Tracy Smith
Director of Undergraduate Research
Director of Undergraduate Research
Tracy Smith is the Director of Undergraduate Research. She founded HOUR in 2017 under the guidance and support of Denis Wirtz, Vice Provost for Research. Tracy began her career at Hopkins in 2011 in the Institute for NanoBioTechnology (INBT), moving into the Provost Office with Denis Wirtz in early 2014. In her role supporting Vice Provost for Research Wirtz, Tracy was given administration of the PURA program, established in 1993. HOUR grew from this program and the needs of undergraduates highlighted within.
Tracy received her BS in Business Administration specializing in Management from Nichols College in Dudley, MA. A passionate advocate for undergraduates, Tracy thrives in the role of supporting undergraduates and creating initiatives and opportunities to foster the undergraduate research community at Hopkins.
Program Manager
Deborah Buffalin joined the staff of HOUR in January 2020 as the office scaled up its resources and outreach on the Homewood campus. Deborah was a founding staff member of the JHU Digital Media Center, serving as office administrator and circulation manager for 18 years. As the supervisor of the cadre of students who ran the lab from noon-midnight every day, Deborah has been an integral part of the lives of thousands of students on the Homewood campus. At HOUR, Deborah supports Tracy in the team’s effort to provide quality resources and programming to students and prospective mentors.
Deborah earned a BA in architecture at Carnegie Mellon and has worked as an urban planner, community-based non-profit executive, and grant writer, but her favorite job is whatever she’s doing right now.
Web and Data Intern, Class of 2023
Marcelo Morales is a junior majoring in computer science and applied math & statistics. Marcelo is responsible for managing, implementing, and updating the HOUR website and HOUR Undergraduate Research Community in HopkinsGroups to keep content current, easy to access, and engaging for our audiences.
Digital Content and Marketing Intern, Class of 2023
Zoey Readi-Brown is a junior majoring in chemistry and has helped revamp HOUR’s social media presence and marketing. Zoey’s unique insight on social media marketing has allowed HOUR to more effectively target undergraduate students.
Digital Content and Marketing Intern, Class of 2025
Michelle Nazareth is a freshman majoring in neuroscience and is responsible for HOUR’s social media presence and marketing. Michelle has excelled at creating graphics and designs to be used on social media and HOUR’s overall online presence.
Student Assistant Emeritus, Class of 2021
Taskin Forkan served as the first student employee of HOUR, setting the bar very high for all future student employees. As a freshman, he started as the Web and Data Intern helping create the HOUR website from nothing. As a sophomore, he added the role of Digital Content and Marketing Intern to his portfolio. Since graduating in 2021, he has been working a gap year position as a Clinical Research Assistant in Neurology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, MA. In Fall 2022, Taskin will begin pursuing doctorate at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City.