Core Team

Bob Gramling, MD, DSc

Lab Principal Investigator

Holly and Bob Miller Chair in Palliative Medicine

Professor (with tenure) of Family Medicine

E-mail: robert.gramling@med.uvm.edu

Interests: Laughing, hiking, biking, writing, dancing, sharing big ideas, iaido

Personal Life Advice: "Pay attention for a second arrow"

Donna Rizzo, PhD

Machine Learning Investigator

Professor and Dorothean Chair, School of Engineering

E-mail: drizzo@uvm.edu

Interests: Machine-Learning and developing computational tools to improve the understanding of human-induced changes on natural systems and the way we make decisions about natural resources and multi-scale environmental problems.

Personal Life Advice: "Learn a lot and have fun!"

Maggie Eppstein, PhD

Machine Learning Investigator

Research Professor and Professor Emeritus, Department of Computer Science

E-mail: Maggie.Eppstein@uvm.edu

Interests: Research-wise, I love discovering things about how the world works using computational modeling and analysis in a wide variety of application domains. Aside from research, I love being in Nature – especially camping, hiking, kayaking, and rock-hounding. Around the house I love designing remodeling projects (that my husband implements), landscaping and perennial gardening, sewing, upholstering, and other creative crafty projects, and hosting family get-togethers over the Holidays for my two grown sons and various other siblings, cousins, in-laws.

Personal Life Advice: A wise piece of advice passed down to me from my Mom: “If you’re going to feel guilty about something, don’t do it. Once you decide to do something, don’t feel guilty about it.”

Steve Berns, MD

TalkVermont Director

Associate Professor, Department of Family Medicine

E-mail: stephen.berns@uvmhealth.org

Interests: Hiking, running, camping, traveling, baking pies, indie rock, and anything Harry Potter

Life Advice: "You can't be that kid standing at the top of the water chute, overthinking it. You have to go down the chute"

Tara Pacy, MHA, RN

TalkVermont Advisor

E-mail: tara.pacy@uvmhealth.org

Interests: Learning systems, yoga, people

Life Advice:"Listen to understand, not to reply" - Stephen R. Covey

Katharine L. Cheung, MD, PhD

Telemedicine Investigator

Assistant Professor of Medicine, Nephrology

Center of Aging

E-mail: klcheung@med.uvm.edu

Interests: Hiking, kayaking, cooking, gardening

Life Advice:"Do not wait to strike till the iron is hot, but make it hot by striking." -W.B. Yeats

Anne Campbell

TalkVermont Project Coordinator

E-mail: Anne.Campbell@uvmhealth.org

Interests: Reading, crafting, hockey, and Disney

Life Advice: "Live well, laugh often, love much"

Liam John

Study Coordinator

E-mail: liam.john@med.uvm.edu

Interests: Work: Aging, dementia care, and end of life decision making. Play: Cello, cross-country and backcountry skiing, gravel road cycling, and trail running.

Life Advice: "You only have enough time for the things that are important to you"

Liz Gajary, RN, MA

PCCRI Study Coordinator

E-mail: Elizabeth_Gajary@URMC.Rochester.edu

Interests: Dogs, goats, horses, travel, people, food and cooking, hiking, being outside doing anything!

Life Advice: "Life is a dance. Learn to dance well!"

Larry Clarfeld, MS

PhD Student - Computer Science

E-mail: Laurence.Clarfeld@uvm.edu

Interests: My interests outside of academia include field ecology, birding, hiking, camping, playing guitar and spending time with my family.

Life Advice: "Don't sweat the petty stuff and don't pet the sweaty stuff"

Lindsay Ross

Research Assistant

Undergraduate (Senior)-Computer Science

E-mail:lmross@uvm.edu

Interests: Cooking, running, singing, crafting

Life Advice: "If you are not doing what you love, you are wasting your time." -Billy Joel

Brigitte Durieux

Research Assistant

Undergraduate (Junior) - Biochemistry and French

E-mail: bdurieux@uvm.edu

Interests: Music, hellbenders, painting, cooking, space, reptiles, mythology, traveling, biodegradable plastics, thelyphondia (vinegaroons in 6th grade).

Life Advice: "Believe in yourself"