Different Paths, Same School

Adam Tawney, M.D., CAS ’12, and his twin brother Eric Tawney, SBA ’12, share that Oakland University provided them “the best of both worlds” — a school they could attend together while each pursuing very different fields of study. Both graduated from OU in 2012 — Eric with dual Bachelor of Science degrees in economics and finance, Adam with a Bachelor of Science in biology. Close their entire lives, Adam and Eric agree on how “incredibly fortunate” they were to find a college that was the right fit for both of them.

“We pursued very different academic and professional paths, but were able to experience our college start together,” Adam says.

Adam Tawney, M.D., CAS ’12

Today, Adam is an interventional cardiologist at Millennium Cardiology in Farmington Hills, and Eric is a principal in the real estate private equity group at Blackstone in New York City. But they trace their career success back to their experiences at OU.

“OU created incredible growth opportunities for both of us,” Eric says. 

Eric describes OU as “a university that encouraged an experiential approach to education,” leading him to take several internships that were crucial to forging his career path. He credits an OU economics class with connecting him with an internship in then-Michigan Governor Rick Snyder’s office, leading him to pursue a Master of Public Policy from the University of Chicago and start his career at BlackRock as an investment associate in the municipal fixed income group covering local government and health care finance and later as a vice president in the real assets group covering real estate and infrastructure investment strategies, working in the company’s New York City, Princeton and Hong Kong offices. 

Eric Tawney, SBA ’12

Having those opportunities during his four years at OU "helped focus on my interests and skillset earlier,” Eric says. “I think it also just gave me a more rounded set of viewpoints for what I really wanted to pursue.”

Adam counts his experiences in biology and chemistry classes as particularly influential. Although he says they were challenging, he credits OU’s small class sizes and engaged faculty with helping him excel. 

“I had amazing professors and was completely engaged in those classes,” Adam says. “I think that just kind of gave me the confidence to keep going and just keep my head down and get into medical school.”

Adam says both he and his brother were heavily “embedded” in the OU campus. He was involved in OU’s Pre-Medical Society and worked to get an honors society started on campus. Eric served as president of the OU Economic Students Association and the OU Society for Applied Investment and Education.

“Adam and I were all in,” Eric says of their time at OU. “We leaned into getting involved in our respective university networks. And I think, for those who put in the effort to engage beyond coursework, that momentum and energy creates opportunities.”

Both Tawneys say numerous faculty and staff were influential in their time at OU, and those mentors have fond memories of the brothers as well. Eric describes Economics Professor Addington Coppin, Ph.D., as a “very supportive” professor  who gave him the opportunity to lead the Economic Students Association. Dr. Coppin recalls telling people that Eric was “high on my list of those ‘most likely to succeed.’”

“Eric Tawney was easily one of my favorite students over a long teaching and mentoring career,” Coppin says. “Imagine the joy I felt as I watched him progress academically as well as career-wise.”

Similarly, Adam recalls having “great experiences” with Biological Sciences Associate Professor Keith Berven, Ph.D., who was serving as pre-med adviser for OU’s College of Arts and Sciences at the time. Dr. Berven remembers Adam as an “excited and focused” student with “ambitious academic objectives.” 

“His recollection of our interactions is a testimonial to the value of advising, but of course, advising is a two-way street: One can give advice, but not everyone takes it,” Berven says. “I wish him continued success in his career.”

Both brothers intend to stay involved with OU. Eric recently had a one-on-one lunch with OU President Ora Hirsch Pescovitz, M.D., and says he’s “energized by the progress” the university is making and “excited to find opportunities to further engage.” Meanwhile, Adam recently became an associate professor in OU’s medical school.

“Oakland was the foundation that enabled me to attain my dream career,” Adam says. “So now it’s just really great to be able to give back and give that same support and guidance that was provided for me when I was at Oakland.”