Graduate Student Organization

The Graduate Student Organization at UTMB is made up of graduate students from across campus representing various research and professional interests. We all share the same common goals of improving student relations, increasing student interactions and providing a unified medium of communication with the administration.

For more information, click here.
Or Email us at: gso@utmb.edu

2024-2025 Officers:

Emma M. Pfortmiller

GSO Executive Secretary

Emma M. Pfortmiller

Hello everyone! I'm a fourth-year PhD Candidate in the Pharmacology & Toxicology program. I am in the lab of Dr. Michelle Ward, where I use functional genomics to uncover the effects of the surrounding environment on cardiovascular disease risk. When I'm in the lab, you can find me cheering on my induced pluripotent stem cells as they differentiate into iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes. I am originally from Highlands Ranch, Colorado, and moved to Galveston for graduate school in 2021. When I'm not in the lab, you can usually find me relaxing with my fiancé and my husky Honey or going out to eat with friends! I am a big foodie and love sushi, Korean BBQ, and hot pot. In my free time, I enjoy playing cozy video games (Animal Crossing, Stardew Valley, Pokémon), baking sweet treats, and singing in the Galveston community choir with my friends.

Bill Meyers

GSO Executive Treasurer

Bill Meyers

My name is Bill Meyers, and I am a 3rd year PhD researching how to get antibodies past the blood brain barrier to treat Enterovirus. I was born and raised in League City, where I met my wife Stephanie. We enjoy reading together, camping, scuba diving, and tabletop games. After living in Galveston for two years, we recently moved off to have more space to raise our puppy, Olympia! Some random facts about me are I have gone swimming in the ocean where the depth was over 2,000 ft deep, I have backpacked over a hundred miles in 10 days in New Mexico, and have traveled to six countries.

Gabrielle Dewson

GSO Executive Vice President

Gabrielle Dewson

I am a third-year PhD Candidate in Biochemistry, Molecular and Cellular Biology. I am studying genome organization of Leukemia’s focusing on the Philadelphia chromosome translocation. I am originally from Portland, Oregon, and have lived on the island for the past 2+ years. I enjoy island life, and one of my favorite things to do is to walk my German Shepherd, Apollo, on Stewart Beach. In my free time, when I’m not working on GSO events, I love to read (my favorite authors are Tessa Bailey and Jennifer L. Armentrout) or crochet and watch TV. If I’m not on the island, you can probably find me in the fossil room of the Museum of Natural Sciences in Houston or the Sea Lion tunnel at the Houston Zoo.

John D. Hurley

GSO Executive President

John D. Hurley

I am a fourth-year PhD Candidate in the Biochemistry, Cell, and Molecular Biology (BCMB) program. I am in the lab of Dr. Michelle Ward, where I seek to understand the role of Transposable Elements in differential gene regulation across species. To study the impact of TEs, I utilize induced pluripotent stem cells from humans and chimpanzees, which I differentiate into beating cardiomyocytes to examine RNA expression and epigenetic differences. I am originally from Portsmouth, OH, and received my bachelor's and master's in biomedical sciences at Marshall University in Huntington, WV. I was a non-traditional student who spent time in professional school and a few years in the workforce before pursuing a Ph.D. I am passionate about students building a healthy work-life balance and having cup-filling things in their lives! For me, that is singing, theater, going out for ramen, and board game nights, and I have recently started learning about DnD and Warhammer 40K! You can often find me walking around campus playing PokemonGo with fellow enthusiasts! 

2023-2024 Officers:

Faith Cox

Executive President

Faith Cox

Executive President

I am a third-year PhD student in the Biochemistry, Cell, and Molecular Biology program. Prior to coming to UTMB, I conducted research on emerging avian retroviruses and taught course-based research experiences about bacteriophage isolation and characterization. Currently, my research in the Smith lab focuses on conformational changes of murine norovirus in response to environmental conditions and how those changes correlate to immune evasion and disease pathologies.

As president of the Graduate Student Organization (GSO), I am committed to serving our students. My goal is the foster a sense of community within our students, act as a voice to bring attention to their needs and continue to work to make graduate school a pleasant experience. Students can reach out to your GSO officers by emailing gso@UTMB.edu.

John D. Hurley

Executive Vice President

John D. Hurley

Executive Vice President

Greetings, my name is John Hurley, and I am your GSO Vice President. I am a Ph. D. Candidate in the Biochemistry, Cell, and Molecular Biology Graduate Program studying within the Cell Biology Track. My research focuses on understanding the role of Transposable Elements in regulating DNA transcription and its impacts on heart development and cardiovascular disease. I am a non-traditional student and believe strongly in supporting student mental health and well-being and believe the best start to addressing those issues is building a strong community and support system for students.

Outside of school and lab, I am passionate about music and am actively searching for choirs and orchestras to join! I am always down for a field trip to Houston for a musical, opera, ballet, concert, etc.

Angel Morgan

Executive Treasurer

Angel Morgan

Executive Treasurer

I am a 2nd year student in the Experimental Pathology Program. I received my BS in microbiology from California Polytechnic University in San Luis Obispo, CA. While earning my BS, I worked at Promega Sciences synthesizing fluorescent spectroscopy dyes and helped in my university lab to investigate pesticide induced antibiotic resistance.

This past summer I joined the lab of Dr. Vineet Menachery’s which studies pathogenesis mechanisms and identifies potential antiviral targets for Coronaviruses. My project focuses on how SARS-CoV-2 spike protein mutations affect pathogenicity in vivo and in vitro.

I am grateful for the opportunity to serve as treasurer for GSO and excited to interact with incoming and current students!

Gabrielle Dewson

Executive Secretary

Gabrielle Dewson

Executive Secretary

I am a second-year Biochemistry, Cellular, and Molecular Biology Ph.D. at UTMB. Before coming to UTMB, I completed my BA in Biology with minors in Chemistry and Anthropology from Willamette University in Salem, Oregon. While there, I researched a specific gene and its effect on the progression of Acute Myeloid Leukemia. Post-graduation, I worked as a research tech in a Pancreatic and Leukemia lab studying the gene MYC and its role in those cancers. My current research interests are centered around cancer disparities in minority populations. I am in Dr. Guy Nir’s lab studying genome organization in Leukemia lines, looking specifically at the Philadelphia Chromosome.As the new Secretary of the

Graduate Student Organization (GSO), I am committed to serving the graduate students at UTMB. My goal as secretary is to be a voice for students while working to bring the different programs together.

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