The Harker community was delighted to hear that Surbhi Sarna ’03 sold her medical device company, nVision Medical, for $275 million to Boston Scientific, but the real story is about Sarna’s journey to help women who were being underserved in health care. The story is well-told in the Forbes article that announced the sale, and the Harker community has had the moving experience of watching Sarna travel her path to help others. CBS also did a news story on her.
After graduating from Harker, Sarna studied molecular and cell biology at the University of California, Berkeley, and worked as a clinical scientist at the Stanford University School of Medicine. After graduating from Berkeley in 2007, she worked as an engineer for medical device companies Abbott Vascular and BioCardia. In 2009, only six years out of Harker, she founded venture-backed nVision Medical, dedicated to developing technology to help gynecologists more quickly detect ovarian cancer. Following a successful clinical trial, the company received FDA approval for its device in November 2015. Harker has been honored to follow her progress.
In 2013 Sarna took time from her busy schedule to be the keynote speaker at the Harker Research Symposium, where she related the circumstances that fueled her drive to a crowd of about 400. After suffering from an ovarian cyst in her early teens, she became determined to create better conditions in the field of female health.
In January 2014, Sarna was named to Forbes prestigious “30 Under 30” list in the medical category. At that point, her company had raised $4.5 million from Catalyst Health Ventures, Draper Associates and Astia, a group that assists female entrepreneurs.
Sarna noted at the time, “It is a great honor to be chosen as one of Forbes ’30 Under 30.’ I know Harker has a lot do to with my drive to be an entrepreneur and I’m grateful for all of the teachers that inspired me while I was there.”
In the summer of 2016, Sarna was interviewed for an article in Harker Quarterly on alumni in science, in which she spoke of FDA approval for her device. “It was lots of work, but it couldn’t be more worth it. … From a dream, to a slide deck, to a prototype, to raising money and hiring a team, to first use in a person, to 90 patients successfully treated, to FDA approval!” she said in the article. Offering advice to other recent graduates interested in pursuing STEM and research education, she stressed the importance of seeking out mentors and advisors.
In 2017, Sarna was presented with the 2017 Distinguished Alumni Award by Harker’s Office of Alumni Relations and was honored at Homecoming halftime.
In the 2016 Harker Quarterly article, Sarna had advice for anyone with a quest like hers. “Take meetings with everybody, even when you don’t understand the direct benefit in doing so. Cast your net wide to open up doors,” she said. It is also important to follow your own passions, she added. “I started out as a patient, and I had to believe there were better options out there for women like me. I wanted to make a mark, and at the end of the day you have to follow your passions. It’s extremely rewarding to now be in a career providing service to others.”
Browser security is something nearly everyone is interested in, but Frank Wang ’08 and a team at MIT are doing something to improve it. The team has developed a tool called Veil that will help keep data safe by encrypting websites prior to viewing on the screen. The full story is available at news.mit.edu. Wang was kind enough to share a bit about Veil and his path since leaving Harker.
“Once I graduated from Harker,” Wang said, “I went to Stanford where I was heavily involved in residential life. Then, I went directly to MIT to do my Ph.D. in computer science focused on computer security. On the side, I am heavily involved in the entrepreneurship scene in Boston. I am part of a Rough Draft Ventures, a student-run venture initiative out of General Catalyst that funds student startups. I also started my own summer program, Cybersecurity Factory, for early-stage cybersecurity companies, with Highland Capital (read the Wired story). I am currently in the last year of my Ph.D. and figuring out what’s next.
“My passion is about building practical and secure web platforms. Veil fell into that classification, and I got really excited about it. The project started initially when James Mickens, now one of my co-advisors, visited while he still worked at Microsoft Research. We were both excited about web security and he had some ideas for improving private browsing, which led to this project. Then, he moved to Harvard, and we continued to work on this project, trying to make the web more secure.”
Wang was instrumental in the project’s development. “I was part of the whole process!” he said. “I did a lot of the work building the platform and brainstorming ideas. I also helped write the paper. I was the main spearhead behind the project as the first author.
“The most interesting part was actually building a system that ended up working. A lot of times in research, you work on a project, but the broader community is not as interested. All this press makes me more excited because it seems like people are really interested in my work.”
Three Harker alumni were named to this year’s Forbes 30 Under 30 lists, which feature 600 young stars in 20 different industries. Siddarth Satish ’06, founder of Gauss Surgical in Cupertino, was selected in the health care category. Forbes noted, “Using the iPad’s built-in camera and computer vision algorithms, Siddarth Satish has developed an FDA-cleared app to monitor blood loss in the OR. It’s been used for thousands of patients to make childbirth safer. The company has raised $24.6 million.”
Chadwick Manning ’07, co-founder of ElectrIQ Power Inc. in Palo Alto, made the list in the energy category. ElectrIQ (pronounced “electric”) is an energy storage, monitoring and management company. It innovates integrated hardware and intelligent software solutions to help homeowners and small businesses access more affordable and sustainable electricity, Manning explained.
Following his appointment to the Forbes list, Manning noted “success is a road always under construction. You fail many more times than you succeed. The ones who make it typically aren’t the most intelligent, but they are the ones that have true grit, they admit when they’re wrong and change course, and they surround themselves with passionate, trusting people with complementary skill sets.” When he’s away from the office, Manning gets outdoors and travels as much as possible. “Hiking, skateboarding, biking, tennis and golfing are my favorites,” he said.
Meghana Dhar ’06 is director of retail partnerships for B8ta, located in San Francisco, and is a Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree in the retail and e-commerce category. Her Forbes profile notes, “The eBay alum is responsible for opening 700 stores for B8ta by 2018. The company launches brick and mortar stores for trendy tech products and provides them with customer engagement and interaction data.”
Kevin Moss ’14, who will graduate from Trinity University this spring, was awarded the Walter Adams Prize for Excellence in Economics. The prize honors Walter Adams, the Vernon F. Taylor Distinguished Professor of Economics at Trinity University in 1989 and 1992-98. It recognizes “a graduating economics major at Trinity who has achieved great distinction in scholarship and involvement in the life of the university community,” according to a congratulatory letter to Moss. As the winner of the award, Moss will receive a cash prize, an individual plaque and his name on a commemorative plaque that is displayed in the economics department. He will receive the prize at the spring honors convocation. Way to go, Kevin!
Mallika Dhaliwal ’11, who earned a vocal certificate from Harker’s upper school Conservatory, stopped by to share her insights about the world of performing arts. About a dozen students joined her, along with performing arts chair Laura Lang-Ree, for the session. Following Harker, Dhaliwal attended the University of Southern California from 2011-17, earning a double major in critical studies and creative writing from USC’s School of Cinematic Arts, and a master’s degree in fine arts in producing from the school’s prestigious Peter Stark Producing Program.
Dhaliwal has worked at large studios including Universal, BBC and Lionsgate, as well as smaller companies, including Brad Pitt’s Plan B Entertainment and George Clooney’s Smokehouse Pictures. Most recently, she worked as assistant to the head of talent at Anonymous Content, and assistant to Brian Yorkey, the showrunner of Netflix’s “13 Reasons Why.”
This article originally appeared in the winter 2017 issue of Harker Magazine.
After Charlottesville, Va., erupted in violence during a white supremacist rally in August, Jessica Dickinson Goodman ’07 donned her Captain America shirt, made a sign that read “You Lost in 1865, You Lost in 1945, You Will Lose in 2017” and attended a solidarity event at San Jose City Hall.
“It’s heartbreaking, because there are people whose bodies and minds are damaged by racist violence in Charlottesville today,” Dickinson Goodman told Univision when she was interviewed for a story. “Being American means always trying to do better – acknowledging the abuses without celebrating abusers, understanding the worst parts of our history and doing everything we can to avoid repeating them. Always trying to do better.”
Dickinson Goodman has a thing for superheroes, in fiction and in real life. Her own superpower is passion, which she puts to work every day.
“She is irrepressible, well-reasoned, and always addressing inequality and injustice!” raved Susan Nace, a music teacher at Harker. “She is willing to put in the work necessary to foment positive change.”
Dickinson Goodman took classes with Nace and was a member of Cantilena, Harker’s classical women’s choir, which sang songs in different languages.
“She let me put other languages in my mouth and I learned how much I enjoyed this,” remembered Dickinson Goodman, who speaks Arabic and Spanish, and claims that her ethnicity is “geek.”
While at Harker, Dickinson Goodman was also captain of the wrestling team, secretary/treasurer of the Gay Straight Alliance and a participant in National Junior Classical League. She met her husband, Matthew Holmes ’07, at Harker and the two have been together since.
After Harker, Dickinson Goodman moved to Pennsylvania to attend Carnegie Mellon University, while Holmes trekked to Virginia to study at William & Mary.
While at Carnegie Mellon, Dickinson Goodman studied abroad in Doha, Qatar, participated in the Taekwondo and Shito-Ryu Karate Do Club, and earned a minor in vocal performance. She was invited to participate in the college’s prestigious Fifth Year Scholar program, which allows distinguished students to continue their studies for an additional year tuition-free. She graduated Phi Beta Kappa in 2012 with a Bachelor of Science in ethics, history and public policy.
Armed with an education and a passion for learning, Dickinson Goodman launched her career by working in the nonprofit sector and politics, in Washington, D.C., Washington state, and back home in California for Attorney General Kamala Harris.
“Though Jessica is extremely brilliant and hard-working, it is her genuine selflessness and desire to help others grow that sets her apart,” said Brady Dempsey, who worked with Dickinson Goodman at Washington, D.C.-based Polaris, which fights human trafficking.
Her ability to approach life with an open heart and a strong mind has led her to present workshops around the globe, from “How to Get Involved Politically” in the Bay Area to “Technology 101” in the Middle East.
“She relates to everyone and that ability is not limited to language, geographical, political, and socio-economic or other boundaries,” said Nace. “She is always able to find common ground!”
Last summer Dickinson Goodman and her mom/role model, Katy, went to Sierra Leone to teach web design and internet research to youth and women.
Her Instagram feed is teeming with striking images and philosophical musings about her trip, including, “Sierra Leone is one of the most religiously welcoming countries I’ve ever been to – we bought bowls yesterday at a storefront sandwiched between ‘Christ In Me Enterprise’ and ‘Allah is Great Enterprise.’”
Dickinson Goodman has helped with a U.S. State Department program called TechWomen that brings women from the Middle East, Africa and Central Asia to Silicon Valley for month-long internships. She’s traveled on a delegation with them to Jordan and this year she is the impact coach for a cohort of Palestinian women.
She is also the outreach and marketing coordinator for Child Advocates of Silicon Valley where she recruits volunteer mentors for more than 1,000 foster youth in Silicon Valley.
Although she doesn’t earn a living in politics anymore, she’s still passionate about being involved in the political process and is constantly advocating for people to work on a campaign.
“There’s nothing better than helping someone get elected,” said Dickinson Goodman, who has canvassed multiple neighborhoods for more than one candidate. “When you get involved, you are not just a volunteer but a change agent, and there’s incredible energy from serving your community.”
She has a passion for life – one that’s filled with action, hope and belief that we can all be change agents.
Contributor Vikki Bowes-Mok is also the executive director of the community nonprofit Compass Collective.
The American Mathematical Society today announced that Ashvin Swaminathan ’13 was awarded the 2018 AMS-MAA-SIAM Frank and Brennie Morgan Prize for Outstanding Research in Mathematics by an Undergraduate Student! Swaminathan received the award for exceptional research in algebraic geometry, number theory and combinatorics. His work has appeared in numerous well-regarded professional level journals.
Swaminathan also has been awarded Princeton’s Centennial Fellowship, a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship, the Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowship for New Americans, a Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and the David B. Mumford Prize (for most promising mathematics concentrator at Harvard). Some of his research has been in the University of Minnesota Duluth Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program and the Emory University REU program.
For more information on this award and Swaminathan, see the AMS press release.
Aditya Dhar ’17 was awarded a final accolade for his high school speech and debate efforts by the Stennis Center for Public Service Leadership. He was named to the 2017 National Student Congress as a member of the senate, based on his performance at the National Speech & Debate Association’s National Tournament in Birmingham, Ala., in June. Dhar was also the Senate Leadership Bowl Winner. Read more about Harker’s results in Birmingham.
Surbhi Sarna ’03 was named the recipient of the 2017 Distinguished Alumni Award by Harker’s Office of Alumni Relations and was honored at Homecoming halftime Sept. 23 on Davis Field.
The Distinguished Alumni Award recognizes a prominent alumna/alumnus who exemplifies the very best of Harker, whose contributions have led to extraordinary advances that benefit the greater good, who gives back to his or her community and to Harker, and who inspires others by his or her professional leadership and commitment.
Sarna has dedicated her career to using STEM research to improve health care for women. Her personal medical challenges in her early teen years left her determined to create better conditions in the field of female health.
She studied molecular and cell biology at the University of California, Berkeley, and worked as a clinical scientist at the Stanford University School of Medicine. After graduating from Berkeley in 2007, she worked as an engineer for medical-device companies Abbott Vascular and BioCardia. In 2009, only six years out of Harker, she founded venture-backed nVision Medical, a company dedicated to developing technology to help gynecologists more quickly detect ovarian cancer. Following a successful clinical trial, the company received FDA approval for its device in November 2015.
Sarna has been a keynote speaker at Harker’s annual Research Symposium and has been featured in numerous publications including Forbes magazine’s prestigious “30 Under 30” list of young movers and shakers in the fields of science and health care. Congratulations, Surbhi Sarna, and thank you!
This article originally appeared in the summer 2017 issue of Harker Magazine.
Creativity and storytelling run through the veins of Andrew Shvarts ’03. Much of his childhood was spent dreaming up, jotting down and narrating elaborate stories.
At Harker, Shvarts performed in countless plays and musicals – highlights include sinking his fangs into a fake rat during the production of “Dracula” as well as sliding off of the stage and into the orchestra pit during opening night of the upper school’s first musical revue – and produced an outlandish martial arts film as part of a video and motion graphics class.
“I think on some fundamental level, I view the world through the lens of fiction and narrative,” said Shvarts, who is quick to credit three former Harker English teachers – Stephen Wells, Sylvia Harp and Sharron Mittelstet – with furthering his love of language, literature and composition. “It’s just hard-coded into how I think and who I am.”
An English and Russian double major at Vassar College, he frequently videotaped student films – from comedies to crimes – and workshopped his own creative writing. Following college, where he had enjoyed lazy weekends playing video games with his friends, a job ad for a video game writer practically called his name. The position would entail creating weekly episodic content for Electronic Arts’ “Surviving High School,” thus beginning Shvarts’ foray into the world of young adult (YA) fiction. He would go on to serve as a producer for the video game company before assuming his current post at another, Pixelberry Studios, where he has been working as a designer for the past five years.
While he sees merit in both, the writing of fiction, Shvarts acknowledged, remains quite different from the writing of video games. In his case, most of the games he has written, produced and designed fall under the category of interactive narrative. He essentially develops ways for players to create their own storylines.
“If being a fiction writer is being an artist, being a game writer is being an architect,” he said. “You’re creating a space for someone to move into and make their own.”
Shvarts is celebrating the springtime release of his debut YA novel, “Royal Bastards,” which he describes as “‘Game of Thrones’ meets ‘The Breakfast Club,’” comprising key elements that are characteristically associated with both the Primetime Emmy Award-winning fantasy television series and the quintessential 1980s coming-of-age film.
“I think the book is about that precise moment in adolescence when you discover that your parents aren’t the idols you believed them to be, when you’re caught between a loyalty to the values you were raised with and the new perspectives that come with being exposed to the larger world,” Shvarts said.
The first draft took him roughly seven months to write and two months to edit, with plenty of pacing and pots of coffee along the way.
Contributor Jared Scott Tesler is based in Rochester, N.Y.