President Bush Appoints His First Class Of White House Fellows

The White House announced today that the President’s Commission on White House
Fellowships selected 12 individuals for the 2001-2002 class of
White House Fellows, America’s fellowship program for leadership
development and public service. The incoming Fellows are the
first class selected by the Bush-Cheney Administration and the
37th class of White House Fellows since President Johnson
created the program in 1964 to provide professionals first-hand
experience in governing the nation early in their careers. The
12 Fellows were selected for their professional achievements,
their leadership ability and proven commitment to public
service, and their possession of the knowledge and skills
necessary to contribute meaningfully at the highest levels of
government.

The 2001-02 Fellows bring unique experiences, talents and
abilities to the federal government. The class consists of a
history professor, two high tech business people, an
international specialist, two law professors, a prosecutor and
former police officer, and two physicians. The class also has
one military officer from the Marine Corps, the Air Force, and
the Army.

The White House Fellows program enjoys strong support from
the Bush Administration, in part because two alumni of the
program are members of President Bush’s Cabinet. Secretary of
State Colin Powell, a White House Fellow in 1972-73, credits the
program with providing many of the opportunities that came his
way. Labor Secretary Elaine Chao was a Fellow in 1983-84. Other
notable former Fellows, who have continued to serve the nation
beyond their fellowship year, include Senator Sam Brownback
(R-KS), Congressmen Joe Barton (R-TX) and Brad Carson (D-OK),
Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists Paul Gigot and Doris Kearns
Goodwin, Admiral Dennis Blair, Commander in Chief, US Pacific
Command, Robert Haas, the Chairman and CEO of Levi Strauss and
Tom Johnson, the Chairman and CEO of CNN.

During their year of service, White House Fellows work
closely with Cabinet Secretaries and White House staff to
develop policy, help draft and review legislation, research
various public policy initiatives, respond to Congressional
inquiries, write speeches and conduct policy briefings. They
also participate in an education program, which consists of
regular meetings with leaders from various professions and both
domestic and international travel to explore the implementation
of U.S. domestic and foreign policy.

Tina Choi, 29. Hometown: Northborough, MA. Profession:
Graduate Student, Foreign Service Program at Oxford University,
a specialized post-graduate course for currently serving
diplomats. B.A., Wellesley College (Latin American Studies,
Political Science), 1994. M.A., Harvard University Graduate
School of Education (Planning and Social Policy), 1997.
Previously directed the United Nations’ Global Teaching and
Learning Project. Awards include: Glamour Magazine’s “Top Ten
College Women of 1993”, Ford Foundation research grant, Echoing
Green Public Service Fellowship, and an Ambassadorial
Scholarship from the Rotary Foundation to study international
law and politics abroad. Honored in 1997 as one of the “Woman
Redefining Leadership” by the State of the World Forum and
selected by the International Development Conference (IDC) as
one of the “100 Global Social Entrepreneurs.” Choi immigrated to
the United States from South Korea at age three.

Kimberly Connors, 38. Hometown: San Jose, CA. Profession:
Deputy District Attorney, County of Santa Clara, California.
B.A. University of California, Berkeley, 1984, J.D. Cornell Law
School, 1993. Prosecutes felony and misdemeanor trials in the
areas of narcotics, robbery, sexual assault, child molestation,
child support, theft and drunk driving. Adjunct Professor, Santa
Clara University Law School, Santa Clara, CA. Attorney, Hancock,
Rothert & Bunschoft, San Francisco, CA. Police Officer – Patrol
Division, Narcotics Enforcement Team, and Decoy Officer for Vice
and Street Crimes Units, San Jose Police Department, CA. Also
volunteers as a certified child passenger safety technician for
the San Mateo SAFE KIDS Coalition.

Jennifer A. Franke, 31. Hometown: San Francisco, CA.
Profession: Director, Consumer Web Site, Marketing and
Partnerships for Embark, Inc. B.A. (Philosophy, Phi Beta Kappa)
Boston College, 1991; Early Childhood Education Certificate,
North Seattle Community College, 1994; Human Services Management
Certificate, University of Washington, 1994; MBA, Kellogg
Graduate School of Management, 1997. Manages Embark’s high
school channel business, including the design and development of
its online education portal, www.embark.com, and the web-based
career and college planning tool for high school students and
career counselors, www.ecos.embark.com. Taught neglected and
abused children as Jesuit Corps volunteer. Directed non-profit
child development center for low-income children and families.
Served as management consultant with Renaissance Worldwide, Inc.
and the Bridge Strategy Group. Recipient of Boston College’s
Order of the Cross and Crown, Kellogg Graduate School’s Deans’
Service Award, and the Josephine B. and Newton N. Minow Prize.

Kris W. Kobach, 35. Overland Park, KS. Profession: Professor
of Law, Kansas City School of Law, Kansas City, Missouri. Also
serves on the Overland Park City Council. B.A. (Political
Science, summa cum laude), Harvard University, 1988; M.Phil.
(Political Science), Oxford University, 1990; D.Phil. (Political
Science) Oxford University, 1992; J.D., Yale Law School, 1995.
Teaches and writes about constitutional law, legal history, and
legislation. Youngest faculty member to achieve the rank of
tenured full professor at the University of Missouri, Kansas
City. Selected in 1998 as Marshall Scholar. Clerked for Judge
Deanell Tacha, U.S.Court of Appeals (10th Circuit). Authored two
books and numerous articles. Volunteered to build a school in a
South African township through the Get Ahead Foundation and
served as a Big Brother. National rowing champion, men’s pair
event, master’s division, 1998.

Michael Lynn, M.D., 34. Hometown: Santa Barbara, CA.
Profession: Assistant Clinical Professor, Emergency Medicine,
University of California, San Francisco. B.A. (History, magna
cum laude), Carleton College, 1988; M.D., UCLA School of
Medicine, 1995. Teaches medical students and residents about
Emergency Medicine and works as an Emergency Medicine Physician
in an inner-city trauma center. Received a Fulbright Scholarship
and a Watson Scholarship to work with leprosy patients in
Sri-Lanka, Nepal, India, and Thailand. Received an Echoing Green
Public Service Fellowship to help combat Chagas’ Disease, a
life-threatening parasitic infection, in rural Bolivia. Honored
with the Ransom J. Arthur award for Scholarship and Humanism in
Medicine from UCLA Medical School. Provided volunteer medical
services in Uganda and Mexico.

Bruce McClintock, 36. Hometown: Colorado Springs, CO.
Profession: Lieutenant Colonel, United States Air Force. Deputy
Chief, Space Operations School at Schriever AFB developing ideas
on the bestways to employ military space power. Master of
Airpower Art and Science, School of Advanced Airpower Studies,
2000. Master of Aerospace Engineering, University of Florida,
1998. B.S. Astronautical Engineering, United States Air Force
Academy, 1987. Previously served as a test pilot for F-16 and
A-10 aircrafts, concentrating on next-generation weapons
testing. Has also planned missions to ensure enforcement of
no-fly zone over Northern Iraq. Active in the community as a
Girl Scouts assistant troop leader and classroom tutor.

Ricardo Morales, 34. Hometown: El Paso, Texas. Profession:
Major, United States Army. Assistant Professor and Research
Analyst, West Point, New York & The Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
B.S., Aerospace Engineering, West Point, New York, 1989. MBA,
Yale University, 1999. Previously commanded an M1A1 Tank Company
in Germany where he deployed to the Balkans as the first armor
company to conduct UN peacekeeping operations in Macedonia.
Selected as the 3rd Cavalry Regiment Officer of the Year (4,000
person unit). Participates in the Presidential Classroom for
Young Americans and coaches the women’s novice crew team at West
Point.

Steven L. Poizner, 44. Hometown: Monte Sereno, CA.
Profession: President, SnapTrack, Inc., a subsidiary of Qualcomm
Inc. B.S. (Electrical Engineering, with highest honors), The
University of Texas, 1978; M.B.A., Stanford University Graduate
School of Business, 1980. Founded and sold SnapTrack to Qualcomm
Inc in March 2000 for $1 Billion. Manages SnapTrack, which
created the GPS-based technology to pinpoint the geographic
location of cell phone users in emergencies. Founder and CEO of
Strategic Mapping, Inc., which built digital mapping systems
used internationally by market researchers and city planners
internationally. Served as management consultant for the Boston
Consulting Group. Recognized by the San Jose Mercury News as the
“1990 Entrepreneurial Company of the Year.” Formed a charitable
foundation focused on improving the quality of public education
in the inner city. Served successively as treasurer, president,
and chairman of the board of the Palo Alto Jaycees, which he
helped open to female members. Honors include: 1980 Arjay Miller
Scholar at Stanford Business School.

Mary Elise Sarotte, 33. Hometown: Roswell, GA. Profession:
Visiting Assistant Professor, University of Notre Dame, Notre
Dame, IN. B.A. (History and Science, magna cum laude), Harvard
University, 1988; M.A. (History), Yale University, 1990; M.Phil.
(History), Yale University, 1994; Ph.D. (History), Yale
University, 1998. Teaches courses on the history of the Cold
War. Published two books investigating how the world survived
the Cold War, including Germany’s perspective of the Cold War
and a history of Germany and NATO. Earned the Hans Gatzke
Dissertation Prize and honored as a Student Marshall at Yale
Commencement. Recipient of research scholarships at Harvard and
Yale, and numerous teaching awards, including a Prize Teaching
Fellowship from Yale University, and a certificate of excellence
from Harvard.

Roberta Shea, 35. Hometown: Durham, New Hampshire.
Profession: Major, United States Marine Corps, Commanding
Officer, Marine Wing Communications Squadron, Miramar, CA. B.S.
(History), U.S. Naval Academy, 1991. M.S., Boston University,
2000. After 2 1/2 years in the enlisted ranks, selected to
attend the U.S. Naval Academy. Previously served as the
communications officer participating in the humanitarian
assistance operation supporting 32,000 migrants in Guantanamo
Bay, Cuba. First female to be the Assistant Director of the
Marine Corps’ Drill Instructor School. Received the Vincent
Astor Award (1st Honorable Mention) for an article on
leadership. Volunteers for San Diego Cares and the Los Angeles
Sheriff’s Department youth mentoring program.

Katherine E. White, 34. Hometown: Ann Arbor, MI. Profession:
Assistant Professor of Law, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI.
B.S. and Engineering (Electrical Engineering and Computer
Science), Princeton University, 1988; J.D., University of
Washington, 1991; L.L.M., George Washington University, 1996.
Teaches and writes about intellectual property law. Studied in
Munich, Germany as a Fulbright Senior Scholar. Advised Ericsson
Corporation on property law issues in Sweden. Major in the U.S.
Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps (JAG) and was accepted into
the U.S. Army Corps of Engineer’s Office of the Chief Counsel
Honors Program, where she practiced government contracting and
patent prosecution. Clerked for Judge Randall R. Rader, U.S.
Court of Appeals (Federal Circuit). Serves on the National
Patent Board and as a state-wide elected member of the
University of Michigan’s Board of Regents.

Howard Alan Zucker, M.D., 41. Hometown: Cliffside Park, NJ.
Profession: Associate Professor of Clinical Pediatrics &
Clinical Anesthesiology, Columbia University College of
Physicians & Surgeons, New York, NY. B.S., McGill University,
1979; M.D., George Washington University School of Medicine,
1982; J.D., Fordham University Law School, 2000; L.L.M.,
Columbia Law School, 2001. Currently divides time among clinical
duties in pediatric cardiology, critical care, and
anesthesiology, directs the pediatric transport program, and
performs research. While in college, worked with NASA
astronauts to design zero-gravity adaptation experiments for
Space Shuttle missions. Graduated from medical school at age 22,
becoming one of America’s youngest doctors. Honors include:
ABC World News Tonight’s “Person of the Week” in 1993 for
initiating pediatric ICU reunions to help children celebrate
their recovery, selected “Teacher of the Year” in 2000 by
Columbia University staff, and voted by peers into “The Best
Doctors in America” since 1996. Serves on the NYC Bar
Association’s “Science and the Law” subcommittee and as a
consultant to the American Museum of Natural History’s exhibit,
“Genome: the Code of Life.” Founding member of Little Hearts
Foundation, which raises money to cure congenital heart disease,
and the Terre Verte Foundation, which focuses on organ donor
awareness. Volunteers with the Good Grief Program, helping
healthcare workers cope with bereavement issues, and mentors
at-risk children through the Gorilla Press Project.

Applications for the 2002-2003 White House Fellowships can
be obtained in September and are due February 1, 2002.
Applications can be downloaded from the White House Fellows
website: www.whitehousefellows.gov. Applications can also be
requested in the fall by calling 202-395-4522. Only U.S.
citizens may apply, and employees of the federal government are
not eligible, unless they are career military personnel.