20 Years - The Leadership Alliance

20 Years Of Supporting Research, Scholarship and Academic Excellence | 89
Marcus B Jones
J. Craig Venter Institute
Dr. Marcus B. Jones is an Assistant Professor within the Infectious Disease and Genomic Medicine groups
at JCVI, where he specializes in a wide variety of gene expression and biomarker discovery studies. His
scientific research focuses on employing “omics” technologies to understand various human disease,
microbial infection models and the evolution of antibiotic resistance. Dr. Jones received his bachelor’s
degree at Southern University and A&M College in Baton Rouge, LA in 2000. He received his Ph.D. in
Microbiology in 2005 studying in the laboratory of Dr. Martin J. Blaser in The Sackler Institute at New
York University School of Medicine. Dr. Jones did his post-doctoral training at The Institute for Genomic Research (TIGR)
from 2005-2006 in the laboratory of Dr. Scott N. Peterson in the Pathogen Functional Genomics Resource Center (PFGRC)
prior to joining the JCVI. Dr. Jones was the recipient of the UNCF/Merck Graduate Dissertation Fellowship, the David and
Lucile Packard Foundation Graduate Fellowship, two-time recipient of the Aspen Health Forum Fellowship and the Keystone
Symposium Fellowship.
Shirley Malcom
American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
Shirley Malcom is Head of the Directorate for Education and Human Resources Programs of the
American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). The directorate includes AAAS programs
in education, activities for underrepresented groups, and public understanding of science and technology.
Dr. Malcom serves on several boards—including the Heinz Endowments and the H. John Heinz III
Center for Science, Economics and the Environment—and is an honorary trustee of the American
Museum of Natural History. In 2006 she was named as co-chair (with Leon Lederman) of the National
Science Board Commission on 21st Century Education in STEM. She serves as a Regent of Morgan State University and as a
trustee of Caltech. In addition, she has chaired a number of national committees addressing education reform and access to
scientific and technical education, careers and literacy. Dr. Malcom is a former trustee of the Carnegie Corporation of New
York. She is a fellow of the AAAS and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. She served on the National Science Board,
the policymaking body of the National Science Foundation, from 1994 to 1998, and from 1994-2001 served on the President’s
Committee of Advisors on Science and Technology. Dr. Malcom received her doctorate in ecology from Pennsylvania State
University; master’s degree in zoology from the University of California, Los Angeles; and bachelor’s degree with distinction
in zoology from the University of Washington. She also holds 15 honorary degrees and in 2003 received the Public Welfare
Medal of the National Academy of Sciences, the highest award given by the Academy.
Jessian L. Munoz
New Jersey Medical School (NJMS)
Jessian L. Munoz is a fourth year MD-PhD candidate at the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at
NJMS. He has completed a dual concentration in Neuroscience and Stem Cell Biology. Before coming
to NJMS, Jessian graduated from the University of Puerto Rico-Cayey with a B.S. in Biology. Jessian is
currently training in the lab of Dr. Pranela Rameshwar within the Department of Medicine-Division of
Hematology/Oncology. His thesis research combines a model with human Mesenchymal Stem Cells to
understand neurodevelopmental pathways by small RNA molecules and to extrapolate the findings to
understand chemoresistance of glioblastoma. Jessian has already published original and review articles. Jessian is the recipient
of several awards: NJMS-Alumni Association Research Fellowship (2010), Drs. George and Helene Hill Endowed Scholarship
(2011) FM Kirby Neurosciences Fellow (2011), NACME Sloan PhD scholar (2011), as well as the NJMS Early Scientist Award
for Excellence (2012). Jessian is currently the President of the NJMS Graduate Student Association.