Meet Your Officers!

Jacey Sites

AED President

Hello all! My name is Jacey Sites and I am honored and excited to serves as your AED President this year. I am an honors junior working on a major in biology and a minor in classical studies. The small town of Beebe, Arkansas, is where I call home! I am very passionate about blood donation and serve as the President of the Red Cross student organization here on campus. I teach Principles of Biology SI courses and serve as a Class+ SI mentor.  I truly enjoy volunteering and do so at several places around Fayetteville and back home, including the VA, Highlands Oncology, Beebe’s food pantry, LifeSource, and my church nursery. I absolutely adore children and hope to one day become a pediatric oncologist. In my down time, I like to paint, read Latin works, and most of all go swing dancing! Please don’t hesitate to introduce yourself and say hello!

Gary Orman

AED Vice President

Hello all! My name is Gray Orman and I am thrilled to serve as your AED Vice President this year. I am a junior honors Biochemistry major from Bryant, Arkansas. I am very passionate about volunteerism and am currently serving my 5th volunteer semester with the Full Circle Food Pantry on campus. In addition, I am running for a Volunteer Action Center board position. My honors thesis involves the purification of a Sodium channel toxin from Centruroides Vitattus with Dr. Kumar. I hope to one day become a neurosurgeon or anesthesiologist. In my free time, I love watching or playing sports (Go Hogs), especially tennis, and playing chess.

Nimit Gandhi

AED Secretary

Hey y’all! My name is Nimit Gandhi and I’ll be serving as the AED Secretary. I’m a sophomore with a double major in Biochemistry and Spanish. I’m also involved as an RA in the Northwest Quad and the Vice-President of Residents’ Interhall Congress (RIC). Within the next few weeks, I hope to begin some research on the mechanisms behind nerve growth. Apart from all of this, most of my free time revolves around either watching or playing sports. I’m honored to serve as your secretary for the next year. Feel free to shoot me an email regarding anything AED (or non-AED) matters!

Tara Barsotti

AED Reporter

Hey guys! I’m Tara Barsotti, your reporter, from Harrison, AR. I am a sophomore biology major with a minor in political science. I’m a member of Chi Omega sorority and I’m an Honors college ambassador. I love to volunteer at the Veteran’s Hospital every week. In the fall, I am conducting research on human herpes virus strain 6 in a bio-safety level 2 lab, and I hope to be an infectious disease doctor someday. I am a makeup enthusiast and an avid tennis player. You can always find me in Mullins so stop by and say hey!

Summer Webers

AED Treasurer

Hi guys! My name is Summer Webers, and I am an honors Psychology student with a Biology minor from Mountain Home, Arkansas. I am your current AED treasurer, the Psychology Club treasurer, a member of Mental Health Awareness Club, and an honors college ambassador. I enjoy volunteering for the VAC Literacy Program at Washington Elementary School, as well as for the NWA Land Trust. (Come see our native plant garden when you have a chance!) Currently, I’m working in Dr. Ellen Leen-Feldner’s anxiety research lab (Arkansas Interdisciplinary Sciences Laboratory). My hope is to become a plastic surgeon or dermatologist, but I’ll take whatever life gives me. You can probably find me out hiking somewhere in the Ozarks or running on the trails around Fayetteville. I’m stoked to be your treasurer, and I hope to have the chance to meet you all!

Dhruba Dasgupta

AED Historian

Hi guys! My name is Dhruba Dasgupta and I am honored to be your AED Historian for 2017-2018. I am a sophmore majoring in Biochemistry and minoring in Mathematics, Biology, and Nanotechnology. I’m from Little Rock, AR. I am a huge geek about all things science and the environment. I am currently researching nanosized biosensor particles used for cancerous tissue.  Apart from that I am a huge fan of cars, shoes, and colognes. Feel free to say hi and ask me any questions! I’d love to help!

Darla Roberts

AED Peer Mentor

Hey guys! My name is Darla Roberts and I am a junior biochemistry major. I’m from Cabot Arkansas. I am the current AED peer mentor chair, and I am also involved in the Fulbright college Honors peer mentor program. I am researching for the chemical engineering department, where I research peptoids. I spend my time volunteering at Ronald McDonald house, as well as Fayetteville Children’s house. Since I’ve always had a passion for working with children, my dream is to become a Neonatologist (works with premature babies). In my free time I like to hammock, hike, and read, which makes Fayetteville the perfect place for me! I’m so excited to bring new ideas and opportunities to AED, and continue to grow the peer mentor program!

Ben Blaske

AED Volunteer Co-Chair

Hey everyone! My name is Ben Blaske and it’s a privilege to serve as one of the current Volunteer Co-Chairs. I am a sophomore honors Biology major from the thriving city of Jonesboro, Arkansas. In addition to my involvement with AED, I hold the Vice President position in Lambda Chi Alpha and participate as a senator in ASG. After medical school I aspire to go into gastroenterology. Outside of school, you can typically find me doing anything that involves the outdoors. My favorite activities include fly fishing and duck hunting. Looking forward to volunteering with you all!

Lane Justus

AED Volunteer Co-Chair

Hey everyone! My name is Lane Justus and I’m a double major in Biology and Spanish, with a minor in Political Science from Cabot, Arkansas. I’m an honors ambassador, apart of the food recovery team, as well as a member of the Biology Club, and a Life Styles launch student peer-mentor. I’m hoping to start my research of Latin American Health Policy soon! I’d like to be the President of the United States, BUT becoming a physician and working on health care reform is a close second. I’m an amateur aerialist/acrobat, and in my (rare) free time, I like to run, hike, and spend time traveling to cool places and sight-seeing. I look forward to being one of your volunteer co-chairs this year!

Manasa Veluvolu

AED Diversity Co-Chair

Hey everyone! My name is Manasa Veluvolu and I am the current Diversity co-chair! I am a sophomore Biochemistry and Business Management double major from Little Rock, AR. A few of the things I am currently involved in are I am a University Programs Committee Chair, Hogs for Hope DM Planner, Honors College Ambassador, and a Razorback Food Recovery volunteer. I also do research on campus in genetics and will also be studying preventive education in South Africa this summer. I have yet to decide on what speciality I want to go into after medical school, but pediatrics seems like my best bet at this time! Outside of academics, I love to spend my free time watching movies, dancing and singing! You will probably see me around campus a lot in the Union or running between my classes, but stop me any time and say hi!

Olivia Franklin

AED Diversity Co-Chair

Hi y’all! My name is Olivia Franklin and I am your current Diversity Co Chair. I am a sophomore and an honors double major in Biology and Psychology. I am from a small town north of Kansas City called Kearney, MO. I am a current Honors Ambassador and volunteer at the Fayetteville Animal Services. I hope to become a pediatric doctor or surgeon, I just really love working with the kiddos! In my free time, I love to run (when I have the motivation) and hike! Also, movie marathons take a lot of my weekends! Can’t wait to meet you all! Come say hi anytime!