alex Schilken
Undergraduate Intern
Ms. Schilken majored in psychology:neuroscience and minoring in biology. She began working with the center in the Fall of 2014. After completing her degree at Penn State, she plans to attend graduate school before pursuing a career in the health sciences.
Derrick May
Undergraduate Volunteer
Mr. May began volunteering at the center in April of 2016. After completing his undergraduate degree at Penn State, Derrick plans to pursue a career in orthopedic surgery and earn his MBA, after which he hopes to spend 3 years of active duty in the Navy before finishing his residency.
Vincent DeGregory
Undergraduate Intern
Mr. DeGregory began getting involved with the center’s research in Fall 2015. He majored in biological sciences and health professions. After graduating from Penn State he plans to attend medical school.
Grace Cvanciger
Undergraduate Intern
Ms. Cvanciger began working as an intern for the center in Fall 2015. She majored in Kinesiology and minoring in biology. Grace also worked as an EMT for the University Ambulance Service. After graduating from Penn State, she plans to continue her education to pursue a career as a physician assistant.
Matthew Doyle
Undergraduate Intern
Mr. Doyle joined the center in 2016. He studied immunology & infectious disease with biology, microbiology, and Spanish minors. As a member of the Penn State Boxing Team, he was passionate about the safety of contact sports and hopes to continue to study the effects of traumatic brain injuries while attending medical school.
Neha Gupta
Undergraduate Intern
Ms. Gupta joined the center as an undergraduate intern as a sophomore in 2015 as a pre-medical: neuroscience student. After her own serious brain injury in 2014, she has developed a great passion for studying brain injuries. She aspires to become a specialist in brain injury therapies to help other patients. She has written a chapter with Dr. Wayne Sebastianelli, titled “The Paradigm Shift of Concussions and their Management in an Orthopedic Setting” for the book Neuropsychological Perspectives on Sports-Related Concussions.
Caroline Wilson
Undergraduate Intern
Ms. Wilson started volunteering at the center her freshman year at Penn State, and continued to contribute to research throughout her time at Penn State. She majored in chemical engineering and graduated in Fall 2018. After graduating from Penn State she plans to attend medical school to specialize in sports medicine.
Natalie Milas
Undergraduate Intern
Ms. Milas began working as an intern for the center in Spring 2015 as a freshman. She started working with us early in her college career to prepare to do her senior honors thesis on concussion at the center. After graduating from Penn State, she plans to attend medical school to specialize in sports medicine focusing on concussive injury. Natalie’s dream job would be to work in pediatrics and continue her research as a clinician.
John Gaspich III
Undergraduate Intern
Mr. Gaspich began working with the Center for Sport Concussion in Fall 2014, majoring in biology:neuroscience and minoring in Kinesiology. John’s passion for pediatric concussion research stems from his firsthand personal experience with pediatric TBI. John experienced, lived through, and functioned as a caregiver during his brother’s recovery over a seven year period from a severe concussive injury. Upon graduation, John intends to pursue an integrated medical degree program, either M.D./M.B.A or M.D./PhD.
Sarah Higgins
Undergraduate Intern
Ms. Higgins studied Kinesiology with a movement science specialty. She started working for the center in Fall 2016. Sarah’s passion for sports orthopedics and concussion research comes from her involvement in various sports throughout her whole life as well as from suffering from multiple concussions. After graduating, she plans on attending graduate school to become a Physicians assistant specializing in sports orthopedics or neuroscience.
Jason Cohen
Undergraduate Intern
Mr. Cohen majored in Economics and Pre-Medicine.
He developed a passion for concussion research from personal experience; he had to miss 2 years of college due to concussions. After graduating, Mr. Cohen hopes to go to medical school and specialize in neurology with a focus on Traumatic Brain Injuries.
Sam Earl
Undergraduate Intern
Mr. Earl began working with the Center in Fall 2017, majoring in Kinesiology and pursuing a Smeal College Business Fundamentals Certificate. Sam’s passion for concussion research increased after his own nine week concussion, being treated by the Center’s very own Dr. Peter Seidenberg, MD. After graduating, he plans to do something within exercise physiology specializing in concussion treatment, management, and prevention.
Jay Furst
Undergraduate Intern
Mr. Furst majored in biology and minored in psychology during his time at Penn State. Through his involvement with athletics, he has personally experienced concussions and has also seen many of his teammates sustain head injuries. This has motivated him to pursue research related to concussions and brain injury. He was also an EMT for the University Ambulance Service and Centre LifeLink EMS. He will be attending medical school following his graduation from Penn State.
Madison Ernst
Undergraduate Intern
Ms. Ernst majored in Kinesiology with a movement science option. Her interest in concussion research comes from being involved with sports her whole life, having a desire to help others, and wanting to contribute to future research involving physical activity. After graduating, she plans to attend graduate school for a Master’s in sports management with intentions of pursuing a career relating to the business aspect of sports.
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