Meet Our Interns 2023-2024

Vincent Tescione is a SSgt in the United States Air Force. He is charged with managing 4.1 billion dollars of assets as an F-35 Avionics Craftsman. He earned his B.S. in Computer Programming Technology from Southwestern College, Winfield, KS in 2021 and has since been pursuing his MBA with a concentration in data analytics from the University of the Incarnate Word, San Antonio, TX. Vincent hopes to explore PhD programs upon completion of his MBA this spring.

During his time at Eglin Air Force Base Vincent had the honor of being handpicked for a team which resurrected the 60th Aircraft Maintenance Unit which had been inactive for 12 years. It took SSgt Tescione under a year to have the newly established Hazard Communication, Safety, Communication Security, and Training Programs ready for flawless inspections. Vincent was later lauded by the 19 Air Force Logistics Commander for analyzing manning shortfalls and rerouting members from administration to be trained in key technical roles.

Through the OMAC Skillbridge program Vincent hopes to build connections in the local area and expand his horizons as a professional in the civilian workforce.

Lieutenant Commander Andrew Foor is a native of Rockford, Illinois. He enlisted in the Navy in 2004 as a Nuclear Electronics Technician and commissioned through the Seaman to Admiral program as a Submarine Officer in December of 2008.

Andrew has been assigned to three fast attack submarines out of Pearl Harbor. He served as the Chemical Radiological Assistant, Electrical Assistant, Communications Officer, and Assistant Operations Officer on the USS Bremerton (SSN-698). Andrew served as the Operations Department Head, Navigator, Security Manager, Information Assurance Manager, and Senior Watch Officer on two Virginia class submarines, USS Texas (SSN-775) and USS North Carolina (SSN-777). While on these boats he deployed twice, participated in numerous developmental and international exercises, coordinated the successful completion of an extended dry-docking shipyard availability, and traveled underwater far enough to circle the globe 5 times.

Ashore, Andrew worked at NROTC Savannah State University, Submarine Squadron One, Special Operations Command – Pacific, and Submarine Force Pacific HQ. While at these commands he mentored Midshipmen, coordinated planning and execution of submarine and special operations, acted as PACOM liaison to the Armed Forces Philippines, organized international cooperation conferences, and advised innovation working groups.

LCDR Foor is delighted to be reunited with his wife and three boys, while working with University of Chicago and Fermi National Accelerator Lab.

Sergeant Daniel Panganiban was born in Manila, Philippines and moved to Virginia Beach, VA in the United States at the age of eight in 2009. He became a US citizen in September 2021.

Not long after graduating high school in Chicago, IL and becoming a permanent resident in the US in 2019, he enlisted into the Marine Corps infantry as an 03XX. He later earned the MOS of 0352, anti-tank missile gunner at the Infantry Training Battalion, and graduated the advanced anti-tank missile gunner course for small unit leaders in his specialty at Advanced Infantry Training Battalion.

Sergeant Daniel Panganiban served as an anti-tank missile gunner with 3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion in Twentynine Palms, CA, rotating to Okinawa, Japan for 6 months in 2021. He also served as an anti-armor Vehicle Commander/Javelin Section leader with 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment in Camp Pendleton, CA, rotating to Darwin, Australia for Marine Rotational Force Darwin in 2023.

Through his service, Sergeant Panganiban was able to observe many climates all over the world and is pursuing a career in atmospheric sciences.

Captain Kyle McGuire grew up in a family of service. Both of his parents served in the military before becoming physicians and four of his six siblings also became service members. He is a native of South Bend, Indiana and graduated from the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland with a degree in Mathematics with Economics. He completed the Army Basic Airborne Course, the Marine Corps Martial Arts Instructor Course, and the Department of Defense Public Affairs Qualification Course. He served as a public affairs officer at Camp Pendleton, California for four years with ground, air, and command element units.

He led Marines in the collection and release of public information while deployed for Exercise UNITAS in Peru in 2021 with 19 foreign nations. He also participated in many newsworthy media efforts including the New York Times interview with the commander of Marines responsible for evacuating Afghan refugees from Hamid-Karzai Airport and the filming of content for Marine Corps recruiting campaigns. By the end of his tenure, he gained experience overseeing global operations by managing over 30 deployed public affairs teams executing operations in 25 foreign countries from all six US geographic combatant commands.

As a civilian, Kyle will continue to serve by becoming a physician and will be at UChicago Medicine’s South Side trauma center to assist with research efforts and observe trauma care provided by Forward Resuscitative Surgical Teams. The opportunity to learn within one of the nation’s leading care teams will be invaluable before he begins his medical school education starting with Goucher College’s post-baccalaureate premedical program in Baltimore, Maryland next summer.

Major Timothy Puls is a native of East Dubuque, Illinois. He enlisted in the Air Force in 2004 as a Fuels Management Specialist, serving in various Logistics and Maintenance Squadron roles while stationed in Oklahoma, Guam, Virginia, and Nebraska. After completing his MBA at Creighton University while on Active Duty, he was commissioned as a Medical Service Corps officer in 2012.

During Timothy’s commissioned career, he held multiple roles within the Medical Administration career field that stationed him in Florida, Utah, Louisiana, and Arizona, along with countless temporary duty assignments. Timothy’s twenty-year career culminated as the Chief of Medical Plans and Operations at United States Air Forces Southern Headquarters (AFSOUTH) in Tucson, Arizona.

While at AFSOUTH, Timothy spent the majority of his time working with partner nations throughout Central and South America. He was the lead medical planner for U.S. Southern Command’s Exercise Resolute Sentinel and Operation HEART. Timothy was a key member in humanitarian relief missions and orchestrated multiple aeromedical evacuation training engagements to better equip partner nations in times of crisis.

Timothy is excited to be back and settled with his wife and three kids in the Chicago area. He is interning with the University of Chicago-Biological Science Division's Comprehensive Cancer Center (CCC) and hopes to continue serving the community and working in this capacity after his SkillBridge internship.

Chief Skornia has served in the United States Navy since graduating high school in 2001. She joined the Navy to get an education, see the world and help as many people as possible.

She completed her undergrad in Health Care Administration in 2009 with the Southern Illinois University Carbondale. She then went on the get a Maters in Sports Management in 2011 through American Military University and a Master of Business Administration in 2013 from Arizona State University.

Her duty stations in Japan, Guam as well as both coasts and deployments to Central America, Bahamas, Indonesia, Thailand, Korea, Sri Lanka, Iraq and shipboard stint in the Mediterranean Sea/Persian Gulf accomplished some of seeing the world. Being a General Duty/Field Medical Corpsman has allowed her to work throughout a hospital in a variety of leadership positions to include; pharmacy, labor and delivery, emergency department, staff education and training, patient administration and family medicine. Her final position was serving as a Recruit Division Commander, transforming civilian recruits into Navy Sailors.

She hopes to gain an understanding of how to correlate military experience to the professional experience required of the non-military world. Her future plans are to continue to help people reach their goals by hopefully working in student services supporting roles at a University. She will be using her extensive knowledge from training new sailors to assist with student athletes and programming at the University's Athletics and Recreation Division. 

Senior Airman Ariel Ciprian, stationed at Luke Air Force Base in 2016, Lajes Field Air Base in 2021, and later at Aviano Air Base in Italy, boasts over seven years of dedicated service in financial management within the United States Air Force. His distinguished career is characterized by remarkable achievements and unwavering commitment to excellence.

Ariel's accomplishments include leading a three-person travel section, ensuring precision in financial matters by meticulously verifying the accuracy of submissions to the Air Force Installation Mission Support Center. He also handled station gained transactions and pay-affecting documents for Military Pay entitlements with great attention to detail.

Within the 65th Comptroller Flight of the 65th Air Base Group, Ariel served as a Financial Services Supervisor, providing crucial financial support to over 575 personnel. Notably, he audited 1,183 transactions, eliminating a remarkable $442,000 in debt in just four duty days. Ariel's innovative spirit was evident in his modernization of the Overseas Housing Allowance validation process, resulting in 924 pay updates and $120,000 in housing payments.

Ariel's dedication to efficiency led to a 100% submission of travel payments within forty-eight hours and the elimination of backlog cases over sixty days old. His exceptional contributions earned him the title of Group Staff Agencies Airman of the quarter.

Beyond his military service, Senior Airman Ariel Ciprian is actively pursuing a bachelor's degree in Sustainable Build Environments, driven by his passion for making a positive impact on the world. He is set to intern at Fermilab, where he will continue his mission of promoting sustainability. Ariel Ciprian's exemplary service and dedication to excellence position him as a distinguished member of the United States Air Force and a promising force for change in the field of sustainability.

Staff Sergeant Andre Alexander served eleven years as a non-commissioned officer in the United States Air Force. Staff Sergeant Alexander is originally from Chicago Illinois, he enlisted in the United States Air Force in 2012. He was given the opportunity to serve as an Electrical power production technician. Then in 2016 he wanted to further his capabilities in the USAF and was allowed to cross-train into the Medical Service Corps. SSgt Alexander went on to graduate from the United States Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine in Fort Sam Houston.  While stationed Eglin AFB in FL, completed his phlebotomy certification from American Board of Clinical Pathology. Shortly after, obtaining his Degree from the Community College of the Air Force in Practical Nursing Technology and becoming a Licensed Practical Nurse from the Missouri state board.

The pursuit of education has allowed Andre to engage in a host of medical missions, while working with multiple government agencies and foreign nationals. The results of these actions awarded him the Air and Space Achievement medal, the Army Achievement medal, the Armed Forces Service medal and coined by the Sergeant Major of the Army.

Lastly, because of his strong connection to healthcare, SSgt Alexander has a desire to focus on veteran community wellness and social mobility. Andre has been accpeted into the Doctorate program in Occupational Therapy at Midwestern University and will be conducting his internship with the Center For The Economics Of Human Development (CEHD), gaining skills on economics, research, and database management, and gaining additional medical experience via the University Medical Center. 

Captain Tucker Gribble is a native of Howard, PA. He was commissioned into the Marine Corps in 2014 after graduating from Pennsylvania State University with a B.A. in History. After completing his initial training as a Logistics Officer, he moved to Camp Lejeune, NC, where he served with the Second Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company from 2014 to 2018. During this time, he participated in several international training exercises with U.K. and Norwegian allies, deployed to Kuwait and Iraq in support of Operation Inherent Resolve, and completed several schools, including the U.S. Army Airborne and Pathfinder schools and the Multi-Mission Parachute Course, qualifying him in Military Freefall operations.

From 2018 to 2021, Captain Gribble served as a Series and Company Commander at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego. Over these three years, he oversaw the transformation of approximately 2,500 civilians into Marines. During his final training cycle, he served as the Company Commander for the first gender-integrated recruit training company in San Diego’s history.

After leaving the recruit depot, Captain Gribble served with the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit from 2021 to 2024. During this time, he deployed with the USS Makin Island Amphibious Ready Group on Western Pacific deployment 23.1. Throughout the deployment, he served as the lead logistics planner for nearly 3,000 Marines participating in eight exercises across Southeast Asia.

Through UChicago’s OMAC-Veterans Restorative Justice Project, he hopes to gain legal experience assisting veterans and improve his advocacy skills to improve VA policies. After his internship, he will pursue a Juris Doctor degree in Fall 2024 and hopes to pursue a career in civil rights impact litigation after graduating.

Major Anthony Mirabile is a native of Phoenixville, PA. He is a husband and father to two boys, and a family man at heart! Anthony was commissioned into the United States Air Force in 2011 after graduating from Wilkes University (PA) with a B.S. in Electrical Engineering. He holds two additional Master of Science Degrees in Electrical Engineering (Air Force Institute of Technology) and Flight Test Engineering (USAF Test Pilot School). 

Anthony is proud to have served during a deployment to Afghanistan in 2013, where he was imbedded with the Army and matured Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) technology while providing a critical operational capability. He has a significant flight test background with flight time in 38 different aircraft (highlights: F-16, HU-16, and a P-51!), and hundreds of hours as a Test Director. His most rewarding career experience was at the 452 FLTS where he was able to lead a large team to accomplish delivery of a new capability in unprecedented timelines, providing an option for our nations leadership.

After acquiring some real estate on the side, Anthony became interested in business. He is still an owner and operator of a Midwest Multifamily portfolio, but is now pivoting to acquire businesses. Through UChicago’s OMAC-Veterans Business Project, Anthony is looking to get into Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition and is actively searching!

First Lieutenant Damiani currently serves as an active-duty Armor Officer in the United States Army. She earned her BA in Public Relations and Advertising with minors in Industrial Organizational Psychology and Event Planning from DePaul University in 2020. After graduating, she commissioned through Loyola University of Chicago’s ROTC program and moved to Fort Moore to complete the Armor Basic Officer Leader Course, Dismounted Counter IED Course, and Army Reconnaissance Course.

At her second duty station, Fort Stewart, GA, Julie served as a tank platoon leader. During her tenure in this position, she fielded the new M1A2 Sepv3 Main Battle Tanks and qualified on the platform at Gunnery. Post PL time, Julie served as an Executive Officer and did one rotation at the National Training Center before moving back to Fort Moore to be stationed with her husband who is also an active-duty Army Officer. She now serves as an Executive Officer in the 1st Squadron 16th Cavalry Regiment and supports the US Army Armor School’s most premier courses. As a civilian, Julie hopes to continue her higher education and earn a Master’s Degree in Psychology.

Chief Aviation Ordnanceman Crystal Lynne Ward was born in Chicago, Illinois. She graduated from Percy L Julian High School and enlisted in the US Navy in 2004. Following graduation from basic training at Recruit Training Command, Great Lakes, Illinois, she reported to Aviation Ordnanceman “A” school in Pensacola, FL. 

Chief Ward’s assignments include the USS KITTY HAWK (CV 63) (2005-2008), USS ENTERPRISE (CVN 65) (2008-2010), Recruit Training Command Great Lakes (2010-2015), USS ESSEX (LHD 2) (2015-2020), Transaction Service Center, Great Lakes, IL (2020-2023), and currently USS TRIPOLI (LHA 7).  

Chief Ward is designated as an Enlisted Aviation Warfare Specialist, Enlisted Surface Warfare Specialist, Information Warfare Specialist, and Master Training Specialist. She also holds a Bachelor of Science in Management Degree, and is a Senior Enlisted Academy graduate (Class 257 Orange). She is authorized to wear Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medals, Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals, and various unit and campaign awards.

Upon retirement from the Navy in 2024, Chief Ward has aspirations to become a small business owner and fiinding ways to better support underserved populations and will be conducting her internship with the Office for Military-Affiliated Communities. 

Corporal Muhammad Qasim, Milad a dedicated Distribution Management Specialist currently serving in the United States Marine Corps, brings Precision and expertise to every logistical challenge. With a proven track record in optimizing supply chains and ensuring seamless distribution, he is an asset in coordinating the flow of resources. His commitment to efficiency and attention to detail make him an indispensable team member, adapt at navigating the complexities of supply chain operations with skill and determination.

Milad’s proficiency in Farsi, Urdu, and Hindi not only reflects his cultural adaptability but also opens doors for effective communication in divers and international settings. His ability to navigate and bridge languages gaps enhance his effectiveness in collaboration, making him valuable in situations requiring cross-cultural understanding.

In addition to his role as a Distribution Management Specialist, Milad is actively advancing his knowledge by pursuing a bachelor’s degree in supply chain management. The commitment to academic excellence not only underscores his dedication to the field but also enhance his ability to implement cutting edge practices in logistics. He is a combination of hands-on experience and academic pursuits positions him as a forward thinking professional, ready to navigate the evolving landscape of supply chain dynamics.