2026 James T. Laney Graduate School 40 Under Forty
Congratulations to the 2025 Emory 40 Under Forty recipients hailing from the James T. Laney Graduate School. Emory’s 40 Under Forty includes alumni across the university who have gone on to become thriving lawyers and entrepreneurs, innovators and educators, health professionals and more.
The 40 Under Forty program celebrates a select group of outstanding young alumni who exemplify excellence, leadership, and service to lead change.
Alicia B.W. Clifton 12G, Development Practice
Cofounder and COO
Wicked Saints Studios
Alicia B.W. Clifton 12G, a graduate of the Master’s in Development Practice program, is a behavioral science innovator and cofounder of Wicked Saints Studios. The women-led, venture-backed startup creates mobile games that empower Gen Z to take action in real life.
Clifton has co-authored foundational studies on primal world beliefs, uncovering new insights into human behavior. She credits Emory’s inaugural master’s in development practice program for equipping her with the cross-disciplinary skills that fuel her work in global innovation and social impact.
Claudia Brown 14G, Development Practice
Deputy Chief of the Climate and Health Program
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Claudia Brown 14G is the deputy chief of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Climate and Health Program, where she leads strategic development, management, and operations for the national program helping states and communities adapt to the health impacts of climate change.
At the CDC, she has contributed to four National Climate Assessments; led federal initiatives on climate-sensitive infectious diseases, heat, and pollen; and represented the United States in key deliverables to the United Nations Conference of the Parties.
Priya Mehta-Gupta Das 15PH 24PhD, Public Health
Epidemiologist
Priya Mehta-Gupta Das 15PH 24PhD works to advance maternal and child nutrition surveillance. Her journey to public health leadership began with personal experience: Left as an infant outside an orphanage in India, she transformed early vulnerability into a lifelong commitment to improving maternal and child health.
Her resilience and dedication were tested during her doctoral studies when she successfully overcame advanced-stage brain cancer, defended her dissertation, and graduated alongside her cohort.
Over her career as an epidemiologist, Mehta-Gupta Das has authored more than a dozen peer-reviewed publications.
She remains deeply engaged at Emory by mentoring students, serving on the advisory committee for the Rollins School of Public Health Center of Excellence in Maternal and Child Health, practicing mindfulness with the Emory Buddhist Club, and fundraising for Winship Cancer Institute.
Nuri Jeong 23PhD, Neuroscience
Founder and Executive Trainer
Goals Unhindered
Nuri Jeong’s 23G research in neuroscience led to a paradigm-shifting discovery about how the brain remembers goal-relevant information, which was recently published in Nature.
At Emory, she discovered the power of collaboration across disciplines, a lesson she carries into her role as founder and CEO of Goals Unhindered, a corporate training and coaching company that helps leaders and teams make smarter strategic decisions using business data and neuroscience insights.
A native Korean speaker, Jeong also works with Korea-based companies expanding into the United States, particularly in Georgia, where Korean investment exceeds $25 billion. She trains multinational teams to communicate complex data effectively, bridging educational and cultural gaps between the United States and South Korea.
Matthew Kim 10C 10G, Political Science
Assistant Professor
University of Florida Levin College of Law
Matthew Kim 10C 10G is an assistant professor at the University of Florida Levin College of Law, where he combines his passions for research, teaching, and public service to shape the development of the law.
His academic journey began at Emory College, where he majored in international studies and history, building a strong foundation that informed his graduate and professional studies in law, international relations, political science, and statistics.
Through his teaching and research, Kim continues to explore complex legal questions while mentoring a new generation of lawyers and scholars.
Ogonna J. Nwajiobi 22PhD, Chemical Biology
Senior Scientist, Amgen
Founder, The Bridge Scholarship
Newbury Park, California
Driven by a passion for science and social transformation, Ogonna Nwajiobi 22PhD studied chemical biology. During his time as a student, he developed chemical tools to detect subtle protein modifications, which advanced early diagnostics for diseases like cancer.
As a process development senior scientist at biotechnology company, Amgen, Nwajiobi helps advance the commercial development of high-quality medicines for patients with unmet medical needs. Amgen discovers, develops, manufactures, and delivers innovative medicines to help millions of patients fight the world’s toughest diseases.
Beyond the lab, he is the founder and president of The Bridge Scholarship, a nonprofit that expands access to higher education for brilliant but financially disadvantaged African students.
Maria C. White 19PhD, Immunology and Molecular Pathogenesis
Postdoctoral Fellow
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Maria C. White 19PhD is a postdoctoral fellow at the Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she focuses on developing new treatments for non-Hodgkin lymphoma. A graduate of immunology and molecular pathogenesis, she was named Program Scholar of the Year in 2019.
Beyond her research, she serves on the board of the Emory Triangle Alumni Network, helping organize family-friendly events for alumni in Chapel Hill, Raleigh, and Durham. Her work blends scientific excellence, mentorship, and community engagement, reflecting a commitment to advancing both research and people.