Introducing our Obama-Chesky Voyager Scholars

Non-Linear Careers are the Future: Leslie Turner (RBS '13)

There are few people as multi-faceted as Leslie Turner [https://www.linkedin.com/in/leslie-b-turner/] (RBS '13); she's been a project manager, a consultant, a researcher, an entrepreneur, an author, a doula, and is a budding entertainer, too. In this episode, Ray Pryor (RBS '15) interviews Leslie as she shares her evolution from a pre-med student focused on one single goal of becoming a doctor to embracing that her career can and should reflect the multiple dimensions of her professional skills and personality. Whether it's about adjusting to the rise of AI or finding direction early in your career, this episode has something for everyone. Leslie Turner, MPH, brings nearly a decade of professional experience in the healthcare industry and is currently a Project Manager at Risant Health, a Kaiser Foundation-backed value-based care startup. In this role, she drives health system integration efforts and fosters alignment across cross-functional stakeholders, including executive leadership. Passionate about making healthcare more accessible, affordable, and equitable, Ms. Turner thrives on collaborative, data-driven strategy development and execution. She earned her Master of Public Health in Health Policy from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in 2021. Prior to Harvard and joining Risant Health, she held roles as a Senior Healthcare Consultant at Chartis, a Health Industries Senior Associate at PwC Strategy&, and a Public Health Analyst 2 and Study Coordinator at RTI International, where she managed behavioral health intervention studies for women in North Carolina and South Africa. Leslie is also the Founder and CEO of LBMT Solutions, LLC, offering tailored and evidence-based coaching, mentoring, and doula services to healthcare and non-healthcare clients. A proud Duke University alumna, where she majored in Cultural Anthropology, and published author, Ms. Turner enjoys cooking, improv, and dancing in her free time.

Introducing our Obama-Chesky Voyager Scholars

Three 2023 Ron Brown Scholars—Kishanti Barmoh,  Faith Buggs, and Aisha Makama—were selected as recipients of the Obama-Chesky Voyager Scholarship for Public Service, a prestigious national award recognizing students committed to creating positive change. In this episode, Ray Pryor (RBS '15) interviews them about their interests in public service, along with Makenna Turner (RBS '20) who was the 1st Ron Brown Scholar to be selected as an Obama-Chesky Scholar in the inaugural cohort.

Introducing our MacArthur "Genius": Dr. William Tarpeh (RBS '08)

Dr. Ku McMahan (RBS 1999) moderated a fascinating fireside chat with Dr. William Tarpeh (RBS 2008), a 2025 MacArthur Genius Fellow. Their conversation explored how sustainable engineering can solve global challenges of equity and access. Miles Johnson (RBS 2004) was the emcee for the "Celebration of Excellence" dinner in Washington, DC during the 2026 Selection Weekend.

Introducing our Rhodes Scholar: Florence Onyiuke (RBS '22)

Florence Onyiuke is a 2022 Ron Brown Scholar in the Huntsman Program studying International Relations and Business at the University of Pennsylvania. Originally from Florida representing U.S. District 7, she is the 1st Rhodes Scholar in program history. To learn more, visit ⁠⁠⁠www.ronbrown.org⁠⁠⁠ [www.ronbrown.org].

Media & Medicine with Dr. Joel Bervell (RBC '13)

Dr. Joel Bervell [https://joelbervell.com/] is a 2013 Ron Brown Captain and a member of Ron Brown’s Advisory Board. Known as the "Medical Mythbuster", Joel's social media platforms (@joelbervell) have grown to over 1.5 million followers, 500 million+ impressions, and a monthly reach of more than 10 million people. His work has been featured by the White House, The New York Times, NPR, Good Morning America, FDA, TED, SXSW, Google, Microsoft, Meta, AMA, Forbes, TIME, and more. Joel's also the the host of The Dose, a podcast by The Commonwealth Fund [https://www.commonwealthfund.org/podcast], and he’s creator of  The Doctor Is In [https://www.youtube.com/@TheDoctorIsInShow], a mixed live action and animated TV series on YouTube for kids. He earned his bachelor's degree in cellular and molecular biology at Yale, master’s in Medical Clinical Sciences at Boston University, and MD at Washington State University. To learn more, visit ⁠⁠www.ronbrown.org⁠⁠ [www.ronbrown.org].