The Gemstone Alumni Board

Lara serves as the Director of Development & Communications at DC Prep, one of the highest-performing public charter school networks in our nation's capital. She has previously worked at NYU's Office of Student Affairs, the Dean's Office at NYU Stern School of Business, and Friends of the National Arboretum. Lara began her career at the Legal Services Corporation, the nation’s largest public funder of civil legal aid, where she staffed the Natural Disaster Task Force and managed the Rural Summer Legal Corps. She earned a master of public administration from NYU’s Wagner School of Public Service and a bachelor’s degree in government and politics from the University of Maryland. During her time in Gemstone, she served as a Section Leader for GEMS100 and 104, as well as President of the Gemstone Student Council.

Bio coming soon!

While in Gemstone, Nikhil was a Biology major on Team TRIGGER, researching the reliability of a Maryland state firearm identification database. After college Nikhil went into consulting, then attended the University of Pennsylvania for vet school. He is currently a professional services veterinarian for Merck Animal Health. As a member of the Alumni Board, Nikhil launched the Gemstone Opportunity (GO) Fund and will continue to partner with Gemstone leadership on exploring philanthropic opportunities.

Aarushi is a 2023 Gemstone alumna from Team DeBIAS. She is currently pursuing her MPH at UMD and working at UMD’s Honors College Central Office. In Gemstone, Aarushi served as a CONNECT mentor, TA, Gems Camp Leader, and President of Gemstone Leadership Council. She was awarded the Gemstone Citizen and Leader of the Year in 2023. As a member of the Alumni Board, she hopes to strengthen alumni connections and visibility with current students.

Ria is currently a second year medical student at Nova Southeastern College of Osteopathic Medicine. While in Gemstone, she was a member of Team TUMOR, studying localized cancer treatment. She also served as the president of the Gemstone Leadership Council as well as a teaching assistant for every GEMS course. She majored in Biology-Neurobiology and Physiology with a minor in Business.

Greg is currently Vice President, Land and Maritime Sensors with Northrop Grumman (NG) in Baltimore, MD.  Prior to this assignment, Greg served in various roles in Program Management, Operations, and Engineering at multiple NG locations starting in 2009. From 2012-2018, Greg served as an Adjunct Lecturer at UMD in the Department of Mechanical Engineering. He received his M.S in Mechanical Engineering from UMD in 2009 (where his thesis research focused on additive manufacturing), and his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from UMD in 2007. Greg's Gemstone team was BurniNATION, whose thesis was entitled "Examining the Fire Safety of On-Campus Housing through Computer Simulation Techniques.”

Teddy graduated in 2008 from the University of Maryland with dual degrees in Finance and Marketing. He was part of Team MERIT which researched a proof of concept solution to reduce medical errors through technology by digitizing elements of clinical procedures to improve quality control. Currently, Teddy is the Head of People for Specialty Care North America. He is responsible for supporting business leadership with shaping organizational and culture transformation, talent management, and building leadership capabilities. Teddy started his career in consulting at PwC and prior to Sanofi, was the global head of leadership development at Mastercard.

Medha is a recent graduate of the University of Maryland, College Park with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering and a minor in Technology Entrepreneurship. During her time in the Gemstone Honors Program, she was the Team Liaison for Team SIGHT and contributed to research in human neuromechanical responses to haptic and audio sensory feedback. Outside of Gemstone, she was in the QUEST Honors Program, UMD's award-winning South-Asian fusion a cappella group, and an ambassador for the Clark School of Engineering. Currently, she is a rotational Mechanical Engineer at Carrier Global Corporation. She is excited to be a new member of the Alumni Board and contribute to a positive impact in Gemstone!