Staff

Tojan B. Rahhal, Ph.D.
President and Chief Executive Officer

Tojan B. Rahhal brings an innovative perspective to Engineering World Health with her unique background and experiences. Most recently, Tojan worked as the Assistant Dean for Inclusive Excellence and Strategic Initiatives at the University of Missouri’s College of Engineering. Tojan actively worked to create a culture of inclusive excellence, with efforts focused on recruitment and retention of faculty and students traditionally underrepresented in engineering. Her work obtained her a recent recognition as a Women of Color History Maker in Diversity for her leadership in efforts to catalyze change to help engineering students from underrepresented populations overcome historic barriers.

Tojan also served as an adjunct assistant professor of biomedical engineering at the University of Missouri. While teaching, Tojan developed and taught a course focusing on the intersection of diversity, inclusion, social justice, and global engineering. Prior to this, Tojan founded Alliance Professional Development, which provides customized workshops on leadership development and cultural awareness.  

Tojan is a Biomedical Engineering graduate of North Carolina State University and has a Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she worked on engineering therapeutic nanoparticles for pulmonary delivery alongside clinicians. Tojan’s expertise in strategic planning, cross-cultural awareness, and programming will be vital in her role as CEO.

Ben Fleishman, B.S.
Director, Operations and Student Programs

Ben joined EWH in November 2011 after working in Tanzania as an On-the-Ground-Coordinator for the Summer Institute. He is an alumni of the 2009 Tanzania Summer Institute and held leadership roles in Engineers With Out Borders at Clemson University, where he received his BS in BioEngineering in 2009. His senior design project was a low cost disposable scalpel for the developing world. He has worked with students in Vietnam, Mexico and Clemson teaching seminars, labs and leading research projects. In his spare time Ben enjoys spending time outdoors and technical projects such as building bikes and modifying cars. His unique combination of student leadership experience and technical skills makes him the ideal choice to manage and expand our Summer Institute programs.

Megan Lavery, B.S.E.
Manager, Summer Institutes

Megan joined EWH in December 2018 after participating in the 2016 Summer Institute in Rwanda. She graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2017 with an interdisciplinary degree focusing in biomedical engineering and international studies. While at VCU, she worked on a start-up organization to match donors of biomedical equipment in the U.S. to hospitals in developing countries. After graduating, she worked as a biomedical technician based out of Richmond, Virginia. In her spare time, Megan enjoys rock climbing, mountain biking, and generally being outdoors.

Victoria Pace, B.A.
Operations Manager, Student Programs

Jessica Baker, M.A.
Manager, Communications & Development

Jessica joined EWH in June 2013 after completing her masters in American Studies at the University of Alabama, where she focused on the intersection of science and American culture in the 1930s. She is a graduate of Sweet Briar College, where she earned her B.A. in English and Creative Writing and was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa.  She brings her previous experience with nonprofit organizations in Washington, DC, as well as several years' experience with social media, and has been a long time resident of the DC metro area.

Kim Gibson-Forrest, B.S.
Director, Finance & Administration

Kim joined EWH part-time in November 2018. She is originally from upstate NY and graduated from Binghamton University with her BS degree in accounting.  She brings with her nearly 20 years of non-profit experience managing organizations' accounting and HR functions. In her spare time, Kim enjoys spending time with her husband and six children, watching them in action in their wrestling matches and soccer, volleyball, football and basketball games.