The Gemstone Alumni Board

The Gemstone Alumni Board believes in the power of community and interdisciplinary learning to shape change-makers and radically enrich the student experience. We are committed to supporting Gemstone students' growth and flourishing through professional development, scholarship, philanthropic, and mentorship initiatives. Through a recent reorganization of the Alumni Board, we have developed three new committees that each focus on a specific element of student support. Read more about the committees and the Alumni Board members below!

GO Fund Committee

This committee is responsible for strategic thinking and oversight of the application, submissions, and selection of Gemstone Opportunity (GO) Fund recipients. The GO Fund aims to help students achieve their goals beyond the classroom and raise their vision to new heights by defraying the costs associated with projects and professional development.

Photo of Nikhil Joshi in navy suit jacket and navy and white plaid shirt against a light grey gradient background

Nikhil Joshi | Class of 2007

Nikhil graduated from UMD with a Bachelor's degree in biological sciences. He is now a veterinarian with Merck Animal Health. He worked as a consultant after college, then got his VMD from Penn and an MBA from Boston University. He lives Maryland with his wife, a fellow Terp.

Photo of Greg Teitelbaum in black suit, white shirt, and navy and white tie against a gradient grey background

Gregory A. Teitelbaum | Class of 2007

Greg Teitelbaum is Vice President, Land and Maritime Sensors, within the Maritime/Land Systems and Sensors division in the Mission Systems (MS) sector at Northrop Grumman. Greg has executive responsibility for the Land and Maritime Sensors portfolio, which includes an assortment of radio frequency (RF), bio-detection and electro-optical sensors used by Land and Maritime forces for a variety of C4ISR missions. Major programs include the Ground/Air Task Oriented Radar (G/ATOR) and the Surface Electronic Warfare Improvement Program (SEWIP) Block 3. Greg has bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mechanical engineering from the UMD.

Photo of Devi Mahadevia in light blue shirt against tan background

Devi Mahadevia | Class of 2003

Devi is the Chief Growth Officer at SoundCloud, where she leads global strategy, partnerships, and corporate development. She has spent over two decades at the intersection of media and technology with previous leadership roles at Meta, the NFL, and the NHL. Devi holds an MBA from the Wharton School and a BS from the University of Maryland, where she was a member of the Gemstone Honors Program. She remains deeply connected to UMD and is proud to support the next generation of changemakers.

Communications Committee

This committee is responsible for all communication efforts with the larger Gemstone Alumni community. The alumni on this committee will handle content for the Alumni LinkedIn page, potentially create an alumni newsletter, and assist Gemstone staff with content creation for the Gemstone Program Instagram.

Photo of Lara Fu in an orange shirt against a turquoise wall and bookshelf to the left

Lara Fu | Class of 2017

Throughout Lara's career in the nonprofit sector, she has worked at DC Prep, New York University (Office of Student Affairs and Stern School of Business), Friends of the National Arboretum, and the Legal Services Corporation. Her roles have spanned communications, fundraising, program management, special projects, and executive support. She holds an MPA from New York University's Wagner School of Public Service and a BA from the University of Maryland.

Photo of Aarushi Malhotra is a balck and white shirt against a light blue background

Aarushi Malhotra | Class of 2023

Aarushi Malhotra is a medical student at the University of North Carolina. She was a part of the 2023 Cohort on Team DeBIAS, and her favorite memory is traveling to a conference in Chicago to present her team’s findings. Aarushi is also a former CONNECT mentor, GEMS TA, camp leader, and GLC President. She loves building community and looks forward to connecting with Gemstone alumni.

Photo of Annette Eldo in white dress and red graduation stole in front of trees

Annette Eldo | Class of 2025

Annette graduated with a bachelor's in Neuroscience, and is currently working as a medical assistant while applying to medical school. In Gemstone, she was a part of Team Fungi which explored antibiofilm properties of fungal polysaccharides. Annette is excited to continue contributing to the amazing Gemstone community through the alumni board.

AMPP Committee

This committee is responsible for providing more mentorship and support to the students who serve as co-directors of the Alumni Mentor and Partner Program (AMPP) within the Gemstone Leadership Council. Alumni assist with workshop topic formation, brainstorming resources to provide to Gemstone students, and connecting students to alumni that can directly support and participate in various AMPP events throughout the academic year.

Ria Sebastian | Class of 2021

Ria Sebastian is a fourth-year medical student at Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, FL. As a member of Team TUMOR, she studied localized treatment options for colorectal cancer. During her time in Gemstone, she loved serving as GLC President, mentoring through CONNECT, and leading sections for all GEMS courses. Ria is excited to return to the alumni board and looks forward to supporting current students and fellow alumni by sharing resources, mentorship, and encouragement.