meet the 2019-2020 PBp team

Sitara Murali

BOARD PRESIDENT

Sitara is a senior majoring in Public Health Sciences through the School of Public Health. Since joining Prison Birth Project in her sophomore year, she gained an interest in advocating for the birthing rights of incarcerated people. She has a passion for maternal and child health, demonstrated through her active commitment to researching birth outcomes based on social determinants of health and her work as a doula. Through Prison Birth Project, Sitara hopes to advance policy change for incarcerated mothers. As a future public health professional, Sitara intends to promote health equity for all, with a focus on prison reform and family reunification.

Shimonti Sengupta

events coordinator

Shimonti is a junior majoring in Environmental Engineering and minoring in Gender and Health Studies. She wants to work at the interface of public health and environmental engineering, specifically concerning access to clean water in and out of the home. Her interest in environmental health-- specifically for women, who often experience different environmental factors than men-- is what brought her to her minor, through which she learned about Prison Birth Project. Since joining PBP her freshman year, Shimonti has learned a lot about the criminal justice system and gained interest in advocating for the rights of incarcerated women. Outside of PBP, she participates in an engineering project team focused on bringing social engagement and awareness to their design process, and does research in the OBGYN research department at Michigan Medicine. Shimonti believes all women should have the opportunity and tools to make well-informed health decisions, and is committed to bringing a social justice mindset to all of her future projects.

Neha Gogineni

Director of internal communications

Neha is a sophomore intending to study Public Health with a minor in Business. She has always been interested in criminal justice reform and has also been passionate about reproductive healthcare, so Prison Birth Project was the perfect way for her to combine her interests in the form of reproductive justice advocacy. Through her involvement in Prison Birth Project, she also found a passion for widening access to quality healthcare, which is where she found her interest in Public Health. Outside of Prison Birth Project, Neha is part of a project team that works to bring gynecological exam tables to underdeveloped areas of Nicaragua in order to reduce cervical cancer rates. She also researches in the UM Extracorporeal Life Support Lab and volunteers in the Eating Disorders Unit at C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital.

Annie Patterson

Development & Finance Director

Annie is a senior in the School of Public Health studying Public Health Sciences with a minor in Environment. Outside of her work with Prison Birth Project, Annie is involved on campus as a Peer Facilitator for the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program and as a research assistant in the Section of Plastic Surgery and the Michigan Opioid Prescribing Engagement Network.  Annie was interested in joining Prison Birth Project because she believes it is important for all people to have access to quality healthcare, no matter their circumstances. Her interest in public health policy aligns with the club’s goals through advocating for underrepresented groups. Her team focuses on researching and applying to grants as well as seeking other fundraising opportunities in the community. Annie is on the pre-medicine track and plans to use the skills and experiences gained through her work with Prison Birth Project in her career as a practitioner and researcher.

Rachel Clark

Research Director

Rachel is a senior studying Psychology and Women’s Studies while pursuing medical school. She is passionate about reproductive rights and women’s health, which brought her to Prison Birth Project. She believes every woman deserves an evidence-based, empowering birth experience, regardless of incarceration status. Rachel has experience as a doula and serves as the Project Coordinator for a lab examining depression in youth. She is also working on an Honors Thesis examining how dating applications impact mental health.

Sloane Lynch

Community Outreach and Activism Director

Sloane is a senior in the School of Public Health pursing her Bachelors of Public Health Sciences. As an aspiring obstetrician-gynecologist, Sloane is passionate about ensuring all women have access to the information they need to make informed decisions about their bodies and births. She values holistic and patient-centered care which she has practiced though her work as a doula, and as Community Outreach and Activism Director of Prison Birth Project. Sloane joined Prison Birth Project due to her interest in changing policy and providing social support to allow all women, especially those who are currently incarcerated, to have the ability to advocate for themselves.

Brianna Giese

Member Education Director

Brianna is majoring in Biology Health and Society as well as Gender Studies. She had the privilege of taking a philosophy course alongside incarcerated men at the Macomb Correctional Facility, and the friends she gained allowed her to see her place in criminal advocacy work. Brianna joined Prison Birth Project in 2019 in order to combine her passion for reproductive justice with her drive to help those who face incarceration. As a birth doula and an AFSC Criminal Justice Program volunteer, Brianna is excited to bring together her experiences in order to advocate on behalf of women's health as well as the health of incarcerated people as a physician in the future.

Avani Samandur

PR and Marketing Director

Avani is a sophomore intending on studying biomolecular sciences. She is very interested in reproductive justice and how reproductive justice can be improved in the prison system. Outside of Prison Birth Project, she does research in the Department of Pharmacology. She also volunteers at the C.S Mott Children’s hospital in the children’s cardiovascular unit. Avani loves the work that Prison Birth Project does and is excited to help advance women’s experiences in the prison system.

Becca Surman

Criminal justice advocacy Director

Becca is a senior majoring in Women and Gender Studies with a minor in Crime and Justice. Since joining Prison Birth Project, she has developed a particular interest in systems of surveillance and imprisonment. Outside of Prison Birth Project, Becca volunteers with American Friends Service Committee and is a co-mentor in the Good Neighbor Project. Becca is also a member of the Swing Left College Fellowship looking to engage students at the University of Michigan in local, state, and national elections. The Criminal Justice Advocacy committee is centered around creating long term engagement with community organizations in Washtenaw and Wayne county.