Shirin Tahir-Kheli (above) came to OWU from Pakistan, graduating in 1961 and launching an illustrious career as a national security advisor to three U.S. presidents. She became the first American Muslim ambassador in 1990 when she was appointed as the first ambassador for women’s empowerment by U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. She later served for two years on White House National Security Council under President George W. Bush.
For more than 100 years, students have come to Ohio Wesleyan from around the world and have graduated to become leaders in business and industry, science and technology, public service, international relations, education, the arts, and almost every field in the United States and around the world.
Home Country: Pakistan
Business Intelligence Analyst at Thirstie, New York City
At OWU, Ahmed completed OWU Connection internships at Citi Bank in Dallas, Texas, and Thirstie, Inc., a technology-based company founded by OWU alumni Max Razmakhin '10 and Devaraj Southworth ’94. Sofia says: “I chose to attend Ohio Wesleyan University because of the Economic Management Fellows program and the emphasis on leadership in business that The Woltemade Center has.
Home Country: Korea
Johns Hopkins University, Graduate Study in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
Jin Jun worked on a Summer Science Research project with Professor Ambegaokar exploring conditions to best grow neuron-like cells from tumor cells for cancer research.
Home Country: China
Enrolled in Ph.D. Microbiology program at The Ohio State University
At OWU Cranley conducted research on antiviral genes using CRISPR technology to test effectiveness. She was one of the first students to graduate with OWU's Bachelor of Science degree.
Home Country: Vietnam
Software Engineer, Facebook, Menlo Park, California
Lan Nguyen completed two summer internships at Facebook, and his work there served as the foundation for his OWU honors research project.
Home Country: China
Associate Consultant, SynTao, Beijing, China
Dianyi Li earned a Master of Environmental Management, Energy and Environment, and Climate Change from Duke University in 2020. At OWU, she participated in a travel course on environmental alteration in Costa Rica, conducted research on Greenland ice sheets, and received an OWU Connection grant to to present her research at the national conference of the American Association of Geographers.
Home Country: Pakistan
Technology Analyst, JP Morgan Chase, New York City
As an OWU student, Ibs Saeed completed an internship as an iOS developer at Flashstarts, a startup company in Cleveland, Ohio.
Home Country: India
Associate Consultant, Oncology & Specialty Therapeutics at Kantar, New York City
Bhavna Murali completed a Ph.D. in Cellular & Molecular Biology at Washington University in St. Louis. She worked in cancer research at The BALSA Group in St. Louis before moving to Kantar in New York.
Home Country: Russia
Tech Entrepreneur; Co-founder and COO of Thirstie, New York City
Max Razmakhin partnered with OWU alumnus Devaraj Southworth ’94 in 2014 to launch Thirstie, the leading technology and logistics solution provider for beverage alcohol brands for the alcohol industry. Forbes placed him on its 2017 list of "30 Under 30" leaders in the food and drink category.
Home Country: Korea
Hematology Oncology Fellow at New York-Presbyterian Hospital, New York
With a Ph.D. from Johns Hopkins University and her M.D. from Columbia, Claire Ryu returned to OWU in 2015 to present "How Nuclear Physics Research Led Me on a Path to Become a Physician Scientist." While she was a student at OWU, she was one of three students nationwide to receive the 2007 Outstanding Student Award for Undergraduate Research from the Society of Physics Students.
Home Country: Morocco
Executive Producer and Show Creator, Washington, D.C.
Driss Sekkat has won some of the industry’s most prestigious awards, producing original content in over 15 countries in multiple languages. In 2020, he launched the first financial Over-The-Top (OTT) network of its kind, TD Ameritrade Network. In 2016, he executive produced a 3 part hard-hitting documentary series on violent extremism, filmed in Morocco. He says, "Every time we win an award and every time we wrap up production, I think of OWU because you can’t forget where you come from."
Home Country: Pakistan
Artist, New York City
Salman Toor's work was featured in a solo exhibition, "Salman Toor: How Will I Know," at the Whitney Museum in New York, November 2020 through April 2021. His paintings also have been exhibited at galleries in New York, Los Angeles, Lahore, Pakistan, and elsewhere. You can see his work at his website. He said when he remembered his first art history class at OWU, "I knew a terribly interesting new door was opening for me."
Home Country: Sri Lanka
Assistant Professor in Economics and a Fellow at the Institute for Sustainabe Solutions at Portland State University
Sahan Dissanayake's main research centers on ecosystem services and land conservation and has been presented at more than 50 venues including the World Congress on Resource and Environmental Economics. He also studies spatial subsidies for renewable energy, economic impacts of fracking, and externalities affecting hydropower. He received a Ph.D. in Agricultural and Applied Economics from the University of Illinois.
Home Country: Serbia
Partnerships Advisor, United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), Amman, Jordan & Washington, D.C.
Marija Bateman lead and manages the development of partnerships, agreement negotiations, and resource mobilization for the UNOPS Hub in Amman, covering Jordan, Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, and Yemen. After graduating from OWU, she earned an M.A. in political science and government from New York University. She says, "I came to OWU intending to study genetics, but I had always been passionate about international affairs as well. At Ohio Wesleyan, I was able to try out both and really find my true passion and grow into myself."
Home Country: India
Managing Partner, Mount Curve Capital Management, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Anand Philip earned an MBA from Harvard Business School after graduating from OWU. He has more than 20 years of principal investing experience in private and public companies. He also has served on the Board of Directors of numerous companies.
Home Country: South Africa
Singer and Recording Artist, South Africa
A popular vocal artist in South Africa, Timothy Moloi has performed at the South African Music Awards, Africa Peace Initiative Awards, Oprah Winfrey’s Live Your Best Life event, the closing ceremony of the 1999 All-Africa Games in Johannesburg, and at the opening ceremony of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. His debut solo album “Love That Music” (2009) was nominated for two South African Music Awards.
Home Country: Pakistan
CIO, Global Head of Consumer Technology, Citibank, Dallas, Texas
Shadman Zafar has helped change the way we use our phones for banking. He led development of Citibank’s app and the Zelle money transfer app and is responsible for ensuring both are safe from hackers. He has held top-level positions at Fortune 50 financial, telecommunications, and entertainment companies. He holds about 100 patents. And he enjoys employing OWU interns.
Home Country: Kenya
Director of communications & Head of Press for the First Lady of Kenya
Vivianne Ngugi has received the Kenyan presidential award Moran of the Order of the Burning Spear for her public service. Her efforts have included work closely on the First Lady's Beyond Zero initiative, which is guided by the fundamental belief that no woman will die while giving birth. Of her time at OWU, she says, "I think being exposed to multicultural living and learning gives anyone an edge."