Fellows
Davenport College has an active and enthusiastic Fellowship. Davenport’s Fellowship includes Fellows (distinguished Faculty and Staff at the University) and Associate Fellows (often Davenport alum or people who have made important contributions to New Haven and the larger society).
Bluma Lesch
Associate Professor of Genetics
Biography
I am a geneticist doing basic biological research at the medical school. I was an undergraduate MCDB major at Yale and subsequently completed both medical (MD) and basic science (PhD) training. My research focuses on epigenetics in mammalian reproduction, including implications for transgenerational epigenetic inheritance and developmental evolution. In addition to science, I love writing, poetry, running and the outdoors. I grew up in California and (after more than 20 years!) I'm slowly adjusting to the weather on the East Coast. I live in Woodbridge with my husband, two kids, a hyperactive dog, and an aging black cat.
I obtained my Bachelor of Science in Molecular, Cellular & Developmental Biology from Yale College in 2003, my PhD in Biological Sciences and MD from Rockefeller University and Weill Cornell Medical College, and was a post-doctoral fellow at Whitehead Institute / MIT from 2011-2017. I became a faculty member in the Yale Genetics Department in 2017.
Contact Information:
Don Li
Orthopaedic Surgery Resident
Biography
After graduating from Yale School of Medicine with an MD/PhD, I started residency at the Hospital for Special Surgery in 2021. My goal is to work at an academic medical center as a pediatric orthopaedic surgeon. Newly married lover of travel, board games, great conversations, and reading. Avid mentor for all things related to the track to becoming an Orthopedic surgeon (pre-med, medical school, etc).
Contact Information:
Judith K. Liebmann
Director, Writing Program, Center for Independent Study
Biography
I am a poet whose work has been published in many literary journals as well as "The New York Times" and "Scientific American." I have given readings, lectures and workshops throughout the United States and in Germany. A collection of my poems, "Ekphrasis" was published in December 2023 (PreSSrappel NYC). In January 2024 I was inaugurated as the first Poet Laureate of the Town of Branford Ct. As an alumna, I was proud to serve as the first woman President of the Yale Club of New Haven and for two terms on the Board of Governors of the AYA. In co-operation with the Branford Public Works Department and the Branford Land Trust, I have designed a number of "pocket parks" throughout the town, including the "Triangle Park" in Pine Orchard.
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Maureen Long
Professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences
Biography
I am an observational seismologist who uses recordings of earthquake waves to study the structure of the deep Earth. I'm interested in several different aspects of the Earth system, including subduction zones (sites of material exchange between the Earth's surface and its interior) and the core-mantle boundary (the bottom boundary layer of the mantle's convective system). Understanding how the Earth's interior works helps us to better understand phenomena that we see at the Earth's surface, such as plate tectonics, mountain building, and hazards such as earthquakes and volcanoes. I'm a Massachusetts native and have lived in New England for most of my life. I'm a big sports fan and especially love the Red Sox, the Patriots, and women's soccer and college basketball. I love to read, hike, and travel, and recently visited Iceland for the first time. My newest hobby is learning a little bit of the Irish language, which is fun and challenging. I live with my husband and two children (ages 13 and 10) in Cheshire, CT.
Contact Information:
Linda L. Maerz
Program Director, Surgical Critical Care and Acute Care Surgery Fellowships, Yale School of Medicine. Medical Director, Surgical Intensive Care Unit and Surgical Stepdown Unit, Yale New Haven Hospital.
Biography
I am an Associate Professor in the Yale School of Medicine Department of Surgery, with a secondary appointment in the Department of Anesthesiology. My clinical focus is surgical critical care, and my academic theme is centered on surgical education, particularly as it pertains to surgical critical care and acute care surgery. My overarching career mission is to leverage my role as a clinical leader and educator to train future generations of surgical intensivists and acute care surgeons, thereby ensuring the positive impact of the Yale SOM commitment to clinical excellence and outstanding education in academic medical centers throughout the country and beyond. I am originally from out West, having relocated to Yale in 2006. My husband and I love the rich culture and diversity of New England. We have enjoyed making new friends and establishing relationships over the years. Davenport College is a wonderful example of a diverse community of colleagues who come together to share fellowship and ideas in a welcoming, inclusive, and collegial environment.
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Reina Maruyama
Professor of Physics
Biography
Prof. Maruyama develops technologies for and carry out experiments to probe nature at the most fundamental level. The group studies the underlying physics of fundamental symmetries, the origins of the universe, and the nature of neutrinos and dark matter. We use techniques being developed in the fields of quantum sensor development, atomic, astrophysics, particle, and nuclear physics to solve some of the greatest mysteries of the evolution of the Universe what is the Universe made of, and why does it have more matter than anti-matter? To find out more, visit https://maruyama-lab.yale.edu I love to tinker, ski, run, and play the violin (and sometimes viola!). My partner and I have two beautiful children and two dogs.
Contact Information:
Susan McCone
The Rev. Susan J. McCone
Biography
After graduation from Columbia Law School I practiced law as a litigator at Sullivan & Cromwell until 1980.
For a 14 interlude, I founded and served as Designer and CEO of Jonal, a high-end couture snd home furnishing store on Madison Ave, NYC. In 1994, I entered Yale Divinity School and after securing an M. Div. an Anglican certificate in 2002 from Berkeley Divinity School was ordained an Episcopal priest. I served the Church in various national and Diocesan capacities, until most recently as Rector of St. John's Episcopal Church, Washington,CT I am married to Robert P. Wessely, a lawyer in New York City
Contact Information:
Tara McKelvey
Journalist
Biography
Tara McKelvey writes about China and Beijing’s policies for Radio Free Asia. Previously, she worked as a White House correspondent for the British Broadcasting Corporation, traveling on Air Force One with Obama, Trump, and Biden. She is also a contributor to the New York Times Book Review and was a Ferris fellow at Princeton. Her writing about the CIA has received a Guggenheim, and she’s the recipient of a Shorenstein fellowship at Harvard. New York Times columnist Anthony Lewis described her book, Monstering (Basic Books), about the torture of prisoners during the Iraq war, as “a powerful account of the most shameful behavior by an American government in recent memory.”
Tara recieved an A.B. in Government from Georgetown.
Contact Information:
Marta Moret
President, Urban Policy Strategies, LLC
Biography
Interests:
Maternal and Child Health; Gardening.