Two Graduates Awarded Fellowships

Two members of the class of 2012—Dolev Melamed and Julie Simone—were awarded highly competitive administrative fellowships with major healthcare systems in New Orleans and North Chicago, respectively.

Dolev is now an administrative fellow at Ochsner Health System, which includes eight hospitals and more than 38 health centers in Louisiana. She is the first from the Union Graduate College Healthcare MBA program to apply to Ochsner and was selected from more than 190 applicants. Over a period of 12 to 24 months, Dolev will rotate through a variety of healthcare settings and gain administrative experience in areas including operations, finance, and human resources.

Julie is the administrative fellow to the director at Captain James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center, which provides comprehensive healthcare services for active duty military, their family members, military retirees, and veterans. In addition to her healthcare MBA, Julie holds a PharmD from Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. Her goal is to draw on both of her advanced degrees to improve quality and patient safety.

She credits her experience at the Graduate College—in the classroom, as an administrative intern at Albany Medical Center, and through the one-on-one involvement of the faculty—for her success in securing the one-year fellowship.

“Union Graduate College does an exemplary job,” Julie says. “They create an atmosphere that allows you to flourish and prepares you for work in your field. And, they follow through with the support, advice, and even letters of recommendation to help you launch your career.”

Dolev agrees. “It’s the combination of everything that Union Graduate College provides: the coursework, the on-the-job experience, and the real-world perspective and support of the professors,” she says.