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For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
June 19, 2001

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.

                  White House Fellows Class of 2001-2002

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.

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