Merhawit Abraha PharmD

Merhawit is a pharmacist for Cigna Medical Group, Multi-specialty group

Merhawit is passionate about improving patients’ therapeutic outcome by providing Medication Therapy Management (MTM) services. She is a believer in empowering patients to be an active participant of their own care by educating them about their medications and disease state.

Feels strongly about providing healthcare to underserved population. Serves as a volunteer in medical outreaches providing free medical care to underserved parts of East Africa.

Merhawit holds a Bachelor of science degree in Molecular and Cellular Biology from the University of Arizona (UOA) and a Doctor of pharmacy degree (PharmD) from the University of Southern California (USC)

Edna Yohannes

Edna Yohannes currently serves as the Senior Director of Development at UC Riverside School of Medicine and is part of UCR’s first comprehensive “Living the Promise” campaign with a goal to raise $300 million by December, 2020. Over the past 15 years, she has had experience in executive senior management in an academic and corporate environments, driving strategic growth, product/service visibility, fundraising, public and government relations, and marketing. She is
experienced communicating with nonprofit and for profit organizations.
Prior to joining UCR, she worked at Charles. R. Drew University of Medicine and Science for over 10 years as Chief of Staff to the Office of the President as well as Liaison to the Board of Trustees and Board of Councilors supervising staff and directing all administrative, financial and operational activities for the Offices of the President and Board of Trustees. She led the formation of the President’s Community Advisory Council in 2013 including the development of its governing
charters. In her role, she was responsible for the oversight of over $15 million yearly budget. She managed the implementation of three Strategic Plans and monitored performance and evidence of completion. She also ensured all public communications enhanced the image and visibility of the institution as well as participated in WASC and other accreditation processes.
Edna also served in the roles of Director of Development and University Affairs as well as Acting Vice President for Development raising $10.3 million exceeding the three-year (2013 – 2015) goal by $1.9 million. As the Acting VP, she restructured the Office of Development and recruitment processes, supervised six directors and managers, designed new systems, and developed long-term and short-term implementation plans. She created and led the Bricks of Honor and Drew Corporate 100 fundraising campaigns and was in charge of Title III and other grants in excess of $10 million annually. In addition, she established the Mission Maker Campaign, The M. Alfred Haynes Endowed Scholarship Fund (led by former Surgeon General Dr. David G. Satcher and Dr. Keith C. Norris), The Edward R. Roybal Scholarship Fund and The Mrs. Lillian H. Mobley Presidential Endowed Scholarship Fund; all geared towards increasing student diversity.
She has served in multiple committees including President’s Search Committee; Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Search Committees; Vice President for Advancement Search Committee; General Counsel Search Committee; President’s Inauguration Committee, Chair; University Events Committee, Chair; Tuition Committee; Deans’ Council Committee; WASC Accreditation Task Force; School of Nursing Accreditation Task Force; South LA Healthcare
Leadership Roundtable Committee; Commencement Committees etc. She is experienced in leadership, high profile projects management, partnership building and product/services management.
Edna received her Masters of Business Administration and Intercultural Studies degree from Biola University with distinction (summa cum laude) and her Baccalaureate of Science in Physics from Asmara University where she wrote a Dissertation paper on “Complementary Codes for Radar Applications”. She is Covey Certified.
She lives in Lakewood, CA.

Clement Onu Aroh currently serves as the Director of International Affiliations for Save Lives Foundation (non-profit, non-governmental organization based in Nigeria) (2014-present); an organization that focused on improving the health care system in Nigeria and other African countries. Clement previously served as the President of the Student Union Government at the Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science in Los Angeles. Mr. Aroh began his higher education in University of Nigeria, Enugu campus before moving to Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, where he received his Bachelor of Science in Life Sciences and Health (Biomedical Sciences Concentration), and graduated magna cum laude in 2014. He is currently a medical student (candidate for Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree 2021) at the Medical University of the Americas, Nevis island. His leadership and advocacy as a Student Union Government President at the Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science brought a lot of transformations in the areas of administrative accountability and educational improvements for students’ academic success.

His research interests cut across Breast cancer, Colorectal cancer, Wound healing, Stem Cell Regenerative Cures, Maternal and Child health, Public Health, and Advocacy; to improve health and education especially in the underrepresented populations in health care in the United States.

Mr. Aroh was a Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Undergraduate Public Health Scholar (CUPS Scholar), (2015), Maternal and Child Health Careers/ Research Initiative Students Enhancement-Undergraduate Program Scholar (MCHC/RISE-UP Scholar), (2015) at the Kennedy Krieger Institute of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Stem Cell Bridges Scholar for the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM), (2015), and 1 st Prize Award Winner for the Medical Research Presentation 2018 at the Medical University of the Americas, Nevis island.

His leadership, academic performance and scholarly research have attracted numerous scholarships and other accolades. He has presented a number of research abstracts at conferences, published and co authored scholarly research articles including: Constitutive Activation of STAT3 Signaling Regulates hTERT and Promotes Stem Cell-Like Traits in Human Breast Cancer Cells (2013), An Idea Whose Time Has Come: The Need for Increased Diversity in Medical Practice and Education (Western Journal Black Studies, Vol. 38(1) 2014), Identification of Novel Biomarkers for Metastatic Colorectal Cancer Using Angiogenesis-Antibody Array and Intracellular Signaling Array (2015), and Fluoxetine as a Potential Therapeutic Target for Mesenchymal Stem Cells- Mediated Improvement of Wound Healing (Abstract: Wound Healing Society of America, 2017).