Our Team

He is one of ten kids of parents who had very limited schooling but desired to have their children educated to the highest levels possible. His humble life story is both empowering and inspiring. He strongly believes what the Bible says in Matthew 19: 26 “with God all things are possible”. Dr. Ayichi is an ordained minister of God and co-founder of River Bethesda Ministries International Inc., a nondenominational fellowship of Christians. He is a psychiatric nurse provider with experience in both inpatient and outpatient settings. He is currently a provider at Carroll County Youth Service Bureau clinic. He holds two graduate degrees in nursing from the University of MD, a master’s degree in education from Johns Hopkins University, two graduate degrees in Agricultural Finance from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka and a bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Economics from University of Ife, Ile Ife, Nigeria. Dr. Ayichi also graduated with a distinction from Maryland State Police and Correctional Academy in Woodstock, MD, USA, and worked briefly as a correctional officer. This experience of working in the detention center as a correctional officer is what motivated him to become a teacher in the inner-city Baltimore school system and influenced his decision to train as a psychiatric nurse practitioner. Dr. Ayichi is a lifelong learner and teacher. He has a long history of working with young people in both religious and secular settings. He has teaching experience that spans across all levels of education both in the USA and overseas. He was a high school teacher and an adjunct professor in Nigeria. Also, in the USA, he is a national board-certified secondary school teacher. For many years, he was an adjunct clinical instructor for undergraduates and graduate students at the University of Maryland School of Nursing. He was also a Clinical Coordinator for Johns Hopkins School of Nursing. Dr. Ayichi is currently a visiting Guest Lecturer for doctoral students at the University of Maryland School of Nursing, Baltimore. He enjoys motivating and transferring knowledge to the next generation. He is an author and a researcher. He has authored or co-authored many published research works. He was one of the recipients of Clinical Scholar award by the University Maryland School of Nursing and University of Maryland Medical Center. He was also an awardee of several fellowships from international organizations including the Council for the Development of Economic and Social Research in Africa (CODESRIA), African Rural Social Sciences Research Networks of WINROCK International Institute, USA, African Technology Policy Support of IDRC, Nairobi Regional Office, and Social Science Council of Nigeria supported by Ford Foundation of America, among others. He is happily married to his amazing wife Dr. Oluchi Ayichi and blessed with five adult children. In his spare time, he likes to discuss global affairs, read, listen to music, exercise, and socialize with family and friends.

She holds an Associate degree in Journalism from the Ghana Institute of Journalism, a bachelor’s degree in Operations and Project Management from the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration, and a master’s degree in Business Administrations from Bryant University in Smithfield, Rhode Island. She is a risk management professional currently working in the financial services industry. She is a person who loves God and seeks to honor Him by serving others. In her spare time, she enjoys watching movies, listening to music, reading novels, hiking, and taking long walks.

Upon completing his pre-pharmacy curriculum, he attended the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy and completed both his Doctor of Pharmacy degree (PharmD) and his Master of Business Administration (MBA). Franklyn began his pharmacy career as a clinical staff pharmacist at Walgreens Boots Alliance where he later advanced his role as Pharmacy Manager. Due to his leadership strengths and clinical acumen, he became the Pharmacy Operations Coordinator at Johns Hopkins Medicine where he oversaw clinical operations, patient safety/quality metrics, and employee engagement. As Dr. Osakwe continued to advance his knowledge through project management opportunities, his passion for clinical informatics grew and he transitioned into pharmacy informatics at the University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS). Outside of his professional career, Dr. Osakwe is married to his beautiful wife Udoka and has two beautiful daughters. In his spare time, he enjoys playing soccer and tennis, traveling, reading, and spending time with this family.

Deborah is a Bannker Key Scholar recipient, with two bachelor’s degrees in Accounting and Information Systems from the Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland, College Park. She has interned at Ernst & Young, Morgan Stanley, T. Rowe Price, and currently works as a consultant for a global consulting firm. She has a strong interest in data analytics, data science, and programming. She has always had a passion for helping and guiding young people in their career development and in other aspects of their lives through volunteer work at several organizations such as the Baltimore Youth Alliance and Bethel Campus Fellowship. During her undergraduate years, she was an executive board member of the Women’s Empowerment Institute, an organization that focuses on empowering minority women to be successful in the workplace post-undergraduate education. In her free time, Deborah loves to write poetry, try new restaurants, and relax with friends.

Prior to joining the DOD, Malinda held the position of a retail Pharmacist at Walgreens. She obtained her BA in Chemistry from Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville, and a Doctor of Pharmacy degree from MCPHS, Worcester campus, through an intensive 34-month program. Malinda always had a strong love for mentoring teens as well as peers. While in college, she completed a summer internship opportunity at the Saint Louis Science center, working as a mentor to middle and high school students. In addition, she served as a peer mentor at Massachusetts College of Pharmacy.

He received his undergraduate degree in biological sciences from the University of Maryland Baltimore County and medical degree from the University of Maryland. He then completed an NIH/NIDDK-funded 2-year postdoctoral research training fellowship at the Johns Hopkins Brady Urological Institute as well as a Graduate Training Program in Clinical Investigation at the Bloomberg School of Public Health. He completed his residency training at Virginia Commonwealth University followed by a clinical fellowship in genitourinary reconstruction at the Cleveland Clinic Glickman Urological and Kidney Institute. He has authored over 40 published manuscripts and book chapters. He is currently an Assistant Professor at the University of Louisville School of Medicine. He serves as the Director of Genitourinary Reconstructive Surgery and Assistant Residency Program Director of the urology department at the University of Louisville. He enjoys spending his free time with his wife, playing sand volleyball, and chasing after their dog.

He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry from Fort Valley State University. He later graduated from Notre Dame of Maryland University (NDMU) where he was awarded his PharmD (Doctor of Pharmacy). One notable achievement during his time at NDMU was his recognition as the recipient of the Pharmacist’s Pharmacist Award; nominated by faculty and students. Thriving as an emerging leader, he began his career as a pharmacy manager at CVS. In 2017, Melvin proceeded to take his talents to Kaiser Permanente where he served as a Pharmacy Supervisor of multiple pharmacies. As a preceptor, he’s trained and developed pharmacy students and residents. In a short period of time, he was promoted to the Director of Medical Specialties and Service Area Operations where he oversees all medical centers in the Baltimore area. During his free time, he enjoys watching football, spending time with his wife and two children.

She is a results-driven problem solver with a background in environmental science, business analytics, and data science. As a data analyst at the University of Maryland, College Park, Sharon supports University Human Resources and campus strategic goals and initiatives to help drive innovation and deliver quality data and reporting services to the University. Additionally, as a co-founder and COO of NearPlate, a food technology startup, Sharon designs and implements policies to promote the company culture and vision and oversees operations. There, she is focused on technological food innovations that are sustainable and allow food makers to be authentic and share their craft with their communities. With her background, she is also tasked with data management, analytics, optimization, and visualization within the company. The love of academia and learning was instilled by her immigrant, Nigerian parents from an early age. Sharon earned her Bachelor’s degree from Goucher College in Environmental Science and two post-baccalaureate certificates in Business Analytics and Data Science from the University of Maryland, Global Campus and the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. Sharon recently earned a Master’s degree at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County in Data Science with a specialization in spatial analytics. She hopes to use data analytics and machine learning to solve agricultural and food systems issues and in the future own a working biodynamic farm. Sharon is also passionate about holistic health and wellness and helping the next generation focus on eating whole, nutrient-dense, unprocessed foods.

She’s also the Assistant Director for Liberal Arts Career Education at Towson University. Also at Towson, Amen teaches English Writing. Amen truly has a heart for encouraging and empowering young people to reach their full potential. If you engage Amen in a conversation, at some point, she’ll mention some of her current and future endeavors to guide young people. As she speaks, you’ll see her light up — you’ll see the enthusiasm in her eyes, hear the excitement in her voice, and sense joy in her smile. Amen is passionate about her work with young people and uses her years of experience working one-on-one and in groups with students to help us reach our goals.

She is a front-line worker in the health care field as a Pharmacist, and currently works in the pharmaceutical industry in Maryland. She earned her B.S. in Biology from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) and a Doctoral degree in Pharmacy from Massachusetts College of Pharmacy Health and Sciences (MCPHS) She is the Founder and CEO of Perfected By Faith, a luxury streetwear brand that emphasizes the importance of living out your God given purpose. Dr. Floryn finds great joy in pouring into the lives of young people as she has made it her mission to impact the lives of young people from all over the world!

Joshua went on to train for some years in Internal Medicine before transitioning into a Drug Safety and Pharmacovigilance role within the pharmaceutical industry. Joshua is passionate about increasing the percentage of minorities in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) fields and directly mentors pre-med and medical students.