Class Notes

Spring 2022

1950s

William “Bill” Clark (GRS ’52, education) was inducted into the Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame Class of 2021 by the Ohio Department of Veterans Services. The 95-year-old World War II U.S. Navy veteran lives in Sheffield Village, Ohio with his wife of 77 years, Glenda.

Jeannine Love (FSM ’58, MGT ’93) of Wooster, Ohio released Cleveland Architecture, 1890–1930: Building the City Beautiful (Michigan State University Press, 2020) which recently received an award from the Western Reserve Architectural Historians.

1960s

Vince Burke (CLC ’60) published his memoir, Forgiveness: A Gay Man’s Memoir (Outskirts Press, 2022), which includes his eight years as a student and chronicles other experiences, such as reporting for Cleveland News, being an adman on Madison Avenue and living in France.

Bill Blank (MED ’68) was honored for his contributions to local aviation with his induction into the Wisconsin Aviation Hall of Fame in October 2021. In 1973, Banks and his wife followed a small clinic job to Minneapolis, where his aviation hobby turned into a career in flight instruction and aerobatics. He has since logged over 6,000 hours in the air and spent 42 years as an Aviation Medical Examiner.

Judith M. Sheridan (CLC ’69) received the 2021 Outstanding Achievement Award from the Ohio Local History Alliance. She was nominated by the Harriet Taylor Upton Association in Warren, Ohio where she has served as treasurer and board member for 20 years. She is also on the board of the Western Reserve Architectural Historians, Northeastern Ohio Intermuseum Council and Ohio Historic Decorative Arts Association. She and her husband Terrence Sheridan (CIT ’62, MGT ’73) have restored and live in a 200 year old Western Reserve house on the National Register of Historic Places.

Henry W. Sobel (GRS ’69, physics) received the 2021 W.K.H. Panofsky Prize in Experimental Particle Physics from the American Physical Society. Sobel is a professor emeritus of physics and astronomy at University of California, Irvine. In 1978, he was part of the team that built the IMB water Cherenkov radiation detector in the Morton salt mine outside of Cleveland, which advanced research in the field of nucleon decay.

1970s

Jeff Ponsky (MED ’71, MGT ’90) is the interim executive director of Medworks in Lyndhurst, Ohio, for which he is a founding board member. Medworks, which was founded by Ponsky’s son Zac, offers pop-up dental and vision clinics and provides medical care to underserved populations in Northeast Ohio. Ponsky recently retired from his practice at Cleveland Clinic, closing a surgical career of more than 50 years.

George Scordalakes (GRS ’71, anatomy; MED ’71), a Board Certified Pediatrician at Sidney Health Center in Sydney, Montana, was recently recognized by the Montana Medical Association for actively practicing medicine for 50 years. “Dr. George,” as he is fondly known to his patients, continues full-time clinical practice, covers newborn and pediatric calls and aids in recruitment efforts.

Virginia DeeAnne Banks (MED '74) recently received the Live Fierce Award from the Youngstown Mahoning Valley American Heart Association for her work in COVID-19 education. She is an infectious disease physician at Northeast Ohio Infectious Disease Associates.

Glenn Losack (WRC ’75) released The Bonds We Share (Apollo Publishers, 2021). The photographic essay catalogs the psychiatrist’s 43 years traveling the globe with photos from India, the Dominican Republic, Cambodia, Tunisia and many other countries. 

Much of Losack’s work captures communities in extreme poverty, as well as people living with leprosy in regions such as Southeast Asia, where the highest number of new leprosy cases are reported each year. With his photography, which has been featured in National Geographic and ASIAN Geographic, Losack aims to build awareness of the highly stigmatized disease as well as poor living conditions in developing nations.

He continues to practice psychiatry through telemedicine from his home in New York City, with a focus on serving rural areas of the country with limited access to healthcare.

Martin Elliot Jaffe (LYS ’76) retired in 2018 after spending decades as a career counselor in the Greater Cleveland area. Jaffe spends his days writing and performing folk and Americana music in venues across Northeast Ohio, in addition to participating in national songwriting workshops.

Sue Quinones (WRC ’76) authored and independently published ANGELBABY: A True Story of Faith, Miracles and The Supernatural in 2021. The book tells the story of her experience adopting two children with her husband, Joe.

Steven Hegedus (CIT ’77) has researched solar cell and renewable electricity at the University of Delaware for the past 40 years, where he is a professor of electrical and computer engineering and senior scientist at the university’s Institute of Energy Conversion. 

He recently led a team of researchers to install a photovoltaic array of 12 solar panels, each with 72 state-of-the-art “bifacial” solar cells at the university. Bifacial cells capture sunlight from above, as well as any light reflected up from the ground. The installation is managed by an energy hub, which captures readings from light meters and temperature sensors, and steers the captured energy to the electric grid.

Lawrence R. John (MED ’77) was inducted into Pennsylvania’s Uniontown Area High School Hall of Fame in 2021, as an alum of the Class of ’68. John practices family medicine in Pittsburgh.

Elizabeth McMahon (GRS ’77, GRS ’79, psychology) authored Overcoming Anxiety and Panic interactive guide (2019, Hands-On-Guide) and Virtual Reality Therapy for Anxiety: A Guide for Therapists (2022, Routledge). She is a clinical psychologist with a private practice in the San Francisco area, specializing in anxiety, fear and insomnia. She was the featured expert on overcoming phobias in Slate Magazine’s How To! podcast, and during the COVID-19 pandemic, created free, evidence-based training to treat needle fears for psychotherapists worldwide.

Maureen Dee (SAS ’78) received the 2021 Distinguished Hispanic Ohioan Award from the Ohio Latino Affairs Commission. Dee retired in 2019 after a 40-plus year career as a social worker with Cleveland-based Catholic charities.

Sandy Seligman Nissenberg (GRS ’78, nutrition) has more than a dozen published cookbooks for children and families. Her latest, The Everything Kids' Cookbook, includes recipes, food facts, puzzles and more for children and families who love to cook together.

Howard M. Stein (LAW ’78) was named in the 2021 New York Metro Super Lawyers list, which recognizes top lawyers in their respective areas of practice. Stein is head of the Real Estate Practice Group at Certilman Balin Adler & Hyman, LLP and is a member of the firm’s Executive Committee. He also teaches courses in Real Estate Law at Touro Law Center on Long Island.

Philip Cave (LAW ‘79) presented oral argument in the case of Prosecutor v. Ongwen at the International Criminal Court at the Hague, Netherlands. Cave runs his own law practice focusing on military and security clearance law. He is based in Alexandria, Virginia, but travels globally for his cases.

Randy Oppenheimer (LAW ’79) of Buffalo, New York was named in the 2021 Upstate New York Super Lawyers list. Oppenheimer is a partner at Barclay Damon LLP and serves as the firm’s Commercial Litigation Practice Area co-chair, representing clients in complex commercial, labor, employment and other litigation matters.

Sandy Petrovic (NUR ’79) co-authored the book Expect a Miracle: Understanding and Living with Autism (AAPC Publishing, 2020) with her adult son David Petrovic, who was diagnosed with autism as a toddler. The book uses a two-voice format to share the challenges and victories of an autism diagnosis through every developmental stage into young adulthood. 

After a long career in critical care nursing and a decade-long stint as a diabetes educator, Sandy is now an instructional advisor and tutor in the Thrive Learning Center at Notre Dame College in South Euclid, Ohio. In this role, she helps students with learning disabilities succeed academically and socially.

1980s

Mary Franklin (WRC ’80; GRS ’86, ’18 nursing), assistant professor at the Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing and director and lead faculty for the midwifery and women’s health programs, was recently inducted as a fellow of the American College of Nurse-Midwives.

Michael Horwitz (WRC ’80), a business broker and M&A advisor with Transworld Business Advisors of Atlanta, was named to the Georgia Association of Business Brokers 2021 Million Dollar Club for helping broker more than $86 million in sales.

Ronald J. Klein (LAW ’82), former representative for Florida's 22nd congressional district, was awarded the Gitelson Silver Medallion by the Alpha Epsilon Pi Foundation, which honors AEPi alumni for their commitment to Jewish communal services. Klein is a public policy partner at Holland & Knight, practicing in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and Washington D.C. He co-chairs the firm’s Israel Practice Group, where he helps facilitate investment and business collaboration opportunities between Israel and the United States.

Lisa Schott (GRS ’82, history) will retire from a nearly 40-year career with Gambier, Ohio’s Kenyon College on June 30, 2022. She most recently served as managing director of the Philander Chase Conservancy since 2010, working with farmers, landowners, environmental groups and government agencies to preserve the character of a five-mile radius surrounding Kenyon’s campus through conservation and agricultural easements.

Michael Fine (MED ’83) was named one of GoLocal News’s Rhode Island Men of the Year in 2020 for his dedication to improving healthcare access to Rhode Island’s poorest communities, and his work to provide the public with data and insights about the COVID-19 pandemic.

Xavier Swamikannu Pillai (GRS ’84, macromolecular science) was elected a fellow of the American Chemical Society. The fellows program recognizes society members for outstanding achievements in and contributions to science. A lawyer with Leydig, Voit & Mayer, Ltd., Pillai specializes in intellectual property law, particularly in patent law relating to chemicals, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology.

Krishnaswamy Venkataswamy (GRS ’85, macromolecular science) received the 2022 Chemistry of Thermoplastic Elastomers Award from the Rubber Division of the American Chemical Society, in honor of his contributions to the field. He is president and chief executive officer of the executive advisory organization Innovation Development Insights in Crystal Lake, Illinois, and an executive board member at Zylog ElastoComp, which develops, manufactures and distributes Thermoplastic Elastomers.

Melissa J. Baumann (GRS ’86, ’88, metallurgy & material science) will be the first woman president of Ohio Northern University in Ada, Ohio, starting in July. Baumann is a Mansfield, Ohio native, a first-generation college student and a first-generation American. She has been provost and chief academic officer at Xavier University since 2017. 

Joannie Chin (CIT ’86) is director of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Engineering Laboratory. Chin has worked at NIST for 26 years, and in this new role, manages a budget of approximately $83 million and more than 400 staff members. The lab covers a wide range of research on engineered systems, and includes programs focused on the development of measurement science for critical national needs including infrastructure, energy efficiency, fire science, advanced manufacturing and more.

Teresa Dews (MED ’88) and Mark Malloy (MGT ’06) were elected to the board of directors for Cleveland’s Center for Health Affairs in January 2022. Dews serves as president of Cleveland Clinic Euclid Hospital, and leads a medical practice specializing in pain management within the Cleveland Clinic health system. Malloy is the chief financial officer for Ohio regional hospitals at Cleveland Clinic.

Matt Wells (CIT ’88) of St. Paul, Minnesota is the director of business intelligence and analytics for the Minnesota Wild NHL hockey club.

Leslie Yerkes (MGT ’89) is a best-selling author and organizational business coach in Cleveland, donating her time as a speaker to advocate and fundraise for animal rescue and foster organizations. She is also donating royalties from her latest children’s book Your Forever Dog: How It Feels When Someone Loves You (Lost Dog Books, 2021) to the same groups. The 45-page illustrated book tells a true rescue story from the perspective of a junkyard dog named Big Boy.

1990s

Charles Esque Fleming (LAW ’90) was appointed by President Joe Biden as a U.S. District Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio.

Susan Fuehrer (MGT ’90) is president of MetroHealth System’s Institute for H.O.P.E. (Health, Opportunity, Partnership, Empowerment), and board chair for Cleveland’s Center for Health Affairs.

Terri Goss Kinzy (GRS ’91, biochemistry) is the 20th president of Illinois State University in Normal, Illinois. Kinzy came to the role from Western Michigan University, where she served as vice president for research and innovation.

Anand Murthi (CWR ’91; MED ’95) is on the Orthopedic Market Clinical Advisory Board for vTail, an app connecting healthcare professionals to medical device and pharmaceutical manufacturers for sales and support. Murthi is chief of shoulder and elbow surgery at MedStar Union Memorial Hospital in Baltimore, and professor of orthopedic surgery at Georgetown University School of Medicine.

Scott Stiefel (CWR ’93; GRS ’93, electrical engineering and applied physics; MGT ’03) is co-chief executive officer of Telos Alliance. Steifel started out with the Cleveland manufacturer of broadcast audio products more than 20 years ago as a hardware and embedded systems engineer.

Alan Yarcusko (LAW ’93) was elected to the U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association Board of Directors in January 2022. Yarcusko is vice president of government and regulatory affairs and general counsel for diversified businesses at Bridgestone Americas, Inc. in Akron, Ohio.

Dana Bradley (MGT ’94) is vice president of Human Resources at Silver Cross Hospital in New Lenox, Illinois. She oversees all areas of Human Resources including employee engagement and relations, professional development, workforce planning and talent acquisition and retention.

Mark Griffin (LAW ’94), the Cuyahoga County Inspector General and chief ethics officer since 2015, is the City of Cleveland's Chief Legal Counsel in Mayor Justin Bibb’s (MGT ’18, LAW ’18) administration.

Peter Johnson (CWR ‘94) of Pittsburgh recently traveled with One Humanity Institute to Poland, which has received more than 2 million refugees since Russia invaded Ukraine in February. Johnson is working in the town of Oświęcim, helping repair and furnish donated buildings as refugee housing and shared community spaces, in addition to distributing thousands of teddy bears to Ukrainian children.

Vaibhav “Wab” Kadaba (GRS ’94, fluid and thermal science) was named in Atlanta Magazine’s 2022 list of 500 Most Powerful Leaders. As global chair of Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton’s Intellectual Property Department, Kadaba leads a team of more than 300 attorneys in offices across the U.S. and Asia.

J. Kevin Holman (DEN ’95) was awarded the 2022 Dental Alumnus of the Year by the University of Mississippi School of Dentistry. Holman served as a dental officer in support of Operation Desert Shield, Desert Storm and Desert Calm from 1990–1993, and has practiced for 26 years with North Mississippi Orthodontic Associates.

Brian Lestini (CWR ’95; GRS ’02, biomedical engineering; MED ’03) of New York City is chief executive officer of Pyramid Biosciences, Inc. He brings experience as a pediatric hematologist-oncologist and more than a decade in pharmaceutical development to the clinical-stage biotechnology company, which develops precision therapies for a wide range of diseases.

Kevin Mahl (MGT ’96) of Charlotte, North Carolina co-founded First Turn Innovations, an engineering and prototype lab encouraging innovation by utilizing the area's abundance of talent in the racing industry. He also owns Champion Tire & Wheel, where he has served as president and chief executive officer for 20 years. Champion transports tires, wheels, pit boxes and other racing equipment for NASCAR teams using a fleet of 35 semi trucks.

Nicholas C. Bambakidis (MED ’97) is the Harvey Huntington Brown, Jr. Chair in Neurosurgery of University Hospitals’ (UH) Department of Neurosurgery in Cleveland. He continues his roles as vice president and director of UH Neurological Institute, and director of UH Cerebrovascular and Skull Base Surgery. He is also president of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons and the Society of Neurological Surgeons.

James Irwin (MGT ’97) is vice president of corporate development and on the senior leadership team for Inframark, LLC, an infrastructure services company in Horsham, Pennsylvania focused on the operation and maintenance of water and wastewater systems. Irwin leads the company’s inorganic growth efforts and executes the full lifecycle of mergers and acquisitions activities.

James T. Janson (GRS ’97, art history) is professor emeritus of art history and museum studies at the Savannah College of Art and Design in Savannah, Georgia. Bartlett (Gatekeeper Press, 2021), his first novella, tells the story of young aspiring astronomers set against the backdrop of NASA and Project Mercury in the early 1960s.

Tina Resser (NUR ’97; NUR ’99) received Ohio’s top nurse practitioner award from the American Association of Nurse Practitioners in November 2021. Resser is a nurse practitioner in the cerebrovascular and neurosurgery service at Cleveland Clinic, a role she pioneered.

Kevin Lenhard (LAW ’99) is chairperson of the estate planning and probate department at Wickens Herzer Panza law firm in Avon, Ohio.

2000s

Bridget Meehan Brennan (LAW ’00) was appointed by President Joe Biden as a U.S. District Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio. She also served as acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio from 2021 to 2022.

Gwen Collins (MGT ’00) is executive vice president and chief financial officer of Emprise Bank in Wichita, Kansas.

Jonathan Hunt (LAW ’00) is deputy chief of Legal Counsel at the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority, in Atlanta, Georgia, where he has worked for nearly eight years.

Jennifer Baus (GRS ‘01, engineering) is a principal at the NRP Group, a multifamily real estate developer, general contractor and property management firm. Baus has been with the firm for 17 years and is one of two women who are the first to be named principal at NRP.

Rick Batson (LAW ’02) is chief of staff for the U.S. Coast Guard Mid-Atlantic Region. He is responsible for the U.S. Coast Guard maritime safety and security missions from central New Jersey through North Carolina, covering 156,000 square miles of ocean, bays and rivers; several major mid-Atlantic ports; a major naval base; and the city of Washington, D.C. Batson has held numerous titles during his 32 years with the Coast Guard, starting in 1990 when he was a navigation specialist and most recently leading its Legal Service Command.

Michael Fioritto (DEN ’02) was a moderator for the 2022 joint symposium between the Academy of Laser Dentistry and the American Academy of Implant Dentistry on peri-implantitis, a condition that affects patients with dental implants. Fioritto is the founder of Cleveland Implant Institute and Advance Implant Academy, and is a dental implant specialist at Fioritto Family Dental in Concord, Ohio, with his father Henry J. (ADL ’68; DEN ’70) and wife Nicole (DEN ’05).

Kimya S.P. Johnson (LAW ’02) of Philadelphia is chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer and principal at the national employment law firm, Jackson Lewis P.C. In addition to leading the firm’s diversity efforts, Johnson is an attorney with the firm’s Corporate Diversity Counseling group, advising companies on legal liability, diversity assessments and action plans.

Shari Nacson (SAS ’02) of Cleveland is a contributing author and editor in the newly released Far From Their Eyes: Ohio Migration Anthology, Volume I, a collection of paintings, poems, essays and short stories from Ohioans with a connection to migration. 

Christopher Bedford (GRS ’03, art history) is director of San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. He comes to the role from the Baltimore Museum of Art, which he led since 2016.

John Kobs (CWR ’03), founder of the San Francisco-based rental marketplace, Apartment List, has stepped down from his role as CEO after 14 years. Today, the team has grown to 250+ employees worldwide and the company has 6 million units under contract. Kobs remains chair of the board.

Gregg Gillis (CWR ‘04), a Pittsburgh-based DJ known as Girl Talk, released Full Court Press (Asylum Records) in April. The full-length album is a collaborative effort with rappers Wiz Khalifa, Smoke DZA and Big K.R.I.T. Gillis started his electronic mashup work while studying biomedical engineering at Case Western Reserve, releasing his first two albums, Secret Diary and Unstoppable, before graduating in 2004.

Nimisha Jain (CWR ’04) is an inpatient-based physician informaticist and clinical assistant professor of pediatrics for Northeast Ohio Medical University. Jain recently celebrated 10 years working as a pediatric hospitalist at Akron Children's Hospital.

Ellen Klem (LAW ’04) of Portland, Oregon is a technical advisor with the Financial Empowerment Advisory Team at Oregon State Treasury, which highlights financial literacy and wellness efforts statewide. She is also director of Consumer Outreach and Education at the Oregon Department of Justice, Office of the Attorney General.

Jack Koch (MGT '04) is a partner at Park Madison Partners, a New York-based real estate placement and advisory firm. His work focuses on institutional investor relationships, capital advisory and sourcing investment managers.

Efrain Rivera (MGT '04) of Rochester, New York has been appointed to the board of directors for Jones Lang LaSalle Inc., a global commercial real estate services company. Rivera is senior vice president, chief financial officer and treasurer of Paychex Inc.

Phyllis “Seven” Harris (MNO ’05) was appointed as one of six co-chairs on Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb’s (MGT ’18, LAW ’18) transition team. Harris is the executive director of the LGBT Community Center of Greater Cleveland. 

Jerid Kurtz (CWR ’05, LAW ’09) served as Rev. Raphael Warnock’s U.S. Senate campaign manager throughout the 2020 elections and the successful 2021 Georgia runoff. Following the Georgia victory, Kurtz joined the reputation management firm Purple Strategies as managing director, where he partners with clients around the world to navigate reputation challenges and drive organizational change.

Brad S. Lakhia (MGT ’05) received the 2021 Global Business Excellence Alumni Award from Fisher College of Business at Ohio State University, which recognizes a graduate's contributions to business, as well as their commitment to advancing the global learning of Fisher students. Lakhia lives in Richfield, Ohio and is vice president of Finance-Americas at The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company.

Eric Pace (CWR ’04; CWR ’05) is treasurer of Premier Bank. Pace, who lives in Dublin, Ohio, manages the bank’s investment portfolio and treasury function, identifying new investment and funding opportunities, managing the bank’s interest rate and liquidity risk processes, and developing strategies to optimize the bank’s balance sheet and capital position.

Ray Taddeo (MGT ’05) joined Coin Cloud as vice president of sales. The company operates more than 4,000 digital currency machines across the U.S. and Brazil, allowing users to buy and sell cryptocurrency. Taddeo lives in Cleveland and has more than 20 years of sales and leadership experience, previously serving U.S. retailers with positions at Coinstar, Redbox and InComm Payments.

Narcisz Fejes (CWR ‘06, MGT ‘07) founded and co-chaired Sonyashnyk (Sunflower), a musical benefit for Ukraine, held at the Cleveland Museum of Art in early April. Fejes, who is Hungarian, helped organize performers for the event, which incorporated elements of Ukrainian arts and culture. She is also a SAGES teaching fellow at CWRU College of Arts and Sciences, focusing on interdisciplinary and comparative studies of gender and sexuality in literature, film, media and cultural studies.

Sachin V. Java (CWR ’06; GRS ’07, engineering and management), an associate of Ulmer & Berne LLP, is on the board of directors of the Cleveland Animal Protective League, a nonprofit humane society and progressive leader in animal welfare. His three-year term began in January 2022.

Yoshita Patel-Hosking (CWR ’06) received a Special Recognition Award from Florida Dental Association in November 2021. Patel-Hosking owns Viera Pediatric Dentistry in Viera, Florida.

Bharat Ranganathan (CWR ’06), Case Western Reserve’s Elmer G. Beamer-Hubert H. Schneider Fellow in Ethics, has been selected as one of 10 Paul Ramsey Fellows at the nonprofit Center for Bioethics and Culture.

Sister Erin Zubal (SAS ’06) is the first chief of staff for NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice. Zubal previously worked for 15 years as a social worker and educator in multiple Catholic elementary and high schools in the Diocese of Cleveland.

Andrea Aaby (CWR ’07) was named a 40 Under 40 in Mass Transit Magazine, which recognizes innovative leaders who have demonstrated a commitment to making an impact in transit. In the past three years, Andrea wrote and managed more than 15 state and federal grants, securing $52.6 million in funding for Laketran—Lake County, Ohio’s regional public transit system for which Aaby is the director of compliance and development.

Alex Yakubovich (CWR ’07) was inducted into the Mayfield Hall of Fame by Mayfield City Schools and the Mayfield Schools Foundation as a member of the Mayfield High School Class of 2004. While studying at Case Western Reserve, Yakubovich created Onosys, an online restaurant ordering platform which was acquired by the Cleveland company, LivingSocial, and is still operating. He then co-founded the software company Scout RFP, which sold to Workday in 2019. Yakubovich now runs one of the segments of Workday and lives in San Francisco.

Moiz Neemuchwala (GRS ’08, electrical engineering and applied physics) is chief technology officer and vice president of digital solutions at Rite-Hite Digital Solutions in Fishers, Indiana. Rite-Hite makes and services industrial automation products for productivity, security, energy savings and environmental compliance.

Kevin N. Carpenter (MGT ’09) joined Toro Co. as vice president, global operations and integrated supply chain. Carpenter lives in Minneapolis and was previously vice president of operations, residential and light commercial systems, at Carrier Global Corp.

Daniel Harrison Green (LAW ’09) of Brooklyn, New York was promoted to vice president of state legislative affairs at the Real Estate Board of New York.

Robin Rohrich (LAW ’09) is a realtor at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Stouffer Realty in Fairlawn, Ohio. She returns to the team after eight years away, during which time she had more than $110 million in real estate sales.

Christina N. Williams (CWR ’09) is an attorney for Minc Law, an internet defamation firm in Orange, Ohio. Williams is an accomplished litigator who has won cases at the trial court and appellate levels, as well as the Ohio Supreme Court.

2010s

Edna Fuentes-Casiano (SAS ‘10) is an outreach coordinator with Cleveland Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, engaging minority populations to inform them of the various research opportunities available. She is also a research assistant in the Department of Psychiatry at CWRU School of Medicine, and a member of the President’s Advisory Council on Minorities at the university.

Chung-Lei Kao (DEN ’10) is the residency site director for the general practice residency at the Syracuse, New York Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Through continued education, Kao received the Academy of General Dentistry Mastership award in summer 2020.

Penny Neisen (GRS ’10, science, chemistry) of Sheboygan, Wisconsin is the process analytics and technology manager at Wisconsin’s Sheboygan Paint Company. In the role, Neisen leads continuous improvement project portfolios, new product launches and new technology implementation, in addition to managing quality performance of manufacturing sites and research and development.

Alisa (Davis) Murray (SAS ‘11) wrote and published Vengeance Required, in 2021. Murray also works with the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority, teaching people with disabilities how to ride public transportation.

Jonathan Frankel (MED ’11) opened Frankel Facial Plastic Surgery in Mayfield Heights, Ohio in October 2021.

David R. McCormick (GRS ’11, early music performance), a historical music performer, scholar and advocate, is the sixth executive director of Early Music America. He continues to serve as artistic director of Early Music Access Project, and is a founding member of the medieval ensemble in New York City, Alkemie.

As a graduate student at Case Western Reserve, McCormick studied 17th-century composer Giovanni Antonio Pandolfi; he has adapted this research into a one-act murder mystery play, slated for performance at the 2022 Indianapolis Early Music Festival.

Jeremy Saks (CWR ’11; LAW ’14; GRS ’14, biochemistry) was promoted to principal at the global intellectual property law firm Fish & Richardson. Saks, who lives in New York City, uses his experience litigating cases across broad technology areas to represent clients in patent and trade secret litigation in District Court and before the International Trade Commission.

Joey Arnold (MGT ’12) is president and chief executive officer of the Streetsboro, Ohio-based Delta Systems, a manufacturer of electronic components for the outdoor power market. Arnold is also a board member for the Hattie Larlham Center for Children with Disabilities.

Lyla Blake-Gumbs (MED ’12) is a family medicine doctor at the Community Health Center in Falmouth, Massachusetts. Her clinical interests lie in diet and nutrition in chronic disease management, integrative and functional medicine, humanitarian disaster management and global spread of chronic diseases.

Molly Ford Moncrief (GRS ’12, genetics counseling) is a telehealth reproductive genetic counselor with Natera, a cell-free DNA testing company working with oncology, women’s health and organ health. In her role, Moncrief guides patients and families affected by or at-risk for inherited conditions through the genetic testing and diagnostic process.

Zachry Floro (CWR ’13) is director of data science at Sprouts Farmers Market in Phoenix.

Thomas R. Burke (CWR ’14) was an executive producer of Call Jane, which premiered at Sundance Film Festival in the primetime Friday night slot. The film follows a fictional character in the true story of the Jane Collective; officially known as the Abortion Counseling Service of Women's Liberation, the underground Chicago collective provided safe abortions from 1969 to 1973 when they were still illegal in most of the country. The film will be in theaters fall of 2022.

Reanna Pickerign (NUR ’14) was featured in the January/February 2022 issue of Simply Hers magazine, highlighting rural frontline healthcare workers. The story details Pickerign’s journey from pre-law to becoming a certified family nurse practitioner at Hillsdale Health and Wellness in Hillsdale, Michigan—a walk-in clinic where she has worked the past six years. She is also a preceptor for nurse practitioner and midwifery students at University of Michigan School of Nursing.

Joseph Wong (MED ’14) is medical director of Reunion Rehabilitation Hospital Phoenix. Wong manages patients’ medical rehabilitation plan to effectively transition from initial diagnosis through acute care and rehabilitation. He specializes in the treatment of stroke, traumatic brain injury and spinal cord injury.

Jordan Palmer (LAW ‘15) is an assistant U.S. attorney with the Northern District of West Virginia in the city of Wheeling. He serves in the office’s civil division, a unit that defends federal agencies when sued in court, prosecutes civil enforcement matters and collects debts owed to the United States.

Ángel Reyes-Rodríguez (GRS ’15, molecular virology) made Crain's Cleveland Business 2021 Forty Under 40 list. In his role as director of the McNair Scholars Program at Cleveland State University, Reyes-Rodríguez helps increase the diversity of master’s students and doctoral candidates by engaging promising low-income and first-generation undergraduates in research and other activities.

Sarah Katz (LAW ’17) is an associate with the Cleveland firm Ulmer & Berne LLP, where she focuses her practice on product liability litigation and the defense of pharmaceutical, medical device and mass tort claims.

Beth Magid (CWR '17) lives in Burbank, California and is a production coordinator with Walt Disney Animation Studios.

Justin Bibb (MGT ’18, LAW ’18) is mayor of his native City of Cleveland. Bibb chose Case Western Reserve University to build business and law skills that would help him give back to his hometown. “From developing legislation for creating new economic development tax credits to negotiating with labor unions to implement pension reform, the intersection of law and business is at the center of city management,” told The Daily in 2018. His four-year term began January 2022.

Jahlyn Reyes-McKinley (CWR ’19) is a production coordinator with Disney Television Animation, living in Los Angeles.

Nathan Sundheimer (MGT ’19) was named to the annual Crain’s Cleveland Business Twenty in their 20s list. After receiving his undergraduate degree in neurobiology at the College of Wooster, Sundheimer joined the MBA program at Weatherhead School of Management. Now, he is the program manager for the digital health accelerator and lead of U.S. health care partnerships.

Aviva Vincent (GRS ’19, social welfare), Isabel Ballard (SAS ’21) and Kathleen J. Farkas (GRS ’84, social welfare), published the 2021 article, Mind Full or Mindful? A Cohort Study of Equine-Facilitated Therapy for Women Veterans in the Journal of Creativity in Mental Health. All three co-authors are based in Cleveland, where Vincent works at a therapeutic riding stable; Ballard is an intensive home-based treatment therapist with Ravenwood Health; and Farkas is an associate professor at CWRU Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences.

2020s

Srikanth Gaddam (MGT ’20) released The Leadership Guide: Unleashing the Power Within in 2021, expanding on his bestselling how-to-succeed series. In the book, Gaddam shares his own experiences alongside leadership lessons of historical figures such as Nelson Mandela, George Washington, Eleanor Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln. Gaddam lives in Columbus, Ohio and is chief executive officer and co-founder of ERPA Analysts Inc., which offers enterprise application management, cloud hosting and consulting services.

Gabriela Sehinkman (GRS ’20, social welfare) founded TeleAyuda in Beachwood, Ohio, designed to be staffed by and serve Latinos using specialized, culturally appropriate therapy. 

Caroline Ford (LAW ’21) is an attorney for the internet defamation law firm, Minc Law, in Orange, Ohio. Ford worked for the firm for two years while attending Case Western Reserve University School of Law, training in the field of internet defamation law and litigation.

Jeremy Rodrigues (CWR ’21; GRS ’21, military ethics) made history as the first graduate of Case Western Reserve University to be named a Schwarzman Scholar. The highly competitive leadership program takes place at Schwarzman College on the campus of Tsinghua University in Beijing, through which Rodrigues will earn a Master of Global Affairs degree. 

Now a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force Reserves, Rodrigues has deferred acceptance to Yale Law School until 2023 while he completes Schwarzman Scholars. His sights are set on a career in public service and over the coming years hopes to gain experience at the intersection of global economic development, national security and public policy.

 

Fall/Winter 2022

Fred Gray (LAW ’54) received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Joe Biden in July.

Gray is a civil rights lawyer who represented nationally known leaders including Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks and John Lewis. When they and others needed a lawyer for the fight for freedom, Biden said during the ceremony, they called Gray, “one of the most important civil rights lawyers in our history.” Biden noted that Gray also is an ordained minister who has “imbued a righteous calling” into his work and “at 91 years young, he’s still practicing law.” Gray recently co-authored Alabama v. King (Hanover Square Press), which details his experience as a 24-year-old lawyer for King during the historic Montgomery bus boycott. During his nearly 70 year career, Gray litigated civil-rights cases that helped to desegregate public transportation, schools and restaurants, establish due process rights for students of color at public universities, protect human research subjects and strengthen the rights to vote and to serve on a jury. Last year, Gray’s childhood street in Montgomery was renamed in his honor, and in 2022, Gray was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Laws Degree from the University of Alabama for his critical role in desegregating the university. Gray’s law practice is based in Tuskegee, Alabama.

Joel Third (CIT ’60) was honored by Keeler Tavern Museum & History Center in May for his years of volunteer service. Third has led several initiatives at the Ridgefield, Connecticut, museum since he joined the board in 2006, including major restoration projects and establishing a scholarship in memory of his late wife, Bettie Jane.

Nancy R. Golden (FSM ’65) of Weymouth, Massachusetts, was awarded the Paul J. Liacos Mental Health Advocacy Award by the Committee for Public Counsel Services, which provides legal representation in Massachusetts to individuals unable to afford an attorney but who are required by law to have one. Golden was recognized for her 48-year career advocating for fair treatment in mental health cases involving commitments to mental hospitals, guardianships and other issues.

Sally Zlotnick Sears (FSM ’72, SLS ’74) is the first woman to chair the Board of Directors at Cleveland Museum of Natural History. She has been active on the board since 2014 and takes the helm as the museum continues its $150 million expansion and renovation.

Alan P. Baden (LAW ’73), a recently retired corporate finance and securities attorney in Houston, is on the board of MIND Technology Inc., which provides technology to oceanographic, defense and other industries.

Diane M. Robertson (WRC ’73) was appointed by President Joe Biden to the President’s Advisory Committee on the Arts. An award-winning documentary producer, Robertson lives in Carrboro, North Carolina, where she runs a horticultural design firm and serves on various nonprofit boards in addition to advocating for the state’s voting rights initiative.

Lawrence R. Sykes (LAW ’74) is a trustee on the Board of Education for the City of Yonkers, New York. Sykes is the parent of four former Yonkers Public Schools students, and an attorney with more than 30 years of litigation experience in the areas of real estate and municipal law.

Ed Etheredge (LAW ’76) has retired after nearly 50 years practicing law, mainly in the areas of land use, zoning and contract cases. Active in the Northampton, Massachusetts, community, Etheredge has had a role in site selection for many of the city’s landmarks and businesses, most recently negotiating where the state’s first recreational cannabis dispensary would be located.

Sheryl Booker Owens (LYS '77) authored and independently published a book series following the lives of a blended, multigenerational African American household, the Gaines family. Currently containing three volumes, the series includes Move In with me, Tangled Webs and The Ties That Bind: Malcontent. Retired from a career with the Columbus Metropolitan Library System, Owens participates in social justice and environmental activism in Columbus, Ohio.

Todd Arnold (CIT ’78) received the 2020/2021 Meritorious Service Award from the American National Standards Institute for his contributions to the U.S. voluntary system involving consensus standards for products, services, processes and systems. After working with IBM since 1978, Arnold retired in 2021 from his full-time role as senior technical staff member and recently returned to the team as a contract engineer in cryptographic product development. Cryptography involves techniques for keeping communications secure.

Bob Stark (LAW ’78) has stepped down as CEO from Stark Enterprises, a real estate development company he led for 43 years. He is now president and chair. The company has built award-winning shopping and lifestyle centers in the Greater Cleveland area, including Eton Chagrin Boulevard and Crocker Park. 

Val Matula (GRS ’86, computer engineering) is chief technology officer for Assertion Inc., leading corporate product and innovation strategy for the data security software company. He also is president of the community service organization Kiwanis Club in Granville, Ohio. 

Hemant Kanakia (GRS ’80, computer engineering) founded Maker Bhavan Foundation, which builds makerspaces for experiential engineering education in India. A retired entrepreneur based in Washington, D.C., Kanakia has made angel investments in 20 early-stage Indian companies involved in education, technology and healthcare since 2010.

Stephen Hilger (LAW ’82), a construction-law attorney in Grand Rapids, Michigan, is also a champion archer on the U.S. Archery Team. He competed in the Pan American Games in June.

Kathleen O’Malley (LAW ’82) retired from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and is of counsel for Irell & Manella LLP in Washington, D.C. She also was recently awarded an honorary degree by the University of New Hampshire Franklin Pierce School of Law.

Douglas Thomas Mallinak (CIT ’83) received his Master of Science in Computer Engineering from Syracuse University in 2016. He is now retired from IBM and remains active through his philanthropic work.

Michael Sieger (CIT ’83) of Chagrin Falls, Ohio, is on the board of IAA Inc., a global marketplace connecting vehicle buyers and sellers.

Henry F. Fabian Jr. (CIT ’85) designed a titanium lumbar fusion system slated to be part of CTL Amedica Corp.’s portfolio of spinal products. A spine surgeon, Fabian also has implanted the product multiple times. Fabian lives in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, and is CEO and board chair of Vertebration, Inc., a maker of medical equipment.

Markian Silecky (LAW ’87), corporate counsel for the biotech company A.D.A.M, helped coordinate relief efforts for Ukraine after Russia invaded in February. By the end of March, he had assisted in securing more than 1.5 million pounds of aid, in addition to donations. Silecky and his wife, Julie Parker (LAW ’87), live in Morristown, New Jersey.

Venkat Yepuri (GRS ’88, biomedical engineering) of Newbury Park, California, is chief operating officer of ImmPACT Bio USA Inc., overseeing business operations across the company. The company researches and engineers T-cell therapies for people with cancer who have exhausted other treatment options.

Anda Suna Cook (GRS ’89, organizational development and analysis) was inducted in the Cleveland International Hall of Fame, which recognizes individuals who have contributed to the diversity and multiculturalism of the city. As a child, Cook escaped the Soviet occupation of Latvia with her family and has been an active member of Cleveland’s Latvian community since she moved to the city in 1955. Among her many volunteer activities, Cook helped establish the Latvian Cultural Garden in Cleveland and served as board vice president for the Cleveland Cultural Gardens Federation. Cook also chaired the Cleveland Latvian Concert Association for 10 years and received a Certificate of Appreciation from the American Latvian Association in 2018.

Rollo Dilworth (CWR ’91) conducted his own composition at the 2022 LoKo Arts Festival, in Potsdam, New York. Dilworth is a professor and vice dean at Temple University's Esther Boyer College of Music and Dance in Philadelphia.

Robert Arthur (LAW ’92) of Lakeland, Florida, was reappointed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis as a judge of compensation claims.

Susan Stocker (NUR ’92) retired as dean and chief administrative officer of Kent State University at Ashtabula. She spent 32 years in leadership positions at Kent State, including 21 years as dean of the Ashtabula, Ohio, campus. The university has honored her with the endowed Susan J. Stocker Nursing Scholarship.

Melissa D. Holler (CWR ’92; GRS ’97, engineering) of Canton, Ohio, is president of Hexagon Digital Wave, which manufactures high-pressure cylinder testing equipment and monitoring technology for the clean-energy industry.

Brian Miller (LAW ’93) is a partner in the trial and global disputes practice group of King & Spalding, a corporate law firm in Miami.

Peter Johnson (CWR ’94) traveled to Oświęcim, Poland, with One Humanity Institute to repair and furnish donated buildings to house Ukrainian refugees, and to distribute thousands of teddy bears to Ukrainian children. Johnson is founder and CEO of Pittsburgh-based Capital Purpose, which aims to motivate corporations to “do the right thing” by highlighting the profitability and other financial achievements of companies that have women in at least 15% of senior leadership positions.

Doug MacKay (MGT ’94) is founder, CEO and chief investment officer of Broadleaf Partners LLC, an investment management firm in Hudson, Ohio.

Parris J. Baker (SAS ’95) is a scholar-in-residence at the Jefferson Educational Society, a nonprofit promoting civic enlightenment and community progress for Erie, Pennsylvania. Baker is an associate professor at Gannon University in Erie and director of the university’s social work, mortuary science and gerontology programs. 

Nicholas Barendt (CWR ‘95; GRS ‘98, electrical engineering) is part of the Leadership Cleveland Class of 2023 in a cohort of 65 individuals. The intensive 10-month program by Cleveland Leadership Center helps senior-level management from the public, private and nonprofit sectors build knowledge and relationships with a goal addressing challenges and opportunities facing the region. Barendt is executive director of the Institute for Smart, Secure and Connected Systems (ISSACS) at Case Western Reserve University.

Sarah Branson (NUR ’95) of Mystic, Connecticut, released her debut novel, A Merry Life: Pirates of the New Earth, Book 1 (Sooner Started Press). Set in the 24th century, it follows the adventures of Kat Wallace, a young woman who escapes enslavement to find a home on an island nation of pirates.

James DeRosa (LAW ’95) is director of the Mayor’s Office of Capital Projects for the City of Cleveland. He was appointed by Mayor Justin Bibb (LAW ’18, MGT ’18). DeRosa served as interim director of the office for several months, overseeing planning, design and construction of city buildings and infrastructure.

Susan Hatters-Friedman (CWR ’96, MED ’99) is president of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law and deputy editor of the academy’s journal. A forensic and perinatal psychiatrist, Hatters-Friedman is director of Forensic Psychiatry at University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, an associate professor of psychiatry at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and adjunct faculty at the university's School of Law.

Raj V. Rajaram (GRS ’97, macromolecular science) is chief marketing officer of Meta Materials Inc., which engineers multi-functional materials with properties that do not exist in nature.

Colleen Batcheler (LAW ’98) is executive vice president, general counsel and secretary of the car rental company Hertz, headquartered in Estero, Florida.

Steven Hull (MGT ’98) is a managing director in the diversified industrials and services group of Piper Sandler, an investment bank in Chicago.

Erin Clair (CWR ’99) received the 2022 Faculty Award of Excellence from Arkansas Tech University in Russellville, Arkansas. She was honored for her distinguished service as director of general education, director of College Operations for Arts and Humanities, an associate professor of English and chair of the university’s Faculty and Staff Well-Being Committee.

Lisa Dietrich (MGT ’99) is executive vice president and chief information officer of Lincoln Electric, a global company known for its arc welding equipment that is headquartered in Euclid, Ohio.

Deborah Mitchell (GRS ’00, American studies) earned the 2022 Distinguished Faculty Award from Westminster College in New Wilmington, Pennsylvania, where she is a professor of English and film studies.

MaryFrances McCourt (MGT ’01) is chief financial officer of University of Chicago. She previously served as senior vice president for finance and treasurer at the University of Pennsylvania.

Tom Parrish (CWR ‘01) is managing director of Berkeley Repertory Theatre, a Tony Award-winning regional theater in Berkeley, California.

Hayden Stafford (MGT ’01) of Bay Village, Ohio, is president and chief revenue officer for Seismic Software Inc., a data management company that helps customers automate and grow sales.

Shannon Morris (GRS ’01, molecular virology; MED ’02), based in North Carolina’s Raleigh-Durham area,. is senior vice president of clinical development at Erasca, a company that discovers, develops and commercializes new cancer therapies.

Lynn Ulatowski (GRS ’03, ’12, nutrition) was named Mentor of the Year by the Great Midwest Athletic Conference. Ulatowski is an assistant professor of biology and a faculty athletic representative at Ursuline College in Pepper Pike, Ohio. She also is an advocate for organ donation after receiving an emergency heart transplant in 2020.

Charles Moses (MGT ’04) is dean of the Eberhardt School of Business at University of the Pacific in Stockton, California.

Adrianne M. Fletcher (SAS ’05) is director of diversity, equity and inclusion for the Supreme Court of Ohio. Fletcher is taking a leave of absence from Case Western Reserve University where she is assistant dean for diversity and inclusion and an assistant professor at the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences. 

Kevin Klein (MGT ’05) is senior vice president at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management and a senior financial advisor and portfolio manager with the Hahn Scott Klein Gates Gandolfo Group in Williamsville, New York.

Karen Miga (GRS ’05, genetics), assistant professor of biomolecular engineering at University of California, Santa Cruz, was named one of the 100 most influential people of 2022 by TIME on the innovators list. From 2019 to 2022, Miga and her colleagues led an international team of scientists, the “Telomere-to-Telomere Consortium,” to complete the first gapless sequence of a human genome. Using new technologies, the team scanned 20,000 to 1 million base pairs of DNA at a time. In comparison, the original Human Genome Project (1990–2003) was limited to reading several hundred base pairs at a time. It’s expected that the work of Miga and her colleagues will help researchers better understand genetic variants and diseases, human diversity and evolution.

Brian C. Miller (GRS ’05, social welfare) authored Reducing Secondary Traumatic Stress: Skills for Sustaining a Career in the Helping Professions (Routledge). The book presents an evidence-based model for addressing distressing emotions and supporting emotional wellbeing in healthcare workers and others who experience secondary trauma when they are exposed to people who have been traumatized.

James Armour (MGT ’06) is vice president of mission at Mercy Health hospital system in Youngstown and Lorain, Ohio. 

Debra Nagy (GRS ‘07, historical performance) was awarded the 2022 Cleveland Arts Prize in the Mid-Career Artist category, given annually to two Northeast Ohio artists whose work has received regional and national recognition. Nagy is the founder and artistic director of Les Délices, an early music performance and advocacy organization. A baroque oboist, she also is on faculty at the joint music program between Case Western Reserve University and Cleveland Institute of Music.

LaVonne Pulliam (CWR ‘08; GRS ‘08, bioethics; LAW ‘11) is chief compliance officer of University Hospitals in Cleveland. She oversees the hospital system's compliance, ethics and privacy programs, ensuring institutional adherence to internal policies and external legal and regulatory requirements.

Tommy Zagorski (CWR ’08) is head football coach at Gilmour Academy in Gates Mills, Ohio. He also serves as the academy’s testing center coordinator, student support associate and an athletics college liaison for the College Counseling Office.

Kate Golski (MED ’09) was inducted into the Charlevoix, Michigan, High School Hall of Fame as an alumna of the Class of 1998. Golski is a pediatrician at the Tuba City, Arizona, Regional Healthcare Corp., where she cares for indigenous children from a variety of tribal nations in addition to chairing the hospital’s ethics committee.

Georgio Sabino III (GRS ’09, art education) taught an art workshop for approximately 100 students at Cleveland’s Mary B. Martin Elementary School through a New York-based visual arts education organization—Studio Institute—that also works in Cleveland. Eight of Sabino’s students were chosen for an annual exhibition hosted by the institute’s parent organization and their artwork was displayed at the renowned Christie’s auction house in New York City.

Elizabeth Clayborne (MED ’11; GRS ’11, bioethics) received a $256,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to continue the development and production of her invention, the NasaClip, which is designed to be a hands-free device that can stop nosebleeds. Clayborne is an adjunct assistant professor at the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore.

Chris Bell (GRS ’12, contemporary dance) is an associate choreographer for the world premiere of the musical, Eighty-Sixed, at Diversionary Theatre in San Diego. His own dance company, chrisbelldances, is based in New York City and has performed in six states.

Joseph Duffy (MGT ’14) is director of the Department of Planning and Development at the City of Maple Heights, Ohio.

Gloria Tavera (GRS ’16, pathology; GRS ’19, clinical translational science; MED ’21) was featured in White Coat Rebels, a 2021 documentary highlighting medical students across the United States fighting the influence of pharmaceutical companies on health care. Tavera is now a resident physician at University of California, San Francisco, and a founding member of Universities Allied for Essential Medicines, which seeks to make medicine more affordable and accessible.

Peng "Edward" Wang (GRS ’17, mechanical engineering) received the 2022 Sandra L. Bouckley Outstanding Young Manufacturing Engineers Award from SME, a nonprofit supporting the manufacturing industry. Wang is the Robley D. Evans Faculty Fellow and an assistant professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at University of Kentucky in Lexington.

Richard Lartey (GRS ’18, applied mathematics) is a postdoctoral researcher at Cleveland Clinic using math to help validate a new kind of MRI technology that measures the status of cartilage and soft tissues in osteoarthritis and other joint disorders.

Kwame Botchway (SAS ’19) is heading the Cleveland hub of Global Shapers Community, a young leadership group, for a one-year term. He also is the founder and principal consultant at Citadel Impact Consulting and director of community impact and innovation at Cleveland Neighborhood Progress’ Village Capital Corp.

Xyla Foxlin (CWR ’19) was one of more than 120 women innovators in STEM celebrated with a life-size 3D-printed statue in the #IfThenSheCan exhibit in March at the Smithsonian Gardens in Washington, D.C.

Michael Somma (DEN ’20) opened Green Village Dental Care in Wellington, Florida.

Josh Rheins (LAW ’21) is a law clerk in Denver with the 17th Judicial District Court of Colorado, working for judges with felony dockets, and has been admitted to the Colorado Bar.

Ezekiel Bonillas (MGT ’22) joined the editorial board of The Desert Sun, a daily newspaper serving the Palm Springs, California, region. He also teaches entrepreneurship, management and business strategy at California State University, San Bernardino.

Christopher B. Portley (GRS ’22, theater) is a cast member in the world-premiere musical American Prophet: Frederick Douglass in His Own Words at the Kreeger Theater in Washington, D.C. Portley is in the ensemble and also portrays Demby, an enslaved man whose abuse and murder Douglass—a 19th century abolitionist who escaped slavery—witnessed and described in his memoir.

January 2021

Ruth Spencer (SAS ‘75, LAW ‘83), associate vice president for human resources at Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, New York, retired in December 2020. She was the first African American to obtain the rank of associate vice president at Vassar.

Parameswar Nandakumar Warrier (MGT ‘75), writing as P. Nandakumar Warrier, published the novel Deadlier Than the Male (Leadstart Publishing). The story revolves around a female management school director fighting crime and vicious intrigues on campus.

JoAnn Glick (NUR ‘79) and her husband, Bob Glick, made a $42 million donation to Cleveland’s MetroHealth medical system, the largest donation in the system’s 183-year history. The donation will be used to support the JoAnn and Bob Glick Fund for Healthy Communities, which will support and nurture programs that promote the health and well-being of the underserved in Greater Cleveland with a focus on the needs of women and children, and the JoAnn Zlotnick Glick Endowed Fund in Community Health Nursing, which will recognize and support the role of nurses as leaders in improving the health and health care of the underserved in Greater Cleveland. The endowment will also support a professorship in Case Western Reserve University’s Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing, where JoAnn Glick received her MSN in community health nursing. MetroHealth’s new main hospital, currently under construction, will be named The MetroHealth Glick Center in recognition of the gift.

Mike Coyle (CWR ‘83) is president, chief executive officer and a member of the board of directors of iRhythm Technologies, Inc., a digital healthcare solutions company focused on cardiac care.

Randy Dearth (GRS ‘89, macromolecular science) is senior director of SK Capital Partners, LP, a private investment firm focused on the specialty materials, chemicals and pharmaceuticals sectors. 

William F.B. Vodrey (LAW ‘92) was elected to a six-year term as a judge for the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas in Cleveland. 

Lisa McDuffie (SAS ‘93), president and CEO of the YWCA of Northwest Ohio, was appointed to the Toledo Museum of Art board of directors. 

Mark Johnson (SAS ‘94) joined the clinical team of the Mental Health, Addiction and Recovery Services Board, which funds and monitors a network of mental health and substance use services for Lorain County, Ohio, residents. He will lead the team as the community services director.

Sam Macmaster (SAS ‘94, ‘01) is corporate director of clinical operations for Promises Behavioral Health, a treatment provider for mental health and substance use disorders based in Brentwood, Tennessee.

Heather (Hintz) Bennett (CWR ’96) published Fun and Fulfilling Careers One Question at a Time: A Step-by-Step Guide to Thriving in Your Personal and Professional Life (independently published), a career and entrepreneurship book based on over two decades of experience in personal branding and marketing and intended for people in career transitions or looking to start a business. The book includes simple, engaging exercises as well as motivating discussions of career related topics. 

David Hinkle (CWR ‘96) is a professor and the inaugural Oliver and Carroll Dabezies Endowed Chair at the Tulane School of Medicine at Tulane University. 

Clayton L. "Clay" Diamond (LAW ‘00) is executive director and general counsel for the American Pilots' Association (APA). Diamond has been APA's deputy director-associate general counsel since 2008. Prior to joining APA, Diamond served in the U.S. Coast Guard for twenty years, during which he served as regional counsel for all Coast Guard operations in the eight Great Lakes states, special advisor to the Department of Defense General Counsel, Coast Guard liaison to the State Department, and Coast Guard legislative counsel. 

Kristin W. Boose (MGT ‘01, LAW ‘01), a partner at the Cleveland law firm of Ulmer & Berne LLP, was appointed to serve on the Ohio Advisory Board of The Trust for Public Land, a nonprofit that works to ensure healthy, livable communities by creating parks and protecting land.

Teleangé Thomas (MGT ‘02) is the chief advancement and relationships officer role for JumpStart Inc., an investing, entrepreneurial support and economic development organization. Thomas sits on the boards of Community Health Charities, Policy Matters Ohio, Green City Growers, The Conservancy of Cuyahoga Valley National Park and the Cleveland Public Library. She is a Fellow of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and is published in academic journals. Thomas is a member of Zeta-Phi-Beta Sorority and the Order of the Eastern Star. Additionally, Thomas was appointed to the Commission on Infant Mortality by Ohio Governor John Kasich in 2015 and helped establish the Ohio Fresh Food Financing Fund, a state-level fund to support healthy food production and distribution to benefit vulnerable communities.

Jenifer Grady (MGT ‘03) is the first chief operating officer for Greater Nashville Realtors, Tennessee's largest local Realtor Association, effective January 11, 2021. Grady previously served as the executive director of Tenn-Share, Tennessee's multi-type library consortium for discounted group database and e-book purchases serving 700+ libraries across the state, and as the director of the American-Library Association-Allied Professional Association in Chicago.

Hillary Emer (CWR ‘07; GRS ‘07, mechanical engineering) is senior director of business systems at Intelerad Medical Systems, medical imaging software provider.

Simone Jelks (MED ‘11) was promoted to full-time referee status by the NBA, becoming the league's seventh full-time female basketball referee. In 2017, Jelks published the advice book One-On-One (independently published) which uses basketball as a framing device to advise men on dating ambitious women. 

Bianca Smith (LAW ‘17, MGT ‘17) is a coach for the Boston Red Sox’s minor league team in Fort Myers, Florida, mainly working with position players. Smith is the first Black woman to serve as a professional coach in baseball history. 

Lacey Ferrara (LAW ‘20) joined the Cleveland law office of Reminger Co., LPA. Ferrara graduated magna cum laude from Case Western Reserve University School of Law where she served as contributing editor of Case Western’s Law Review. 

Kent Hushion (LAW ‘20) joined the Columbus, Ohio, law office of Reminger Co., LPA.

February 2021

Emily Blackwell (MED 1854), the second woman at Case Western Reserve and the third woman in the United States to earn a medical degree, and her sister, Elizabeth Blackwell, the first woman to earn her medical degree in the United States in 1849, are the subjects of the new book The Doctors Blackwell: How Two Pioneering Sisters Brought Medicine to Women and Women to Medicine (W. W. Norton & Company). Author Janice P. Nimura explores the sisters’ allies, enemies, and enduring partnership, as they founded the New York Infirmary for Indigent Women and Children, the first hospital staffed entirely by women, and its Women's Medical College. 

Esther Rinehart Hamer (NUR ‘53) and her husband, John Hamer, made a $1.5 million estate gift to establish the John L. and Esther L. Rinehart Hamer Professorship in Music at Manchester University in Indiana. The couple is best known in medical circles for their role in identifying Lassa fever, also known as Lassa hemorrhagic fever, while working as medical missionaries in Nigeria.

Ed Epstein (ADL '65) and Malcolm Gissen (ADL ’65) realized that some members of their Phi Sigma Delta Fraternity were feeling isolated and depressed due to COVID-19 restrictions and decided to connect with their fellow alumni via zoom calls. They sent the first invite to all classmates for whom they had email addresses, most having graduated from CWRU between 1963 and 1972. Although they hoped for 15 attendees, 37 fraternity brothers participated in the first call, lasting almost two hours. After that, the group committed to monthly zoom meetings. In May, Epstein and Gissen invited attendees to volunteer their time and resources in support of the upcoming presidential election. Eighteen alumni, CWRU graduates from 1963 and 1972, formed Phi Sig Blue, agreeing to meet every two weeks via zoom while pooling their money to make a monthly contribution to a Democratic candidate. Led by Gene Bregman (ADL '68) and Hank Levine (ADL ’68, MED '72), the group focused their efforts on candidates in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and the Minnesota State Senate, making calls, sending texts and mailing letters and postcards. After the election, the group realized that they enjoyed the connection with each other so much that they will continue their monthly calls and become involved in more political campaigns in the future. Sadly, group member and fraternity brother Leon Darling (ADL ’64) died of Covid-related causes in December. 

Shair Ahmad (GRS ‘68, mathematics) recently celebrated his retirement and 85th birthday. These two occasions were marked with the dedication of an issue of Nonlinear Analysis, an international mathematical journal publishing high-quality research papers broadly related to the analysis of partial differential equations and their applications. Ahmad served as the managing editor and later as an editor-in-chief and an honorary editor for the journal. In the preface of the journal, Ahmad thanked former department chair, late Professor Walter Leighton, and reminisced about his experiences at Case Western Reserve.

Barrett Katz (MED ‘73), a neuro-ophthalmologist, is chief medical officer of Viridian Therapeutics, Inc., formerly miRagen Therapeutics, Inc., a development-stage biotechnology company currently developing a treatment of thyroid eye disease. 

Loree Potash (LYS ‘75) and her husband, Steve, donated $7.5 million to establish the Steve and Loree Potash Women & Newborn Center at University Hospital (UH) Ahuja Medical Center in Beachwood, Ohio. The center is part of the UH Ahuja Phase 2 expansion, bringing UH Rainbow Babies & Children’s and UH MacDonald Women’s hospitals to the east side Cleveland suburb, including maternal-fetal care and a full spectrum of labor and delivery services.

Gary L. Yost (LAW ‘75) retired after thirty years of service as an Ashtabula County Common Pleas Judge.

Phylliss M. Chappell (MED ‘80), a palliative care physician at the Houston Methodist Hospital; assistant professor of clinical medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine; assistant professor of clinical medicine, Houston Methodist Academic Institute; assistant clinical member, Houston Methodist Research Institute; adjunct assistant professor, Texas A&M College of Medicine, has been designated a Fellow of the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine (AAHPM), the academy’s highest honor bestowed upon a physician member. Chappella’s paper, Wish of a Young Failing Heart, Compassionate Listening in Palliative Care, was published in the Humanities Section of the Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, the official journal of the AAHPM.

Tony D’Onofrio (WRC ‘82) is CEO and managing director of the Global Retail Business Unit of Prosegur Security, a security technology company. 

Peter Litwinowicz (CIT ’85) and the company he co-founded, RE:Vision Effects, were honored with an Engineering Emmy® by the Television Academy during the 72nd Engineering Emmy Awards in October 2020. The Engineering Emmy is presented to an individual, company or organization for developments in engineering that are either so extensive an improvement on existing methods or so innovative in nature that they materially affect the production, recording, transmission or reception of television. RE:Vision Effects is a software development company focused on creating, modifying, controlling, and enhancing digital video imagery. Their products have a broad range of applications and are currently used in every phase of television, motion picture, internet and visual effects industries. Litwinowicz received a Scientific and Technical Academy Award® from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in 2007. 

Paul Mraz (GRS ‘91, mechanical engineering) is senior vice president of OrthoPediatrics Corp. and general manager of ApiFix Ltd., where he served as president and CEO prior to its acquisition by OrthoPediatrics in April 2020. Founded in 2006, OrthoPediatrics is focused on the field of pediatric orthopedics. ApiFix Ltd. is a medical device company based in Israel and Boston, developer of a motion-preserving scoliosis correction technology and a new approach to spine deformity treatment, the Minimally Invasive Deformity Correction (MID-C) system acts as an “internal brace” providing permanent curve correction while retaining spine mobility using a least invasive surgical approach. Mraz holds twelve U.S. patents for various medical devices and technologies. He lives with his wife and teenage daughters on the south shore of Boston, where he and his family are also active with community service commitments and where he does some of his best thinking while fishing and running half-marathons.

David M. Bonnet (CWR ‘94) is system chief medical officer of high reliability medicine for University Hospitals in Cleveland, driving clinical, operational, and financial healthcare quality and value improvement for the system.

Lisa Bage (MGT ‘97) is CEO and president of MutualAid eXchange (MAX). Bage previously served as chief operating officer of MAX, a provider of home and farm insurance based in Overland Park, Kansas.

Devon Berry (NUR ‘97) is the director of the School of Nursing in the College of Health Sciences at Sam Houston State University. Berry previously served as the executive associate dean, clinical associate professor, and the interim senior academic officer for DNP Programs for the Oregon Health & Science University’s School of Nursing in Portland.

Terry Mulhern (MGT ‘97) published Congratulations, You Have Been Promoted to CEO!: The Habits of Highly Effective CEOs that are Necessary for Retiring Healthy, Wealthy, and Fulfilled! (independently published), encouraging everyone to adopt the common habits of highly effective CEOs when focusing on their own goals and retirement planning.

Vasanth Shenai (LAW '97) is a group marketing manager at Boston Scientific responsible for Embolization, Access & Delivery Portfolio at Peripheral Interventions, the company’s interventional oncology franchise. He has more than 17 years of medical device marketing experience.

Paul Malie (CWR ‘98) is a partner in the law firm of Tucker Ellis LLP in Cleveland. 

Molly Z. Brown (LAW ‘00) joined the Cleveland office of Brouse McDowell in an of counsel capacity in the law firm’s Business Transactions & Corporate Counseling practice group. 

Chris Hocevar (MGT ‘01) is an executive partner with Flare Capital Partners, a healthcare technology venture capital firm based in Boston.

Sean Felter (MGT ‘04) is vice president of business development & capital markets for Arbor Lodging, a Chicago-based hotel investment and management company operating branded full service, boutique, select service and extended stay hotels for brands, including Marriott, Hilton, Hyatt and IHG, across the United States. 

Catherine M. Stone (LAW ‘04) joined the Youngstown, Ohio, office of Brouse McDowell in an of counsel capacity in the law firm’s Trusts & Estates practice group, focusing on estate planning and probate law, business law, and real estate law. Stone has more than 16 years of law firm experience. 

Brittany Williams (CWR ‘05) is senior director, project management office, for Apple Growth Partners, an accounting and business advisory firm in Akron, Ohio. 

Sachin V. Java (CWR ‘06; GRS ‘07, engineering and management) is an associate in the Cleveland office of the Ulmer & Berne LLP law firm. 

Andrea Aaby (CWR ‘07) is the director of compliance and development at Laketran, a regional public transportation system connecting Ohio’s Lake County with the greater Cleveland Metropolitan Area and serving more than 750,000 riders each year. 

Kyle T. Cutts (LAW ‘08) is a partner at the Cleveland law firm BakerHostetler. He represents clients in complex litigation throughout the country.

Marie Elizabeth Ramas (MED ‘08), of Hollis, New Hampshire, joined the board of trustees for Rivier University in Nashua, New Hampshire. Ramas is the medical director at GateHouse Treatment, an addiction treatment center in Nashua. 

Andrew Freyer (CWR ‘09) is a shareholder in the Denver office of the Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck law firm. 

Ali Briggs (CWR '11, MGT ‘11) is CEO and co-founder of LifeWeb 360, an online platform that allows users to come together virtually to collect memories and celebrate and honor the life of a lost loved one.

David Garrett (MGT ‘14) is the chief information officer for Apple Growth Partners, an accounting and business advisory firm in Akron, Ohio. 

Jamie Van Doren (CWR ‘14) is founder and chief executive officer of NeverEnding, a new storytelling platform and set of tools allowing anyone to create animations. Doren utilized the resources of CWRU's Launchnet program to make connections within the Northeast Ohio entrepreneurship community. Additionally, the company received a grant from the Great Lakes Innovation and Development Enterprise (GLIDE), an organization assisting Northeast Ohio entrepreneurs by connecting them with the tools and resources they need to succeed. The company also received a grant from the Northeast Ohio Student Venture Fund (NEOSVF), which works closely with local students, start-ups and community organizations to attract and retain talent in Northeast Ohio, and was awarded $5,000 after winning the 2020 Youngstown Business Incubator (YBI) Pitch competition, leveraging expertise and resources to encourage technology-based economic development and community wealth. 

Manmeet Ahluwalia (MGT ’20), neuro-oncologist and medical oncologist, is deputy director, chief scientific officer and chief of medical oncology for Baptist Health’s Miami Cancer Institute.

Jennifer Kennedy Karnik (MGT ‘20) and Vincent F. Karnik (MNO ‘20) held a backyard CWRU commencement ceremony with their immediate family in September 2020. In full regalia, they presented each other with comically large diplomas. Then, they surprised their guests by announcing that they had just married. As the graduation celebration turned into a wedding reception, the bride unzipped her black graduation gown to reveal her wedding dress underneath. CWRU is a key part of the couple’s story, as they met on campus. The private ceremony was officiated by alumna and current CWRU employee Holly N. Bowen (MNO ‘18), while former CWRU employee Michelle Lampton made their wedding cake and a former CWRU police officer Matt Shiffler served as their photographer.

March 2021

Robert Baumann (MED ‘65) will receive the Brumback Lifetime Achievement Award from the Child Neurology Society in the fall of 2021. After nearly a half-century of work at the University of Kentucky, Bauman is being recognized for his life-long commitment to child neurology, patient care and humanism in medicine.

Jim McCabe (ADL '70) of Bethesda, Maryland, manages Ebooks for Students, a non-profit organization that produces free ebooks for high school students through its website, ebooksforstudents.org. The books focus on African American history, Latino history and military history. 

Robin (Kaplan) Gross (WRC ‘73, SAS ’76) published her memoir, Through the Lens of Love: Facing Terminal Illness (Redwood Publishing, LLC), the story of the two years she spent with her late husband, Richard (Dick) Gross (MED ’74), after he was diagnosed with an aggressive form of brain cancer. With the help of family, friends and acquaintances, Dick’s last two years became an extraordinary journey that included a road trip to Cleveland. The couple met at Case Western Reserve University when she was a first-year undergraduate and he was a first-year medical student.

Julia M. Gelfand (SYS ‘77; GRS ‘77, history), applied sciences and engineering librarian at the University of California-Irvine, is the 2021 Association of College and Research Libraries Academic/Research Librarian of the Year. The award recognizes an outstanding member of the library profession who has made a significant national or international contribution to academic/research librarianship and library development.

Bill Roemer (WRC ‘78, MGT ‘82) was re-elected to the Ohio House of Representatives in District 38, representing of western Summit County and Stark County. Additionally, Roemer was appointed the chairman of the Health and Human Services Subcommittee of the Finance Committee on which he also serves.

Larry W. Rudawsky (LAW ‘82) of Trenton, Michigan, is senior counsel for the law firm of Barrett McNagny, LLP in Fort Wayne, Indiana. He has more than thirty years of experience in the area of employee benefits and is an emeritus member of the board for The Alumni Association of Case Western Reserve.

Alka Gupta (MGT ‘92), co-founder of and current director at globaliD, Inc., a venture-backed company building a portable and interoperable identity platform leveraging the blockchain, was elected to the board of directors for MoneyGram International, Inc., a global provider of cross-border person to person payments and money transfers.

Mike Ryan (LAW ‘92) is a partner in the Fort Lauderdale-based law firm of Freedland Harwin Valori Ryan, PL.

Jeffrey Witt Strain (MED ‘92), a general surgeon, joined the General Surgery Associates team at Oswego Health, a regional health care provider based in Oswego, New York. 

Marilyn Sleder (MGT ‘93) is a senior manager on the accounting solutions team in the Jackson, Michigan, office of Rehmann, a fully integrated financial services and advisory firm operating in Michigan, Ohio and Florida. Prior to joining Rehmann, Sleder worked at Ford Motor Company where she served as a business auditor, assessing risk and performing internal audit procedures for manufacturing facilities and various staff functions.

Penny Casselman (CWR ‘94) published her memoir, How To Get A Free Boob Job (Balboa Press). In the book, Casselman uses humor to share her adventure navigating breast cancer after receiving the diagnosis on her 45th birthday. 

Shouresh Amir-Tahmasseb (CWR ‘96, MGT ‘03) is the Americas head of engineering for ABB’s Energy Industries Division based in Cleveland. ABB is a global technology company specializing in electrical and electronic manufacturing. He is also the former chair of the non-profit Home Repair and Resource Center.

Bridget O'Keeffe (CWR ‘97) is vice president of clinical development for OncoSec Medical Incorporated, a biotechnology company focused on developing immunotherapies to stimulate the body's immune system to target and attack cancer.

Nicole Cottrill (CWR ‘98) is senior partner and health provider services group head for Finn Partners, an independent public relations agency.

Camille Tourje (LAW ‘01) is second vice president, compliance officer for Standard Insurance Company, a provider of financial protection products and services for employers and individuals.

Ellen Zerucha (MGT '02), president and founder of Agency Professionals Business Brokerage LLC, has partnered with Goodman Commercial Real Estate, specializing in industrial, office, retail and land investment sales and owner/user industrial sales and leasing. This new partnership allows Zerucha's company to offer both business and real estate brokerage services to business buyers and sellers. 

Bryan Zumwalt (LAW ‘04) is senior managing director and head of government affairs within the strategic communications segment of FTI Consulting, Inc. Zumwalt will be based in Washington, D.C. and will advise clients with regard to the complex regulatory and political landscape to achieve successful corporate and legislative outcomes. He previously served as executive vice president of public affairs and leader of government relations, communications, research and ally development efforts for the Consumer Brands Association.

Phyllis Seven Harris (MNO ’05) and Ryan Clopton-Zymler (SAS ’15) founded Sage & Maven, LLC in 2020, as a response to the nationwide reckoning with racism. As a team, Clopton-Zymler and Harris have worked together during some of the most pivotal times of change in Cleveland, Ohio, and in the United States and have watched organizations and businesses struggle to keep up with those changes. Sage and Maven, LLC, is a consulting business specializing in equity and inclusion, social justice, non-profit management, and leadership development. 

Matthew Pifer (GRS ‘05, anatomy; MED ‘08) is the team doctor for Santa Barbara City College football. Pifer is an orthopedic surgeon serving patients in Santa Barbara and beyond, specializing in shoulder, sports medicine and biologic therapies.

Michelle Fisher (MGT ‘09) was appointed to Ashtabula County’s Western County Court (Ohio) by Gov. Mike DeWine, filling a vacancy created when the former court judge was elected to the Ashtabula County Court of Common Pleas in November. Prior to her appointment, Fisher served as a magistrate for the Ashtabula County Court of Common Pleas. Fisher will take office on March 1, and serve the remainder of the former judge’s term, until December 31, 2022. 

Amanda Nunnink (MGT ‘09) is vice president, equity in multifamily housing for Freddie Mac, a provider of  mortgage capital to lenders based in McLean, Virginia. Nunnink will lead efforts to create sustainable improvements for renters and the rental housing industry and work across multifamily to elevate diversity, equity and inclusion principles throughout the division. 

Aaron Colorito (CWR ‘10; GRS ‘11, civil engineering) was named the Engineers’ Society of Western Pennsylvania’s Young Engineer of the Year for 2020. Colorito is a senior structural engineer in the bridge design group of Michael Baker International in Pittsburgh, specializing in complex bridge analysis and bridge inspection and rehabilitation. He lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with his wife Laura (Thompson) Colorito (CWR ’12) and their two sons, Leo (2) and Walker (5 months).

Dan Whalen (CWR ’10, MGT ’14), vice president of design and development for Harbor Bay Real Estate Advisors in Chicago, played a lead role in the company’s decision to build Intro, Cleveland, a $150 million mixed-use development expected to be the tallest mass timber building in the United States. Intro, Cleveland is slated to be completed in 2022 and be a model for the use of mass timber as a way to sustainably reduce energy use and greenhouse gas emissions. 

Mert N. Aksu (DEN ‘15), dean and professor at the University of Detroit Mercy School of Dentistry, is a recipient of the 2021 American Dental Education Association’s Gies Award for Vision – Dental Educator for his unique and unconventional approach to dental education and oral health care have positively impacted the faculty, students and patients he serves. The Gies Awards recognize the efforts of individuals, institutions and organizations that exemplify the highest standards of vision, innovation and achievement in oral health and dental education. 

Ryan Clopton-Zymler (SAS ’15) and Phyllis Seven Harris (MNO ’05) founded Sage & Maven, LLC in 2020, as a response to the nationwide reckoning with racism. As a team, Clopton-Zymler and Harris have worked together during some of the most pivotal times of change in Cleveland, Ohio, and in the United States and have watched organizations and businesses struggle to keep up with those changes. Sage and Maven, LLC, is a consulting business specializing in equity and inclusion, social justice, non-profit management, and leadership development.
 
Katie Keene (MNO ‘18) joined the board of Social Venture Partner Cleveland, part of a global network that helps individuals make a greater impact with their giving by building powerful relationships among people and nonprofits.

Lidia C. Mowad (LAW ‘18) is an associate in the Intellectual Property Department of McDonald Hopkins LLC’s Cleveland law office.

Matthew Trowbridge (CWR ‘19; GRS ‘20, mechanical engineering) is a research associate in the Science and Technology Division of the Institute for Defense Analyses (IDA)’s Systems and Analyses Center. IDA is a nonprofit corporation that operates three federally funded research and development centers addressing U.S. security and science policy questions with objective analysis and scientific, technical and analytic expertise.

Patrick Crossey (CWR ‘20), a former member of the Case Western Reserve football team, was awarded the NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship, presented to student-athletes who have excelled both on the field and in the classroom during their collegiate careers, while also contributing to the community and showing exemplary leadership. The scholarship can be used for part-time or full-time graduate study at a university or professional school. Crossey is the seventh player in the history of the CWRU football team to earn the scholarship.

May 2021

Gerald Hazelbauer (GRS ‘68, biology), a professor emeritus of biochemistry at the University of Missouri, has pledged $1 million to his alma mater Lyons Township High School in La Grange, Illinois. The donation, made in honor of Ruth Wenner, his freshman biology teacher, will be used to foster innovative science teaching.

Dominick J. Casadonte Jr. (CIT ‘77), the Minnie Stevens Piper Professor in Texas Tech University’s Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, has been selected to receive the 2021 Council on Undergraduate Research-Goldwater Scholars Faculty Mentor Award. The award consists of a plaque and $5,000 for the recipient’s research program and/or undergraduate researchers.

JoAnn E. Manson (MED ‘79) received the James D. Bruce Memorial Award from the American College of Physicians, a national organization of internists. Established by ACP’s Board of Regents in 1946, the award is presented for distinguished contributions in preventive medicine.  

Rich Simons (CIT ‘83) is senior vice president and general manager of Laars Heating Systems Company, a division of the Bradford White Corporation, a manufacturer of commercial, residential and industrial water heating and storage applications.

Vince Schoenig (CIT ‘87) of Morrisville, Vermont, is executive vice president, senior it/operations officer for Union Bank, a full service bank offering services throughout northern Vermont and northwestern New Hampshire that is headquartered in Morrisville, Vermont.

Gregory Postel (MED ‘88) is the 18th president of the University of Toledo in Ohio.

Matthew E. Levy (MED ‘90), an orthopedic surgeon, joined Ohio Pain & Rehabilitation Center in Warren, Ohio.

Michael Finley (CWR ‘93) is scientific director of lead evaluation & cellular pharmacology at Janssen R&D, a division of Johnson & Johnson. Finley has worked at Janssen for just over 4 years, leading projects and teams to identify small molecule starting points for a wide range of drug discovery projects. Michael lives in Allentown, Pennsylvania, with his wife and two sons.

Marsha A. Mockabee (CNM ‘94), president and chief executive officer for the Urban League of Greater Cleveland, received a YWCA Woman of Achievement Award. The awards are presented to a select group of Northeast Ohio women who have achieved extraordinary accomplishments through career success, community service, leadership, mentoring and dedication to YWCA’s mission of eliminating racism and empowering women. The 45th Women of Achievement Awards ceremony will be televised live on May 27, 2021.

Leo P. Hyland (MNO ‘95) is the president of St. Vincent-St. Mary High School in Akron, Ohio, effective July 1, 2021. Hyland is currently president of Cleveland Central Catholic High School and previously served as director of advancement at Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin in Chardon and as director of special gifts for the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Cleveland.

J. Goosby Smith (MGT ‘96; GRS ‘02, organizational behavior) is the inaugural vice president for community belonging and chief diversity officer for Pepperdine University. She will join Pepperdine on June 1, 2021, from The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina, where she currently serves as associate professor of leadership; associate professor of management; assistant provost for diversity, equity, and inclusion; and director of the Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation Center.

Chris Hocevar (MGT ‘01) is chief executive officer for Help at Home, a U.S. provider of home care and community-based services in 12 states.

Anthony Traymore (LAW ‘02, MGT ‘02) is general counsel for Natural Fiber Welding, Inc., a materials industry company based in Peoria, Illinois.

Kelly Underman (CWR ‘05), an assistant professor of sociology at Drexel University, published the book Feeling Medicine: How the Pelvic Exam Shapes Medical Training (NYU Press).

Jeremy Morrison (CWR ‘08) joined the primary care staff at Grace Cottage Family Health. A graduate of Towson University and Case Western Reserve University, Morrison received his Doctorate from Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine and completed his residency at the University of Massachusetts.

Allison Lansell (CWR '09) was promoted to partner in the Cleveland law firm of Rolf Goffman Martin Lang, LLP, where she represents healthcare providers in the long-term care industry. 

Richard Scheufler (MGT ‘17), known as Free-Hy in the digital art scene, launched his first NFT Art Collection centered around cryptocurrency on Friday, April 2. NFTs, or non-fungible tokens, are digital tokens tied to assets that can be bought, sold and traded. Additionally, Scheufler has produced white label electronic music under the pseudonym Free-Hy for more than 20 years and is a senior marketing consultant at VIB Marketing Agency, Headquartered in Vermillion, Ohio and one of the first marketing agencies to accept Bitcoin for payment. Scheufler also manages the Marketing Foundation, a 501(c)3 foundation providing marketing help to individuals and organizations that are striving to change the world for the better. Scheufler will donate a portion of the profits from his NFT art sales to the foundation. The collection can be viewed at opensea.io/collection/cryptocurrency-collection/.

Winter/Spring 2021

Stephen Sroka (GRS ‘78), adjunct assistant professor at CWRU School of Medicine, penned an op-ed for New York Daily News weighing in on masking recommendations to reduce COVID-19 risks. Sroka draws on his experience working with Anthony Fauci to combat the AIDS epidemic in the 1980s.

Marie Pillai (MGT ‘79) was named senior advisor of Hunter Street Partners—an alternative investment management firm based in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Jessica Zitter (MED ‘92), a palliative care doctor and founder of the documentary studio Do No Harm Media, launched a new partnership with the educational film distributor, GOOD DOCS to promote her award-winning documentary Caregiver: A Love Story.

Andrew Garner (GRS ‘96, MED ‘97), clinical professor of pediatrics and an associate with the CWRU Schubert Center for Child Studies, recently co-authored a new policy statement titled Preventing Childhood Toxic Stress: Partnering With Families and Communities to Promote Relational Health, for the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Michael Doud (SAS ‘99) is the new executive director of the Mental Health, Addiction and Recovery Services Board of Lorain County, Ohio. 

Aaron Pechota (MGT ‘02) was named executive vice president of development and head of affordable housing at the NRP group, a general contractor and property management company. The promotion comes after nearly 18 years of service with the group.

Gregg Lunceford (GRS ‘17) was named one of Chicago United’s 50 Business Leaders of Color for 2021. The award is presented to leaders who have overcome obstacles and biases in the corporate landscape.

Madeleine Paolucci (CWR ‘21, nursing) was named to the 2020-21 Academic All-America Division III At-Large Team, as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America for her achievements both on the court and in the classroom over her career. Paolucci is the first women's tennis student-athlete in CWRU history to garner Academic All-America status.

Lewis Smoot III, JD (LAW ‘21) was named to Smoot Construction’s board of directors. He is the fourth generation to serve in a leadership role at the family company, headquartered in Columbus, Ohio.

January 2020

Robert P. Madison (ARC ‘48; HON ‘04) is an honorary trustee for the Cleveland Museum of Art. 

Ronald Krueger (GRS ‘71, physical education), the McGaw Professor and chairman of the UNMC Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences and director of the Truhlsen Eye Institute, received the 2019 Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Society of Refractive Surgery. The award honors members whose significant contributions have advanced refractive surgery and those recognized internationally during their career.

Edward P. Hemmelgarn (WRC ‘76; MGT ‘80), founder and current president and chief investment officer of Shaker Investments LLC, is a member of the board of trustees for the Cleveland Museum of Art. Hemmelgarn is currently on the Visiting Committee for Case Western Reserve University’s College of Arts and Sciences.

Cynthia F. Bearer (GRS ‘77, biochemistry) is chief of the Division of Neonatology at University Hospitals Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital (UH Rainbow) and the William & Lois Briggs Professor of Pediatrics at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. She previously served as chief, Division of Neonatology since 2009, and associate chair of research at the University of Maryland and is currently editor-in-chief of the peer-reviewed journal Pediatric Research.

Julia M. Gelfand (LYS ‘77; GRS ‘77, history), a distinguished research librarian for applied sciences and engineering at University of California, Irvine, was named a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the world’s largest general scientific society. Gelfand is recognized for significant and distinguished contributions to professional societies, advancements to the study of scientific publishing and grey literature, and service as a distinguished science librarian.    

Jeanne Colleran (GRS ‘80, English), distinguished rule of law fellow at Loyola University Chicago School of Law, joined the board of trustees of Ursuline College, a Catholic institution of higher learning located in Pepper Pike, Ohio, is a member of the board of trustees for the Cleveland Museum of Art. Prior to her current role, Colleran served as an administrative leader and faculty member at John Carroll University for 30 years. 

Donna M. Plecha (MED ‘88) is chair of the Department of Radiology at University Hospitals (UH) Cleveland Medical Center. Plecha has overall responsibility for the planning, growth and operational management of the UH radiology department's clinical activities, plus oversight of resident teaching programs and research.

Pamela Cleveland (LAW ‘90) is chief compliance officer for Health Alliance Plan, a Michigan-based nonprofit health plan.

Lisa Danielle (DiCicco) Koch (CWR ‘90, ‘98), an aerospace engineer in the Acoustics Branch at NASA Glenn, was  awarded a patent for Broadband Acoustic Absorbers. She also was awarded the 2019 NASA Glenn Research Center Diversity Leadership Award for contributions that encourage, promote, practice and leverage diversity in support of achieving an inclusive environment.

Sarah S. Willen (CWR ‘96) has just published Fighting for Dignity: Migrant Lives at Israel’s Margins (University of Pennsylvania Press). Willen is an associate professor of anthropology at the University of Connecticut, where she also serves as director of the Research Program on Global Health and Human Rights at the university’s Human Rights Institute.

Eric Hanson (CWR ‘01), a Palo Alto-based transactional and corporate lawyer is a partner in the law firm of WilmerHale.

Bethia Burke (CWR ‘03) was named president of Cleveland’s Fund for Our Economic Future, effective March 2020. Burke, who has worked for the fund since 2010, was previously promoted to vice president in 2018.

Rob Trefz (CWR ‘99, MGT ‘04) is vice president of marketing for Emerson, aiding the company in creating synergies between their RIDGID and Greenlee brands of professional tools. Emerson's professional tools business also includes the Klauke brand.

Minna Krejci Pace (CWR ‘06) and her husband, Phil Pace, volunteer at Ladder Up, a Chicago nonprofit that helps low-income residents with free financial education and assistance. Through Ladder Up’s Tax Assistance program, Minna helps Chicagoans secure tax refunds. The Paces have a combined 23 years of experience with Ladder Up.

Jonathan Wehner (CWR ‘06, MGT ‘11) is vice president and dean of admissions, enrollment management and student success at Cleveland State University. 

Joe Duffy (MGT ‘14) is the real estate development director at Union Miles Development Corp. in Cleveland, and a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners with the American Planning Association.

Carrie Hersh (GRS ‘16, clinical research scholars program), a multiple sclerosis specialist at the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health – Las Vegas, is proud to announce the Chairperson of the Healthcare Advisory Council for the Multiple Sclerosis Association of America.

February 2020

Gina Gibney (WRC ‘79; GRS ‘82, theater) received a $2 million gift from Andrew A. Davis, a trustee of the Shelby Cullom Davis Charitable Fund, allowing the Gibney Company, formerly the Gibney Dance Company, to double in size and become a commission-based repertory troupe. Increasing from six dancers to twelve and planning to tour internationally, the company will debut with newly-commissioned works at The Joyce Theater in 2021.

Rachel W. Humphrey (MED ‘89) is head of research and development at TIO Discovery, a drug discovery and development engine for TIO Bioventures, a life science venture creation fund with a mission to build companies with pipelines of innovative anti-cancer therapies.

Enrique Conterno (CWR ‘90) is chief executive officer and a member of the board of directors for FibroGen, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company headquartered in San Francisco.

Ruth A. Keri (GRS ‘92, pharmacology) will serve as a member of the board of directors of the Endocrine Society, beginning in March 2020. Keri is professor and vice chair of pharmacology, and associate director for basic research at Case Comprehensive Cancer Center at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Cleveland, Ohio. She researches breast cancer, including the disease’s initiation and progression as well as therapeutic approaches for treating it. She is an associate editor of Endocrinology and a member of the Endocrine Society’s Basic Science Strategy Advisory Group. 

Monica Adya (GRS ‘97, management information systems), a business education innovator and scholar in information technology workforce issues, is the first woman to serve as dean of the Rutgers School of Business–Camden at Rutgers University.

Jessie Bitetti (MGT ‘97) is assistant vice president on the FedNow industry readiness team in the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, part of the nation's central banking system serving the Sixth Federal Reserve District, which encompasses Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and sections of Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee.

Jessica A. Gaskin (GRS ‘98, astronomy) is the NASA-appointed study scientist for the Lynx X-ray Observatory mission concept, focusing on the next X-ray space telescope mission. 

Kate Morrical Towne (CWR ‘03) married Jonathan Towne in March 2019. The couple lives in Arlington, Virginia.

Eric P. Carnevale (CWR ‘05) is a partner at the law firm Lando & Anastasi, LLP in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Phyllis Harris (MNO ’05), executive director of the LGBT Community Center Greater Cleveland, received a cleveland.com/The Plain Dealer HomeGrown Heroes Award in the non-profit category in 2018. The award celebrates individuals working to fuel economic development in the region. In 2016, Harris lead a grass-roots campaign to create a new Pride event for Cleveland. She also spearheaded the drive to build the new LGBT Community Center in Cleveland’s Gordon Square, which is a valuable asset to the city’s economy.

Brendan E. Clark (LAW ‘09) is a partner in the Cleveland law offices of BakerHostetler, practicing intellectual property and technology law, primarily in patent enforcement and procurement matters.

Madeline B. Dennis (CWR ‘11, LAW ‘14) is counsel at the Cleveland offices of Tucker Ellis LLP, a full-service law firm.

Dylan R. Sherry (GRS, ‘15, bioethics; MED ‘15) is an assistant professor in the pain and palliative care program in the department of hematology/oncology of the Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia.

Michelle Patella (MGT ‘16) has accepted a position with GoYoga in Columbus, Ohio.

Cal Al-Dhubaib (CWR ‘17) is founder and president of Pandata, a data science consulting company in Westlake, Ohio, that helps organizations use advanced technology to solve business problems. Al-Dhubaib started Pandata, which counts the Cleveland Museum of Art among its clients, as a student at Case Western Reserve University. 

Jennifer Murphy (GRS '19, biology) received the "25 Under 35" Award from her high school alma mater, Saint Joseph Academy (Cleveland), recognizing alumnae who have displayed outstanding leadership and had a positive impact on their communities. Murphy is a recipient of Case Western Reserve University’s Graduate Dean’s Instructional Excellence Award and Oglebay Grant Award. Her other honors include receiving a grant on Invasive Plants Student Research through the Ohio Invasive Plants Council, being honored as the recipient of the “Best Graduate Student Poster Award in the Ecological Section" from the American Botanical Society and Canadian Botanical Society, and serving as an author and contributor in Plant Ecology, New Phytologist, Oecologia and American Journal of Botany. 

March 2020

John Ivan Prcela (GRS ‘57, romance languages) translated and published the book Let’s Defend Croatia with TRUTH!  

Satoru Izutsu (GRS ‘63, education), longtime admissions director and vice dean of the University of Hawaiʻi John A. Burns School of Medicine, received The Order of the Rising Sun medal from the government of Japan. Izutsu led efforts by the John A. Burns School of Medicine to assist Okinawa, Japan, following World War II, when the island badly needed physicians. The resulting MD training collaboration has lasted 50 years.

Wilma Peebles-Wilkins (SAS '71), appears in the Preservation North Carolina documentary, Oberlin: A Village Rooted In Freedom. The documentary premiered on UNC-TV on February 20, 2020, and focuses on the history of one of North Carolina's largest freedmen's villages established after the Civil War and shows efforts to save two landmark properties. It is available to view at unctv.org and PreservationNC.org.

Barry Allan Perlus (ADL ‘72) recently retired from a faculty position at Cornell University and is currently an Associate Professor Emeritus in the university’s Department of Art. Perlus was the recipient of a Cornell University 2019 Trailblazer Award for authoring a new digital photography certificate program. In June 2020, he will release Celestial Mirror: The Astronomical Observatories of Jai Singh II (Yale University Press), a book containing a lavishly illustrated immersive view of the world’s largest and most elaborate naked-eye astronomy observatories. The book is an extension of the website Perlus created, jantarmantar.org.

Virginia "Dee" Banks (MED ‘74), James M. Lieberman (MED ‘74) and Howard S. Nearman (CIT ‘70; GRS ‘75, biomedical engineering; MED ‘76; MGT ‘91) competed in the Mandel Jewish Community Center of Cleveland indoor triathlon in February 2020. Lieberman swam, Banks tackled the bike portion and Nearman ran during the  community event, which raised funds to support the center’s financial assistance program.

Frank J. LaBuda Jr. (LAW ‘74), chief council for Sobo & Sobo LLP, member of the Uganda Judicial Officers Association and retired New York Supreme Court Justice, served as the keynote speaker at the Uganda Judiciary 22nd Annual Judges Conference at the invitation of the chief justice of Uganda. His speech focused on the need for an effective judiciary in the modern world. LaBuda lectures and provides legal guidance to judges and prosecutors in Uganda on criminal procedures and the use of scientific evidence in criminal proceedings, as part of ongoing Rule of Law programs in Africa and Eastern Europe. 

Steven Altschuler (WRC ‘75, MED ‘79) joined the board of directors of Orchard Therapeutics, a global gene therapy company. An emeritus trustee of Case Western Reserve, he currently serves as managing director of Healthcare Ventures at Ziff Capital Partners.

J. Jeffrey Rice (LAW ‘75), an attorney in Fort Myers, Florida, and  a former managing partner of Goldstein, Buckley, Cechman, Rice & Purtz, P.A., retired from his role as an NFL referee after 25 years on the field. Rice called his final game as an umpire at the 2020 Pro Bowl in Orlando, Florida. After officiating at college and NFL Europe games, Rice was hired by the NFL in 1995. As an umpire, Rice monitored the line of scrimmage for illegal blocking or holding calls and false starts, as well as marking off penalty yardage and counting the number of offensive players on the field. Over the past 25 years, Rice has officiated more than 400 NFL games and been granted 24 postseason assignments, including four Super Bowls and four Pro Bowls. Rice is one of just 16 officials who have worked three or more Super Bowls, including Super Bowl XXXV, Super Bowl XXXVI, Super Bowl XXXVIII and Super Bowl 50. He is recognized on a plaque displayed at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. Rice’s father worked for 19 years as an NFL official, including two Super Bowls.

Martin Hauserman (LYS ‘76) retired from his position as the chief city archivist in the official archive of the Cleveland City Council. Over 35 years, Hauserman has presided over an extensive collection of Cleveland history, including minutes of government meetings from Cleveland’s inception, detailed blueprints of many of Cleveland’s historic buildings and photos detailing life in Cleveland over the years.

Jack Lynch (LAW ‘77) is vice president of legal and government affairs and chief compliance and ethics officer of Citgo.

Norma I. Quintana (SAS ‘79) built a photographic memorial to her house and studio after they were consumed by Napa, California’s 2017 Atlas Peak firestorm. Her photographic series Forage From Fire is currently on exhibit at UCR ARTS: California Museum of Photography in Riverside, California, until August 9, 2020.

Thomas Botzman (CIT ‘81) is the 13th president of the University of Mount Union in Alliance, Ohio.

Alton Kremer (GRS ‘81, biochemistry; MED ‘81) joined the board of trustees of CancerCare, a national nonprofit organization providing free support services to anyone affected by cancer.

Tamara D. Fischer (WRC ‘82) of Denver, Colorado, president and chief executive officer of National Storage Affiliates Trust (NSA), joined the Board of Directors for the Duke Realty Corporation, a domestic-only, pure-play logistics property real estate investment trust in the United States. NSA is an owner and operator of self-storage properties in the United States.

Mark A. Weinberger (LAW ‘87, MGT ‘87) is senior advisor for Stone Canyon Industries Holdings LLC, a global industrial holding company focused on acquiring and operating market leading companies. Weinberger is on the board of directors of Johnson & Johnson and MetLife. 

Adriana A. Pust (CWR ‘89, SAS ’95) received the 2019 President's Award for Extraordinary Volunteerism from The Partnership for Excellence, a Baldrige-based program serving Ohio, Indiana and West Virginia and dedicated to cultivating performance excellence and continuous improvement among business, education, government, healthcare and nonprofit organizations. The Baldrige Program oversees the nation's only presidential award for performance and home to a community dedicated to helping organizations improve.

Elizabeth Grove (LAW ‘90) is president of the Lubrizol Foundation, a division of Lubrizol Corp. that supports educational institutions and charitable organizations in communities where the specialty chemical company's employees live and work. In 2019, the foundation made more than $3 million in donations.

Maria Campanelli (MGT ‘92), executive director of the Children's Museum of Cleveland, led the museum through a $10 million capital campaign, allowing the museum to open a new midtown Cleveland location. 

Jessica Zitter (MED ‘92) has created the Jessica Zitter Media Project (JZMP), housed under the Tides Foundation. The project's mission is to improve the way Americans die through multimedia storytelling, education, and social change. JZMP received three different grants in 2019, that will allow the organization to prototype a podcast with Peabody-Award winning radio producer Julie Burstein, partner with African American faith leaders to enhance advance care planning, develop an educational program based on their new short documentary. Additionally, Zitter’s book, Extreme Measures: Finding a Better Path to the End of Life (Avery), marked its third year of publishing and has become a resource for modeling a new approach to patient care and humane healthcare experiences.

Janaki Sivanesan (LAW ‘95) was elected to the board of directors of Essential Properties Realty Trust, Inc., an internally managed real estate investment trust that acquires, owns and manages primarily single-tenant properties that are net leased on a long-term basis to companies operating service-oriented or experience-based businesses.

Hillary A. Johnson (MGT ‘97) is the outreach and volunteer engagement manager for AARP Georgia, a newly created role that will oversee statewide community outreach and volunteer engagement strategies.

 A.J. Ijaz (MGT ‘99) is vice president of retirement plans for StanCorp Financial Group, Inc., a family of companies offering financial protection products and services for employers and individuals.

Paul Adams (GRS ‘00), associate professor in the department of chemistry and biochemistry in the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Arkansas, was named a Minority Access National Role Model, an honor bestowed on scholars who “inspire others to emulate them, and thereby increase the pool of scholars and professionals who will find cures for illnesses or solve technological problems or address social disparities.” Minority Access, Inc. focuses on recognizing students, faculty and higher education institution administrators.

Robert Koonce (CWR ‘00) of Cleveland Heights, Ohio, is chief development officer Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeast Ohio, a new organization created by the merger of Clubs in Cleveland, Akron, Lorain County and Erie County.

Mark McClanahan (MGT ‘01) is chief financial officer for APITech, a designer and manufacturer of high performance products used in commercial aerospace, wireless communications, medical, oil and gas, electronic warfare, missile defense, harsh environments, satellites and space.

Doug Walled (CWR ‘01) of New Haven, Connecticut, received the Meritorious Achievement Award in Continuing Education from IEEE, a technical professional organization dedicated to the advancement of technology. Walled was honored for this work educating the next generation of radiologists through his customized blended curriculum combining medicine with innovations in engineering. A full-time radiologist, Walled is an assistant clinical professor in Yale University’s Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging. He also teaches medical residents at several hospitals in New York, including St. Peter’s in Albany and Staten Island University Hospital. 

Jacquelyn Adams (CWR ‘02), founder of Ristole, an engineering consulting company focused on employee development, is the first weekly blogger for IEEE, a technical professional organization dedicated to the advancement of technology. Her blog, Lessons on Leadership, shares leadership and professional development lessons learned during her experiences as a Peace Corps volunteer, corporate engineering trainer and entrepreneur.

Asim Z. Haque (CWR ‘02) is vice president – state and member services for PJM Interconnection, coordinator and operator of a high-voltage electric power system serving 13 states and the District of Columbia. Haque will oversee State Government Policy, Electricity Infrastructure Policy, and Member Services which includes Stakeholder Affairs, Client Management, Knowledge Management, and State and Member Training. Prior to joining PJM, he was chairman and chief executive officer of the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio.

Teleangé Thomas (MGT ‘02), joined the Community Health Charities national board of directors. Thomas is the director of partnerships, midwest at Candid, a nonprofit organization committed to providing research, tools and training to social sector professionals around the world. Thomas is the co-architect of The Soul of Philanthropy Cleveland and Celebrate Those Who Give Black, multimedia exhibitions that amplify and sharpen the giving power of Black donors and catalyze the next generation of givers and doers, particularly in Cleveland, Ohio. 

Anelize Nader (MNO ‘03), of Westlake, Ohio, is the chief executive officer of the St. Vincent de Paul Society in Cleveland.

Jill M. Paulsen (MNO ‘04) is executive director of Cuyahoga Arts & Culture (CAC) in Cleveland. One of the largest public funders for arts and culture in the nation, CAC has invested more than $193 million in 420 organizations since 2006.  

Mary-Ann Ibeziako (MGT ‘05) is the assistant vice president for utilities at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. She joins Virginia Tech from the University of Maryland, College Park, where she served as director of engineering and energy. 

Lindsay C. Burrage (GRS ‘06, genetics; MED ‘08) received the Society for Pediatric Research’s 2020 Young Investigator Award, recognizing a rising star with outstanding scientific research accomplishments that help to unravel the mysteries of childhood development or disease.

Yan Dong (CWR ‘07) joined St. Luke’s Cardiology Associates in Duluth, Minnesota.

Jim Henderson (LAW ‘08) is a partner with the full-service law firm of Thompson Hine LLP in Cleveland.

Andrea R. McCarthy (LAW ‘11) is a partner with the full-service law firm of Thompson Hine LLP in Cleveland.

Jeremy Schirra (LAW ‘11) is a member in the Columbus, Ohio, office of Dickinson Wright PLLC, focusing on real estate and corporate matters. 

David J. Hall (LAW ‘12) is a senior associate of Sherrard, German & Kelly, P.C., a law firm in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. 

Kevin Clunie (MGT ‘14) as sales and marketing director for Mactac Performance Adhesives Group, a manufacturer and distributor of pressure-sensitive adhesive materials that are used in label printing, graphic design, packaging, retail display, fleet graphics, automotive assembly, medical device assembly and more.

Peter Markov (DEN ‘17) is the founder and pediatric dentist at VK Pediatric Dentistry in Arlington, Virginia.

April 2020

Steven Altschuler (WRC ‘75, MED ‘79) is chairman of the board of directors for 89bio, Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of innovative therapies for the treatment of liver and cardio-metabolic diseases. Altschuler is managing director of Healthcare Ventures at Ziff Capital Partners and is a trustee of Case Western Reserve.

Aklilu Demessie (CIT ‘77; GRS ‘81, mechanical engineering), board member and vice president of the Menelik Foundation in Cleveland and co-founder of the Society of Ethiopians Established in the Diaspora, was honored by the Ethiopian Crown Council for his lifetime achievements in community service. Demessie received the Knight Grand Cross of the Imperial Order of the Star of Ethiopia from Prince Ermias Sahle Selassie.

Kevin Joyce (WRC '79) is the editor of TBAnews, the newsletter of the Toledo Bar Association. He volunteers with the Red Cross of Northwest Ohio and serves on the Natural Resources Assistance Council for Lucas County, Ohio.

Mark I. Froimson (MGT ‘97) joined the board of directors of SINTX Technologies, Inc., an original equipment manufacturer ceramics company focused on silicon nitride applications, today announced the appointment of, M.D. to its board of directors. Froimson is currently a principal at Riverside Health Advisors, a consulting company that provides strategic advice and services to health care executives.

Christopher Halasy (MED ‘98) is a full-time physician at Van Wert Health – Primary Care Ottoville clinic in Ottoville, Ohio, a family medicine practice.

Chris Diehl (LAW ‘11) is a partner at the Cleveland law offices of Porter Wright Morris & Arthur LLP.

Sandra K. Holzgen (MGT ‘15) is vice president of human resources for the Pennsylvania State Employees Credit Union, a full-service credit union managing more than $6 billion in assets and more than 450,000 members.

Michelle Patella (MGT ‘16) led the March Wellness Monday class at Jade Yoga and Wellness in Worthington, Ohio. Each month this series hosts experts and guest speakers within the field to lead a class on specific topics that support participants' overall well being.

May 2020

Robert Madison (ARC '48, HON '04) published Designing Victory, A Memoir (Act 3 Publishing), co-written with Carlo Wolff. The book was one of twenty selected for the 2021 & 2022 Choose to Read Ohio Booklist by the State Library of Ohio and the Ohioana Library Association, with the Ohio Center for the Book and the Choose to Read Ohio Advisory Council. Additionally, Madison was selected as the 2020 Black Professional of the Year (BPOY) by the Black Professionals Association Charitable Foundation (BPACF), a nonprofit organization based in Cleveland and focused on creating opportunities for African Americans through scholarship, education and leadership development. He will receive the award at the BPACF 40th Annual Scholarship and Awards Gala & BPOY Salute on November 7.

Sandy Everett (LYS '65) had a photo featured in the spring 2020 issue of the quarterly Colonial Williamsburg’s Trend & Tradition Magazine. The magazine invites readers to submit photos taken during their visit to the historic area. 

Daniel Gaito (ADL ‘72), senior project engineering coordinator in the Engineering Construction & Expansion Group of the Toronto Transit Commission, was recognized by the Toronto Society of Architects (TSA) during Canada’s National Volunteer Week celebration in April 2020. Gaito began volunteering with the TSA in the 1980s and his efforts have included serving as the society's vice-chair, editing the organization’s newsletter and leading hour-long architectural tours throughout Toronto. 

Robert B. Weiss (LAW ‘75) joined the Troy, Michigan, office of Dickinson Wright PLLC as Of Counsel.

James (Jim) Zizelman (CIT ‘82; GRS, ‘84 mechanical engineering) is president of the Control Devices Division at Stoneridge, Inc., a producer of highly engineered electrical and electronic components for the commercial vehicle and automotive industry.

Michael Coyle (CIT ‘83) joined the board of directors for Haemonetics Corporation, a global medical technology company focused on hematology. Coyle is the executive vice president and group president, cardiac and vascular group for Medtronic.

Roger D. Klein (WRC ‘84, MED ‘90) is chief medical officer for OmniSeq, a cancer diagnostics company. 

Julie Hambleton (MED ‘86) joined the board of directors of Arch Oncology, focused on the discovery and development of antibody therapies for the treatment of patients with select solid tumors and hematologic malignancies,  is based in Brisbane, California. Hambleton is senior vice president and chief medical officer, head of development at IDEAYA Biosciences, an oncology-focused biotechnology company headquartered in South San Francisco, California.

John Wiencek (GRS ‘86, ‘89, chemical engineering) is executive vice president and provost for The University of Akron. He will assume his new role May 29, 2020.

Aleksandar Rajkovic (GRS ‘91, molecular biology & microbiology; MED ‘92) joined the board of directors of the ACMG Foundation for Genetic and Genomic Medicine, a national nonprofit foundation dedicated to facilitating the integration of genetics and genomics into medical practice.

Mark Grabowski (CWR ‘99) received a Fulbright award to research cryptocurrency regulations in the Philippines. Grabowski is an associate professor at Adelphi University in New York, specializing in cyber law, and author of Cryptocurrencies: A Primer on Digital Money (Routledge).

Kara Powder (CWR ‘04), assistant professor of biological sciences in the Clemson University College of Science, received a $1.17 million National Science Foundation CAREER award grant to investigate gene regulatory elements that determine craniofacial development and evolution. Insights from Powder’s research may someday provide targets for gene therapies addressing craniofacial malformations, which occur in about 70 percent of all human birth defects.

Catherine A. Hiler (NUR ‘16) of Covington, Virginia, is the head of the Nursing Program at Dabney S. Lancaster Community College Clifton Forge, Virginia.

June 2020

Joe Hargrove (MED '76) is a 2019 recipient of the National Medical Fellowships’ Lifetime Achievement Award. The National Medical Fellowships’ mission is to provide scholarships and support for underrepresented minority students in medicine and other health professions. Hargrove is a cardiologist at the Catholic Health Initiatives St. Vincent Heart Clinic Arkansas - Cardiology and Medicine Clinic - Little Rock.

James “Jim” Klar (WRC ‘82) is group business development director at One World Cover, an independent health insurance brokers/consulting company serving companies and employees throughout China, South-east Asia and the Middle East. 

Scott Davido (CWR ‘83, LAW ‘87) is a Senior Managing Director in the Turnaround & Restructuring Group of Ankura, a global business advisory and expert services firm. He is based in New York.

Terry Wilk (MGT '83) is chief information officer for Effingham Health System in Georgia.

Gary Barkov (CIT, ‘86) is vice president, healthcare technology management for Advocate Aurora Health (AAH). Based in Downers Grove, Illinois, and Milwaukee, Wisconsin, AAH is a not-for-profit healthcare system in the US, with 28 hospitals and more than 500 ambulatory locations. 

Paul G. Alexander (MED ‘91) is senior vice president and chief transformation officer of the West Orange, N.J.-based RWJBarnabas Health. 

Michael Finley (CWR '93) received the Philip B. Hofmann Research Award from Janssen R&D, given to researchers for major contributions of leadership, original ideas and research leading toward development of a technology platform, process or better understanding of a scientific technical phenomenon. Finley is a Senior Principal Scientist in Lead Discovery & Profiling at Janssen and marked his 10th anniversary as a Johnson & Johnson employee in December 2019.

Ashwani Rajput (MED ‘ 93), a cancer surgeon and researcher with a special interest in health care disparities, is director of the Kimmel Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins for the Washington, D.C., region. 

Tracey Turnbull (LAW ‘96) is partner-in-charge of the Cleveland office of the law firm Porter Wright Morris & Arthur LLP.

Sarah S. Willen (CWR ‘96) received the 2019 Yonathan Shapiro Award for Best Book in Israel Studies from the Association for Israel Studies for her book Fighting for Dignity: Migrant Lives at Israel’s Margins (University of Pennsylvania Press). Willen is an associate professor of anthropology at the University of Connecticut, where she also serves as director of the Research Program on Global Health and Human Rights at the university’s Human Rights Institute.

Nick Belenky (CWR ‘02) as executive vice president of sales for Top of Mind Networks, a provider of marketing automation and creative content solutions for the mortgage industry. 

AK Srikanth  (MGT ‘03) is chief executive officer of KLAY Schools, a pre-schools and daycare chain in India. Srikanth has been the chief operating officer of the company for three years.

Saeed Alhassan Alkhazraji (GRS ‘11, chemical engineering), associate professor, chemical engineering at Khalifa University of Science and Technology, has filed a provisional patent application for a method to prepare an artificial, customizable soil that resembles fertile soils in Thailand and Ukraine and allows users to grow different crops based on their need.

Vicenta Gaspar-Yoo (MGT ‘11) is president and chief executive officer of Allegheny Valley Hospital in Natrona Heights, Pennsylvania, one of eight hospitals in the Allegheny Health Network. She is the network’s fourth physician president and the first Filipina president of a U.S. hospital. 

Angela Crawford (GRS ‘16, management) is vice president for digital, graduate, and professional programs for Thomas More University, a Catholic liberal arts university in Crestview Hills, Kentucky.

Michelle Patella (MGT ‘16) of Columbus, Ohio, has had her 2018 TEDx Talk, Mindfulness Applied, featured as a resource on CredibleMind, an online wellness platform.

Tim Mayer (MGT ‘19) was named a 2019 Elijah Watt Sells Award winner by The American Institute of CPAs. Of the nearly 75,000 people who took the Certified Public Accountant exam last year, only 137 individuals satisfied the requirements needed to earn the award, a demonstration of mastery of materials tested.

July 2020

Bruce H. Bergen (WRC ‘77) is county counsel of the Union County (New Jersey) Board of Chosen Freeholders, leading the office of 18 lawyers which provides legal advice, guidance and representation to all administrative departments of the county. He previously served as the executive deputy county counsel for the office and the township attorney for the Township of Springfield. Since January 2019, he has served as the attorney to the Springfield Zoning Board of Adjustment. He remains of counsel with the law firm of Krevsky, Silber & Bergen in Cranford, New Jersey. 

Joseph Niamtu III (DEN '78) was featured in People Magazine’s "How I Parent" series, posted on the publication's website on February 18, 2020. Niamtu, a cosmetic facial surgeon in Richmond, Virginia, and his wife, April, are raising two sons with cerebral palsy. 

Héctor Luis Díaz (SAS ‘81) is the director of the School of Social Work for New Mexico State University’s College of Health and Social Services. 

Richard P. Woychik (GRS ‘84, molecular biology and microbiology) is director of the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina. Woychik began serving as acting director of the NIEHS in October 2019 and officially began his new role in June 2020. NIEHS conducts and supports environmental health sciences in alignment with public health needs and translates scientific findings into knowledge that can inform individuals and affect public health outcomes. Woychik will lead NIH’s research efforts on environmental influences on human health and also serve as director of the U.S. National Toxicology Program.

Geoffrey Duyk (GRS ‘85, biochemistry; MED ‘86) joined Life Sciences Advisory Board of Innovatus Capital Partners, LLC, an independent adviser and portfolio management firm that provides growth capital for medical devices, diagnostics, life science tools, biopharmaceuticals, specialty pharmaceuticals, healthcare IT and software. Duyk is the founder and managing partner of Circularis LP, a group focused on supporting technology-enabled companies that advance the circular economy and promote sustainability and resource efficiency. He is a trustee of Case Western Reserve.

Gregory Postel (MED ‘88) is the special advisor to the board of trustees and interim president of the University of Toledo. Postel is the former interim president and executive vice president for health affairs of the University of Louisville.

J. Scott Bellows (MGT ‘02) of Nairobi, Kenya, is a senior strategic adviser for Granity Public Relations Limited. Bellows also is a faculty member of the United States International University-Africa, a researcher and author.

Charles T. Moses (MGT ‘04) is dean of the University of San Francisco's School of Management.

Ellen Rudolph (GRS ‘07, art history) is director of the Cleveland Clinic art program, which includes a collection of more than 7,000 pieces. 

Amy Augustine (CWR ‘08), a pediatric dentist, joined the Dental Excellence staff in Napoleon, Ohio.

Beth Oliver (NUR ‘12) is senior vice president and chief nursing executive of the Mount Sinai Health System in New York, New York.

Michelle Patella (MGT ‘16) was featured in the Mindful Moments segment on 10TV news in Columbus, Ohio

Karishma Bali (GRS ‘20, biology) published an ebook series through her company Bali Academy, focused on undergraduate success. 

August 2020
 

John D. Mellinger (WRC '80, MED ‘84) is chair of the American Board of Surgery (ABS), the national certifying body for general surgeons and related specialists, for 2020-2021. Mellinger is the J. Roland Folse, M.D. Endowed Chair in Surgery, vice chair of the department of surgery, and professor and chair of general surgery at Southern Illinois University (SIU) School of Medicine in Springfield, Illinois. He also serves as director for leadership and excellence of the Center for Human and Organizational Potential at SIU. 

Mark Zettler (GRS ‘88, chemistry) joined the Board of Directors for Cultiva LLC, a provider of food-grade biofilms used in agricultural markets. Zettler is president of AgroAdvisors International, LLC and a principal consultant with NGT BioPharma Consultants. 

Hayagreeva “Huggy” Rao (GRS ‘89, organizational behavior) joined the board of directors of Paradox, creator of a conversational AI assistant that automates administrative work for recruiters and hiring teams. Rao is the Atholl McBean Professor of Organizational Behavior and Human Resources at the Stanford University Graduate School of Business. He has published widely in the fields of management and sociology and his 2014 book Scaling Up Excellence was named a Wall Street Journal bestseller. 

Kathleen Killeen Leasure (CWR ‘93) is the Chief of Police for Bay Village, Ohio. A member of the Bay Village police for 24 years, Leasure previously served as a patrol sergeant and detective sergeant, a role which required overseeing all functions of the Bay Village Detective Bureau, including supervision or investigation of all criminal cases. 

Marc S. Blubaugh (CWR ‘94), a partner at the law firm Benesch, Friedlander, Coplan & Aronoff LLP in Columbus, Ohio, joined the International Association of Defense Counsel, a global legal organization for attorneys who represent corporate and insurance interests.

Rohit Kashyap (GRS ‘95, ‘00, biomedical engineering) is executive vice president and chief commercial officer for MiMedx Group, Inc., a company focused on advanced wound care and emerging therapeutic biologics.

Scott Adams (GRS ‘98, science engineering) is president, eMobility for Eaton, a power management company. Based in Southfield, Michigan, Adams is responsible for leading top-line revenue growth and profitability.

Elizabeth Warmington Garcia (SAS ‘00, MNO ‘00) is the chief clinical officer for The Children’s Guild Alliance, a nonprofit organization headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland, serving children, families and child-serving organizations and dedicated to transforming how America educates and cares for its children through education, behavioral health, and national training and consultation services. Garcia joined The Children’s Guild Alliance in 2011 as director of behavioral health services. She has spearheaded the growth of school-based mental health services into six counties and 90 schools. Before joining The Children’s Guild Alliance, Garcia was division director for Bellefaire Jewish Children’s Bureau in Cleveland, Ohio.

Hayden Stafford (MGT ‘01) is president of global client engagement for the software company Pegasystems Inc., responsible for unifying the company’s corporate strategy, marketing and go-to-market functions. Stafford’s professional experience includes leadership roles at Ernst & Young, IBM, Salesforce and, most recently, Microsoft. 

Daniel McFadden (GRS ‘02, practice oriented master's), director of operations for North America at the Timken Company, was appointed to the board of directors for Goodwill Industries of Greater Cleveland and East Central Ohio Inc. The Timken Company designs and manufactures engineered bearings and power transmission products. 

Kimberly York (SAS ‘03, MNO ‘10) is New Mexico State University’s interim director of Black Programs.

Lelund Durond Thompson (GRS ‘06, theater) was the private acting coach for Jennifer Hudson and Marlon Wayans, and the overall acting coach, for the film Respect, a 2020 biopic about singer, songwriter, actress, pianist and civil rights activist Aretha Franklin.

Absera Melaku (CWR ‘09; GRS ‘13, anthropology; MED ‘13) was named to the ninth annual Double Chai in the Chi: 36 Under 36 list. Presented by the Jewish United Fund’s Young Leadership Division and Oy!Chicago, a website for Chicago 20- and 30-somethings, the list honors Chicagoans who are making major contributions in the Jewish community and beyond. Melaku was honored for her work as the program manager for the University of Chicago Center for Global Health, which is focused on global advocacy and education. She also sits on the national board of Avodah, an organization that works to strengthen the Jewish community's goals towards a more just and equitable world. 

Joey Arnold (MGT ‘12) is president of Delta Systems, a company in Streetsboro, Ohio, that designs and manufactures quality switches and electronic components for the top outdoor power equipment manufacturers and off-road markets.

September 2020

John S. Adler (ADL ‘68; GRS ‘69, political science) joined the roster of neutrals for Judicate West, a California provider of private dispute resolution services. Adler will be based in the San Diego office and is available for mediations and arbitrations nationwide.

John (Jack) Vanek (ADL ’70) retired from the practice of medicine and is pursuing a second career as a mystery author with the publication of Absolution (Coffeetown Press), the third book in his Father Jake Austin Mystery Series. All the stories are set in northeast Ohio. Vanek has a website featuring his works at JohnVanekAuthor.com. 

Alex Ho (CIT ‘85) is chief marketing officer for the residential business division of Terminix, a provider of termite and pest control services.

Andrea Turner (LAW ‘87) is vice president of Human Resources and Inclusion at the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis.

Kamal Hathi (GRS ‘90, biomedical engineering) is chief technology officer for DocuSign, a contract management platform.

Rhonda Ferguson (LAW ‘94) is executive vice president and general counsel for the Allstate Corporation. Ferguson joins Allstate from Union Pacific Railroad, where she has served as Executive Vice President, Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary.

Sarah S. Willen (CWR ‘96), associate professor of anthropology and director of the Research Program on Global Health and Human Rights at the Human Rights Institute at the University of Connecticut, co-created the Pandemic Journaling Project, giving people the opportunity to share their experiences during this pandemic at pandemic-journaling-project.chip.uconn.edu

Greg Gumbs (MGT ‘07) will become president and CEO of Bosch Rexroth North America, a factory automation supplier, as of December 1.

Ciro Ramos Estebanez (MGT ‘09) is chief of the Neurocritical Care Division and an associate professor of the Neurology & Rehabilitation Department at the University of Illinois in Chicago.

Christian A. Wargo (CWR '13) is associate executive director of the St. Louis Arts Chamber of Commerce. Supporting local artists of all mediums, the Arts Chamber strives to help strengthen and promote the creative endeavors of our communities, positioning the greater St. Louis, Missouri, region as a vibrant cultural destination. Wargo oversees the organization's core functions of facilitating collaborative, mission-based programming and providing professional educational development to all practitioners, students, and patrons of the arts.

Beth Faiman (GRS ‘15, nursing) is editor-in-chief of the Journal of the Advanced Practitioner in Oncology. Faiman is currently an adult nurse practitioner in the Department of Hematologic Oncology and Blood Disorders at the Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland.

October 2020

John S. Troy (ADL ‘70) was elected to the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) Council of Fellows in 2020, one of the highest honors the ASLA bestows on members, based on their works, leadership, knowledge and service. Troy, owner of John S. Troy Landscape Architect Inc. in San Antonio, Texas, helped lead the transformation of the San Antonio Botanical Garden (SABG) into a nationally recognized horticultural showcase, founded the Landscape Architecture Advisory Council to foster collaboration between the ASLA South Texas chapter, the San Antonio Water System, and SABG education and conservation staff, and was recognized with the Texas ASLA Community Service Award.

Carl Nunziato (LAW ‘71) has been honored through Ohio House Resolution 5023, which designates a new Veterans Affairs clinic in Youngstown, Ohio, as the Nunziato VA Clinic. The new clinic will be 35,300 square feet, roughly 40% larger than the city’s current VA clinic, and will offer medical care and a volunteer-run food pantry.

Gary L. Bukowski (GRS ‘77, education), associate vice president of development for the Sarah A. Reed Children’s Center in Erie, Pennsylvania, was featured in the September 2020 issue of Giving Tomorrow, a monthly magazine focused on current insights, best practices and career development for professional fundraisers.

Lawrence S. Olanoff (GRS ‘80, biomedical engineering; MED ‘81) is an independent member of the Board of Directors for Ichnos Sciences Inc., a New York City based company focused on treatments in oncology and autoimmune disease. Olanoff is currently serving as special advisor to the president for corporate relations at the Medical University of South Carolina.

Joseph (Jay) McIsaac (WRC ‘81) published his second book, Essentials of Disaster Anesthesia. McIssac is a clinical professor of anesthesiology at the University of Connecticut and partner and director at Integrated Anesthesia Associates in Hartford, Connecticut.

Marsha A. Pyle (DEN ‘84) is the Senior Scholar in Residence for the American Dental Education Association.

Julie Hambleton (MED ‘86) was appointed to the board of directors for Accent Therapeutics, a biopharmaceutical company developing treatments for cancer patients. Hambleton currently serves as interim chief executive officer at Arch Oncology, a developer of antibody therapeutics to treat patients living with cancer.

Marilyn Sanders Mobley (GRS '87), a faculty member in the Department of English in CWRU’s College of Arts and Sciences, co-authored an article on faculty responses to racial justice for the September 2020 issue of INSIGHT into Diversity. 

Rachel Humphrey (MED ‘89) is chief medical officer of Black Diamond Therapeutics, Inc., a precision oncology medicine company pioneering the discovery and development of small molecule, tumor-agnostic therapies.

Michele Domenick (MED ‘95), a general surgeon, joined the Comprehensive Breast Center in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.

Rohit Kashyap (GRS ‘95, ‘00, biomedical engineering) is executive vice president and chief commercial officer of MiMedx Group, Inc., a developer of advanced wound care and therapeutic biologics. 

Kyle Niemeyer (CWR ’09; GRS ’10, aerospace engineering; GRS ’14, mechanical engineering) is an associate professor of mechanical engineering, with tenure, in the School of Mechanical, Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering at Oregon State University.

Sarah Corwin (CWR ‘13) is principal scientist for MGP Ingredients, a provider of specialty wheat proteins and starches. 

Benjamin Vecchio (CWR '13) of Norristown, Pennsylvania, was admitted to the Global Field Program at Miami University and spent the summer of 2020 participating in the Earth Expeditions: Connected Conservation course. Vecchio completed a project on behalf of the Danau Girang Field Centre in Sabah, Borneo, developing an online lesson plan that compares camera trap images of wildlife in human-dominated landscapes in both Borneo & North America. The project encourages participants to increase habitat suitability for wildlife in their backyards and addresses the issue of habitat fragmentation both locally & globally.

November 2020

Wally Lutkus (GRS ‘70, physical education) is the head swim coach for Western Reserve Academy in Hudson, Ohio. Lutkus's coaching career spans more than 40 years and includes positions at Cornell University, Kent State University, Dartmouth College and Ohio’s Gilmour Academy and Walsh Jesuit High School.

Patrick T. Sharkey (LAW ‘76) was selected for inclusion in the 2020 Super Lawyers list, a rating service based on independent research, peer nominations and peer evaluations, and the 2021 The Best Lawyers in America^© list. Sharkey is an attorney with Jackson Walker, a law firm with offices across Texas.

Howard Stein (LAW ‘78) has been named to the 2020 New York Metro Super Lawyers list. Stein is managing partner of the Real Estate Practice Group for Certilman Balin Adler & Hyman, LLP, a Long Island full-service law firm with offices in Nassau and Suffolk Counties. 

Anu Hoey (GRS ‘98, molecular virology) is Chief Business Officer for Sensei Biotherapeutics, Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing immunotherapies for cancer and infectious diseases.

Kathryn Kamp (CWR ‘02) is the North American environmental director – air programs for Cargill, Inc. She lives in Dayton, Ohio, with her two daughters.

Kerri Butcher (MGT ‘07) is founder, president and chief executive officer of Miné Stencils, a line of eye shadow stencils featuring a patented method for creating professional-looking eye makeup with ease at home. In November, Butcher and Miné Stencils will be featured on an episode of Modern Living with Kathy Ireland, which airs weekly on WEtv. An M&A advisor to family offices and private equity groups, Butcher built upon her success in private equity, investment banking and venture capital to establish her business in 2009. In 2019, she received a $500 grant from the Sears think[box] Community Project Fund. 

Jaclyn C. Staple (CWR ‘07; GRS ‘08, art education) was selected for inclusion in the inaugural edition of The Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch. Staple is an attorney with Jackson Walker, a law firm with offices across Texas.

Andrew J. Freyer (CWR ‘09), an associate in the Denver office of the Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck law firm, has joined the board of directors of the Clyfford Still Museum, a Denver museum focused on the legacy of American painter Clyfford Still.

Joe Duffy (MGT ‘14) is executive director for the St. Clair Superior Development Corporation, a neighborhood-based nonprofit serving a diverse community in Cleveland, Ohio.

Corey Kopchak (CWR ‘18) of Rochester, New York, joined the design engineering team of Abtex LLC, a U.S. company that designs and produces abrasive filament deburring brushes. 

December 2020

Kurt Wallach (CLC ‘49) and his wife, Marilyn, donated $20 million to Florida Atlantic University, the largest gift in school history. This gift will create the Kurt and Marilyn Wallach Institute for Holocaust and Jewish Studies housed in university's Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters.

JoAnn E. Manson (MED ‘ 79), chief of the division of preventive medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital, the Michael and Lee Bell Professor of Women’s Health, a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, and a professor in the department of epidemiology at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, received the American Heart Association’s 2020 Research Achievement Award. One of the organization’s most distinguished and historic honors, the award is given each year in recognition of outstanding lifetime contributions to cardiovascular research and/or teaching.

Mary Schiller (WRC ‘82) signed with Scarsdale Publishing in New York to release her Luckland Ladies Mystery Series in 2021. The planned five-book mystery series will add to her existing novels published under the pen name MJ Miller, including Phantom of Execution Rocks (Pendant Cove) and All About Annie (independently published), a mystery loosely based on her days and friendships at CWRU.

Gregory Berk (MED ‘84) is chief medical officer for Celularity, Inc., a clinical-stage cell therapeutics company. He also joined the Board of Director of GT Biopharma, Inc., an immuno-oncology company focused on innovative therapies.

Brad James (MGT ‘88) published The People Zoo (independently published). A follow-up to his first book, The Business Zoo, the new book focuses on how people deal with their organizations and each other, the ways people learn, grow, as well as deal with crises, failures and transitions, and the importance of mentoring.

Angela (Angie) Bennett (CWR ‘92, LAW ‘96, MGT ‘96), of counsel with the law firm of Cavitch Familo & Durkin, LPA, the director of programming and development at the Cleveland Police Foundation, and administrative director of DigitalC, an organization dedicated to making Cleveland’s digital future equitable for all, co-founded Frontline Development, a residential development company focused on building new homes in Black communities, with Sheila Wright (MGT ‘15). The company held a groundbreaking ceremony for its first development, named Allen Estates, in October 2020. Located in the Cleveland’s East Side neighborhood of Hough, all homes are set to be owned by Black residents.

Katherine Kerestman (GRS ‘93, English) published Creepy Cat's Macabre Travels: Prowling Around Haunted Towers, Crumbling Castles, and Ghoulish Graveyards (WordCrafts Press), a travel book with a focus on the supernatural. 

Todd M. Leombruno (MGT ‘00), currently vice president and controller, has been elected by the board of directors of Parker Hannifin Corporation to the role of executive vice president and chief financial officer for the company, effective January 1, 2021. 

Kelly Lipinski (CWR '03, MGT '03, LAW '06), a partner in the Cleveland office of the McGlinchey Stafford law firm, was appointed to the Governing Committee of the Conference on Consumer Finance Law, a non-profit organization founded in 1926 to offer educational services, publications and research relating to consumer financial services law.

Brian P. Nally (LAW ‘10), a shareholder in the Cleveland and Indianapolis offices of Reminger Co., LPA, is the professional liability section vice-chair and Ohio membership state representative with the Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel, an organization of recognized leaders in the legal community who have achieved professional distinction and are dedicated to promoting knowledge, fellowship and professionalism of its members as they pursue the course of a balanced justice system and represent those in need of a defense in civil lawsuits. 

Sheila Wright (MGT ‘15), president of The Good Community Foundation, is president and managing partner of Frontline Development, a residential development company focused on building new homes in Black communities that she co-founded with Angela (Angie) Bennett (CWR ‘92, LAW ‘96, MGT ‘96). The company held a groundbreaking ceremony for its first development, named Allen Estates, in October 2020. Located in the Cleveland’s East Side neighborhood of Hough, all homes are set to be owned by Black residents.

Candace Steele Flippin (MGT ‘16) is chief communications officer for Acuity Brands, Inc., an industrial technology company. Prior to joining Acuity Brands, Steele Flippin held executive roles at First Horizon National Corporation, St. Jude Medical and Abbott Laboratories. She is an executive research fellow at the Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University where she serves as a multigenerational workplace scholar. She has been featured on Forbes, CNBC, CBS, and Today.com and named as one of the Most Influential Black Executives in Corporate America by Savoy Magazine.

Denise Robinson (NUR ‘18) is senior vice president, chief nurse executive for Bassett Healthcare Network, a health care system providing comprehensive care and services throughout Central New York. Most recently, Robinson served as chief nursing officer for Loma Linda University Medical Center in California.

December 2019

Geneva Johnson (SAS ‘57), community volunteer and former president and chief executive officer of Family Service America, Inc. and Families International, Inc., received the President’s Leadership in Philanthropy Award, honoring a lifetime of generosity in the practice of philanthropy, from the Greater Milwaukee Foundation, a community foundation founded more than a century ago on the premise that generosity can unlock an individual’s potential and strengthen the community as a whole. During her career, Johnson held positions with the Houston YWCA and the United Ways in Pennsylvania, Delaware and New York, served as senior vice president of the United Way of America, and as executive director of the Women’s Leadership Institute at Mount Mary University. In 1985, Savvy magazine named her one of the top 12 nonprofit executive women in America, and in 1990, Business Week magazine named her one of the top five best managers in the United States in the social services field. Johnson has served on many boards, including the Peter F. Drucker Foundation and National Center for Nonprofit Boards.

William Richard King (GRS ‘62, ‘64, operations research) received the Marquis Who's Who Lifetime Achievement Award recognizing his decades of listings in Who's Who in America. Retired from the University of Pittsburgh with the distinguished academic rank of University Professor, King and his wife, Fay, now spend summers at their Pittsburgh home and winters at their seaside home in Port Charlotte, Florida.

William F. Baker (ADL ‘66; GRS ‘68, ‘72, communication sciences) and Michael O’Malley (WRC ‘78; GRS ‘78, psychology) published Organizations for People: Caring Cultures, Basic Needs and Better Lives (Stanford University Press), making the case through research that kind leadership is beneficial in creating a contented workplace and even a positive bottom line. For the book, the authors examined 21 companies that see it as their mission to offer people a better, more fulfilling life for themselves, and assist with that holistic journey by providing the organizational elements people need to reach their potential. The authors looked at various businesses across the country and met with Rachel Moore, chief executive officer of the Music Center of Los Angeles, and Jamie Dimon, chief executive officer of JP Morgan, among others. This book follows the authors’ previous book Leading with Kindness: How Good People Consistently Get Superior Results (AMACOM), which attempted to prove that over the long run, a kind leader has the most success by empowering the workforce, and allowing it the freedom to perform at its best.

Wilma Peebles-Wilkins (SAS ' 71) is the inspiration for You And Me, a book borne from the William Peace University immersive learning project focusing on the Jim Crow experiences of residents of Raleigh, North Carolina, and directed by Janell Jennings-Alexander. To create content for the book, students at William Peace University conducted oral history interviews with unsung civil rights figures in the university’s local community. Those interviews were transformed into stories developed for children, with local elementary school students designing the cover and providing illustrations.

Margaret Yirka Vugrin (FSM ‘71, LYS ‘72), a medical reference librarian at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC) Library, edited Life, Purpose, and Vision: A Fiftieth Anniversary History of the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (Texas Tech University Press) with Thomas F. McGovern and Richard Nollan. This coffee table book was published as part of TTUHSC's 50th anniversary celebration. Vugrin and her husband, oncologist Davor Vugrin, raised five children and now are enjoying their six grandchildren. 

Michael O’Malley (WRC ‘78; GRS ‘78, psychology) and William F. Baker (ADL ‘66; GRS ‘68, ‘72, communication sciences) published Organizations for People: Caring Cultures, Basic Needs and Better Lives (Stanford University Press), making the case through research that kind leadership is beneficial in creating a contented workplace and even a positive bottom line. For the book, the authors examined 21 companies that see it as their mission to offer people a better, more fulfilling life for themselves, and assist with that holistic journey by providing the organizational elements people need to reach their potential. The authors looked at various businesses across the country and met with Rachel Moore, chief executive officer of the Music Center of Los Angeles, and Jamie Dimon, chief executive officer of JP Morgan, among others. This book follows the authors’ previous book Leading with Kindness: How Good People Consistently Get Superior Results (AMACOM), which attempted to prove that over the long run, a kind leader has the most success by empowering the workforce, and allowing it the freedom to perform at its best.

Michael J. Reidy (LAW ‘78) is Of Counsel in the Cleveland office of Fisher Phillips, a national labor and employment law firm. He is an active member of the workers’ compensation sections of both the Ohio and Cleveland Bar Associations.

Bettye Kearse (MED ‘79) published her first book, The Other Madisons: The Lost History of a President’s Black Family (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt), a memoir in which Bettye reckons with her family’s ancestry, which traces back to President James Madison and his slave: his half-sister, Coreen. Kearse researched her history by walking the paths of her forebears — beside a slave-holding fortress in Ghana, below a federal building in New York City, and under a brick walkway at James Madison’s Virginia plantation. The book will be released in March 2020 and can be pre-ordered on Amazon now.

Leila Vespoli (LAW ‘84), retired executive vice president of corporate strategy, regulatory affairs and legal officer at FirstEnergy, joined the board of directors of TimkenSteel, a steel manufacturer based in Canton, Ohio.

William H. Carson Jr. (MED ‘85) will retire from his position of president and chief executive officer for Otsuka Pharmaceutical Development & Commercialization, Inc. (OPDC) on January 1, 2020. Then, Carson will transition to chairman of the OPDC board of directors, as well as spearhead Otsuka philanthropic initiatives to be announced in 2020. Carson is a former recipient of the Ivan Shalit Award as the Best Medical Student for Clinical Care at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. At OPDC, he drove clinical innovation for breakthrough medications that have advanced the treatment of mental health.

Cass Birchbauer (SAS ‘91; GRS ‘98, social welfare) is chief human resource officer for Chroma Color Corporation, a specialty color and additive concentrate supplier to the plastics marketplace.

Brian Carpenter (GRS ‘94, ‘97, psychology), professor of psychological & brain sciences at Washington University in St. Louis, was one of the 102 St. Louis-area educators to receive an Emerson’s Excellence in Teaching award in November 2019. Celebrating its 30th year, the awards pay tribute to area educators – from kindergarten teachers to college professors – for their accomplishments and dedication to their students and the teaching profession and is sponsored by Emerson, a global technology and engineering company based in St. Louis.

Maggie Yuen (CWR ‘94; MGT ‘95, ‘98) is chief financial officer of Penumbra, a global healthcare company focused on innovative therapies.

Anna Frolova-Levi (MGT ‘95) is executive director, recruitment and placement for Case Western Reserve’s Weatherhead School of Management.

James Merlino (MED ‘97) is the chief clinical transformation officer for the Cleveland Clinic. In the newly created position, Merlino will oversee the Office of Patient Experience, Enterprise Quality & Safety and the Office of Continuous Improvement. He will report directly to the Cleveland Clinic’s chief executive officer and president.  

Timothy H. Goodman (LAW ‘99) is a partner with Thompson Hine LLP in the firm’s transportation practice group in the Washington, D.C. office.

Kristin W. Boose (LAW ‘01, MGT ‘01) is a partner at the law firm of Ulmer & Berne LLP. Boose is a real estate attorney in Ulmer’s Cleveland office, focusing on assisting lenders, borrowers, and developers in financing matters. She has been named to The Best Lawyers in America© for Real Estate Law for the last three years.

Juilee Decker (GRS ‘03, art history) published the book Enid Yandell: Kentucky’s Pioneer Sculptor (University Press of Kentucky). The book focuses on Enid’s legacy as a Southern dilettante and daughter of a Confederate officer who became an internationally recognized sculptor of large-scale, award-winning works, while engaging activism.

Paul Tesar (CWR ‘03), a professor in the Case Western Reserve School of Medicine’s Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences and Department of Neurosciences, was a recipient of the cleveland.com/The Plain Dealer HomeGrown Heroes Award in the Academic Research category in November 2019. The award celebrates the unsung heroes of the Cleveland community who are working on start-ups, businesses, innovations and social organizations to fuel the economic development of the region. In 2016, Tesar founded Convelo Therapeutics with a mission to develop medicines to regenerate myelin around nerve cells and restore function to patients with neurological disorders.

Hansal N. Patel (LAW ‘05) is vice president, general counsel and secretary of Timken Co. of North Canton, Ohio, designer of a portfolio of engineered bearings and power transmission products. He was also elected as an officer of the company, the seventh officer on Timken’s leadership team.

Ken Bielecki (SAS ‘06) is executive director of Jewish Family Services in Youngstown, Ohio, serving the entire community through counseling, meals on wheels and guardianship programs. He has also served as a mental health first aid instructor, teaching adult and youth mental health first aid to hundreds of community and professional individuals.  

Michael T. Arnold (LAW ‘10), an associate with the law firm Robert J. Fedor, Esq., LLC, has been selected for the 2020 Ohio Super Lawyers Rising Stars List. He is a member of the America Bar Association and the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association. Arnold’s main area of practice is tax litigation.

Inna Nechipurenko (GRS ‘12, neurosciences) is an assistant professor in the Department of Biology and Biotechnology at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, a private university in Worcester, Massachusetts. She has been published in the peer-reviewed scientific journals eLife, Journal of Cell Biology and Developmental Cell.

Kari Floyd-Kaluza (CWR ‘16) and her husband welcomed their first child, a daughter, in August 2019.

Kyle P. Graham (MGT ‘16, ‘19; LAW ‘19) joined the law firm of McCarthy, Lebit, Crystal & Liffman Co., LPA as an associate attorney in the practice areas of Taxation, Trusts & Estates and Business & Corporate.

Josette Galiano (MGT ‘19) was selected as one of nine contestants to compete in a new limited series competition titled the Wrap Battle, which debuted on November 25 on Disney’s Freeform channel. Galiano works full time in Innovation at Nottingham Spirk in Cleveland. She’s also the owner of Florette by Josette, a design firm specializing in creating handmade, floral art installations for events and permanent venues. 

Published November 1, 2019

Agnes Spitulski Ciolfi (PHA ‘46) of Titusville, Florida, retired after 65 years as a pharmacist.

William J. (Bill) Clark (GRS ‘52, education) and his wife, Glenda, celebrated their 75th wedding anniversary on October 29, 2019. During their careers, the couple spent a combined 68 years as educators.

Nobby Lewandowski (MGT '64) was inducted into the Case Western Reserve University’s Spartan Club Hall of Fame on October 12 as a special category inductee. Norbert 'Nobby' Lewandowski earned his MBA from Case Western Reserve University, while pitching for the Pittsburgh Pirates' farm system. In 2007, Nobby's Ballpark, the home of CWRU baseball, was dedicated in his honor, as a result of his donations to the first solely-athletics campaign of the university’s Forward Thinking initiative. Additionally, he has supported athletics in multiple other ways over the past 20 years, presenting motivational speeches, serving as a founding member of the Athletic Visiting Committee, and providing guidance to athletes and athletic alumni. Lewandoski played baseball at Kent State, receiving the program's first-ever baseball scholarship, and is a member of the Greater Cleveland Sports Hall of Fame and the Akron Baseball Hall of Fame.

Tom Spear (CIT '64) was posthumously inducted into Case Western Reserve University’s Spartan Club Hall of Fame on October 12 as a heritage inductee. Spear was one of the top swimmers in the history of the Case Institute of Technology program, setting numerous team records over his career, both individually and as a member of relays. He earned three varsity letters and served as a team captain in 1963 and 1964.

James C. Wyant (CIT ‘65), professor emeritus and founding dean of The University of Arizona's College of Optical Sciences and CWRU trustee, received the AccountabilIT Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2019 Governor's Celebration of Innovation. The Arizona Technology Council, in conjunction with the Arizona Commerce Authority, presents this award to leaders who grow and advocate for the state's science and technology communities.

Elizabeth McMahon (GRS ‘77, ‘79, psychology) published her fifth book, Overcoming Anxiety and Panic interactive guide (Hands-on-Guide), a self-help client workbook for anxiety, especially panic and anxiety attacks.

Lois J. Geist (GRS ‘80, biology; MED ‘84) is associate provost for faculty in the University of Iowa’s Office of the Provost.

Elaine Batchlor (MED ‘83), chief executive officer of Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Hospital, a high-quality, state-of-the-art hospital that serves the historically underserved area of South Los Angeles, has been elected to the National Academy of Medicine. The peer-nominated recognition is considered one of the highest honors in the field of health and medicine.

Elizabeth R. Berrey (GRS ‘87, nursing) was selected as a 2019 New Mexico Nursing Legend by the Center For Nursing Excellence. The New Mexico Nursing Legend Awards are presented to fully retired nurses whose careers have significantly enhanced the nursing profession in New Mexico. Berrey retired in 2014 from her role as the associate director of nursing education for the New Mexico Board of Nursing.

Vincent J. Pompili (MED ‘88) is cardiology chair of the Deborah Heart and Lung Center in Burlington County, New Jersey.

Stanislas Hintzy (MGT ‘90) of Rennes, France, has received board member certification by France's National Association of Independent Board Members IFA, in joint venture with the Audencia Business School in France.

Dan Schwallie (LAW ’91) published the 4th edition of the Cash Balance Plan Answer Book (New York: Wolters Kluwer). Additionally, he has written the following articles: Update: New Hardship Withdrawal Rules Create Fewer Hardships for Plan Sponsors for a 2020 issue of the Journal of Deferred Compensation; Retirement Plan Benefits for Reducing Student Loan Debt: Are Mortgages Next? for a 2019 issue of the Journal of Pension Planning & Compliance; and Governmental Plans Are Different: A Regulatory Review for a 2018 issue of Benefits Quarterly.

Rina Banerjee (CWR ‘93) had the first major retrospective of her art work presented by the Fowler Museum at University of California Los Angeles. Rina Banerjee: Make Me a Summary of the World brings together her installations, sculptures and paintings that include a re-creation of her installations from the 2000 Whitney Biennial and 2017 Prospect New Orleans, as well as a selection of sculptures featured in the 2017 Venice Biennale, Viva Arte Viva.

Ellen B. Van Oosten (MGT ‘94; GRS ‘13, organizational behavior), faculty director of executive education and associate professor of organizational behavior at the Weatherhead School of Management (WSOM), has co-authored a book with two WSOM colleagues, Richard Boyatzis and Melvin L. Smith. Helping People Change: Coaching with Compassion for Lifelong Learning and Growth (Harvard Business Review Press) uses real-life stories and decades of original research to show how a positive mode of coaching opens people up to thinking creatively and helps them to learn and grow in meaningful and sustainable ways.

Denyse Lipka (GRS ‘95, art education) participated in Miami University's Earth Expeditions global field course in Australia.

Christopher J. Hinkle (CWR '96) of Washington, D.C., married Adrian V. Safar in September 2019 at a ceremony during D.C. Out, an LGBTQ+ dance conference. The couple met three years ago through their love of dance.

Robert “Jeff” Stinson (MGT ‘98) is the director of strategic core services for Apple Growth Partners (AGP), an accounting and business advisory firm with offices in Akron, Canton, Cleveland and Kent, Ohio.

Melissa Scopilliti (CWR '02) was inducted into the Case Western Reserve University’s Spartan Club Hall of Fame on October 12. Scopilliti was a standout two-way player for the early CWRU softball teams, including the 2001 squad, which was the first women's team sport program in school history to qualify for the NCAA Championships. She was a two-time All-University Athletic Association First Team honoree in 2001 and 2002. Scopilliti still holds the program record for doubles in a season (19 in 2000), career slugging percentage (.668) and career on-base percentage (.458).

Matthew I. Pollack (LAW ‘03, MGT ‘03) is counsel at the Cleveland office Ulmer & Berne LLP. Pollack is an experienced business attorney who represents businesses in financing transactions.

Seema Rao (GRS ‘04, art history) is deputy director and chief experience officer for the Akron Art Museum in Akron, Ohio.

Angie Zeuch (MGT '04) was inducted into the Case Western Reserve University’s Spartan Club Hall of Fame on October 12. A two-year captain during one of the most successful stretches in the history of the women's basketball team at CWRU, Zeuch ranks among the top players in the program's history. She was a three-time All-University Athletic Association honoree, including a first team selection in 2001-02. In addition, her 101 games played are the most by an individual in program history. She was named the Glenn and Peggy Nicholls Female Athlete of the Year as a senior in 2004 and received the Dorothy L. Hoza Award in 2001.

Sheryl Sandahl (NUR ‘06, ‘07) is dean of the School of Nursing at The College of St. Scholastica in Duluth, Minnesota. Sandahl is a longtime faculty member of the college.

Elaine Hillenmeyer Tronic (CWR '06) was inducted into the Case Western Reserve University’s Spartan Club Hall of Fame on October 12. As a member of the swimming and diving team, Tronic was a four-time All-American for the Spartans. Her career-best time of 24.49 in the 50-yard freestyle still ranks as the seventh-best ever by a Spartan in the event. Overall, she secured nine UAA CHampionship all-conference honors over her career, was awarded CWRU's Glenn & Peggy Nicholls Female Athlete of the Year Award and the Emily R. Andrews Award as a senior and received the Dorothy L. Hoza Award as a junior.

Theresa Bembnister (GRS ‘09, art history & museum studies) is curator of exhibitions for the Akron Art Museum in Akron, Ohio.

Kevin Bigart (CWR ‘09; MED ‘13) was inducted into Case Western Reserve University’s Spartan Club Hall of Fame on October 12. A former soccer player, Bigart is one of the most accomplished scorers in the program's history with 83 career points, 35 goals, 12 game-winning goals and 14 assists. He was named to the All-University Athletic Association all-conference first team as a junior and a senior. Beyond the field, he was the  first-ever recipient of the Athletic Department’s Bill Sudeck Outstanding Student-Athlete Award in 2008 and was awarded the NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship during his senior year. Bigart was also a part of the 2011 UAA Coaching Staff of the Year as an assistant coach with the Spartans.

Sarah Sims (GRS ‘10, art history & museum studies) is director of engagement and accessibility for the Missouri Historical Society (MHS), which operates the Missouri History Museum, the MHS Library and Research Center, and Soldiers Memorial Military Museum in St. Louis.

Julia German Radefeld (CWR ‘12) joined the Cleveland law office of McDonald Hopkins as an associate in the Intellectual Property Department.

Rosemary Behmer Hansen (CWR ‘15; GRS ‘18, public health; GRS ‘18, bioethics) is pursuing a medical degree at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, along with her spouse, Ryan Andrew Behmer Hansen (CWR ‘16; GRS ‘17, biomedical engineering). The couple is pursuing their degrees with the full support of their dogs, Harry and Franklin.

Brittany Chung (CWR ‘16) is a Cleveland-based associate in the Corporate Department of law firm Porter Wright Morris & Arthur LLP.

Ryan Andrew Behmer Hansen (CWR ‘16; GRS ‘17, biomedical engineering) is pursuing a medical degree at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, along with his spouse, Rosemary Behmer Hansen (CWR ‘15; GRS ‘18, public health; GRS ‘18, bioethics). Ryan Hansen is studying pain relief treatment for chronic pain and was the co-author of Interscalene Peripheral Nerve Stimulation for Post-Operative Chronic Shoulder Pain, a case report regarding the potential of peripheral nerve stimulation as part of the pain practitioner’s toolkit, which was published in Practical Pain Management, a trade publication with practical clinical information on a variety of pain topics. The couple is pursuing their degrees with the full support of their dogs, Harry and Franklin.

Anne Kotynski (GRS ‘16, ‘19, psychology) is an evaluation specialist at the NASA Glenn Research Center.

Michelle Patella (MGT ‘16) obtained the Experiential Learning with Horses Professional Practitioner Certificate in Novelty, Ohio. She also authored a guest blog post, Design Thinking as a Strategy for Innovation and Creativity, for Columbus CEO's online magazine.

Emily Cunningham (LAW ‘19) is a Columbus-based associate in the Corporate Department of law firm Porter Wright Morris & Arthur LLP.

Published October 1, 2019

Robert P. Madison (ARC ‘48; HON ‘04), founder and longtime principal-in-charge of the Cleveland architecture firm Robert P. Madison International, Inc. and former American Institute of Architects Cleveland President, was named the 2019 Legacy Award honoree by Engineering News-Record Midwest, a provider of engineering and construction news, analysis, commentary and data to construction industry professionals.

Ron Botsko (CIT ‘59) of Granbury, Texas, was featured by the Hood County Times of Texas for the role he played in the Saturn and Apollo Moon Missions, for which he invented ultrasonic and electromagnetic methods and instruments, including a sonic resonator, to test the safety and integrity of the spacecraft. Botsko is an American Society for Nondestructive Testing fellow and recipient of the organization’s Gold Medal and Achievement Award.

Mario C. Ciano (ADL ‘65, LAW ‘68), former managing partner of Reminger Company, LPA and recipient of the 2018 William K. Thomas Professionalism Award from the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association, will receive the St. Thomas More Award from the Lawyers Guild of the Diocese of Cleveland, honoring his service to the community and his profession. Ciano will be honored on October 18, during a mass at The Cathedral of Saint John the Evangelist and noon luncheon at the Cleveland Marriott Downtown.

Howard M. Stein (LAW ‘78) was named to the 2019 New York Metro Super Lawyers list. Stein is managing partner of the Real Estate Practice Group of Certilman Balin Adler & Hyman, LLP, a Long Island, New York, full-service law firm. He is also a member of the Nassau County Bar Association.

Mark J. Roman (WRC ‘80) has published Conquering the Boundaries of Friendship: Making and Maintaining Meaningful Male Relationships (Lioncrest Publishing), a look at the importance of friendship in the lives of men around the world and the cultural challenges they face in initiating, building and preserving them.

Fidelis Ikem (GRS ‘81, ‘87, operations research) is the dean of the College of Business at Jackson State University in Decatur, Georgia. Prior to joining Jackson State, Ikem was dean and full professor in the College of Business at Central State University in Wilberforce, Ohio.

Debra Day-Salvatore (MED ‘86), chairman of the Department of Medical Genetics and Genomic Medicine at Saint Peter’s University Hospital in New Brunswick, New Jersey, identified a new lysosomal storage disease. The finding was published in The American Journal of Human Genetics. Lysosomal storage diseases are inherited metabolic diseases that are characterized by an abnormal accumulation of various toxic materials in the body’s cells.

Kathy Starkoff (MGT ‘86), founder, president and chief executive officer of Orange Star Consulting, joined the board of directors for Gentex Corporation, a supplier of automatic-dimming rearview mirrors and electronics to the automotive industry, dimmable aircraft windows for aviation markets, and fire protection products to the fire protection market. Starkoff previously served as Chief Information Officer at The Ohio State University, where she was a member of the President’s Council and the university’s Management Committee.

Evan Morris (GRS ‘88, ‘91, biomedical engineering) is vice president of scientific imaging research for Invicro, a Konica Minolta company providing imaging biomarkers, core lab services and software for research and drug development and headquartered in New Haven, Connecticut.

Rita Dove (HON ‘94) received the 2019 Wallace Stevens Prize from the Academy of American Poets, annually recognizing outstanding and proven mastery in the art of poetry. Dove is the author of ten volumes of poetry, including Thomas and Beulah (Carnegie Mellon University Press), which won the Pulitzer Prize for poetry; On the Bus with Rosa Parks (W. W. Norton), which was named a New York Times Notable Book of the Year and was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award; and Collected Poems 1974-2004 (W.W. Norton), which was a finalist for the National Book Award. In addition to poetry, Dove has published a novel, a book of short stories and numerous essays. Dove served as Poet Laureate of the United States from 1993 to 1995 and as a Chancellor of the Academy of American Poets from 2005 to 2011. Among her many honors are the National Humanities Medal bestowed by President Bill Clinton and the National Medal of Arts presented by President Barack Obama. She also received the Fulbright Lifetime Achievement Medal and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Furious Flower Poetry Center at James Madison University. She is an elected member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters and the Commonwealth Professor of English at the University of Virginia. 

Jeffrey E. Janis (MED ‘98), professor and executive vice chairman of the Department of Plastic Surgery at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in Columbus, Ohio, is president of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, the world’s largest organization of board-certified plastic surgeons.

Gregory Antoine (MGT ‘99) is the senior associate dean for clinical affairs and chief medical officer for the Morehouse School of Medicine at Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia.

Jill Dietrich (MGT ‘07, LAW ‘07), formerly Dayton (Ohio) Veterans Affairs Medical Center director, is director and chief executive officer for Veterans Affairs Northeast Ohio Healthcare System by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

Lars Peterson (GRS 07, epidemiology & biostatistics; MED ‘09) is a National Academy Medicine Fellow for 2019. Selection for the two-year fellowship was based on professional qualifications, reputations, professional accomplishments and relevance of current field expertise to the work of the National Academy Medicine and the Health and Medicine Division of the National Academies. Peterson is the James C. Puffer, M.D./American Board of Family Medicine (ABFM) Fellow. Peterson serves as the vice president of research at ABFM in Lexington, Kentucky, and has authored more than 100 peer reviewed publications and made more than 100 international conference presentations.

Michael Anderson (NUR ‘09) of North Liberty, Iowa, received a 2019 Distinguished Service Award from Luther College, recognizing service to society in areas such as education, government, the arts, business, church, labor, industry, agriculture, research, medicine and community affairs. Anderson is the clinical coordinator and clinical assistant professor at the University of Iowa College of Nursing and has worked to raise awareness and funds for research and treatment of leukemia and lymphoma. 

Rina Patel (MED ‘09), a medical oncologist, joined the Palm Beach Gardens office of the Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute.

Samantha Lengel (CWR ‘10) is director of corporate & foundation giving for Holden Forests & Gardens, a Northeast Ohio environmental and cultural institution that is the 12th largest public garden in the country and includes the Holden Arboretum and Cleveland Botanical Garden.

Amanda Rose Martin (CWR ‘11) joined the Cleveland office McDonald Hopkins LLC as an associate in the Data Privacy and Cybersecurity Practice Group of the firm's Litigation Department.

Michael J. Dinard (LAW ‘12) is an associate in the Chicago office of Swanson, Martin & Bell, LLP with a  focus on construction litigation, product liability, medical negligence and healthcare and general trial practice. 

Ryan Kowalski (CWR ‘13) is a food extrusion specialist for the food division of C.W. Brabender Instruments, Inc. (CWB). Kowalski drives the application development of single screw and twin screw extrusion, interacts with customers to assist in the formulation process of their products and is a contributor to product development in CWB’s milling and baking products.

William J. Littlefield II (CWR ‘16; GRS ‘19, world literature) had an article based on his graduate research conducted at Case Western Reserve, The Human Skills AI Can’t Replace, published by Quillette, an online magazine focused on science, technology, news, culture and politics

Peng Wang (GRS ‘17, mechanical engineering) is an assistant professor in electrical and computer engineering at the University of Kentucky College of Engineering.

Cassandra Laios (CWR '18; GRS '19, engineering and management), a former member of the Case Western Reserve University indoor and outdoor track and field teams, was selected among the top 30 honorees for the prestigious 2019 NCAA Woman of the Year award.

Julie Welch (MGT ‘18) and teammate Maria Daniela Aguilera Mercado (MGT ‘19) were second runner-ups at the 2019 ASCM Case Competition, held by the Association for Supply Chain Management in collaboration with Deloitte Consulting LLP. Participating teams presented solutions to an end-to-end supply chain management problem, as they compete for prize money and recognition.

Maria Daniela Aguilera Mercado (MGT ‘19) and teammate Julie Welch (MGT ‘18) were second runner-ups at the 2019 ASCM Case Competition, held by the Association for Supply Chain Management in collaboration with Deloitte Consulting LLP. Participating teams presented solutions to an end-to-end supply chain management problem, as they compete for prize money and recognition. 
 
Published September 1, 2019

Linda Lehmann Masek (LYS ‘70) published A Return to the Land of Kitty Tails (Fireside/Lux Publications), a sequel to her fifth book Kitty Tails and Horses Hooves. The book includes the author's own illustrations.

Steven Kaufman (LAW '75), managing member of Kaufman & Company, LLC, was included in the 2020 edition of The Best Lawyers in America© for his work in commercial litigation, intellectual property litigation and real estate litigation. Best Lawyers® is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey. 

Ric Sheffield (WRC ‘76, LAW ‘79), Kenyon College Professor of Legal Studies and Sociology and the Peter M. Rutkoff Distinguished Teaching Professor of American Studies, served as the keynote speaker at the annual Emancipation Celebration Weekend held in Gallia County, Ohio. The Emancipation Proclamation has been celebrated and observed in Gallia County continuously since 1863. Sheffield also is the college’s Director of the Law Society Program and the John Adams Summer Scholars Program in Socio-Legal Studies. He is among a select group of scholars chosen to participate in the Ohio Humanities Council’s Speakers’ Bureau, lecturing on issues of race, law and rural diversity. Before joining Kenyon College, Sheffield served for 10 years as an Assistant Attorney General for the State of Ohio. 

Frances Floriano Goins (LAW ‘77), a partner and co-chair of the Cybersecurity & Privacy and Financial Services & Securities Litigation Practice Groups at the Cleveland law firm Ulmer & Berne LLP, joined the board of directors of the Beck Center for the Arts, a nonprofit performing arts and arts education organization dedicated to inspiring and enriching the quality of life for Northeast Ohioans. Additionally, Goins was named to Benchmark Litigation’s “Top 250 Women in Litigation.” 

Angelo Nasca (DEN ‘77) of Akron, Ohio, has retired from his 42-year career as a dentist. Nasca plans to spend time with his grandkids and to continue to hike often.

Bob Desberg (CIT ‘79) is a material specialist at Leading Edge Metals & Alloys, Inc. in Torrance, California, a supplier of specialty metals used in the aerospace/defense, medical, electronic and industrial industries.

John Brandt (CWR ‘81) published Nincompoopery: Why Your Customers Hate You—and How to Fix It (HarperCollins Leadership) in July 2019. Brandt was previously editor-in-chief of the monthly trade publication IndustryWeek and editorial director of the Chief Executive Group, a company with publications designed to help CEOs run their businesses more effectively.

Mary Schiller (WRC '82), writing as MJ MIller, published her debut novel, All About Annie (independently published). While reading a new bestseller, a young woman sees similarities with her own life and determines to find out if she's the muse behind the murder mystery.

Paulette S. Goll (GRS ‘87, English), president of Global Vocabulary LLC, was awarded a patent for her method for facilitating contextual vocabulary acquisition through association. This method utilizes SMART Vocabulary (SAT/ACT) and GRE UPGRADE Vocabulary iPad apps, offering audio, visual and kinesthetic stimuli, to help users learn and retain standardized test vocabulary.

Mark Weinberger (LAW ‘87, MGT ‘87) was elected to the board of directors of MetLife, Inc., a financial services company. Weinberger is former global chairman and chief executive officer of Ernst & Young, a multinational professional services firm headquartered in London.

Dixie Benshoff Ludick (CNM ‘88) received the 2019 Hiram College Lifetime Achievement Award in a ceremony at Hiram College on June 15, 2019. She is adjunct assistant professor of community and family medicine at Northeast Ohio Medical University. Benshoff Ludick is a psychologist who has provided consultation and training for professionals in industry, education, medicine and non-profit agencies. She previously served as a surveyor for the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities, a diplomat in the International Association of Behavioral Medicine, Counseling and Psychotherapy, and a former clinical member of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy. She also is the former department director with Akron General Medical Center and a department director with the Cleveland Clinic. She retired from her practice seeing children, teens, individuals, young adults, college students, couples, groups, seniors and families. She studied Hiram College, Kent State University and the Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences at Case Western Reserve University and Cambridge University in England, and is the author of training guides, articles and textbook chapters, as well as the books Increasing Your Personal and Professional Effectiveness: A Manual for Women Who Want to Accomplish More without Changing Who They Are (Ajoyin Publishing) and David Was a Pirate (Ajoyin Publishing). She lives in Aurora, Ohio, with her husband, Timothy Ludick. Their son, David, attends Kent State University.

David L. Drechsler (LAW ‘89) joined the Cleveland law office of McDonald Hopkins LLC. 

Choon-Heung Lee (GRS ‘89, ‘93, physics), chief executive officer of Jiangsu Changjiang Electronics Technology Co., Ltd (JCET), was featured in CEO Magazine. JCET is a semiconductor packaging and test provider in China.

Robin Joy Meyers (GRS ‘89, biology) presented her TEDx talk, The Science of Loneliness and Isolation, during the TEDxChelseaPark in NYC in June 2019. The full talk, available on YouTube, focuses on the physical effects of loneliness and isolation and includes a mention of Case Western Reserve. 

Jim Burke (MGT ‘97) is the vice president of commercial banking for ERIEBANK, a division of CNB Bank and a full-service community bank with offices in five counties in Ohio and Pennsylvania.

Scott Urigel (NUR ‘97, ‘02), a clinical instructor at Case Western Reserve and co-owner of Block Buddy, an interactive app providing ultrasound-guided peripheral nerve block and Point of Care Ultrasound education to anesthesia providers, received the 2019 Alice Magaw Outstanding Clinical Anesthesia Practitioner Award at the 34th American Association of Nurse Anesthetists' Annual Congress in Chicago.

Bob Ferguson (GRS ‘02, practice oriented master's), vice president of global research and development for Vernay Laboratories Inc., is participating NASA’s human research program, known as HERA (Human Exploration Research Analog). The mission launched on August 16. HERA is a unique three-story, closed habitat designed to serve as an analog for isolation, confinement and remote conditions in exploration scenarios, located at the Johnson Space Center.

Rahul Ravi (CWR ‘04) is the director of client management in the new Washington, D.C. office of Vcheck Global, a provider of business-to-business due diligence background checks. 

Philip Verhoef (GRS ‘04, MED ‘05) practices critical care at Kaiser Permanente Moanalua Medical Center on Hawaii Island. 

Adam Light (CWR ‘05, ‘05) joined the faculty of Colorado College with a tenure-track appointment in the physics department. He has co-authored numerous journal articles and previously taught at Swarthmore College and Earlham College.

Taneenop Aramphongphan (CWR ‘07) joined Warren Oral Surgery as a full-time oral surgeon.

Brooke Tyus (CWR ‘07, LAW ‘18), an associate at the law firm of Ulmer & Berne LLP, was elected to the CWRU Law Alumni Association Board, consisting of active alumni who demonstrate professional excellence in the corporate, nonprofit, private, and public sectors. Tyus was also instrumental in the launch of the Cleveland chapter of Women in Music, and now serves as chapter chair and as vice chair of the membership committee. Women in Music is the industry’s leading nonprofit working toward gender equality. 

Vivek Kartha (CWR ‘10) joined Alpine Investors as an operating executive for Alpine Software Group. Alpine Investors is a private equity firm based in San Francisco that specializes in building middle-market companies in the software and services industries. 

George A. Zokle III (LAW ‘10) joined the disability benefits law practice of the law firm Andalman & Flynn, PC in Silver Spring, Maryland.

Aditya Mandawat (MED ‘11) is a cardiologist with The Chattanooga Heart Institute.

Kayla Gray (CWR ‘14) was named the Arizona Rose by the Rose of Tralee International Festival in February 2019. Through this international competition, Irish women, who embody the modern, strong Irish woman, are chosen to represent their states, countries or counties to portray. In August 2019, Gray competed in the international selection of the 60th Rose of Tralee, typically the second most televised program in Ireland each year.

Michelle Patella (MGT ‘16) is a corporate yoga instructor for the YMCA of Central Ohio and a brand associate for Athleta at their store location in Columbus, Ohio.

Bianca Smith (LAW ‘17, MGT ‘17) is assistant athletics director for compliance and administration at Carroll University in Waukesha, Wisconsin.

James Johnston (GRS ‘18, bioethics) of Charlotte, North Carolina, has joined the Peace Corps as a maternal and child health promoter in Zambia.

Taru Taylor (LAW ‘18) wrote the op-ed The U.S. Gave Slavers Their Land Back. What About Black Folks’ Reparations? published by truthout.org. The piece provides historical context to support the passage of H.R. 40, the congressional bill for a commission to study reparations.

David J. Lituchy (CWR ‘19) of Morgantown, West Virginia, received Sigma Nu Fraternity’s Alpha Alumni Chapter Affiliate Award for the 2018-2019 academic year. The award recognizes members whose service and leadership exemplify the organization’s mission to develop ethical leaders.

Published August 1, 2019

Steven Minter (SAS ‘63, HON ‘89), received the 2019 Distinguished Friend of Education Award by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education at the CASE50 conference in July 2019. Minter was recognized for his long-standing commitment to advancing higher education and making education accessible to all. Minter spent 28 years with the Cleveland Foundation, including 19 years as president and executive director, and is currently an executive-in-residence at Cleveland State University’s Center for Nonprofit Policy & Practice, where he has advised two presidents and facilitated collaborations between the university, business and civic communities.

John Sayle (LAW ‘65) of East Liverpool, Ohio, was inducted into the Ohio State Trapshoot Foundation Hall of Fame.

Steven S. Kaufman (LAW '75) was honored as a 2019 Lawyer of the Year for Cleveland, Ohio in real estate litigation. The Lawyer of the Year is awarded to the attorney with the highest overall peer-review feedback in this practice area and geographic region. Steven S. Kaufman was also selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America© 2019 for the 14th consecutive year.

Mary Ann Corrigan-Davis (MGT ‘76), president of Cleveland’s only all-girls high school, Saint Joseph Academy, was named to Crain’s Cleveland Business’ inaugural Notable Women in Education recognition. Under her leadership, the school has improved the advanced technology offered to its students, through cutting-edge biology and chemistry labs, a state-of-the-art Anatomage Table, a Makerspace innovation lab, a Google Tilt Brush virtual reality system, and digital and graphic arts labs.

Don Thomas (CIT ‘77) served as grand marshal for the Apollo 11 50th Anniversary Parade in Wapakoneta, Ohio. Selected as a mission specialist astronaut in NASA’s 13th group of astronauts in 1990, Thomas is a veteran of four Space Shuttle missions and has spent 44 days in space, completing nearly 700 orbits of the Earth and traveling 17.6 million miles in the process. Today, Thomas serves as director of the Hackerman Academy of Mathematics and Science at Towson University.

Ann Womer Benjamin (LAW ‘78) of Aurora, Ohio, was appointed to the Kent State University Board of Trustees by Ohio Governor Mike DeWine.

Steven B. Wertheim (MED ‘81), an orthopaedic surgeon with Atlanta-based Resurgens Orthopaedics, was named a Distinguished Arthroscopy Leader by the Arthroscopy Association of North America.

Ka-Pi Hoh (CIT ‘84; GRS ‘87, ‘88, macromolecular science) was named one of Crain’s Cleveland Business’s 2019 Women of Note. The annual honor recognizes a group of inspiring women whose dedication and achievements enrich Northeast Ohio, its institutions and its people and are chosen by Crain’s editors.

John Poulos (WRC ‘84) is National Healthcare Director for CBRE Group, a commercial real estate services provider and investment firm.

Ryan Vero (MGT ‘94) is chief executive officer of Claire's Stores, Inc., specialty retailers of fashionable jewelry and accessories for women, teens, tweens and girls ages 3 to 35. Vero previously was president of Party City Retail Group and served in executive leadership roles at Sears and OfficeMax.

Suzanne Walsh (SAS ‘94, LAW ‘97), a former executive with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, is the president of Bennett College, historically black, all-women’s school.

Elise Jaemin Baek (CWR ‘95) published What Do Daniel Kang and Pope Francis Have in Common? Me: Survival and the Search For Love (Korea 1938-USA Present Day) (Amazon Digital Services LLC) under the name E.J. Min Baek. The autobiographical work focuses on the life of a Korean-American teenager.

Julie von Haefen (LAW ‘95) was elected to represent the 36th District in the North Carolina House of Representatives. She serves on the Finance, Education-Community Colleges, State and Local Government, Homeland Security, and Military and Veterans Affairs committees in the North Carolina General Assembly. ​

Kuno Bell (LAW ‘96) is managing partner of Pease & Associates, CPAs, a Cleveland-based firm serving Cleveland, New York, New Jersey, and California clients for the past 20 years.

Jorge J. Perdomo (GRS ’96, materials science and engineering) was named to the Counselor Award Class of 2019 by the American Welding Society. The awards ceremony will take place in November. The American Welding Society established this honor to recognize members for a career of distinguished organizational leadership that has enhanced the image and impact of the welding industry.

Tom Parrish (MGT ‘01) had his contract as executive director for the Trinity Repertory Company extended through the 2022-23 season. Parrish is responsible for providing institutional leadership of the 56-year old, Tony Award-winning theater company in Providence, Rhode Island.

Joshua Shade (MGT ‘02) is Arizona market president for U.S. Bank, leading efforts and activities and direct commercial banking in Arizona.

Michael Snell (MED ‘02) joined The Oncology Institute of Hope and Innovation, the largest private practice cancer center in California.

Michael R. Lopez (MGT ‘04) is chief operating officer of Promex Industries, a provider of microelectronics assembly services for medical and biotech devices, advanced package design and materials consulting.

Kitty Salyer (CWR ‘04, SAS ‘06) left Asian Services In Action, Inc. after a decade and opened Kinfolk Bakery in Streetsboro, Ohio, baking custom cakes, macarons and Asian and European-style breads and pastries.

Meghan Olis (GRS ‘05, art history & museum studies) is director of collections and exhibitions management for the North Carolina Museum of Art in Raleigh, North Carolina. Olis previously worked at the Cleveland Museum of Art, where she managed more than 40 exhibitions and worked with institutions including the Minneapolis Institute of Art, National Gallery of Art, J. Paul Getty Museum, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Joe Iafigliola (MGT ‘07) is chief financial officer for Safeguard Properties, a company in the mortgage field services industry that builds and shares best practices, provides services and works on behalf of clients to comply with regulatory requirements.

Bryony DuPont (CWR ‘08) was tenured and promoted to associate professor of mechanical engineering with tenure at Oregon State University.

Tim Bruns (GRS '09, biomedical engineering) is associate professor of biomedical engineering, with tenure, at the University of Michigan.

David McCormick (GRS ‘11, early music performance) joined the board of directors of Early Music America, supporting the performance and study of early music and promotes public understanding of its potential impact on people and communities coast-to-coast. Also, McCormick was named a 2020 Fellow of the International Center for Jefferson Studies in Charlottesville, Virginia. The fellowship will culminate in a series of four concerts of the music found in Thomas Jefferson's collection, as well as music that might have been played and sung by the enslaved population at Monticello.

Lisa Nummi (NUR ‘13) is COO of Blake Medical Center in Bradenton, Florida.

Chelsia Harris (NUR ‘15) is the executive director of the Lipscomb University’s School of Nursing.

Nithya Kanagasegar (CWR ‘18), a CWRU women's tennis player, received the NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship, presented to student-athletes who excel academically and athletically and who have completed their final year of intercollegiate athletics competition.

Nicole Doyle (CWR ‘19), a member of the CWRU women’s softball team, received the NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship, presented to student-athletes who excel academically and athletically and who have completed their final year of intercollegiate athletics competition.

Published July 1, 2019

Bill Miller (LAW ‘54) of Fairlawn, Ohio, marked the 75th anniversary of WW II’s D-Day by attending a ceremony in Normandy, France. Miller who received a Silver Star, a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star during his time in the army, was among the soldiers who landed on Utah Beach in 1944. 

Doris Wilkinson (GRS ‘60, ‘68, sociology), one of the University of Kentucky’s first three African-American graduates, will receive an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from her alma mater on August 30. After earning a master’s from Johns Hopkins University and master’s and doctoral degrees from Case Western Reserve University, Wilkinson returned to the University of Kentucky (UK). She is the founder and first director of the African-American Studies and Research Program (now the Program in African American and Africana Studies) at UK and creator of the African-American History Trail in Lexington, Kentucky. She also established the Forum for Black Faculty, the Carter G. Woodson Lecture Series, and the Black Women’s Conference.

John M. Leventhal (ADL ‘70) is a New York State Supreme Court Justice with more than 24 years of experience. In 2015, he received the Brooklyn Bar Association's Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Science of Jurisprudence and Public Service. In 2017, he received the New York State Bar Association's Criminal Justice Section Vincent Doyle Award for Outstanding Judicial Contribution in the Criminal Justice System, honoring judicial efforts to improve the administration of the criminal justice system. Additionally, his book about his experiences presiding over the felony domestic violence court, My Partner, My Enemy (Rowman and Littlefield), was released in paperback.

J. Jeffrey Rice (LAW ‘75) of Fort Myers, Florida, was named to Florida’s Super Lawyers list for the 14th consecutive year. Rice, a former managing partner of Goldstein, Buckley, Cechman, Rice & Purtz, P.A., was first named to the list in 2006. Candidates are determined through a process that includes peer recognition and professional achievement.

Songpol Chevapanyaroj (MGT ‘96) is president of Deposit Protection Agency of Thailand. Established in 2008, the agency is charged with providing protection to deposits in financial institutions system; the administration of institutions subject to control under the Financial Institutions Businesses Act; and the liquidation of financial institutions with revoked licenses.

María “Baby” Jaunarena (MNO ‘97) is executive director of Fundación Colibrí, a privately-funded nonprofit organization that supports projects and initiatives for Puerto Rico’s development and socioeconomic well-being.

Steven A. Meckler (LAW ’99) is the managing partner of the Charlotte, North Carolina, office of Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick, LLP. Meckler is also a member of the firm’s management committee.

Eric Reeves (MGT ‘03, LAW ‘06) is Of Counsel in the merger & acquisitions practice group of the international law firm Dorsey & Whitney LLP in Dallas.

John Deitzer (CWR ‘05) is vice president of investor relations for Atkore International, a manufacturer of electrical products primarily for the non-residential construction and renovation markets and mechanical products and solutions for the construction and industrial markets.

May Nacion (CWR ‘07) received the "25 Under 35" Award from her high school alma mater, Saint Joseph Academy (Cleveland), recognizing alumnae who have displayed outstanding leadership and had a positive impact on their communities. At Case Western Reserve, Nacion received the Provost’s Scholarship graduated cum laude. Nacion has worked for various national and international organizations to help advance the quality and delivery of critical healthcare services, including the National Quality Forum, the World Health Organization and Nationwide Children's Hospital.

Ahmed Abonamah (LAW ‘08) is deputy director of the Securities and Exchange Commission’s Office of Municipal Securities.

Cristian Sandoval (MGT ‘08) is executive director of marketing and communications at Texas A&M University-San Antonio.

Donté Gibbs (CWR ‘10, SAS ‘12) joined the Cleveland Museum of Natural History as the manager of community outreach. Gibbs will oversee strategic efforts to connect and engage residents from the neighborhoods surrounding the museum to communities where the curators and scientists conduct fieldwork and research. Gibbs, through Community Outreach works to deepen relationships ultimately transforming the  Museum to our (the community’s) place to: explore, discover, learn and enjoy connecting with our neighbors together. 

Elizabeth Rohde (GRS ‘18, bioethics) is conducting research with the Cleveland Clinic Plastic Surgery department on limb perfusion and transplant. In June 2019, her department won the Ohio Valley Cup for the teaching program with the best representation at the annual Ohio Valley Society of Plastic Surgeons meeting. Additionally, Rohde’s metabolomics abstract was accepted at the 2019 Military Health System Research Symposium, the 2019 10th Congress of World Society for Reconstructive Microsurgery, and 2019 Ohio Valley Society of Plastic Surgeons.

Published June 1, 2019

Doris Epstein (SAS ‘46) marks her 95th birthday this fall with a retrospective exhibit of her artwork at a gallery in North Falmouth, Massachusetts. Epstein received a BA from The University of Wisconsin and an MA from Case Western Reserve University. After retiring from her career as a practicing psychotherapist, she retired to Cape Cod in the late 1980s and resumed her interest in art, continuing her art education with courses and workshops in a variety of media. Her subject matter includes landscapes, travel scenes and people in various activities. She often combines all experiences in her history-based works, using acrylics as the medium. She has exhibited her paintings at juried shows in Cape Cod since 1994 and is often recognized with “First,” “Juror’s Choice” and other awards.

Barbara L. Nichols (NUR ‘66) of Madison, Wisconsin, received the 2019 Women United Philanthropy Award from the United Way of Dane County, acknowledging her commitment to improving the community and educating, empowering and inspiring women and young girls to be philanthropic leaders in Dane County. Nichols is the executive director of the Wisconsin Center for Nursing. She is also a United States Navy Veteran and the former chief executive officer of the Commission for Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools International. She has been a consultant on nursing workforce and diversity issues to the U.S. Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services and the Office of Minority Health. Nichols was elected as the first African American president of the American Nurses Association.

George Bibel (CIT ‘75; GRS ‘87, mechanical engineering) co-authored Plane Crash: The Forensics of Aviation Disasters (Johns Hopkins University Press). In the book, University of North Dakota Mechanical Engineering Professor Bibel and airline Captain Robert Hedges share riveting stories of both high-profile and lesser-known airplane accidents. Drawing on accident reports, eyewitness accounts and simple diagrams to explain what went wrong in the plane and in the cockpit, Hedges provides insight into aviation human factors, while Bibel analyzes mechanical failures. Bibel has given talks related to the book at Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab and at Johns Hopkins University, with the second talk televised on C-Span.

Alan Hall (LYS ’77) retired from the Public Library of Steubenville and Jefferson County (OH), after serving as director for 36 years. In February 2019, he was appointed to the Board of the State Library of Ohio to fill an unexpired term ending on December 31, 2022.

Darrick E. Antell (DEN ‘78) received the 2019 Man of the Year Award from his high school alma mater, University School in Shaker Heights, Ohio. Following his graduation from CWRU, Antell earned his medical degree and completed his surgical training at Stanford University. Today, he owns a plastic surgery practice in New York City, with no intentions of retiring any time soon. Antell and his wife, Lisa, live in Greenwich, Connecticut, and have five children.

James Castagnera (GRS ‘79, American studies; LAW ‘81) is retiring from his position as Associate Provost and Legal Counsel for Academic Affairs at Rider University in Lawrenceville, New Jersey. Castagnera also is an adjunct professor of legal studies at the university.

Frederick Harris (WRC ‘81, MED ‘85) is the first neurosurgeon to join the staff of Twin Cities Orthopedics, an independent specialty practice serving Minnesota's Twin Cities and western Wisconsin. Harris has 18 years of experience in treating patients with brain and spine pathologies and previously worked as an engineer at NASA and the United States Department of Defense.

Daniel Liao (GRS ‘84, electrical engineering and applied physics) joined the board of directors for Amkor Technology, Inc., a provider of outsourced semiconductor packaging and test services. Liao is chairman of Lam Asia Pacific Operations (Taiwan, China and Southeast Asia regions) of Lam Research, a semiconductor processing equipment company.

Jane Daroff (SAS ‘85) was selected as one of the Crain’s Cleveland Business “Eight Over 80.” In 1985, Daroff partnered with Jes Sellers, then-director of CWRU’s University Counseling Services department, to launch Parents, Family and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) in Cleveland.

Jeffrey Gershowitz (WRC ‘86) is general counsel of Exela Technologies, Inc., a location-agnostic global business process automation provider across numerous industries.

Tom Robertson (CIT '86, GRS '96, mechanical engineering) is vice president of engineering and technology at Fives North American Combustion, a Cleveland-based manufacturer of industrial combustion equipment. Robertson has more than 30 patents related to high-efficiency, low-environmental impact combustion systems.

Michael Finley (CWR ‘93), of Allentown, Pennsylvania, is a senior principal scientist in the lead discovery group of research and development for Janssen Global Services, LLC, a Johnson & Johnson company.  Additionally, Finley purchased a property in Covington, Kentucky, that has been in his family for over 70 years and is currently home to his mother and grandmother.

Ally Hauser (CWR ‘93; GRS ‘98, biology) is director of client relations for protein services for Aldevron, a company that  serves the biotechnology industry with custom production of nucleic acids, proteins and antibodies. Hauser resides in Lodi, Wisconsin, with her husband and son.

Samuel MacMaster (SAS ‘94, ‘01) is chief science officer for GateHouse Treatment and GH Recovery Solutions, a New England providers of drug and alcohol treatment programs.

Nicole R. Nason (LAW ‘95) was confirmed by the U.S. Senate as the 20th administrator of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (USDOT) Federal Highway Administration. Previously, Nason served as assistant secretary of the bureau of administration at the U.S. Department of State, administrator of USDOT’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and the assistant secretary for government affairs for USDOT.

Seema Rao (GRS ‘04, art history) is the senior experience office for the Akron Art Museum in Akron, Ohio. She previously worked at the Cleveland Museum of Art. Rao also sits on the board of the Ohio Museums Association.

Todd Rebner (MGT ‘05), CTO of Cyleron Inc., an artificial intelligence and cybersecurity software firm, was accepted into Forbes Technology Council, an invitation-only community for CIOs, CTOs, and technology executives. Criteria for acceptance include a track record of successfully impacting business growth, as well as personal and professional achievements and honors.

Amanda Nunnink (CWR ‘09) is vice president, multifamily investor relations for Freddie Mac Multifamily, a national multifamily housing loan provider making rental units affordable to families with low-to-moderate incomes.

Michelle Patella (MGT ‘16) was accepted as a member into the Equine Experiential Education Association. She is now pursuing certification to become an E3A Facilitator, creating equine experiential learning programs to achieve the learning objectives of clients.

Published May 1, 2019

James Reilly (CIT ‘39), grew up in Cleveland and earned a full-tuition scholarship to attend Case Institute of Technology. After receiving his degree in chemical engineering, Reilly became an engineer for Esso Production Research (EPR) in New Jersey. His career was briefly interrupted when he served as a communications officer in the Navy on a submarine during WWII. After the war, he attended Rutgers Law School to become a patent attorney for EPR, applying his knowledge of chemical engineering to help the company secure patents. After retiring as general counsel for EPR, he joined a private law firm to help the "young" patent attorneys. Reilly is the father of four, grandfather of 10 and great grandfather of nine. At 102 years of age, he lives in his own apartment in an assisted living facility in Lakeway, Texas, and greets each day with optimism and a smile.

Caldwell Esselstyn (MED ‘61), director of the Cardiovascular Disease Prevention and Reversal Program at the Cleveland Clinic Wellness Institute, joined the Medical Advisory Board of uBiome, a company dedicated to advancing the science of the microbiome and making it useful to people.

Christopher C. Mathewson (CIT ‘63), Regents Professor Emeritus at Texas A&M University, received the James Hutton Lifetime Service award, recognizing service that significantly advanced the profession of geology through his teaching, professional society service and public education activities. Mathewson is a recognized scientist and engineer with more than 70 funded research projects, 125 published papers and 700 professional and public presentations. He is the author of the award-winning textbook in Engineering Geology. This unique honor is not an annual award but one that is based on lifetime service and contributions to the community of geology. The award’s namesake, James Hutton, was the founder of modern geology as a true science and developed the “uniformity” theory of Earth — that it has a massive heat source in the core and is millions of years old.

Jeff Bloom (CIT ‘70) and his company, Synchro Arts, received a 2019 Technology and Engineering Emmy Award, the only UK company to win such an award this year. Bloom has seen his company's technology used in television, film and recorded music, including Goonies, X-Men, Steely Dan and Britney Spears.

Coleman P. Burke (LAW '70) has committed $10 million to establish the Coleman P. Burke Center for Environmental Law at the Case Western Reserve University School of Law. The center will dramatically expand students' learning opportunities in environmental law, while also establishing the school as a leading intellectual hub of interdisciplinary research and thought leadership in this rapidly growing field.

Denice Reese (WRC ‘78; NUR ‘79, ‘96, ‘16), Davis & Elkins College Professor of Nursing, received the Lois Latham Award for Teaching Excellence, the college’s top faculty recognition. The award is presented annually to an outstanding educator who is characterized by their distinguished intellectual career; enthusiasm for scholarship and intellectual curiosity; and, most importantly, by evidence that it is their professional calling to nurture the intellectual and personal growth of others.

Cathy Sila (MED ‘81) is chair of the Department of Neurology at University Hospitals (UH) Cleveland Medical Center. Sila is the Gilbert W. Humphrey Professor of Neurology and has served as the vice chair for Clinical Activities and Quality since 2014. She is the director of the Comprehensive Stroke Center at UH Cleveland Medical Center and UH System Stroke Program.

Anthony (Tony) Buglak (WRC ‘88) is vice president of finance and controller for Allbridge, a company that offers unified technology solutions to the hospitality, healthcare and higher education markets through expertise in data, video and voice technologies.

Jim McAleese (WRC ‘88; GRS ‘88, political science) received his third Wash100 Award, honoring his work providing consulting and legal services to government contracting businesses. McAleese is principal and owner of McAleese and Associates, a government contracts consulting and legal firm that helps organizations to pursue and maximize value from government contracting opportunities. The Wash100 Award recognizes the most influential executives in the government contracting industry.

Majdi B. Abulaban (MGT ‘90) is president and chief executive officer for Superior Industries International, Inc., an aluminum wheel supplier for original equipment manufacturers and the European aftermarket.

Jennifer Madden (CWR ‘93; MNO ‘95; GRS ‘95, management) is associate professor and chair of the Department of Management & Marketing at Carthage College in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

Margaret O'Bryon (LAW ‘93) is counsel at the Cleveland office of McDonald Hopkins LLC.

Leslie Kindling (CWR ‘95), of the Medical Service Corps for U.S. Navy, is officer in charge of the Naval Survival Training Institute.

Kim Stollar (LAW ‘96) is the Managing Director, Europe & NATO Government Affairs, for Boeing, based in Brussels. She represents the company’s interests with all European institutions, most notably the European Commission, the European Parliament and with NATO, and she works closely with Boeing’s Europe team to keep developing the company’s integrated pan-European government affairs strategy.

Lee E. Ponsky (MED ‘97) is the chair of the Department of Urology at University Hospitals (UH) Cleveland Medical Center and director of UH Urology Institute.

Adrian Allison (LAW ‘98), former Canton (Ohio) City Schools superintendent, is general counsel and senior vice president of human resources for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Robert Plenge (GRS ‘99, genetics; MED ‘00), vice president, research and early development and head of the Inflammation and Immunology Thematic Center of Excellence Unit at Celgene Corporation, joined the board of directors of Translate Bio, Inc., a therapeutics company developing medicines to treat diseases caused by protein or gene dysfunction.

Kristin Kaelber (GRS ‘00, Neurosciences; MED ‘02), an Internal Medicine physician, will join the faculty of The American Meditation Institute at its 31-credit-hour Yoga Science Continuing Medical Education conference for physicians and other health care providers, held in October in Lenox, Massachusetts. Entitled The Heart and Science of Yoga, this 11th annual comprehensive training, accredited through the American Medical Association and American Nurses Association, is designed to help identify, prevent and relieve physician stress and burnout.

Barbara K. Mistick (MGT ‘03), president of Wilson College in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, has been selected as the fourth president of the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities. She will begin her tenure on September 1, 2019.

Angela Flowers (SAS ‘05) was selected by Cleveland’s Scene Magazine as one of their Most Interesting People 2019. Flowers is co-owner of Making A Difference Consulting, helping more than 10,000 Cleveland-area students and families.

Susan Kornatowski (CWR ‘05, LAW ‘08) joined Rea & Associates as a manager in the firm’s Cleveland office. She specializes in performing audits of private companies, not-for-profit organizations and employee benefit plans. Kornatowski also provides compilation, review, and financial preparation services and prepares federal, state, and municipal tax returns for businesses and individuals.

Angelina Bair (CWR ‘08) has started a consulting business doing research for historical property owners titled Bair Consulting Services, LLC. She specializes in researching the chain of ownership for commercial and residential properties. More information is available at www.bairconsultingservices.com.

Steven Howard Roth (CWR ‘08, LAW ‘12, MGT ‘12) is an associate in the Cleveland offices of Roetzel & Andress LPA, a full-service law firm providing comprehensive legal services to national and international corporations, closely held businesses, institutions, organizations and individuals.

Megan B. Center (CWR ‘09, LAW ‘12), an associate in the Warrington, Pennsylvania, office of Fox Rothschild LLP, was named a Legal Eagle by the Franchise Times. The list recognizes attorneys who have made significant strides in franchise law and were nominated by their clients and peers.

David Beversluis (MED ‘10, ‘10) serves as an emergency physician for a Los Angeles County Hospital and Doctors Without Borders.

Joshua Young (CWR ‘11) is an assistant professor in the Chemical and Materials Engineering Department at the New Jersey Institute of Technology.

Michelle R. Reese (LAW ‘13) is an associate in the Akron, Ohio, offices of Roetzel & Andress LPA, a full-service law firm providing comprehensive legal services to national and international corporations, closely held businesses, institutions, organizations and individuals.

Peter Larson (LAW ‘14) is corporation counsel for Jamestown (New York) City Council.

Josh Nugent (MGT ‘16) is the head coach for the varsity boys basketball program for Hawken School, an independent, coeducational, college preparatory day school in Northeast Ohio.

Candace Steele Flippin (MGT ‘16) joined the national board of directors Youth Villages, a private nonprofit organization dedicated to helping emotionally and behaviorally troubled children and their families.

Michelle Patella (MGT ‘16) teaches a western-based integrative style of yoga basics at Centered Yoga and Movement Studio in Worthington, Ohio.

Jill Valentic (SAS ‘17) is executive director for Catholic Charities of Ashtabula County.

Karla Wludyga (MGT ‘17) is director of organizational development at PRADCO, a talent assessment, development and management company.

Published April 1, 2019

James Phillips (MED ‘58) has retired after 25 years as the senior associate dean for community outreach at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas. His major goal at the university was to increase diversity in the medical field. Following medical school at Case Western Reserve, Phillips was the first African-American intern at University Hospitals of Cleveland. 

Richard R. Love (MED ‘71) will receive The Medal for the People's Health, the highest recognition bestowed by Vietnam’s Ministry of Health. The award honors his academic career in medical oncology and public health. Love’s major research activities have been in breast cancer.

John D. Flynn (LAW '74, MGT '80) was inducted into the board of trustees at the University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee, and was reelected to the City Council in Bella Vista, Arkansas. Flynn is an adjunct professor teaching finance and business law at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, Arkansas.

Patricia Ramsey (WRC ‘77, MGT ‘88), vice president of community and economic development for Fifth Third Bank in Northeastern Ohio, is the vice chair of the board. Ramsey is part of the Port Authority’s historical all-female slate of officers for the board.

Jan Roller (LAW ‘79) is chairperson of the Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority (Port of Cleveland), the first time in the organization’s 50 year history that a female chairperson is leading the board of directors. Roller is part of the Port Authority’s historical all-female slate of officers for the board.

George Gill (LYS ‘81) has retired after a career as an academic librarian and is now freelancing as a proofreader and copy editor.
 
Shih-Chin Chen (GRS ‘84, systems control and engineering) is the winner of the prestigious Gunnar Nicholson Gold Medal Award, The Technical Association of Pulp and Paper Industry award recognizing scientific achievements in the paper industry. Chen is Corporate Executive Engineer at ABB, a global technology company focusing on power grids, electrification products, industrial automation and robotics and motion, serving customers in utilities, industry and transport and infrastructure globally. 

Mark A. Kay (GRS ‘86, anatomy; MED ‘87) joined the Scientific Advisory Board for Tenaya Therapeutics, a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing potentially curative treatments for heart disease. Kay is a researcher in the fields of gene therapy and adeno-associated virus biology. He is the Dennis Farrey Family Professor in Pediatrics, head of the division of Human Gene Therapy, and a professor in the Departments of Pediatrics and Genetics at Stanford University School of Medicine. He is one of the founders of the American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy, served as its president from 2005-2006, and was the recipient of its Outstanding Investigator Award. He is the deputy editor of Human Gene Therapy.

Darlyne Bailey (GRS ‘88, organizational behavior) is chair of the board of directors of Ultimate Medical Academy, a Tampa-based nonprofit higher education institution. Bailey is professor, dean emeritus and special assistant to the president at Bryn Mawr College.

Timothy J. Downing (LAW ‘88), chief diversity officer for Ulmer & Berne LLP in Cleveland, was appointed to Cuyahoga County’s Human Rights Commission, which aims to promote diversity, inclusion, and harmony through every facet of the county. Downing will serve as one of three attorneys comprising the first assembly of the commission, which was formed through an anti-discrimination ordinance passed by the Cuyahoga County Council.

Amy L. Lee (GRS ‘89, ‘92, psychology), a pediatric psychologist with Cleveland Clinic Children’s, has been named to the board of directors of Footpath Foundation, a 4-year-old nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering all children through discovery of the natural world.

Christopher Van Orman (GRS ‘92, chemistry) is the provost of Hillsdale College in Hillsdale, Michigan. VanOrman previously served as the dean of natural sciences and the William and Bernice Grewcock chair in chemistry.

Anu Garg (GRS ‘95, computer science), based in Seattle, celebrated the 25th anniversary of  Wordsmith.org, an international community of subscribers, puzzlers and contributors with members in nearly every country, from Afghanistan to Zambia. According to Garg, he founded the Wordsmith.org while a graduate student at Case Western Reserve University, “not to make money but to share my love of words.” 

Carl Schimmel (CWR ‘97) was named a 2018 Guggenheim Fellow for his work in music composition. Schimmel is an associate professor of music theory and composition in Illinois State University’s School of Music. 

Michael P. Bauer (MGT ‘98) is chief executive officer Libbey Inc., a manufacturer of glass tableware headquartered in Toledo, Ohio.

Adele Luta (GRS ‘04, physics) is a 2019 Presidential Innovation Fellow. A scientist and instructor, Adele Luta is working at the National Institutes of Health with the All of Us Research program, an effort to gather data from one million or more people living in the United States to accelerate research and improve health. She previously supported human spaceflight as a National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) astronaut instructor and flight controller and served as a technical team member with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Science and Technology Organization through the Collaborative Support Office.

Gretchen Woodruff Root (LAW ‘10) joined the Pittsburgh office of Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney as counsel. Her focus is labor and employment litigation.

Published March 1, 2019

Edward C. Prescott (GRS ‘64, operations research), Nobel Prize winner and the W.P. Carey Chair in Economics at Arizona State University, was the featured speaker at the Texas Tech University Free Market Institute as part of Spring 2019 Public Speaker Series.

John M. Leventhal (ADL ‘70) has recently completed 24 years as a New York State Supreme Court Justice and continues to work as a judge. For the first 13 years he was a trial judge. 11 and ½ of which he presided over the nation's first felony domestic violence court. During the last 11 years, he has served as a Justice of the Appellate Division, 2d Judicial Department, hearing civil and criminal appeals. In 2015, he received the Brooklyn Bar Association's Award for "Outstanding Achievement in the Science of Jurisprudence and Public Service." In 2017, he received the New York State Bar Association's Criminal Justice Section Vincent Doyle Award for Outstanding Judicial Contribution in the Criminal Justice System. This award honors “outstanding judicial effort to improve the administration of the criminal justice system.” His book about his experiences presiding over the felony domestic violence court, My Partner, My Enemy originally published in hardcover in 2016 has been released in paperback in 2018 by Rowman and Littlefield.

Frank Carlson (LAW ‘74) retired after more than 10 years as assistant law director for the city of Amherst, Ohio.

David T. Scadden (MED ‘80) was appointed to the board of directors of Editas Medicine, Inc., a genome editing company focused on treatments for a broad class of serious diseases. Scadden is a hematologist/oncologist and an expert on the medical applications of stem cell biology with a particular emphasis on its use in the settings of cancer and AIDS. He is the Gerald and Darlene Jordan Professor of Medicine and is Professor of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology at Harvard University. He co-founded and co-directs the Harvard Stem Cell Institute and is the Director of the Center for Regenerative Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital. He has published more than 300 scientific papers and book chapters.

Marc Merklin (WRC ‘81, LAW ‘84), managing partner of the law firm Brouse McDowell, was named a fellow of the American College of Bankruptcy. Marc is one of only 36 individuals nationwide and the only attorney in Ohio to be honored. The American College of Bankruptcy, organized in 1989, is an  educational association for bankruptcy and insolvency professionals that recognizes bankruptcy professionals for their work, contributions to the administration of justice, public service and integrity.

Elaine Batchlor (MED ‘83), chief executive officer of Martin Luther King Jr. Community Hospital in Los Angeles, received the James Irvine Foundation Leadership Award, recognizing innovative, effective leaders whose breakthrough solutions to critical state challenges improve people’s lives, create opportunity, and contribute to a better California. Batchlor is one of five Californians – all women – to receive the Leadership Award in 2019.

Michael Fine (MED ‘83) has published the novel Abundance (PM Press/ Spectacular Fiction).

Annette Sobel (MED ‘83), an associate professor in the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC) Department of Medical Education and an adjunct professor in the TTUHSC School of Nursing and Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, received the 2019 Women of Excellence Awards, the annual honors presented to ten notable community members by the Young Women’s Christian Association of Lubbock, Texas. The Women of Excellence Awards are presented each year to recognize and honor women in the community who have achieved career excellence and contributed to business, industry, organizations and the community.

Ka-Pi Hoh (CIT ‘84; GRS ‘87, ‘89, macromolecular science), organizational change management director, information solutions strategy for Lubrizol Corp., was named to the Crain’s Cleveland Business Notable Women in STEM list for 2019. The honorees bring a broad range of skills, talent and innovations to bear on the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

Alisa Peskin-Shepherd (LAW ‘85), family law attorney and principal of Transitions Legal PLLC in Birmingham, Michigan, was appointed to the newly created board for the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals, an international community of legal, mental health and financial professionals working together to create client-centered processes for resolving conflict.

Rev. Dr. D. Maurice Charles (WRC ‘87) has been named dean of Rockefeller Memorial Chapel at the University of Chicago, effective July 1. He was most recently the dean for spiritual engagement and chaplain at Hobart and William Smith Colleges in Geneva, New York, and previously served as associate dean for religious life at Stanford University.

Tom Sarfi (CIT ‘87) is business development manager for Pickering Interfaces. Based in Chelmsford, Massachusetts, Pickering Interfaces designs and manufactures modular signal switching and simulation for use in electronic test and verification.

Michele R. Kuhrt (WRC ‘88, MGT ‘89) is executive vice president, chief human resources officer for Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc., a Cleveland-based company specializing in the design, development and manufacture of arc welding products, robotic arc welding systems, plasma and oxy-fuel cutting equipment, and brazing and soldering alloys.

Karen Sylvester (CWR ‘89, ‘90) is a quality engineer for Valtronic, an electronic contract manufacturer and development partner for medical devices, based in Solon, Ohio.

Carol Thompson (GRS ‘89, nursing), University of Kentucky College of Nursing Professor and Assistant Dean of MSN and DNP Program Studies, was designated a Master of Critical Care Medicine by the Council of the Society of Critical Care Medicine (SCCM) at the SCCM 48th Critical Care Congress in February 2019. Thompson is the first acute care nurse practitioner and the second nurse to be president of SCCM.

Rob Altneu (LAW '91), an attorney with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection in Washington, D.C., has been named Director of the Regulations and Disclosure Law Division.

Robert R. Simpson (LAW ‘93, MGT '93) joined the law firm Carlton Fields as a shareholder in the Hartford, Connecticut, office. He is a member of the firm's Mass Tort and Product Liability practice group.

Natalia Scherbakoff (GRS ‘91, ‘93, macromolecular science) was appointed as director of technology & innovation, performance plastics, at Trinseo. In this newly created position, she will have global responsibility and oversee a technology portfolio of rigid, soft-touch, and bio-based plastics.

Edward A. Pesicka (MGT ‘97) is president and chief executive officer Owens & Minor Inc., a global healthcare company with integrated technologies, products and services aligned to deliver significant and sustained value for providers and manufacturers across the continuum of care. He also joined the company's board of directors.

Chetan Nagendra (LAW ‘01) heads the Bangalore office of PDS Legal.

Troy J. Vanke (MGT ‘01) is chief financial officer of IZEA Worldwide, Inc., operator of IZEAx®, an online marketplace connecting brands and publishers with content creators.

Asim Z. Haque (CWR ‘02) will be executive director of strategic policy and external affairs, effective March 11, 2019, for PJM Interconnection. He will advise on energy policy matters and will be responsible for engaging and fostering relationships with members of state and federal government in PJM's 13 states and the District of Columbia. PJM Interconnection ensures the reliability of the high-voltage electric power system serving 65 million people in all or parts of Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia and the District of Columbia.

Ramona Behshad (CWR ‘04, MED ‘07) is the 2019 president of the St. Louis Metropolitan Medical Society, the association representing physicians in the St. Louis area. Behshad is an assistant professor in the Department of Dermatology at Saint Louis University School of Medicine and director of the Division of Mohs Surgery and Cutaneous Oncology. She is a practicing dermatologist with SLUCare Physician Group.

Garrett Hall (LAW ‘09) is vice president, strategy for HIPAA One, a provider of HIPAA compliance software, third party validation and data security services.

Richard Wanerman (LAW '15) married Cynthia Drakeman in October 2018, at the Princeton University Chapel in Princeton, New Jersey. They live in Washington, D.C.

Richard Scheufler (MGT ‘17) was selected to participate in the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Program. Scheufler is the co-founder of VIB Marketing Agency, a one-stop shop for traditional and digital marketing services, and the Marketing Foundation, a non-profit organization providing free or low-cost marketing services to individuals and organizations that are striving to improve the world.

Julie Mirkin (NUR ‘18) is the chief nursing officer for Stony Brook University Hospital, leading the overall clinical and administrative operations and strategy for patient care services and advancing a model of shared nursing and physician leadership to improve patient satisfaction and clinical outcomes.

Published February 1, 2019

Greg Eastwood (MED '66) published Finishing Our Story. Preparing for the End of Life (Oxford University Press), a practical guide for preparing for the end of life. Eastwood served as interim president for Case Western Reserve University from 2006 to 2007 and currently serves as a trustee. 

Michael Harris (CIT ‘67; GRS ‘69, economics), of Charlotte, North Carolina, received the 2018 Dick O’Brien Award from SCORE Charlotte. The award honors Harris for more than 13 years of volunteer service as a Mentor-in-Training Coach and behind-the-scenes IT/database expert. SCORE is a national volunteer organization, consisting of active, retired or semi-retired business executives and business owners, offering mentoring services to startups in all phases.

Beverly Skipper (NUR ‘73) was posthumously honored through the establishment of the Beverly Skipper Endowment by the Northwest Mississippi Community College Nursing Department. The endowment will be awarded to students pursuing a career in nursing.

Mark D. Katz (LAW ‘74), a partner in the Cleveland offices of Ulmer & Berne LLP, was selected to the 2019 list of Ohio Super Lawyers for demonstrated excellence in the practice of law.

Harold (Kip) Reader (LAW ‘74), counsel in the Cleveland offices of Ulmer & Berne LLP, was selected to the 2019 list of Ohio Super Lawyers for demonstrated excellence in the practice of law.

Elissa Gross (WRC ‘76) received the 2019 Rosa Parks Award from Wheeling, West Virginia’s Martin Luther King Celebration Committee in January 2019. The award recognizes a lifetime of dedication to promoting peace and harmony in the community, while addressing issues including racial discrimination, labor grievances, disability and poverty.

Frances Floriano Goins (LAW ‘77), a partner in the Cleveland offices of Ulmer & Berne LLP, was selected to the 2019 list of Ohio Super Lawyers for demonstrated excellence in the practice of law.

Hon. Timothy J. Grendell (LAW ‘78) is a member of the National College of Probate Judges Executive Committee, an organization dedicated to improving probate law and probate courts. Hon. Grendell is one of only ten probate judges from across the country who currently serve on the executive committee and the first combined probate/juvenile court judge ever to be elected for the position.

Richard G. Hardy (LAW ‘78), a partner in the Cleveland offices of Ulmer & Berne LLP, was selected to the 2019 list of Ohio Super Lawyers for demonstrated excellence in the practice of law.

Bill J. Gagliano (LAW ‘80), a partner in the Cleveland offices of Ulmer & Berne LLP, was selected to the 2019 list of Ohio Super Lawyers for demonstrated excellence in the practice of law.

James A. Goldsmith (LAW ‘80), a partner in the Cleveland offices of Ulmer & Berne LLP, was selected to the 2019 list of Ohio Super Lawyers for demonstrated excellence in the practice of law.

K.C. Green (WRC ‘80), a partner in the Cincinnati, Ohio, offices of Ulmer & Berne LLP, was selected to the 2019 list of Ohio Super Lawyers for demonstrated excellence in the practice of law.

Alexander M. Andrews (LAW ‘81), a partner in the Columbus, Ohio, offices of Ulmer & Berne LLP, was selected to the 2019 list of Ohio Super Lawyers for demonstrated excellence in the practice of law.

Mark Wakefield (LAW ‘82), a trial attorney at Cleveland-based law firm Lowe Eklund Wakefield Co., LPA, was named to the 2019 Ohio Super Lawyers List. Only 5 percent of attorneys in Ohio were selected to receive this honor.

Mark Barrus (MGT ‘83) as senior vice president and chief financial officer for Mace Security International, Inc., designing and manufacturing consumer and tactical products for personal defense, security and surveillance.

David W. Leopold (LAW ‘85), a partner in the Cleveland offices of Ulmer & Berne LLP, was selected to the 2019 list of Ohio Super Lawyers for demonstrated excellence in the practice of law.

Richard Lebitz (WRC ‘86) is global chief internal audit officer at the Olympus Corporation, a global technology company. He lives in Middletown, New Jersey, with his wife and two daughters.

Michael S. Tucker (LAW ‘86), a partner in the Cleveland offices of Ulmer & Berne LLP, was selected to the 2019 list of Ohio Super Lawyers for demonstrated excellence in the practice of law.

Robert E. Chudakoff (LAW ‘87), a partner in the Cleveland offices of Ulmer & Berne LLP, was selected to the 2019 list of Ohio Super Lawyers for demonstrated excellence in the practice of law.

Timothy J. Downing (LAW ‘88), a partner in the Cleveland offices of Ulmer & Berne LLP, was selected to the 2019 list of Ohio Super Lawyers for demonstrated excellence in the practice of law.

Hugh Kevin McNeelege (LAW ‘91), writing under the name Bear Kosik, was awarded first prize in the Now in the New York State Fair Poetry Contest. Additionally, he published the book Remaking Democracy (Stairway Press) and had his play, Between Panic and Desire, performed Off-Off-Broadway as part of the New York Theater Festival Summerfest.

William D. Edwards (LAW ‘93), a partner in the Cleveland offices of Ulmer & Berne LLP, was selected to the 2019 list of Ohio Super Lawyers for demonstrated excellence in the practice of law.

Sheila Miller (MGT, NUR ‘93) is chief nursing officer for Cleveland Clinic Akron (Ohio) General. Miller previously served as chief nursing officer of Cleveland Clinic South Pointe Hospital in Warrensville Heights, Ohio.

James Vollins (LAW ‘93) is general counsel and a member of the executive leadership team of BioDelivery Sciences International, Inc., a commercial-stage specialty pharmaceutical company. Vollins also is the company’s chief compliance officer and corporate secretary.

Aneesha Johnson (CWR ‘95), plant manager at DuPont in Valdosta, Georgia, was jointly appointed by the Lowndes County Commission and Valdosta City Council to serve on the Valdosta-Lowndes County Development Authority board of directors.

Stephen Enseleit (CWR ‘97) is the health commissioner of the city of Oakwood, Ohio. Oakwood operates its own local health district, and the Oakwood Board of Health is established by the city charter. The health commissioner is appointed by the city manager and reports to the board of health. Enseleit is an emergency medicine physician for Emergency Medicine Specialists, serving in patient care throughout the Kettering Health Network, and in a leadership role within the emergency department at Kettering Medical Center.

Aaron McQueen (LAW ‘97) was promoted to member at the law firm of Jackson Kelly PLLC. McQueen is based in the firm’s Akron, Ohio, office.

Todd Cooper (CWR ‘98; GRS ‘00, civil engineering) is senior vice president for Hill International, a global company providing program management, project management, construction management and other consulting services to clients in a variety of market sectors.

Richik Sarkar (LAW ‘98), a member at McGlinchey Stafford PLLC in Cleveland, was named to Ohio Super Lawyers in the areas of Business Litigation, Consumer Law, Appellate, Civil Litigation: Defense, Banking, and General Litigation.

Natalie H. Rauf (LAW ‘01) is a partner of Dinsmore & Shohl LLP, a national law firm. Rauf works in the firm’s headquarters in Cincinnati.

Candice L. Musiek Capoziello (CWR ‘04), an associate in the Cleveland offices of Ulmer & Berne LLP, was selected to the 2019 list of Ohio Rising Stars, a designation reserved for lawyers either 40 years old or under, or in practice for 10 years or less.

Katherine Ezawa (SAS ‘05) is the recipient of the 2018 Steel Magnolia Award. The annual award honors women in the Mansfield, Ohio, area who have overcome obstacles to positively impact the community. The program is administered by the Middletown Community Foundation. Ezawa is executive director of the Domestic Violence Shelter in Mansfield.

Bridget Franklin (CWR ‘05) is co-chair of the Business Restructuring, Bankruptcy & Commercial Law Practice Group of Brouse McDowell, a business law firm based in Northeast Ohio.

Marianne Stott (CWR ‘06, SAS ‘06) married Ryan Zelazny on October 20th, 2018. She is a Community Outreach Counselor II at East House in Rochester, New York.

John Titley (LAW ‘06), a corporate attorney based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, is a partner at Varnum LLP, a full-service law firm.

Brooke Tyus (CWR ‘07, LAW ‘18), an associate with the Cleveland law firm Ulmer & Berne LLP, was appointed to the Board of Directors of Larchmere Porchfest, a nonprofit that hosts a family-friendly annual music festival of the same name. The event features musicians from a variety of genres who perform on the porches of 30 homeowners in Cleveland’s Larchmere neighborhood.

Matthew T. Wholey (CWR ‘07, LAW ‘10), an attorney in the Cleveland offices of Ulmer & Berne LLP, was selected to the 2019 list of Ohio Rising Stars, a designation reserved for lawyers either 40 years old or under, or in practice for 10 years or less.

Angelina Bair (CWR ‘08) is a board of trustee member of the Cleveland Heights Historical Society in Ohio.

Justin Cranney (LAW ‘08) is an equity partner in the Hawley Troxell law firm, Idaho’s largest, full service business law firm. He is a member of the firm’s real estate practice area.

Marissa Calcagno Ennis (CWR ‘08, LAW ‘11), an attorney in the Cleveland offices of Tucker Ellis LLP, was named to the 2019 Ohio Rising Stars list.

Erin Klug (LAW ‘09) is a partner at Varnum LLP, a full-service law firm in Michigan.

J. Matthew Linehan (LAW ‘09), an eDiscovery attorney in the Cleveland offices of Ulmer & Berne LLP, was selected to the 2019 list of Ohio Rising Stars, a designation reserved for lawyers either 40 years old or under, or in practice for 10 years or less.

Jeffrey Dornbos (LAW ‘10) is senior counsel in the Grand Rapids, Michigan, office, Clark Hill PLC in the Labor & Employment practice.

Conrad Gosen (CWR '10), an associate with the global intellectual property law firm Fish & Richardson, was part of the team that received Minnesota Lawyer's Attorney of the Year in the group category, an award for high-profile patent litigation wins for Arctic Cat, a U.S. manufacturer of snowmobiles and all-terrain vehicles.

Amanda Rose Martin (CWR ‘11), is an associate in the Data Privacy and Cybersecurity Practice Group of the Litigation Department of McDonald Hopkins LLC 's Cleveland office.

Devta Kidd (MGT ‘12) is the innovation director for the city of Bloomington, Indiana.

Daniela Paez (LAW ‘13), an associate in the Cleveland offices of Ulmer & Berne LLP, was selected to the 2019 list of Ohio Rising Stars, a designation reserved for lawyers either 40 years old or under, or in practice for 10 years or less.

Margaret Callahan (GRS ‘16, applied mathematics) served as a 2017-2018 American Mathematical Society Congressional Fellow, one of thirty-six PhD scientists with a wide range of scientific backgrounds serving in Congress—in personal offices and on committee staff, in both chambers, and on both sides of the aisle. The goal of the fellowship is to bring scientific perspective and technical expertise to the legislative process while affording scientists a voice in the conversations that shape our nation’s public policy.

Brinton Resto (LAW ‘17) is an attorney with internet defamation law firm Minc Law, based in Orange Village, Ohio.

Published January 1, 2019

Russ Weber (CIT ‘85) joined Barge Design Solutions, Inc., as project manager in the firm’s Water Services Business Unit. Weber’s 33 years of experience in water and wastewater engineering includes the expansion of water services, most recently for Greater Cincinnati Water Works as supply superintendent and chief engineer.

Ben P. Norton (MGT ‘92) is president of Buckeye Community Bank. Norton, of Avon Ohio, is active in the community serving as vice chair of Lake Ridge Academy Board of Directors, vice president of the Norton Family Foundation, and treasurer of the Stocker Foundation. He also is a current or past member of Growth Capital Corporation, American Red Cross Lorain County Chapter, Junior Achievement of Lorain County, and EMH Health Systems Board of Directors.

Tzipor Ulman (CWR ‘94) founded the nonprofit Science is Elementary, an organization that has introduced 10,000 San Francisco Bay Area children to concepts in physics, chemistry and engineering. For $100 per student, Science Is Elementary offers an entire year’s worth of materials and classroom expertise to elementary schools, creating a culture of inquiry. Founded 10 years ago in two schools in Mountain View and Sunnyvale, California, the organization’s 200 volunteer scientists and engineers currently work in Oakland, Milpitas, East Menlo Park, Santa Clara, Redwood City and East Palo Alto schools. Science is Elementary also works with teachers, mentoring them in science instruction. It was in Cleveland, while volunteering in inner city urban schools during her studies at Case Western Reserve University, where Ulman discovered America’s educational gap and became inspired to do her part to fix it.

Robert Stalder (CWR ‘94) is vice chairman of the board for the Phi Kappa Theta Foundation.

J. Troy Terakedis (LAW, MGT ‘95), a member in Dickinson Wright PLLC’s Columbus office, was named a 2019 Ohio Super Lawyer for Tax Law. He is also co-chair of the firm’s Taxation Practice Group.

Richik Sarkar (LAW ‘98), a member at the McGlinchey Stafford PLLC law firm, was named to Ohio Super Lawyers in the areas of Business Litigation, Consumer Law, Appellate, Civil Litigation: Defense, Banking, and General Litigation.

Daniel Stadler (MED ‘98), joined Elm Wood Center, a Genesis HealthCare Skilled Nursing Facility offering post-acute/short stay, respite, long-term care and rehabilitation therapy services, in Claremont, New Hampshire. Additionally, Stadler is the director of geriatrics at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center offices in Lebanon, New Hampshire, and an assistant professor of medicine at the Dartmouth College Geisel School of Medicine.

Arden L. Bement Jr. (HON ‘02), distinguished professor of nuclear engineering emeritus for Purdue University, was just recently selected as Top Educational Director of the Year for 2019 by the International Association of Top Professionals recognizing his leadership and commitment to government, industry and academia.

David Prince (MGT ‘02) is executive vice president, head of commercial banking for Heartland Financial USA, Inc. Based in Dubuque, Iowa, Heartland currently has 122 banking locations serving 91 communities in Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin, New Mexico, Arizona, Montana, Colorado, Minnesota, Kansas, Missouri, Texas and California.

Elise C. Hagesfeld, MNO (SAS '03), along with co-author Elizabeth Salem, PhD, has completed 100 Years of Inspiring Hope and Shaping the Future, a commemorative book covering the vast history of the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences. Including more than 180 pages and more than 150 photos, the book features alumni profiles for each decade and information about important programs, milestones, school leadership and curriculum. The book is available at orangefrazer.com/store. 

Ed Wright (MGT ‘07), professor of management and director of the Corporation for Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Western Carolina University’s College of Business, has been appointed to the position of Wesley R. Elingburg Distinguished Professor of Business Innovation at the university.

Marissa Ennis (CWR ‘08, LAW ‘11), an attorney with Tucker Ellis LLP, was selected as a 2019 Ohio Super Lawyers Rising Star. Super Lawyers is a rating service of lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement.

Roy S. Hwang (MED ‘11), a functional neurosurgeon, joined the St. Luke’s Movement Disorder Center of the St. Luke’s University Health Network. Hwang is a stereotactic and functional neurosurgeon who specializes in treating chronic pain, movement disorders and a variety of spinal disorders. He completed an internship and residency at West Virginia University and a fellowship at Albany Medical Center.

Amanda Martin (CWR ‘11), an associate with McGlinchey Stafford PLLC, named to Ohio Super Lawyers "Rising Stars" in the area of Banking. Martin attended Cleveland-Marshall College of Law, where she was articles editor for the Cleveland State Law Review and a member of the Moot Court Board of Governors before graduating magna cum laude.

Jeremy J. Schirra (LAW ‘11) joined the Columbus, Ohio, office of Dickinson Wright PLLC as Of Counsel. Schirra is a member of the Ohio State Bar Association and is a Certified Public Accountant.

Christopher Yike (MGT ‘12) was promoted to vice president of Mesirow Financial in Chicago.

Hunter G. Cavell (LAW ‘13) joined the Cleveland law firm of Buckley King. Cavell was recognized as an Ohio Super Lawyers Rising Star in 2018 and received a CALI Excellence for the Future Award from the Center for Computer-Assisted Legal Instruction.

December 2018

Wendy Visscher (FSM ‘46) retired after 44 years as director and co-director of the Help Center, the Bozeman, Montana, 24-hour crisis line, which counsels people contemplating suicide and assists people who have experienced trauma. The Bozeman community showed its gratitude to Visscher during a retirement celebration attended by current and former staff and board members, volunteers, friends and family members.
 
Richard T. Reminger (ADL ‘53) was inducted into the 2018 Class of the Cleveland-Marshall College of Law Hall of Fame, established to honor the outstanding contributions to the success and prestige of the law school by distinguished alumni, faculty, staff, friends and community leaders.
 
Dan Kappel (ADL ‘55) and his wife, Carol, relocated to South Carolina and joined the precursor to the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at Furman University, eventually helping it grow from 400 members to nearly 3,000. Celebrating its 250th anniversary, the organization offers approximately 300 classes a year, over three terms, with additional classes during a short summer term. In addition to utilizing his woodworking hobby to building tables and chairs for a new OLLI building on campus, Kappel served as chair of the Curriculum Committee and taught classes on Medicare, the history of money and the Trans Siberian Railroad - for which his grandmother, a doctor, once treated the railroad workers.
 
Anne O'Brien Carelli (FSM '71) has published Skylark and Wallcreeper (Little Bee Books/Simon & Schuster/Bonnier), after 30 years as principal of a leadership training business. For ages eight and older, it is a story about Hurricane Sandy in 2012 and the French Resistance in World War II.

Carol Kasper (CWR ‘73) retired from the University of Chicago Press after more than 23 years as marketing director and nearly 38 years at the organization.
 
Valerie Slaughter Brown (NUR '74, '77; WRC '74; GRS '88, '93, sociology) retired after a career spanning 44 years, including roles as a professor of sociology and a professor of nursing at Cuyahoga Community College. Brown also is the author of The Elderly in Poor Urban Neighborhoods (Routledge Library Editions: Urban Studies), a sociological examination of the quality-of-life issues relevant to elderly inner-city residents. Her decision to retire was strongly influenced by the arrival of her first grandchild in 2018, a grandson named August.
 
Teresa Behrens (WRC ‘79) is executive director for the Dorothy A. Johnson Center for Philanthropy at Grand Valley State University. She previously served as the center’s director of strategy and programs and the director of the Johnson Center’s Institute for Foundation and Donor Learning. Behrens is founder and editor-in-chief of The Foundation Review, a peer-reviewed journal of philanthropy published by the Johnson Center since 2009.
 
Grace Wakulchik (NUR ‘79, ‘82) is chief executive of Akron Children’s Hospital, an independent pediatric hospital in Ohio.
 
Brendan M. Patterson (MED ‘86, MGT ‘00), an expert in limb salvage, complex fractures and adult reconstruction, is chairman of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at Cleveland Clinic, a team of 325 employees.
 
Laura J. Flanagan (CWR ‘90) was appointed to the board of directors of the Callaway Golf Company, a manufacturer of golf clubs and golf balls and seller of golf accessories and apparel. Flanagan is currently the chief executive officer of Foster Farms, a branded and private label poultry company headquartered in Livingston, California.
 
Robin Knauerhase (CWR ‘90) retired from Intel Corporation after 26 years as a research scientist, having had interests from supercomputing to cloud and Internet technologies to mobile and handheld data communications. Knauerhase has 44 patents and has published widely. She is taking a "gap year" before determining her next professional challenge.
 
Crystal Broussard (MED ‘92), a physician in gastroenterology and a partner at Bergen Medical Associates, headquartered in Emerson, New Jersey, joined the New Jersey SEEDS Board of Trustees. New Jersey SEEDS is a nonprofit providing educational access to motivated, high-achieving students from low-income families. Broussard has been an active member of the New Jersey SEEDS community for several years. She participated in SEEDS' Capstone Speaker Series, sharing her education and career journeys with rising ninth grade students. Broussard has also been part of the Friends of SEEDS, a group of volunteers whose activities support and enhance SEEDS' academic programming. Additionally, Broussard and her husband, Chris, have served as members of SEEDS' Leading Change Benefit Committee, helping to introduce new friends to SEEDS' mission and celebrating the organization's successes.
 
Mark L. Rodio (MGT ‘92), a partner at the Cleveland law firm Frantz Ward LLP, was recognized in the  2019 edition of The Best Lawyers in America, a list based on an exhaustive peer-review evaluation.
 
Ruth Rhodes (GRS ‘95, English) edited Come to the Edge: Arrival and Survival in Del Norte County (Left Fork), a collection sharing the real experience of life in Del Norte County, California. Rhodes collected the stories from a diverse group of 41 people who live in the county and whose experiences illustrate both the beauty and challenge of the area. Rhodes teaches English at the College of the Redwoods in Crescent City, California.
 
Robert Huang (CWR ‘98, MED ‘02) joined the Chattanooga Heart Institute at Catholic Health Initiatives Memorial Hospital. Huang completed his residency and internship in internal medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, as well as fellowships in cardiovascular medicine and interventional cardiology.
 
Bob Jost (CWR '04) recently started as a senior project manager with GZA GeoEnvironmental, Inc. in their Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, office. Bob will work in tandem with the senior principal to build the geotechnical engineering practice in the Greater Philadelphia region. Bob is a licensed professional engineering in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware. Bob resides in South Jersey with his wife and two sons.
 
Joanne Michelle Kahlenberg (GRS ‘05, pathology; MED ‘06), an assistant professor at the University of Michigan Medical School, received the Mary Betty Stevens Young Investigator Prize from the Lupus Foundation of America. The award recognizes exceptional accomplishments of an early career investigator in the field of lupus. Dr. Kahlenberg’s current research focuses on how specific chemicals contribute to skin inflammation in lupus patients. She holds a medical doctorate from the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Cleveland.
 
Brooke Tyus (CWR '07, LAW '18) joined the real estate practice group of Ulmer & Berne LLP, focusing on real estate and business law. She also assists with nonprofit matters. Tyus is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and was selected for the 13th edition of Who’s Who in Black Cleveland. She is a cum laude graduate of Case Western Reserve University School of Law, where she served as editor-in-chief of the Journal of International Law and participated in the Milton A. Kramer Law Clinic.
 
Greg Doggett (LAW ‘08) is counsel in the Health Care practice Dentons, a global law firm.
 
Kathleen Buse (GRS ‘12, management) was named a 2018 Distinguished Alumnus by the National Honor Society of Shaler Area High School. Buse’s 25-year career has included positions at Eastman Kodak, Lubrizol, Avery Dennison and Sherwin-Williams and an adjunct professorship at Case Western Reserve University, where she co-created the university’s Leadership Lab for Women, focused on equipping women with the skills necessary for advancement, and served as president and founder of Advancing Women in STEM and Advancing Women in the Workforce, providing research and strategies for companies seeking to create women-friendly environments. She currently is director of the Women's Leadership Institute at ERC, a human resources firm, developing programs for organizations to recruit, retain and advance women. Buse and her husband have three children and reside in Lake County, Ohio.
 
Henry A. Bailey, Jr. (LAW ‘15) is an associate attorney in the commercial real estate, general corporate and zoning and land use practice areas of Berman Fink Van Horn P.C. law firm.


Published November 1, 2018

Michael A. Janning (ADL ‘64) was selected as the first poet laureate of South Euclid, Ohio.

Mary Kay Rickenbaugh (FSM '66, MGT'83) published the comedic novel Dear Tallulah. Available through Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble, the book was inspired by encouragement Rickenbaugh received from a professor while at CWRU.

William Hayes (CIT '67) received the Distinguished Alumni Award from his high school alma mater, Morrison R. Waite High School in Toledo, Ohio. This award recognizes a lifetime achievements in business and community service. Hayes had a 43-year career in manufacturing and engineering at General Electric, served as board vice president and president of a homeless services agency in Lynn, Massachusetts, and mentored small business owners as a member of Service Corp of Retired Executives. He now is retired and living in Danvers, Massachusetts.

John (Jack) Vanek (ADL ’70) will publish Miracles, the second novel in his Father Jake Austin Mystery Series, in both trade paperback and E-book on February 1, 2019. The mystery takes place in Oberlin, Ohio, and the Greater Cleveland area.

Mark Corson (ADL '70), former partner at Ernst & Young and retired Royal Dutch Shell learning manager, retired — only to discover that he didn’t like retirement. Corson now holds multiple part-time jobs: a broker with RCR Yachts - Cleveland, helping people buy and sell boats; a sailboat captain for Key Yacht Management; and vice president for Livingston & Associates, a corporate learning and development consulting firm.   

James Young (GRS '71, history) published the article And They Rose . . . Again and Again in the 2018 edition of The Pennsylvania Labor History Society Journal, concerning labor-management strife in late 19th century America. In fall 2018, Young also published the article Looking to History for Labor's Future on the website Democratic Left and presented Progressive Labor in Pennsylvania: The PA Social Services Union, 1970-1995 at the North American Labor History Conference in Detroit, Michigan.

Carl Martino (WRC ‘74, MED ‘80) was inducted into the Cleveland Clinic Akron General’s Society of Distinguished Physicians during its 39th Annual Fellowship Dinner. Established in 1979, the society recognizes members of Akron General’s Medical Staff for outstanding service to Akron General and the community. Martino, a resident of Akron, Ohio, is the chairman of the Department of Radiology and medical director of the Reflections Vein Center, and has been on staff at Akron General since 1989. He is also a clinical assistant professor of Diagnostic Radiology at Northeast Ohio Medical University.

Bob Joondeph (LAW ‘76) was appointed to the Social Security Advisory Board, a bipartisan, independent federal government agency established in 1994 to advise the President, the Congress, and the Commissioner of Social Security on matters of policy and administration of the Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance and the Supplemental Security Income programs. Joondeph, currently the executive director of Disability Rights Oregon, an advocacy organization for those with disabilities that has been a pioneer for the nation, was appointed by U.S. Senator Rob Wyden.

Frances Floriano Goins (LAW ‘77), a securities litigation attorney with Ulmer & Berne LLP in Cleveland, was recognized in the 2019 edition of Benchmark Litigation as a state litigation star.

Mark Agrast (WRC ‘78), executive vice president and executive director of the American Society of International Law, was honored by the American Bar Association Commission on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI) with its seventh annual Stonewall Award. The award is named after the New York City Stonewall Inn police raid and riot of June 28, 1969, which was a turning point in the gay rights movement, and recognizes lawyers who have considerably advanced lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals in the legal profession and successfully championed LGBT legal causes.

Howard Stein (LAW ‘78) was named to the 2018 New York Metro Super Lawyers List, recognizing top lawyers in their respective areas of practice. Stein is managing partner of the Real Estate Practice Group at Certilman Balin Adler & Hyman, LLP, Long Island’s second largest full-service law firm. He concentrates on matters related to property acquisitions, development, sales, leasing, real estate finance and loan workouts for a wide range of retail, industrial, office, hotel and residential development clients.

Thomas Kevin Swift (GRS ‘78, economics) is president of the National Association for Business Economics, the premier professional association for business economists and others who use economics in the workplace. Swift is also chief economist at the American Chemistry Council.

Kevin Joyce (WRC ‘79) teaches business ethics, law and communication to MBA students in the Bowling Green State University College of Business.

Kim Gardner (DEN ‘81) received the Ohio Dental Association Distinguished Dentist Award. Gardner has a practice in the Chardon, Ohio, area and is an annual participant in the Give Kids A Smile program at Lakeland Community College in Lake County, Ohio, which provides dental care to children in need.

James Grifo (GRS ‘82, biochemistry; MED ‘84) is the chief medical officer of Prelude Fertility, a comprehensive fertility company that launched in October 2016.

Carol Satler (GRS ‘85, biochemistry; MED ‘86) is vice president of medical affairs in North America for Sobi, an international biopharmaceutical company dedicated to rare diseases.

Kathy Starkoff (MGT ‘86), founder, president and CEO of Orange Star Consulting, has been appointed to the board of directors of Gentex Corporation, a supplier of digital vision, connected car, dimmable glass and fire protection technologies. Starkoff serves as board chair of Flying Horse Farms and is a member of the SeriousFun Children’s Network Board.

Fredy Zypman (GRS '87, ‘88, physics) is the recipient of the 2018 the Materials Today Embracing Challenge Award, recognizing researchers in the field of materials science and engineering who have overcome difficult circumstances to pursue their research career and are contributing meaningful insights in their particular field of investigation.

Stuart Altman (WRC '88) is senior vice president and global chief compliance officer at Las Vegas Sands Corp.

Geralyn M. Presti (LAW ‘88, SAS ‘88), the general counsel, executive vice president and secretary for Forest City Enterprises, Inc., will deliver the commencement address for Ursuline College on May 15, 2019.

Choon-Heung Lee (GRS ‘89, ‘93, physics) is chief executive officer for Jiangsu Changjiang Electronics Technology Co., Ltd. (JCET), a global semiconductor packaging and test provider and the largest provider in China, and chief executive officer and chairman for STATS ChipPAC Pte. Ltd., a provider of advanced semiconductor packaging and test services and a member of the JCET group of companies. Lee holds 59 industry patents and has published 19 academic papers around the world.

Anne Hines (GRS ‘90, ‘94, biomedical engineering), a data analyst for a cardiovascular research group at the Department of Veterans Affairs and former American Association for the Advancement of Science Diplomacy Fellow at the U.S. Agency for International Development, was honored by Boston University’s College of Engineering for her career achievements and for the support she has given her alma mater and the community. Hines and her husband, Larry Leszczynski, are the co-founders of the Colorado Nepal Alliance, a non-profit based in Denver, Colorado, and focused on enhancing the lives of those living in rural Nepal. What started as a mission to provide lightly used footwear to Nepali porters and villagers has expanded to include a community health survey, school construction, school uniforms and teacher training.

Rina Banerjee (CWR ‘93), a multi-faceted artist whose practice includes painting, sculpture, works on paper, and installations drawing on her science background, is a presenter in the Warren and Allison Kanders Lecture Series, an annual series of presentations and student interactions led by prominent contemporary artists and art-world luminaries for the Brown Arts Initiative at Brown University. Banerjee’s work has been exhibited internationally, including at the Smithsonian’s Freer Sackler Gallery, 55th Venice Biennale, and Whitney Museum of American Art. Additionally, Rina Banerjee: Make Me a Summary of the World, her first in-depth retrospective, will be on view at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts October 28, 2018 ‒ March 31, 2019.

Cameron Lonsdale (GRS ‘93, material science and engineering) is senior vice president sales for Standard Steel, LLC, in Burnham, Pennsylvania, and has been in the railroad and railroad supply industries for 30 years. Lonsdale received the American Society of Mechanical Engineers Fellow award for his work in railroad research and development. He lives in State College, Pennsylvania, with his wife, Sherry, and two children.

James Vollins (LAW ‘93) is general counsel and member of the executive leadership team for BioDelivery Sciences International, Inc., a commercial-stage specialty pharmaceutical company focused on treating chronic pain.

Dean Velasco (GRS ‘94, ‘97, electrical engineering & applied physics) is firmware engineer for Valtronic, a company that designs, develops and manufactures miniaturized and complex products for medical device partners across the globe. Velasco is responsible for all aspects of the firmware development life cycle.

David A. Bouffard (MGT ‘98), vice president, corporate affairs, Signet Jewelers Ltd., was honored by the American Gem Society (AGS) with the Triple Zero® Award at its annual Circle of Distinction Dinner at the Plaza Hotel in New York City. The AGS established the award to recognize jewelry professionals for their valuable contributions to the industry. Bouffard was recently named chairman of the Responsible Jewellery Council and is actively involved with industry organizations such as Jewelers of America, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development Multi-Stakeholder Working Group, the World Diamond Council, and several community organizations in and around Akron, Ohio. Additionally, Bouffard was named the Summit County Court Appointed Special Advocates Volunteer Board of Trustees 2018 William P. Kannel Child Advocate of the Year, an award for exemplary commitment to improving the lives of abused and neglected children in Summit County, Ohio.

Ammar Adam (DEN '00) is a partner in the practice Endodontic and Periodontic Associates in Orland Park, Illinois. EndoPerio has 11 specialists and 8 offices in Illinois and northwest Indiana.

Andrean Horton (LAW ‘00) is executive vice president, chief legal officer and secretary for Myers Industries Inc., an international manufacturer of polymer products for industrial, agricultural, automotive, commercial and consumer markets.

Dave Kleckner (CWR '01) is the regional director in the Northeast Ohio office of Shook Construction. He is responsible for healthcare, higher education, and mission critical projects, as well as further solidifying the company's place in the Northeastern Ohio market.

Kerry McElroy (MGT ‘03) is the senior manager at the Zanesville, Ohio, office of the accounting firm Rea & Associates.

Steve Brand (MGT ’04) is director of the Entrepreneurship Center at the Isenberg School of Management, University of Massachusetts Amherst.

Kathy Keister (GRS ‘04, nursing) is the dean of nursing for Northwest State Community College.

Manoj Nakra (MGT ’04) published A 1000 Days Adventure - Entrepreneur Journeys: The Crafting of Business. It is available at Amazon.com.

Dana Cowen (GRS ‘05, art history and museum studies; GRS ‘14, art history) is the inaugural Sheldon Peck Curator for European and American Art before 1950 for The Ackland Art Museum at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In this newly endowed position, Cowen will be responsible for care, cataloguing, display, expansion, and refinement of the Ackland’s distinguished collection of European and American art before 1950, organizing and overseeing exhibitions, conducting research, publication, curricular engagement and public outreach.

Frank C. Braun (MGT ’07) is dean of the School of Business at Baldwin Wallace University in Ohio.

David Bernholt (CWR ‘09) is one of ten surgeons and physicians comprising the 2018-19 class of the fellowship program at The Steadman Clinic and Steadman Philippon Research Institute in Vail, Colorado.

Katie Kriegshauser (CWR '09) of Kansas City, Missouri, became the director and co-owner of the Kansas City Center for Anxiety Treatment, P.A. (KCCAT), a center focusing on evidence-based treatment of anxiety across the lifespan, clinical research and clinician training. The KCCAT team recently received funding from the National Institute of Mental Health for an early childhood mobile-app based prevention and early intervention program for anxiety and related conditions.

Dale Hartz (MGT ‘10, ’14) is a visiting instructor of management in the Andreas School of Business at Barry University in Miami Shores, Florida. He is teaching organizational behavior & management, human resource management, and introduction to business. Additionally, he is a member of the university's sustainability team.

Priscilla Pang (GRS ‘10, applied anatomy; MED ‘10), a spine and functional neurosurgeon, joined Bend, Oregon-based The Center Orthopedic & Neurosurgical Care & Research.

Stephan Liozu (MGT ’13) co-authored the book Monetizing Data: A Practical Roadmap for Framing, Pricing & Selling Your B2B Digital Offers. It is available at Amazon.com.

Philipp Hensler (MGT ’13) joined the New York City–based equity manager Epoch Investment Partners as president and chief operating officer.

Mark Sands (MGT ‘14) is chief medical officer for Stony Brook University Hospital.

Laura Steefel-Moore (GRS ‘14, art history and museum studies) is head of educational programs for The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, overseeing diverse educational offerings that include docent training, museum tours, family programs, student and teacher programs, adult programs, and outreach and accessibility initiatives.

Karen Stock (MGT ’14) was promoted to associate professor and awarded tenure at Walsh University in North Canton, Ohio.

Philip A. Cola (MGT ’15) was elected to the Board of the Executive Doctorate in Business Administration Council for a three-year term which began in July 2018.

Angela Crawford (GRS ‘16, management) is the founding dean of the College of Business at Thomas More University. Additionally, Crawford teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in the areas of strategy, innovation, marketing, and management.

Michelle Patella (MGT '16) delivered a TedXTalk in New Albany, Ohio, about the positive impacts of mindfulness meditation.


Published October 1, 2018
Hunter Peckham (GRS ‘68, ‘72, biomedical engineering), a pioneer in the field of neuroprosthetics, technology that restores movement for people living with paralysis, and a Distinguished University Professor and Donnell Institute Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Case Western Reserve University, is the keynote speaker at the 18th annual Neurotech Leaders Forum in San Francisco.

Eugene Lozyniak PE (CIT ‘79) retired from Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, after 39 years as a senior engineering specialist. The Y-12 National Security Complex is a manufacturing facility that plays a vital role in the Department of Energy’s Nuclear Security Enterprise.

Carol M. Musil (NUR ‘79; GRS ‘91), psychiatric mental health nursing) is interim dean of the Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing at Case Western Reserve University. Additionally, she is the Marvin E. and Ruth Durr Denekas Professor of Nursing.

Norma I. Quintana (SAS ‘79) presented Forage from Fire at the San Francisco Camerawork gallery. Her solo photography exhibition features images of items excavated from the remains of her home and studio after both were destroyed by the 2017 Northern California wildfires.  

Ronald C. Taylor (CIT ‘79; GRS ‘85, computer engineering; GRS ‘91, biology) is a bioinformatics advisor for the High Performance Computing and Informatics Office at the National Institutes of Health’s Center for Information Technology.

June Romeo, PhD (WRC '80, NUR '97) is one of two nurses to ever be elected a fellow of the American College of Cardiology, recognizing her clinical expertise, original research, scientific publications and service.

Anthony Wynshaw-Boris (GRS ‘84, biochemistry; MED ‘87), the James H. Jewell MD ’34 Professor of Genetics and chair of the Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center and Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital, is president of the American Society of Human Genetics, the primary professional membership organization for human genetics worldwide.

Denielle Pemberton-Heard (LAW ‘89), general counsel and managing director in the Washington, D.C., offices of Diversified Search, an executive search firm. She most recently served as group counsel, programming and business affairs at the Public Broadcasting Service, the nation’s largest non-commercial media enterprise.

Eric Roegner (MGT ‘94) is president of Amcor Rigid Plastics based in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Amcor Rigid Plastics is a division of Amcor, a global developer and producer of high-quality, responsible packaging for food, beverage, pharmaceutical, medical-device, home and personal care products.

Kevin Martin (MED '96) is chief medical officer at Kittitas Valley Healthcare, a network including a critical access hospital, five rural health primary care clinics, three  specialty clinics and urgent care services serving 46,000 people in central Washington. Martin also continues as medical director - community based care services, overseeing the county’s only skilled nursing facility and KVH Home Health & Hospice and sees patients at KVH Family Medicine - Ellensburg. All five of his children are grown.

Kimya Johnson (LAW ‘02) is senior counsel and co-chair of the national diversity and inclusion practice in the Philadelphia office of Ogletree Deakins Nash Smoak & Stewart, one of the largest labor and employment law firms representing management.

Stephen Brand (MGT ‘04) is the associate director for the Isenberg School of Management at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

Baowei Fei (GRS ‘04, computing and information science; GRS ‘09), systems control & engineering) is a professor of bioengineering in the Department of Bioengineering in the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science at The University of Texas at Dallas. Fei previously was an associate professor at Emory University School of Medicine and the Georgia Institute of Technology.

Anne Putnam (MGT ‘04) of Schenectady, New York, joined the Double H Ranch board of directors. The ranch, established by Storytown/Great Escape founder Charles R. Wood and actor Paul Newman, provides specialized programs and year-round support for children and their families dealing with life-threatening illnesses. Putnam is the senior vice president at Fenimore Asset Management/FAM Funds. Additionally, she is a board member of Proctors Theatre, treasurer for the Putnam Family Foundation and a member of the finance committee for the First Reformed Church of Schenectady.

Sharmin Shahjahan (MGT ‘04) was elected to the city council of the Village of Hanover Park, Illinois, making her the first elected board member of Asian heritage and Muslim faith. It is believed that Shahjahan is the first Bangladeshi woman to hold an elected office in the United States.

Heidi Mercer (SAS ‘08) is assistant professor of social work and field director for Bluffton University in Bluffton, Ohio. Mercer also works with Crime Victim Services in Lima, Ohio, where she focuses on the issues of human trafficking.

Michael R. Rudick (MGT ‘08, LAW ‘11) joined the firm Rivkin Radler LLP as an associate in the General Liability Practice Group. Rudick concentrates primarily on civil defense litigation, representing commercial clients in a wide variety of premises liability, property damage, automotive liability and construction/labor law matters.

Nicholas Preusch (LAW ‘09) has been named one of CPA Practice Advisor’s Top 40 Under 40 for his role in helping shape the accounting profession and further advancing the industry through leadership, innovation and collaboration. Preusch is a tax manager in the Fredericksburg, Virginia, office of PBMares, LLP, an accounting and business consulting firm serving U.S. and international clients.

Ron Tulley (GRS ‘10, English), University of Findlay (Ohio) College of Liberal Arts dean, is a divisional vice president for Phi Kappa Phi, the nation's oldest collegiate honor society for all academic disciplines.

Daniel Eichinger (LAW ‘11) is a manager in the Trial Division of the Office of the Public Defender for Allegheny County.

Kelly Ruijie Gao (MGT ‘17) is a tax associate in the Indianapolis offices of BKD, a national CPA and advisory firm with 38 offices in 17 states.

Makela Hayford (CWRU '18) was named a Cleveland Foundation Public Service Fellow. She has been placed in the Mayor's Office of Sustainability for the City of Cleveland. Hayford is one of nine individuals selected for this year’s fellowships, which began in September at local public sector and nonprofit agencies.

Published September 4, 2018
Philmore J. Hart (ARC '48) of Beachwood, Ohio, will join his surviving classmate, Robert Madison (ARC '48, HON '04), to celebrate the 70th class reunion of the School of Architecture of Western Reserve University. Hart graduated with honors from the program and studied under world-renowned architect Mies van de Rohe before joining the faculty of the School of Architecture of Western Reserve University in 1954. He was named the chair of the School of Architecture in 1968.

Robert Madison (ARC '48, HON '04) will join his surviving classmate, Philmore J. Hart (ARC '48), to celebrate the 70th class reunion of the School of Architecture of Western Reserve University. Madison was personally trained by Walter Gropius, founder of the Bauhaus School in a master’s program at Harvard University in the early 1950s, a program that only admitted 16 students, and received a Fulbright Scholarship to study architecture in Paris. In 1950, Madison became Ohio's first African American registered architect and, in 1954, founded Robert P Madison International, Inc., the architecture firm he still works at today. Madison designs include , whose work includes mid-century modern residential designs, A.M.E. churches, school buildings, museums, hotels and the U.S. embassy office building in Dakar, Senegal, the State of Ohio Computer Center in Columbus, an engineering and nuclear teaching facility Tuskegee University, and a building in Cleveland's Glenville neighborhood that in 1962 that was the first office in Ohio for black medical professionals and has since been remodeled and renamed The Madison in his honor. Also in Cleveland, Madison worked on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with legendary architect I.M. Pei, FirstEnergy Stadium (home of the Cleveland Browns) and Quicken Loans Arena (home of the Cleveland Cavaliers). He is a trustee emeritus of CWRU.

Frank Rudy (CIT ‘50) was posthumously inducted into the 2018 Class of the Spartan Hall of Fame as a special category inductee. Rudy studied mechanical and aeronautical engineering at the Case Institute of Technology before inventing the "Air Sole" in 1978, transforming Nike’s athletic shoe into a must-have technological marvel and launching the company’s growth into a $34.4 billion per year athletic apparel business. In 1999, Frank and his wife, Margaret, donated $2 million to the Case School of Engineering, creating a chair named for the Rudy Family. After Frank's death in 2014, Margaret, Rudys' daughter, Kim McMahon, and Nike orchestrated a gift of $400,000 worth of uniforms and shoes to CWRU athletics. In May 2018, McMahon donated $1,900,000 to CWRU athletics for the M. Frank Rudy and Margaret Rudy Athletic Endowment. 

John Davin (CIT '60), was posthumously inducted into the 2018 Class of the Spartan Hall of Fame as the Heritage Selection. Davin was a star basketball player and golfer for the Case Institute of Technology.

Larry Crystal (ADL ‘61), an attorney with the Cleveland law firm McCarthy, Lebit, Crystal & Liffman Co., LPA, was named in the 2019 edition of The Best Lawyers in America.

Clark Heckert (CIT ‘68; GRS ‘73, electrical engineering and applied physics) published his first novel, Sudden Storm (Light of the Moon, Inc.). The political thriller follows a Navy SEAL’s attempts to halt a deadly international conspiracy. Now retired, Heckert spent twenty-seven years in equipment development with the DuPont Company in the Engineering Physics Laboratory, Medical Products, Electronic Imaging and Printing, and Publishing departments. He lives in Colorado with his wife, Pamela.

Garland E. Likins Jr. (CIT ‘71; GRS ‘73, civil engineering), co-founder and past president of Pile Dynamics Inc. (PDI), received the Distinguished Service Award from the Deep Foundations Institute, an international association of contractors, engineers, academics and suppliers in the deep foundations industry. Currently a principal and senior consultant for PDI, Likins is widely known for guiding the development of dynamic pile testing as an industry standard in the United States and throughout the world. 

David A. Schaefer (LAW ‘74), an attorney with the Cleveland law firm McCarthy, Lebit, Crystal & Liffman Co., LPA, was named in the 2019 edition of The Best Lawyers in America.

Frances Floriano Goins (LAW '77) has been recognized in Benchmark’s Top 250 Women in Litigation for five years in a row. Goins is one of only five female litigators in the state of Ohio to make Benchmark’s list, acknowledging female litigators from all 50 states and the District of Columbia who have participated in some of the most impactful litigation matters in recent history. Goins, a partner in the Cleveland law firm Ulmer & Berne LLP, also serves as co-chair to both Ulmer’s Financial Services & Securities Litigation and Cybersecurity & Privacy Practice Groups. Additionally, Goins chairs the American Bar Association Business Law Section’s Director & Officer Liability Committee and is a founding member of the Ohio Women’s Bar Association. In 2018, she was recognized by the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association for her leadership role in founding the association’s Commission on Women in Law. Goins graduated with the Order of the Coif from Case Western Reserve University School of Law, where she was the first female editor-in-chief of the CWRU Law Review. She earned her bachelor and master of music degrees in voice from the Cleveland Institute of Music.

Karen Golden-Biddle (MGT ‘81; GRS ‘88, management) is one of nine fellows inducted into the Academy of Management in 2018. Golden-Biddle was recognized for her teaching and mentorship. A Questrom School of Business professor of organizational behavior and a professor of management at Boston University, Golden-Biddle is the author of two books and more than 60 book chapters and articles in management journals.

Teresa Head-Gordon (CIT ‘83), the Chancellor’s Professor of Chemistry, Biochemistry and Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering at the University of California, Berkeley, was inducted into the 2018 class of American Chemical Society Fellows, honoring distinguished chemists who have demonstrated outstanding accomplishments in the field.

Julie Hambleton (MED ‘86) joined the board of directors for IGM Biosciences, Inc., a privately held biotechnology company engaged in the research and development of therapeutic IgM antibodies. Currently Senior Vice President, Chief Medical Officer and Head of Development at IDEAYA Biosciences, Hambleton has broad experience across all stages of drug development and was a leader in the successful development of Avastin^® and Rubraca^®.

Todd Hockenberry (WRC ‘88) published Inbound Organization (Wiley), a look at how leaders can build their company's future around inbound principles and strengthen the structural foundations necessary to deal with the changes in buyer behavior.

Christian R. Patno (LAW ‘90), an attorney with the Cleveland law firm McCarthy, Lebit, Crystal & Liffman Co., LPA, was named in the 2019 edition of The Best Lawyers in America.

Rich Garcia (MGT ‘91) is chief financial officer for OEConnection, an automotive  technology provider for original equipment manufacturer (OEM) distribution networks. An OEM is a company that produces parts and equipment that may be marketed by another manufacturer. 

Robert T. Glickman (LAW ‘92), an attorney with the Cleveland law firm McCarthy, Lebit, Crystal & Liffman Co., LPA, was named in the 2019 edition of The Best Lawyers in America.

David A. Lum (LAW ‘94), an attorney with the Cleveland law firm McCarthy, Lebit, Crystal & Liffman Co., LPA, was named in the 2019 edition of The Best Lawyers in America.

Francine Paschall (NUR ‘94) is chief nurse executive for Cancer Treatment Centers of America Global, Inc., a national comprehensive cancer care network of hospitals and outpatient care centers. Paschall is based at the Boca Raton headquarters and reports directly to the president and chief executive officer.

Robert Stalder (CWR ‘94) is Vice Chairman of the Board for the Phi Kappa Theta Foundation. Phi Kappa Theta is a fraternity focused on the leadership, fraternal, intellectual, social and spiritual development of its members. Stalder also is board member emeritus for The Alumni Association of Case Western Reserve University.

Kristin L. Pruitt (LAW ‘96), executive vice president, chief administrative officer and general counsel for Lake City Bank, was named a Top General Counsel in the 2018 First Chair Awards. The annual awards program honors in‐house counsel who have made significant contributions to the legal community. Lake City Bank, a $4.8 billion bank headquartered in Warsaw, Indiana, is the fourth largest bank headquartered in the state, and the largest bank 100% invested in Indiana. The bank operates 49 branch offices in northern and central Indiana. 

Lynne Winings (MGT ‘96) was named president of GBX Group LLC, a Cleveland-based real estate investment company specializing in historic properties.

Gary Greenlee (LAW ‘97) is an associate at McConnell Wagner Sykes and Stacey in Boise, Idaho. His practice focuses on insurance and commercial litigation. 

Joshua Lamancusa (LAW ‘99), district attorney of Lawrence County, Pennsylvania, was the 2018 recipient of the Jack & Nancy Flannery Salute to Courage award given by the New Castle (Pennsylvania) YMCA. The award is given to those who embody the spirit of courage. Lamancusa was sworn in as the county's district attorney in January 2010 and is the head of the Lawrence County Drug Task Force, Special Investigations Unit, Criminal Investigations Unit and Sexual Assault Task Force. He previously served in the U.S. Navy Judge Advocate General's Corps.

Frank C. Miller V (LAW ‘99) is a partner in the Columbus, Ohio office of the BakerHostetler legal firm. With nearly 20 years of experience, Miller brings a wealth of experience in the healthcare industry to the firm’s well-established transactional and healthcare industry teams.

Eddie Taylor, Jr. (MGT ‘99), founder and president of Taylor Oswald, a venture he launched with Oswald Companies, one of the nation’s largest independent, employee-owned insurance brokerage firms, joined the board of trustees for Ursuline College. 

Erin Spears (CWR ‘00) is executive vice president-acquisitions within the North American Private Real Estate Equity operations of Heitman LLC, a global real estate investment management firm.

Julie Dacar (CWR '01) and her staffing firm, #Tal-Ex in Clarksburg, Maryland, are listed as #59 in the Inc. Magazine! list of 500 fastest-growing companies, up from #143 last year.

Hongyu Chen (GRS ‘01, macromolecular science), a Dow Chemical fellow for research and development, is one of 51 scientists named a 2018 American Chemical Society fellow.

Beth Norwood Fischer (LAW ‘02, CNM ‘02) is vice chancellor for university advancement at University of North Carolina Greensboro.

Jeremiah Kalendae (SAS ‘04) is the minister of the Unitarian Universalists of Petaluma in California.

Santo Maimone (CWR '06, MED ‘10), a former football player and one of the most successful all-around student-athletes in the history of CWRU athletics, was inducted into the 2018 Class of the Spartan Hall of Fame.

Pat Rodjom (CWR '06, MGT ‘07), the only CWRU athlete in the swimming and diving program’s history to be named the University Athletic Association Men's Swimmer of the Year, was inducted into the 2018 Class of the Spartan Hall of Fame. 

Dale Bazan (GRS '07) is a tenure track assistant professor of music at University of Alaska-Anchorage (UAA). Bazan will be overseeing the music teaching program, directing the UAA Wind Ensemble, and teaching saxophone. 

Aaron Johnston-Peck (CWR '07), a former top distance runner for Case Western Reserve, was inducted into the 2018 Class of the Spartan Hall of Fame.

Esther Erb Atkins (CWR '08), the most accomplished women's distance runner in the history of Case Western Reserve, was inducted into the 2018 Class of the Spartan Hall of Fame.

Lauren Preyss Erickson (CWR '08) was inducted into the 2018 Class of the Spartan Hall of Fame. Although she was on the team for just one season, she still holds school records in the 50-yard freestyle, 100-yard freestyle and 200-yard freestyle.
 
James Morse (MGT ‘09) and Lauren Miller (CWR ‘11; GRS ‘11, communication sciences) were married on May 26, 2018, at the Free Library of Philadelphia. The couple live in Fairmount, Pennsylvania, and honeymooned in Italy. Miller is a speech therapist at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. Morse is a senior sales engineer for BrandMuscle in Chicago.

Eric Webb (CWR '09, '09) married Maria Schwartzman in May 2017 in Colorado, with a public ceremony in June 2017 in Bloomington, Indiana. Webb joined the faculty of the Lindner College of Business at the University of Cincinnati in August 2018, as an assistant professor of operations and business analytics.

Carol Papp (NUR ‘10) is dean of the University’s newly created College of Health Sciences at the University of Bridgeport (UB) in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Papp previously served as founding dean of UB School of Nursing. She is a member of the Connecticut League for Nursing, the National League for Nurse and a member of Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society.

Mark Grogan (CWR ‘11) of Bay Village, Ohio, was the overall winner of the ninth annual Ritenauer’s Run at the Journal Jog in Lorain, Ohio, in August 2018. Grogan, a former member of the Spartan track and field team, completed the 5K course with a time of 15:50.3. Grogan is a material science engineer for Laird Technologies in Cleveland.

Nika Bagheri (MED ‘12) joined California Retina Consultants as a vitreoretinal specialist providing comprehensive medical and surgical treatment for all disorders of the retina, macula and vitreous. Bagheri completed her ophthalmology residency at the Wills Eye Hospital in Philadelphia, where she served as an editor for the best-selling ophthalmology reference, The Wills Eye Manual, and completed her fellowship training in vitreoretinal surgery at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute.

Justin Slaby (MGT ‘13) is a senior tax accountant with the Ohio accounting and business consulting firm Rea & Associates. Based in Mentor, Ohio, Slaby will serve clients across the firm's Northeast Ohio Region.
 
Joe Duffy (MGT '14) of Cleveland is planning project manager at Union Miles Development Corp.,  a nonprofit community development corporation. Duffy also was granted certification as an Economic Development Finance Professional with the National Development Council.

Bobby Withrow (MGT '15) married Kurt Blankschaen in July 2018 in Cleveland. Withrow is a senior engineer-operations technology for ArcelorMittal Cleveland and a registered professional engineer in the State of Ohio. Blankschaen is a doctoral student at Boston University.
 
Amanda King (LAW ‘17), received the Verge Fellowship award, given to five up-and-coming artists who are on the verge of making a name for themselves. This recognition is bestowed by the Cleveland Arts Prize, an organization that, since 1960, promotes creativity in northeast Ohio by honoring artists for artistic excellence and recognizes community leaders who help regional arts flourish.

Published August 1, 2018
William (Bill) Kramer (ADL ‘50) of San Mateo, California, served as an officer in the Army Medical Service, including as a combat medic during the Korean War. Following his service, Kramer enjoyed a 35-year career as a faculty member of Notre Dame de Namur University and a middle school principal. He has been married for 64 years and has two sons and two grandchildren.

Solomon Oliver Jr. (GRS ‘74, political science), former chief judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, received the American Bar Association’s 2018 Robert J. Kutak Award, presented to an individual who has made significant contributions to the collaboration of the legal academy, the bench and the bar.

Robert Polifka (LAW '78) is counsel in the litigation and corporate and securities practice at Tarter Krinsky & Drogin, a full-service, mid-size law firm.

Judy Braun (NUR ‘80; GRS ‘87, nursing) retired from her role as chief operating officer from The Kendall Corporation, a not-for-profit senior living organization, headquartered in the Philadelphia area, that provides independent living, assisted living, memory support, skilled nursing and rehabilitation care in eight states.

David T. Scadden (MED ‘80) published Cancerland: A Medical Memoir (Thomas Dunne Books), chronicling his personal memories of cancer, from his research to his childhood classmate who left school and never came back. Scadden is the Gerald and Darlene Jordan Professor of Medicine at Harvard University, a hematologist/oncologist and director of the Center for Regenerative Biology at Massachusetts General Hospital, co-founder of the Harvard Stem Cell Institute, and chair of the Harvard University Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine.

Michelle Hartman (NUR ‘83) is director for the Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing program at the Duke University School of Nursing. She is also an assistant professor in the program.

Timothy Kinsella (GRS ‘83, American Studies), chair of the History Department of Ursuline College in Pepper Pike, Ohio, was named to Ohio Magazine’s 2017 Excellence in Education list. Kinsella also has received the Teaching Excellence Award and the Facilitator of the Year Award from Ursuline College.

Jo Micon (SAS ‘83) is dean of the School of Public Affairs and Social Services for the Lafayette campus of Ivy Tech Community College. Micon previously served the college as department chair of public affairs and social services, and program chair and professor of human services. Her duties as dean will include overseeing seven academic programs: criminal justice, paralegal/legal studies, human services, library technical assistant, early childhood education, elementary education and secondary education. She will also continue as program chair and professor of human services.

Catherine (Cathy) M. Kilbane (WRC ‘84, LAW ‘87) joined the board of directors for Interface, Inc., a global commercial flooring company focused on sustainability. Kilbane served as the senior vice president, general counsel and secretary of The Sherwin Williams Company, a global manufacturer and retailer of paint and coatings, from January 2013 through August 2017. Prior to joining Sherwin Williams, Kilbane was the senior vice president, general counsel and secretary of American Greetings Corporation from 2003 to 2012.

Bari Oyler Stith (GRS ‘86, ‘92, American Studies), director of historic preservation of Ursuline College of Pepper Pike, Ohio, was named to Ohio Magazine’s 2017 Excellence in Education list. Stith teaches at the undergraduate and graduate levels.

Laura A. Petersen (MED ‘88) of Houston, Texas, earned the 2017 Under Secretary's Award for Outstanding Achievement in Health Services Research, the highest honor for a Veterans Affairs health services researcher.  Her research funding includes 48 awards from VA, National Institutes of Health, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, American Heart Association, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, including 29 as principal investigator. Her research targets rigorous evaluations of health policy interventions and how they affect patient outcomes. Improving the quality of VA care is a career-long passion for Petersen.

Randall S. Dearth (GRS ‘89, macromolecular science) is president and chief operating officer for GCP Applied Technologies Inc., a developer of high-performance products that advance construction technologies and simplify the complexities of construction.

Steve Yuan (SAS '93) joined Edelman as executive vice president, integrated analytics & innovation for its Chicago health practice. In his role, Yuan will commercialize new products, services and offerings in analytics and performance marketing.

Lissa C. Gipson (LAW '97) is a partner in the litigation and corporate and securities practice at Tarter Krinsky & Drogin, a full-service, mid-size law firm in New York City. Gipson practices primarily in the areas of complex commercial litigation, product liability and art law.

Wendy Lord (MGT ‘98) is a director for Hunt Mortgage Group, a commercial real estate financer, focusing on senior housing, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac credit, and underwriting.

Molly Z. Brown (LAW ‘00) is senior vice president and general counsel for Heartland BancCorp, the parent company of Heartland Bank. Brown manages Heartland’s legal affairs and leads efforts to facilitate growth through acquisitions.

Jayme L. Butcher (LAW ‘01), a partner with the Blank Rome law firm and vice chair of the firm’s commercial litigation group, was appointed to serve on the Pennsylvania Bar Association’s Large Law Firm Committee for the 2018–2019 term. Active in the Pittsburgh community, she serves on the board of directors for the Sarah Heinz House and board of trustees for the Western Pennsylvania Chapter of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. She is also a member of the Executive Leadership Council for the United Way of Allegheny County, as well as the National United Way Women's Leadership Council.

Matt Jameson (CWR ‘01) is a senior investing professional for BlueMountain Capital Management, a private diversified alternative asset management firm. In this role, Jameson sources, evaluates, and executes healthcare-related private investments.

Trevor J. Hardy (LAW ‘13) joined the Board of Directors of the Little Italy Redevelopment Corporation, a non-profit community development organization created to facilitate economic development, eliminate blight and deterioration, and protect the cultural essence of the community of Cleveland’s Little Italy neighborhood. Hardy is an associate with Ulmer & Berne LLP.

Philipp Hensler (MGT ‘13) is president and COO of Epoch Investment Partners, Inc.

Ivana Mikic (CWR '14) received her associate credential in the Casualty Actuarial Society. Mikic is currently an actuary with Progressive Insurance.

Karla Wludyga (MGT '17) is a senior management consultant at PRADCO in Chagrin Falls, Ohio.

Danielle Kulpins (CWR ‘18), a women's cross country and track & field runner, received the NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship, which recognizes student-athletes with plans on attending graduate school for their athletic and academic achievements, along with their work in the community and demonstrated leadership. The NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship is applied toward the graduate degree program of the recipient’s choice.

Published July 1, 2018
William Grant (ADL '41) was named Chevalier dans l'Ordre National de la Legion d'Honneur by the government of France in May 2018, for his service in France during World War II. He received the award at a ceremony in Colorado, where he is now living after having spent 69 years in New York. His two children, Jenifer and David, were in attendance.

Richard L. Pinkerton (MGT ‘62), of Strongsville, Ohio, was honored by the city’s mayor as March 20, 2018, was declared “Dr. Dick Pinkerton Day,” recognizing his 17 years on the Strongsville economic development committee and 13 years on the residential survey taskforce.

Satoru Izutsu (GRS ’63) received the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon during the 2017 Autumn Conferment of Decoration on Foreign Nationals by the government of Japan recognizing his contributions to developing medical education and medical care in Japan. Izutsu recently retired from the University of Hawaii, School of Medicine, where he was vice dean and emeritus professor of public health and psychiatry.

Paul Dutton (LAW ‘72), a partner with the Youngstown, Ohio-based law firm Harrington, Hoppe & Mitchell, Ltd., has been named chairman of Akron Children’s Hospital Foundation Board of Directors. Dutton has served on the foundation board since 2011 and on the Akron Children’s Hospital Board of Directors since 2017.

Mitchell Cohen (WRC '74) received the Presidential Achievement Award for Excellence in Scholarship of Baruch College of the City University of New York for his book The Politics of Opera: A History of Monteverdi to Mozart (Princeton University Press). The book also received the Association of American Publishers Prose Award for Music & the Performing Arts and was named among the Best Books of 2017 in the London Evening Standard. Additionally, he edited a new edition of Princeton Readings in Political Thought (Princeton University Press). He writes for various publications including, recently, The New York Times Sunday Book Review. Cohen is professor of political science at Baruch College, CUNY and co-editor emeritus of Dissent magazine, a magazine published by the University of Pennsylvania Press on behalf of the Foundation for the Study of Independent Social Ideas.

Kenneth Mauritz (CIT ‘75), of Hattiesburg, Mississippi, received the Distinguished Alumni Award from University of Wisconsin Oshkosh’s Alumni Association for his extraordinary and widely recognized accomplishments in higher education. Mauritz has professor emeritus status with the School of Polymers and High Performance Materials at the University of Southern Mississippi.

Craig Newmark (CIT ‘75; GRS, ‘77, computer science; HON ‘08), the Craigslist founder, is giving $20 million to the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism. As a result of the gift, the school will change its name this summer to the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at the City University of New York. The donation, to be made through Craig Newmark Philanthropies, will fund an endowment for the school.

Robert Webster (CIT ‘79) was named the deputy director of weapons at Los Alamos National Laboratory. Webster is employed by Triad National Security, LLC, which is the Los Alamos National Laboratory's new managing and operating contractor for the National Nuclear Security Administration.

Russell Moy (CIT '81) is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Fellows are recognized for their scientifically or socially distinguished contributions to the advancement of science or its applications. Moy currently serves as the general counsel of the Southeastern Universities Research Association, the management and operating contractor for the Jefferson Lab, a U.S. Department of Energy National Laboratory.

Michael Fine (MED ‘83) will publish Health Care Revolt (PM Press) in September, 2018, an argument for rebuilding the United States healthcare system to make it both functional and affordable.   

Gregory I. Berk (MED ‘84) is president and chief medical officer for Vedantra Pharmaceuticals, Inc., an immunotherapy company focused on developing products to treat cancer and infectious disease.

Susan Strobel (WRC ’84), a secondary English language arts teacher at Spring Lake High School in Spring Lake, Michigan, was appointed to the board of Reading Enables Adult Development (R.E.A.D.), a volunteer-based adult literacy program serving Northwest Ottawa County.

Richard G. Barr (MED ‘85) is the editor-in-chief of the Journal of Ultrasound in Medicine, a publication of the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine. Barr is assistant chairman of the department of radiology at Northside Medical Center, and president of Radiology Consultants Inc., both in Ohio. Additionally, Barr is a professor of radiology at Northeastern Ohio Medical University.

Ted Keen (CIT ‘85) is the european leader for the global transfer pricing practice of Duff & Phelps, a global valuation and corporate finance advisor.

Edward Marinstein (LAW '85) and his wife Robyn received the Albany (New York) Jewish Community Center's Pillars of the Community Award.

Matthew A. Kosior (CWR ‘89, MGT ‘04), of Sandusky, Ohio, is president of American Colors Inc., a manufacturer of high-quality liquid pigment dispersions and intermediates for the plastics, coatings, adhesive and sealants, and agriculture markets. Kosior previously served as Executive Vice President and Chief Executive Officer for the company, working on the expansion of operations with two new facilities in Tennessee and Texas, as well as a plant in Shanghai.

M. Norman Oliver (GRS ‘92, anthropology; MED ‘94), a professor at the University of Virginia School of Medicine, was named Virginia state health commissioner by Gov. Ralph Northam.

Rina Banerjee (CWR ‘93) had paintings featured in The Galleries at Cleveland State University during its 2018-19 season presentation of Demise, a powerful meditation on the meaning of life and death. Curated by artist John L. Moore, the show features the work of six prominent contemporary artists at their downtown location in Cleveland’s Playhouse Square.

James E. Caminis (CWR '00) is a principal with Lipman Frizzell & Mitchell LLC, a commercial real estate valuation and consulting firm primarily serving the Washington D.C./Baltimore region.

James Whyte IV (NUR ‘01) was one of 195 nurse leaders inducted as fellows in American Academy of Nursing. He is a professor for the Florida State University College of Nursing. Additionally, Whyte maintains active clinical practice as a nurse practitioner, with a focus in family and pediatric care, orthopedics and sports medicine, and people living with HIV/AIDS. His research focuses on the development of expert performance in nurses and other health care professionals, along with care of people living with HIV/AIDS.

Matthew Pifer (GRS, ‘05, anatomy; MED ‘08), an orthopedic surgeon, joined the Orthopedic Surgical Practice in Santa Barbara, California.

Britany Salsbury (CWR '05) is associate curator of prints and drawings for the Cleveland Museum of Art.

Patrick Chang (CWR ‘06) is an associate for Updata Advisors, Inc., an investment bank specializing in the information technology industry.

Jeffrey Kutsikovich (CWR ‘06) joined the Bone and Joint Institute of Tennessee’s orthopaedic team. Prior to joining the Bone and Joint Institute, Kutsikovich treated patients at Vanderbilt Bone and Joint Clinic in Franklin, and served as Assistant Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

Ken Gamboa (MGT ‘07) is director of marketing and business development for the Tri-Cities Cancer Center in Kennewick, Washington.

Emily Muzzarelli (CWR ‘10; GRS ‘11, civil engineering) is the assistant city manager in Morgantown, West Virginia.

Lori Ann Terjesen (GRS ‘11, art history and museum studies) is director of education for the National Women’s History Museum in Alexandria, Virginia. Terjesen develops, presents and oversees programs and projects that interpret the museum’s mission with special emphasis on the history of American women.

Ronnie Ursin (NUR '11) is treasurer for the Association of Black Nursing Faculty, Inc. in London.

Erika Dunyak (LAW ‘17) is a clinical fellow in the Harvard Law School Food Law and Policy Clinic. She leads the Farm Bill Legal Enterprise, a consortium of legal scholars focused on improving the farm bill.

Fahreen S. Velji (LAW ‘17) joined the individual practice area in the New York office of the Outten & Golden LLP employee rights law firm.

Published June 1, 2018
Alan Podis (MED '56) retired after 53 years of urology practice. He conducted a private solo practice in Hollywood, Florida, for 20 years, then relocated to Rhode Island where he continued to practice and teach within a large academic urology group affiliated with Brown Medical Faculty. While there, Podis received an Emeritus Professorship and, in 2012, was the first recipient of an annual Excellence in Teaching award bearing his name. Podis now lives on Florida's west coast.
 
Arthur J. “Archie” Roberts (MED ‘69), an internationally recognized cardiac surgeon and former quarterback for the Cleveland Browns and the Miami Dolphins, is chief medical officer of LifeWallet, a United States healthcare technology company.

John (Jack) Vanek (ADL ’70) published his first novel, DEROS, a mystery set in Oberlin, Ohio, Lorain County, and Cleveland. The series features the character of Father Jake Austin and the second installment is scheduled for release in 2019.

Steven M. Altschuler (WRC ‘75, MED ‘79) joined the board of directors for Adtalem Global Education, a global education provider.

Jeffery Kent (CIT ‘80) is senior vice president of information technology for Flynn Restaurant Group, the largest restaurant franchisee in the U.S. Kent oversees all IT-related activities across the company’s Applebee’s, Taco Bells and Panera Bakery Cafes. 

Robert Locker (CIT ‘81; GRS ‘86, biomedical engineering) is director of engineering for Acme Mfg. Co., a manufacturer of integrated robotic automation for polishing, buffing, deburring and grinding systems, in Auburn Hills, Michigan.
    
Lynne Pompetti (NUR '84 ) retired from nursing following 46 years of continuous practice. Her long career includes service in the US Air Force Corps, teaching in several universities as an instructor and visiting professor and practicing in the Colorado Department of Corrections and at the UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute. In 2011, she was named one of the 100 Great Nurses in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. Pompetti and her husband, Blaise Horban, reside in Colleyville, Texas. 

Gregory J. Wych (DEN ‘84), a general and cosmetic dentist with his own private practice, was named a 2018 Top Doctor in Irmo, South Carolina, an award recognizing healthcare practitioners who have demonstrated clinical excellence while delivering the highest standards of patient care.

Frank P. Czekay (LAW ‘86), a certified public accountant, is president of the Greater Philadelphia chapter of the Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants (PICPA) for the 2018–19 fiscal year. Czekay is a director of the state and local tax services group of Baker Tilly Virchow Krause LLP in Philadelphia. An active member of the PICPA, he serves on the State Taxation and the Legislation & Local Taxation committees. Additionally, Czekay serves on the Philadelphia Revenue Commissioner’s tax advisory board and as councilman for Medford Township, N.J. 

Bernhardt G. Zeiher (MED ‘89) is chief medical officer for Astellas Pharma Inc. Zeiher will continue serving as president of development, while now also overseeing all other functions of Astellas' Medical and Development organization, including Clinical and Research Quality Assurance, Medical Affairs, Pharmacovigilance, Planning & Administration, and Regulatory Affairs.

Yi-Tao Yu (GRS ‘94, molecular biology & microbiology), a professor of biochemistry and biophysics at the University of Rochester Medical Center, is a member of the scientific advisory board of ProQR Therapeutics N.V., a company creating RNA medicines for the treatment of severe genetic rare diseases.

Rodney K. Rogers (GRS ‘96, accounting) is president of Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, Ohio.

Mohamed Ibrahim al-Naemi (GRS ‘97, electrical engineering and applied physics) is president of the Community College of Qatar.

Gary Greenlee (LAW '97) has joined the law firm of McConnell, Wagner, Sykes & Stacey in Boise, Idaho.

Fay Cobb Payton (GRS ‘97, management information systems) is program director at the National Science Foundation in the Division of Computer and Network Systems. Payton also is a tenured full professor of Information Technology/Systems at North Carolina State University and was named a University Faculty Scholar for her leadership in turning research into solutions to society’s most pressing issues.

Rex Tibbens (MGT ‘98) is president and chief executive officer of American Home Shield, a division of ServiceMaster.

Michael Smith (CWR ‘99, MED ‘03), director of the Ochsner Clinical Simulation and Patient Safety Center and an associate professor at the University of Queensland/Ochsner Clinical School, has been recognized for his work in simulation innovation by the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine’s Simulation Academy, a national organization focused on the development and use of simulation in emergency medicine education, research and patient care. Smith was recognized with the 2018 Innovation in Simulation Award, which recognizes an individual who has demonstrated creative, novel and transformative use of medical simulation.

Yijun Deng (CWR ‘00) is vice president of drug discovery for Asieris Pharmaceuticals, a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company. 

G. Alex Janevski (CWR '03) was recently elected president of the New Orleans Geological Society, a 500+ member non-profit devoted to the development of the profession and science of geology.

Melanie Shakarian (CNM ‘03, LAW '03) is a 2018-19 Marshall Memorial Fellow with The German Marshall Fund. Just 75 Marshall Memorial Fellowships are awarded each year to candidates from the U.S. and Europe in all sectors of law, including business, government and civil society. 

Vishal Singh (MGT ‘03) is president of Milgard Windows & Doors. Prior to joining Milgard, Singh was vice president and general manager of the Transportation, Military and Aerospace Division of Eaton Corporation.
Bryan E. Hickman (CWR ‘06) is senior vice president of investments for Invesque Inc. . Bryan brings a long history of healthcare real experience to Invesque, a North American health care real estate company.

Megan B. Center (CWR ‘09, LAW ‘12), an associate with Fox Rothschild LLP, was named to the list of 2018 Legal Eagles by Franchise Times magazine. The list spotlights attorneys who have made significant strides in franchise law and were selected from nominations by their clients and peers. Center counsels both large and small franchisors in a variety of matters, including preparation of initial, renewal and amended franchise disclosure documents (including all ancillary agreements), incorporation of franchisor entities, and maintaining compliance with state and federal regulations on registration, disclosure and potential exemption. 

Marybeth Cooper (MGT ‘09), the 13th president of Springfield College, was appointed to a Special Commission to Study the Incorporation of Safe and Effective Pain Treatment and Prescribing Practices into the Professional Training of Students that may Prescribe Controlled Substances for the administration Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker  and Lt. Governor Karyn Polito.

Patricia Scripko (GRS ‘10, bioethics; MED ‘10), a neurologist, joined the University of Maryland Community Medical Group. Scripko’s subspecialties include stroke, headaches, migraines and sleep medicine. The medical group is a University of Maryland Medical System-owned network of more than 300 primary care physicians, specialists and advanced practice clinicians.

Jennifer Robles (MED ‘11) is the 2018 Science & Quality Fellow of The American Urological Association. The program is designed to prepare the next generation of urologists for key roles in the science and quality arena through intensive training, and the selection process is highly competitive.

Bernard C. Bailey (GRS ‘12, management) is president of the Committee for Economic Development (CED), an affiliate of The Conference Board, effective September 2018. Bailey brings over three decades of management experience to CED, a nonprofit, nonpartisan, business–led public policy organization that delivers well–researched analysis and reasoned solutions to our nation's most critical issues. Bailey most recently served as chairman and CEO of Authentix Corporation, a leading global authentication and information services company. He has served on a number of publicly-traded and private company boards of directors, and is currently Chairman of Analogic Corporation and a director of Telos Corporation. Additionally, Bailey serves as an adjunct professor in the MBA Program at the Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University. 

Gayle Spinazze (MGT ‘14) joined the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists as communications coordinator. Originally founded in 1945 by Manhattan Project scientists, the journal examines topics related to nuclear risk, climate change and disruptive technologies and is the creator of the iconic Doomsday Clock.

Published May 1, 2018
Cloud “Bud” Cray (CIT ‘43) provided a $2 million gift to the University of Kansas (KU) Medical Center, distributed through the Cray Medical Research Foundation of Atchison, Kansas, which he co-founded with his late wife, Sally Cray (FSM ‘45). The gift establishes a diabetes-focused professorship at the center. The Cray Foundation provided the resources to open the Cray Diabetes Center at KU Medical Center in 1979. Now called the Cray Diabetes Self-Management Center, it is committed to providing excellent care and education to patients with diabetes and their families. In 2007, the KU Diabetes Institute was established as the research arm of the Self-Management Center, engaging in basic science, clinical and translational research projects centering on diabetes and its complications.

Carl Yoder (DEN ‘53) has two children with his wife, Sue. His daughter is currently undergoing treatment after several surgeries including lung transplants. His son joined his practice, Yoder Dental & Associates.

George Pinneo (CIT ‘59) has published numerous science-fiction novels as part of his Planet Scout and Bergmann’s Venture series (CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform).

Madeline Nichols (NUR ‘64) has been a pediatric nurse practitioner since June 1967. Nichols received her education through the first nurse practitioner program at the University of Colorado, started by Dr. Loretta Ford and Henry Silver, MD.

Lucille Garber Ford (GRS ‘67, economics), of Ashland, Ohio, was selected as one of two 2018 inductees into The Ohio Foundation of Independent Colleges’ Hall of Excellence. Ford is an emeritus trustee of Ashland University where she served the University as provost, dean and professor, and also received a degree from Ashland Theological Seminary. 

Robert Campbell (DEN ‘68) of Glen Allen, Virginia, continues to work part-time at Virginia Dental and Anesthesia Associates. Campbell was an Emeritus Professor of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and Anesthesiology for Virginia Commonwealth University from 1977 to 2004. Campbell and his wife, Mary Ann, have four adult children and eight  grandchildren.

Arun Varshneya (GRS ‘68, ‘70, metallurgy & material science), a retired, New York-based Alfred University professor of glass science, was bestowed the rank of honorary fellow by the British Society of Glass Technology.

Norman Garn (ADL ‘69, DEN ‘73) has retired to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, with his wife Nancy, after practicing orthodontics for 34 years in Chicago. Garn volunteers in a dental clinic for underprivileged children in the Miami area when he is not pursuing his interests in swimming, bike riding, walking and traveling with his wife and dog during the summer.

Thomas Van Dyke (ADL ‘69, DEN ‘73) of Roxbury, Mass., is vice president of the Forsyth Institute in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and professor of oral medicine, infections, and immunity, as part of the faculty of medicine at Harvard University. Van Dyke and his wife, Barbara, have two sons. Charles lives in California with his wife and son and works in commodities for Chevron. William, lives in New York City and is the music director for the musical, Kinky Boots. 

Ronald Silver (DEN ‘73) is retired and living in Mountainside, New Jersey, with his wife of 25 years, Gina. They have two children. Currently, Silver spends his time auditing classes, playing golf and enjoying an active social life. 

Irene Costras-Vasikakis (DEN ‘78) of Strongsville, Ohio, is engaged to be married and works two days per week in her dental office. She spends her remaining time visiting her two daughters, a practicing endodontist in New York and a daughter in Boston, and her five grandchildren.  

Joseph Biernacki (CIT ‘80), chemical engineering professor, received Tennessee Tech University’s highest faculty honor, the 2018 Caplenor Faculty Research Award.

Robert Kestenbaum (DEN ‘80) sold his dental practice after 35 years, continuing to work there one day a week. Kestenbaum is a board member of the Academy for Sports Dentistry and, through his company, VIP Mouth Guards, he makes mouth guards for the U.S. National Taekwondo Team, Olympic and Para-Olympic athletes, professional MMA fighters and members of the UFC. Additionally, Kestenbaum is the proud grandfather of a two-year-old grandson, Landon.

John D. Mellinger (WRC ‘80, MED ‘84) received the Teaching Excellence Award for tenured and tenure-track faculty at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. The award is presented to faculty who demonstrate outstanding teaching, high-quality classroom performance, innovation and a commitment to student learning outcomes and inclusive excellence in education. He also received the permanent title of Distinguished Teacher. Mellinger, the J. Roland Folse, MD Endowed Chair in Surgery, is professor and chair of general surgery and the general surgery residency program director. Mellinger led a surgical training effort in Nairobi, Africa through the Pan African Academy of Christian Surgeons, and the organization is now training multiple surgical specialties. He has given more than 100 national or international presentations and co-authored more than 80 scientific articles and more than 20 book chapters, many on topics of surgical education.

Jeffrey S. Berns (MED ‘81) received the 2018 Donald W. Seldin Distinguished Award from the National Kidney Foundation, an award given to clinicians who display excellence in clinical nephrology. Berns serves associate chief of the division of Renal Electrolyte and Hypertension in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, associate dean for Graduate Medical Education, director of Penn’s Renal Fellowship Program, and a professor of Medicine and Pediatrics in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

Sylvia Malcmacher Kramer (DEN ‘82), a dentist with an academic and clinical career, celebrated her 40th wedding anniversary. Kramer and her husband, Roger, have four adult children and three grandchildren.

James Aslanis Jr. (GRS ‘83, systems control & engineering) is a senior patent agent in the Silicon Valley office of Dickinson Wright, a general practice business law firm. He works with high technology industry clients to develop patent portfolios, prepares and prosecutes technology patent applications and provides technical advice. Aslanis also has a background in electrical engineering, systems engineering and biomedical engineering.

Patricia Moore (GRS ‘83, organizational behavior) has published The Black Pearl Queen (The Peppertree Press), telling the story of Moore’s decision to become a black pearl dealer after buying a pair of black pearls while on vacation in Tahiti. 

Pamela Hickson-Stevenson (LYS ‘84) is executive director of the Akron-Summit County Public Library in Ohio. She is the library's first female director since 1927.

Judy Weisseg (WRC ‘85, MGT ‘90) is vice president, human resources for HarbisonWalker International, a supplier of refractory products and services in the United States.

Bilal Sayyed (WRC ‘87) was appointed director of the Federal Trade Commission’s Office of Policy Planning.

Andrew Wheeler (WRC ‘87), a former adviser to the late Sen. George Voinovich of Ohio, was confirmed by the U.S. Senate as deputy administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

J. Scott Bernardy (DEN ‘88) of Auburn, Maine, is working on his seventh dental humanitarian mission. His son graduated college and started an Environmental Reclamation Company, and his daughter is pursuing her doctorate in Physical Therapy. 

J. Bradford James (MGT ‘88) has published The Business Zoo (Brads Tales), a collection of fun and informative stories that illustrate important business and life concepts and provide key lessons learned from James’s years of experience  as both a CFO and CEO in a wide range of organizations, including private firms, public companies and not-for-profits.

Christopher A. Cornwall (LAW ‘89), an attorney with Dickinson Wright PLLC, was named a “2018 Client Service All-Star” by BTI Consulting Group. Cornwall is one of only 328 lawyers in the United States who were selected for this honor.

Khaled Ayyash (CWR ‘90; GRS ‘93 mechanical engineering; MGT ‘97) is Body Interior Chief Engineer for Ford South America.

M. Norman Oliver (GRS ‘92, anthropology; MED ‘94) was appointed the Virginia Acting State Health Commissioner by Gov. Ralph Northam.

Rich Pancost (CWR ‘92) was appointed head of the School of Earth Sciences at the University of Bristol.  

David A. Jarus (CWR ‘93; GRS ‘95, ‘02, macromolecular science) is vice president, research and development for PolyOne Corporation, a provider of specialized polymer materials, services and solutions.

Aaron Ames (MGT ‘94) is chief operating officer for DHX Media, a global children’s content and brands company that includes Peanuts,Teletubbies, Strawberry Shortcake, Caillou and Inspector Gadget. Based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Ames will be responsible for the company’s overall operations and oversee its broadcast channels, DHX Television and its licensing agency, CPLG. 

Rebecca Dallet (LAW ‘94) was elected to a ten-year term on the Wisconsin State Supreme Court. Dallet served as a judge for the Milwaukee County Circuit Court in Wisconsin. Before becoming a judge, Dallet served as an assistant district attorney with the Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office and as an adjunct professor of law at Marquette University Law School. 

Doug Fowler (LAW ‘94) has published two novels, The Title of Extraordinary Length (lulu.com), a parody of young adult dystopias, and Uneasy Lies the Head (lulu.com), in which a time traveling man inhabits the body of Louis XIV in 1661 with comic results.

Elena V. Ravich (LAW ‘95), a real estate broker in New York City, joined Compass, a technology-driven real estate company. 

Nichole Capitanio (SAS ‘96) is the director of Personal Assistance Service, the faculty/employee assistance program that provides assessment, short-term counseling, and referrals to help resolve a range of personal, work, and family problems, at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina.

Kevin Martin (MED ‘96) is chief medical officer for Kittitas County Public Hospital District No. 1 (Kittitas Valley Healthcare), making him the third chief medical officer in the history of Kittitas Valley Healthcare. The system is the largest provider in an underserved rural county in Central Washington and operates a critical access hospital as well primary care and specialty clinics.

Carl Schimmel (CWR ‘97), Illinois State University associate professor of music, was named a 2018 Guggenheim Fellow. The fellowship, awarded by the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, will support Schimmel’s work in musical composition as he plans to focus on exploring methods of expressing narrative in musical form. 

Joshua Damesek (DEN ‘98) practices dentistry with his wife who is also a dentist. In his free time, Damesek enjoys spending time with the couple’s five children, coaching basketball, playing golf, visiting his lake house, backpacking, camping and restoring his 1966 Ford F-100 truck.

Michael Dryden (DEN ‘98) is continuing his dental practice in Eugene, Oregon, specializing in endodontics. He has been married to his wife, Trisha, for 27 years and they have a set of twins, Adrianna and Andrew. He is active in church, enjoys spending time with family and friends, and pursues activities such as skiing, hiking, traveling and scuba diving. 

Tu T. Tran (MGT ‘02) is vice president of sales & marketing for Pharma Tech Industries. Tran’s primary role is developing and maintaining new supply chain relationships with vendors and potential customers.

Erwin Chan (DEN ‘03) and wife, Valeda, have two boys, aged three and one years old. Erwin enjoys his private practice and wishes he has more time to travel to exotic places for continuing education courses. 

Sumit Sud (LAW ‘06) of Astoria, New York, is deputy chief special counsel for ethics, risk and compliance in the administration of New York State Governor Andrew M. Cuomo.

Di Wu (GRS ‘06, epidemiology & biostatistics), assistant professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC-CH) School of Dentistry and research assistant professor at the UNC-CH Gillings School of Public Health, is one of five recipients of a UNC-CH Center for Environmental Health and Susceptibility Pilot Project Grant. Wu’s area of research is environmental cancer. Specifically, she and her team have a long-term goal to explain new ways to protect against skin cancer caused by sun exposure.

Shaan-Chirag Chandrahas Gandhi (CWR ‘07, ‘07) married Meghal Bipin Shah on March 31, 2018, at the Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota, in Sarasota, Florida. Gandhi is principal at the Longwood Fund, a healthcare venture capital firm in Boston, an attending hospital medicine physician at Massachusetts General and an instructor in medicine at Harvard Medical School. 

Andrew Ibrahim (CWR ‘07, MED ‘12), a resident surgeon at the University of Michigan, was appointed chief medical officer of HOK, the global design firm whose healthcare practice has planned and designed numerous healthcare facilities.

Angelina Bair (CWR ‘08) of the Willoughby-Eastlake Public Library was a semifinalist for the Thompson Hine LLC Accelerate Pitch Competition for the library’s special needs toy lending program. Additionally, Bair secured a $5,000 grant from the Lubrizol Corporation for the program. 

Viktoria Cox (DEN ‘08) and husband, Tony, live in Munster, Indiana, and are licensed foster parents with the intent of adopting. They enjoy traveling and hunting down vintage vinyl and dental medical antiques. 

Erin Ambrose Knierim (DEN ‘08) purchased the pediatric dental office of a fellow Case Western Reserve University alumnus in Toledo, Ohio. She lives in Sylvania, Ohio,  with her husband, Kevin Knierim (DEN ‘09), their children, Ben and Kate, and their dog, Chief. 

Gabriela Tataru Wilson (DEN ‘08) relocated to Las Vegas, Nevada. Currently not in practice, she enjoys spending time with her two children as they hike in Red Rock Canyon and explore their new city. 

Ryan Dewey (GRS ‘12, cognitive linguistics) has received an early summer 2018 release date for his book, Hack the Experience: Tools for Artists from Cognitive Science (Punctum Books), which translates research from cognitive science into templates that artists, architects, curators, and museums can use in how they design spaces to tell stories. 

Mark C. Guinto (LAW ‘12), an intellectual property attorney at the Cleveland law firm of McDonald Hopkins, received the United States Patent and Trademark Office Outstanding Volunteer Award for assisting individuals and businesses in need of intellectual property legal advice.

Jill Patel (CWR '17) is a rehabilitation technician at the Illinois Bone & Joint Institute in Des Plaines, Illinois.

Published April 2, 2018
Fred Gray, JD (LAW ‘54, HON ‘92), the attorney who represented Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks during the Montgomery Bus Boycott and victims of the Tuskegee Syphilis Study in 1972, will be the keynote speaker for the MLK Jr. Observance Day Association’s annual MLK Freedom Gala in Savannah, Georgia. 

Ned Grossman (ADL ‘65, MGT ‘68) published his second book, How to Succeed in the 21st Century: Focus on the Things Over Which You Have Input, Impact and Control (Diamond Publishing Company). In an age driven by technology, the back-to-basics primer for success was written with his grandchildren in mind. In the book, he shares advice reminiscent of that imparted by renowned thinkers, parents, grandparents or a favorite teacher. Grossman’s first book, How to Succeed in Life: Ideas and Principles They Don’t Teach in School (Diamond Publishing Company), was originally written for his children in 1994.

Amy Daniels (WRC ‘75) has retired from her role as cantor and director of education for Temple Sha'arey Shalom in Springfield Township, New Jersey.  

Alan Goldberg (DEN ‘78) lives in Metuchen, New Jersey, and has been happily married to his wife, Diane for 42 years. He is still a practicing, full-time dentist. He has three adult children: Alysa, a patent attorney; Brian, a partner at WPA in Los Angeles, a talent agency specializing in television and film; and Jason, a television producer for E! Network. Alan has one grandson and granddaughter who will be born very soon. He refers to his education from the School of Dental Medicine as the gift that keeps on giving.

Helen H. Hobbs (MED ‘79), an investigator for the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and professor of internal medicine and molecular genetics at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, was awarded the fifth annual Harrington Prize for Innovation in Medicine. Hobbs was recognized for her outstanding contributions to medicine and science, specifically her discovery of the link between a gene mutation and lower levels of LDL, or bad cholesterol.

Cynthia Gardner Koury (MGT ‘83) was promoted to executive vice president at CM Wealth Advisors. Koury also serves as the firm’s chief investment officer, overseeing the investment process that includes a robust private equity program, serves on the investment committees of numerous organizations, and is a member of the CFA Society Cleveland.

Indranath Dutta (GRS ‘85, metallurgy and materials science) is director of the School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering of the Voiland College of Engineering and Architecture at Washington State University (WSU). Dutta has been at WSU since 2008, serving in a variety of leadership positions, including as director of the Materials Science and Engineering program, associate dean of research, and as interim director of the School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering. Prior to joining WSU, he was a professor at the Naval Postgraduate School and held visiting positions at the Air Force Research Laboratory, the University of Oxford, Motorola, Intel and Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University. He has published nearly 200 papers, holds four U.S. patents and has two pending patents. 

Julie Hambleton (MED ‘86) is senior vice president and chief medical officer, head of development for DEAYA Biosciences, Inc., an oncology-focused biotechnology company.
 
Scott Hotes (CIT ‘87) is chief technology officer for TeenSafe, the first independent smartphone monitoring service for parents.

Vincent J. Pompili (MED ‘88) is senior vice president of the Novant Health Heart and Vascular Institute, part of Novant Health, an integrated network of physician clinics, outpatient facilities and hospitals that deliver healthcare to communities in Virginia, North and South Carolina, and Georgia. Pompili will lead heart and vascular services, including cardiac, thoracic and vascular surgery, and perform clinical duties in interventional cardiology and structural heart disease at Novant Health Presbyterian Medical Center in Charlotte, North Carolina, and Novant Health Forsyth Medical Center in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

Majdi Abulaban (MGT ‘90) was appointed as an additional independent member of the board of directors of SPX Flow, Inc., a company with product offerings concentrated in rotating, actuating and hydraulic technologies for the food and beverage, industrial and power and energy end markets. Abulaban is the senior vice president of Global Signal & Power Solutions at Aptiv PLC, a global technology company. 

Lars-Åke Norling (GRS ‘92, systems control and engineering) will join Kinnevik AB, an industry focused investment company, as investment director and sector head for the technology, media, and telecom sector, effective September 1, 2018.

Rick Adelstein (DEN ‘93) and his wife, Rachel, recently celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary. Their daughter, Melanie, currently is a first year at the CWRU School of Dental Medicine and their son, Jake, is in his second year at The Ohio State University where he is studying computer science engineering. Rick looks back at his time at the school and notes that the confidence and skills he has are because of the excellent education he received during dental school.

Robert S. Frost (LAW ‘94), of Lakewood, Ohio, was appointed to the Kent State University Board of Trustees by Ohio Governor John Kasich. This appointment runs through May 2026. Frost serves as an attorney with Capital Partners in Cleveland and Columbus, Ohio, and chairman of the Republican Party of Cuyahoga County.

Yi Yang (CWR ‘95) is managing principal at Summit Engineering. He is responsible for the firm’s operations, business development and other strategic initiatives. Yi also continues to serve as the Structural Division manager.
 
Rodney Rogers (GRS ‘96, accounting) is the president of Bowling Green State University in Ohio. Rogers was named interim president in December 2017 and assumed the role on Jan. 1. He has a long history with the University, having served most recently as provost and senior vice president since 2012, and as dean of the BGSU College of Business for the prior six years.

Rachel Foster Stuart (SAS ‘97) published her first book, Lilies for Looper (I Am My Life), the story of a fearless little girl who loves to try new things and explore what life has to offer. 
 
Travis Ribar (GRS ‘01, macromolecular science) co-authored The Essential Case Law Guide to PTAB Trials (American Bar Association Book Publishing), a comprehensive text providing guidance when handling highly specialized matters before the U.S. Patent Office. The book will be available in March 2018 at shop.americanbar.org/ebus/.

Aileen Bost (MGT '06) was promoted to senior client service director for CM Wealth Advisors, a wealth management and investment advisory firm. Bost is a member of the Estate Planning Council of Cleveland and an officer for a local private foundation.

Jill Dietrich (LAW ‘07, MGT ‘07) has been named director of the Dayton Veterans Affairs Medical Center by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Dietrich most recently served in Washington DC VA Medical Center. She is the first female director in the history of the Dayton medical center.

Catherine Doerfler Herzog (SAS ‘07) is supervisor of Clinical Services for New Avenues, Inc., a provider of behavioral health management and employee assistance programs that is headquartered in South Bend, Indiana. In this role, Herzog will oversee utilization management, case management and disease management programs as well as supervise EAP clinical services. Additionally, she will work with the CEO in ongoing development of several behavioral health initiatives.

Morton Mandel (HON ‘07, CWR ‘13) and his wife, Barbara, will offer 26 works from their collection of modern and contemporary art at auction at Sotheby's in New York on May 16. Prices are estimated to reach more than $75 million and will benefit the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Foundation. Beneficiaries of the Mandel Foundation include the Cleveland Museum of Art, Brandeis University, the Israel Museum and Case Western Reserve University.

Sheena Allen (DEN ‘08) owns a group specialty dental practice in downtown Dallas, Texas. She and her husband, Eric, have been married for 10 years and have a two-year-old son, Lucas. After dental school, Sheena attended a three year prosthodontic program and now practices as a board-certified prosthodontist. Of the CWRU School of Dental Medicine, Allen says she would not be in the career she is in today, had it not been for the foundation she established at CWRU and is forever grateful for a solid start.

Nicholas P. Resetar (LAW ‘09) was promoted to shareholder at the Akron, Ohio, law firm of Roetzel & Andress LPA.

J. Stephen Jones (MGT ‘10), formerly with the Cleveland Clinic, is the CEO and Board of Trustees Member of the Inova Health System. Headquartered in Falls Church, Virginia, Inova leverages precision medicine and patient-centric services to predict, prevent and treat disease.  

Published March 1, 2018
Abraham Bergman (MED ‘58) received the Thomas Lamb Eliot Award, recognizing distinguished and sustained achievement by a graduate of Reed College. Bergman is professor emeritus of pediatrics at the University of Washington's Harborview Medical Center. He is the author of 93 peer-reviewed journal articles and 10 books.
 
Rudolph O. Karsch (CIT ‘66) organized and led a medical team to Nepal in February and March 2017, bringing relief to survivors of the April 2015 earthquake that killed nearly 9,000 people and injured nearly 22,000. The medical team set up three clinics and treated more than 1,000 people. During the last clinic, established near Mt. Everest and Tibet, the team dentist pulled 200 teeth in ten hours.
 
John C. Thomas (ADL '67) received the 2018 Lifetime Service Award from the Association for Computing Machinery's Special Interest Group in Human Computer Interaction for numerous leadership positions and activities since the first Gaithersburg Conference on human factors in computing systems in 1982.
 
Stuart M. Terman (ADL ‘70), a retired ophthalmologist in Cleveland, knows firsthand that most doctors not only get paid for their efforts, but receive gifts from patients. Terman’s gifts have included cookies, cakes, zucchini bread and even a stepping stool, made by a carpenter. But the one that had the greatest impact was a Ukrainian Easter Egg—a pysanky— as it reminded him of the grandparents he lived with as a child. Terman’s grandmother brought her colorful egg to the United States in 1911. While fleeing unrest in Odessa, Ukraine, at 12 years old, she received the egg as a going away gift from a close friend. This gift became a treasure that reminded her of the home she left behind and was never to see again. Eventually, the beautiful egg was lost or discarded. Years later, one of Terman’s long-time patients stopped in around Easter and, with her payment, gave him a carefully wrapped gift—a pysanky. Today, this lovely gift sits at his home, a reminder of his grandmother, her courage and her journey.
 
Robert C. Cicco (CIT ‘71, MED ‘76) is the 2018 president of the Allegheny County (Pennsylvania) Medical Society, a local organization that represents physicians from all specialties and provides leadership and advocacy for patients and physicians. Now retired from practice, Cicco most recently served as associate director of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at West Penn Hospital and was a clinical assistant professor, pediatrics, at Temple University School of Medicine.
 
Ronald B. Bakeman (LAW ‘73) was sworn in by City of Cleveland Mayor Frank G. Jackson as the internal affairs superintendent for the Cleveland Division of Police Internal Affairs Unit which handles all criminal investigations involving Cleveland Police Officers.
 
Walter George (MED ‘75) of Aurora, Ohio, is senior vice president for physician education and services at Crossroads Hospice & Palliative Care, a hospice provider. George is a clinician and medical educator with more than 32 years of service.
 
Avi Cohen (CIT ‘80; GRS ‘81, electrical engineering and applied physics) joined the board of directors of Piksel, Inc., a global designer, builder and manager of online video solutions.
 
Catherine O’Riordan (CIT ‘84), interim co-chief executive officer and chief operating officer of the American Institute of Physics, was selected as the executive director of the Ecological Society of America. O’Riordan assumes the role in April 2018.
 
Anthony J. Wynshaw-Boris (GRS ‘84, biochemistry; MED ‘87) of Cleveland received the 2017 Edward W. Morley Medal from his alma mater, Western Reserve Academy in Hudson, Ohio. The award recognizes significant contributions to the field of science and is named for Edward W. Morley, a faculty member at Western Reserve College from 1869 to 1906 best known for his role in the landmark Michelson-Morley Experiment in 1887, which attempted to measure the velocity of the earth and the speed of light, an experiment that paved the way for Einstein’s theory of relativity.
 
Patricia Hubbard (CWR ‘89) is senior vice president and chief technology officer for Cabot Corporation, a global specialty chemicals and performance materials company, headquartered in Boston.
 
Heidi Littman (MED ‘92) closed her pediatric practice in North Olmsted, Ohio, and retired.
 
Kenneth Rhee (GRS ‘97, organizational behavior) was named the dean of the School of Management for Nazareth College in Rochester, New York. He will partner with the Vice President for Academic Affairs, deans of the other schools and the college faculty in implementing the strategic vision of the college.
 
Brian Spitz (LAW ‘97) was named Attorney of the Month for June 2017 by Attorney at Law Magazine Cleveland.
 
Richard R. Hill (GRS ‘98, neurosciences; MED ‘92) was elected to the Board of Physicians for the American Health Council. He currently practices both in his private practice in Pepper Pike, Ohio, and on the near west side of Cleveland, where he serves as the staff psychiatrist for Neighborhood Family Practice, a nonprofit that delivers integrated behavioral health and primary care services.
 
Scott Reba (CWR '99) published his first book, Better Cocktails Through Chemistry: A Guide to Sugar Free Drinks (independently published). The book details how to make sugar-free cocktails and spirits.
 
Brian Hersman (CWR ‘01, MGT ‘01) was named one of the GrowthCap’s Top 40 Under 40 Growth Investors of 2017. Hersman is a general partner for JMI Equity, a growth equity firm focused on investing in leading software, internet, business services and healthcare IT companies. GrowthCap provides transaction advisory services to growth-stage, private companies that are seeking to run a competitive financing or sale process.
 
Harlan S. Blynn (CWR ‘03) came across an essay he wrote in graduate school and was inspired to end his management consulting practice and start an urban farm in Denver in 2017.
 
Colleen Kalczynski Cochrane (CWR ‘03; GRS ‘05, mechanical engineering) and her husband, Eric Cochrane, welcomed their first child, Calin “Cal” Joseph Cochrane in November 2017.
 
Michael Lee (MGT ‘04) is senior vice president and payments advisor/team lead for the commercial real estate team of KeyBank Enterprise Commercial Payments.
 
Angelina Bair (CWR ‘08) competed in the 2018 Citizens Bank Citizens Make Change Accelerate Challenge through the Cleveland Leadership Center Competition. As one of four semi-finalists, Bair received $2,000 to donate to her employer, the Willoughby-Eastlake Public Library, which will be used  to start a toy lending library for special needs children. Bair also is a book reviewer for School Library Journal.
 
Nancy M. Pratt (CWR ‘08) launched the non-profit (n)Ever a Leader to offer workshops on leadership for human rights, civilian direct action diplomacy and peacekeeping. The workshops are taught around the world.  Visit neveraleader.org for more information.
 
Daniel Smith (LAW ‘12) is an associate in the business division of the Pittsburgh office of Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellott LLC, a law firm with more than 350 lawyers and government affairs professionals located in 15 offices throughout the United States.

Amy Wojnarwsky (LAW ‘13) joined the Cleveland office of McDonald Hopkins LLC, a business advisory and advocacy law firm, as an associate.  
 
Candace Steele Flippin (MGT ‘16) is the executive vice president and chief communications officer for First Horizon National Corp., a provider of financial services across the United States and operator of more than 350 bank locations across the southern U.S.
 
Robert Kitson (CWR ‘16) graduated from the Management 101 course in the Civil Engineer School of the Air Force Institute of Technology in December 2017. Kitson is now a fully qualified Air Force Civil Engineer Officer stationed at Buckley Air Force Base in Aurora, Colorado. He was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Air Force in June 2017, after completing Officer Training School.
 
Triantaphilos Manning (CWR ‘16), of Shaker Heights, Ohio, co-founded Aurelion Arts with his brother, Simon. The company was founded on the idea that fine art should be more accessible to everyone. Their site (aurelionarts.com) allows customers to find works of art and discover artists, while providing a platform for artists to sell their craft.
 
Julie A. Micalizzi (LAW ‘17) has joined the Cleveland office of McDonald Hopkins LLC, a business advisory and advocacy law firm, as an associate in the Intellectual Property Department.

Published February 1, 2018
Linda Lehmann Masek (LYS '70) has published her twelfth book, Mag-ni-fi-cat and the Wartime Mysteries (Fireside/Lux Books). The book continues the adventures of Maggie the cat and her human friends as they take a trip back in time to the United States during World War II. 
 
Ann Rowland (WRC ‘73, LAW ‘76), Assistant U.S. Attorney in downtown Cleveland, retired from the U.S. Attorney's Office after 37 years, the longest any attorney has ever worked in that office. 
 
Katrenia Pruitt Kier(WRC ‘76), of Huntsville, Alabama, was elected vice-chair of the Alabama Forestry Commission.
 
Brent M. Buckley (WRC ‘77) was designated as a 2018 Ohio Super Lawyer and Ohio Rising Star of the Cleveland law firm of Buckley King. 
 
Richard M. Bain (LAW ‘79) was designated as a 2018 Ohio Super Lawyer and Ohio Rising Star of the Cleveland law firm of Buckley King. 
 
F. David Coleman (GRS ‘82, operations research) is the vice president of officiating for the Pacific-12 Conference, a collegiate athletic conference operating in the western United States and participating in 24 sports at the NCAA Division I level. Prior to this position, Coleman was the director of officiating for the National Football League.
 
Cynthia H. Dunn (SAS ‘82), president and chief executive officer of Judson Services Inc., has announced her plans to retire in June 2018. Dunn has held the position since 1992, helping the organization gain a national reputation as an innovator in services for older adults. Judson Services, Inc., a not-for-profit organization which has served Northern Ohio since 1906, offers independent living, assisted living, memory support services, short-term rehabilitative and long-term skilled nursing care, community memberships, outreach initiatives and home care. 
 
Jeffrey Baddeley (LAW ’83), of the Cleveland law firm of Buckley King, was designated as a 2018 Ohio Super Lawyer and Ohio Rising Star. 
 
Raymond C. Pierce (LAW ‘83) is the president and chief executive officer of the Southern Education Foundation, a research and public-policy group formed in 1867 to promote equity and excellence in education for low-income students and students of color in southern states. During the Clinton Administration, Pierce was deputy assistant secretary at the U.S. Department of Education in charge of its Office for Civil Rights.
 
Paulette S. Goll (GRS ‘87, English) is president of Global Vocabulary LLC, an educational materials development company focused on preparing individuals for standardized admission tests to colleges, conservatories and graduate schools through apps and web books that enhance vocabulary acquisition.
 
Rosemary Sweeney (LAW ‘87), of the Cleveland law firm of Buckley King, was designated as a 2018 Ohio Super Lawyer and Ohio Rising Star. 
 
Andrea Turner (LAW ‘87), director of Human Resources at the Minnesota Department of Administration and Minnesota Management and Budget, was selected to lead St. Paul’s Human Resources Department by St. Paul Mayor-elect Melvin Carter.
 
Peter Dragich (CWR ‘89) is Kennametal vice president and president of the industrial business division of Kennametal, Inc., a company delivering productivity solutions through materials science, tooling and wear-resistant solutions. 
 
Jeff Rona (CWR ‘90) is director, west region for Danforth Advisors, specialists in accounting, finance support and strategy for life science companies.
 
Eric Skorge (CWR ‘91, MGT ‘96) is chief financial officer for Fabuwood Cabinetry of Jersey City, New Jersey.
 
Paul Ong (CWR ‘93, MGT ‘09) is co-founder and chief executive officer of Monarchy Eyewear, LLC, a privately held, Cleveland-based startup that produces Italian handmade, high fashion sunglasses that sell directly to consumers via www.MonarchyEyewear.com. The company’s founders, Ong, Effy Carpenter (MGT ‘09), Leslie Feng (MGT ‘09), and Doug Romstadt (MGT ‘09), met while attending the Executive MBA program at CWRU’s Weatherhead School of Management. 
 
Hester M. Peirce (CWR '93) was sworn into office as a commissioner for the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Peirce was nominated to the SEC by President Donald Trump, and her nomination was confirmed by the U.S. Senate. Peirce comes to the SEC from the Mercatus Center at George Mason University where she served as a senior research fellow and director of the Financial Markets Working Group. She previously worked for U.S. Senator Richard Shelby on the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, as counsel to then-SEC Commissioner Paul S. Atkins and as a staff attorney in the Division of Investment Management. 
 
Joe Russo (GRS ‘95, theater) and Anthony Russo are investors and advisors for Roaring Third Productions of Cleveland, producers of Shadow of the Run, an immersive and interactive theater project about the Eliot Ness investigation of the Cleveland Torso Murders in the 1930s. Despite dark subject matter, the story is a tale of how communities form and support one another in times of crisis. 
 
Rachel L. Fink (CWR ‘97) is the executive director for the Lookingglass Theatre Company in Chicago, Illinois.
 
Arvin Jawa (MGT ‘97) is vice president, retail strategy for Diebold Nixdorf, a Northeast Ohio creator of software-defined solutions bridging the physical and digital worlds of cash and consumer transactions conveniently, securely and efficiently.
 
Ben Needham (CWR ‘98) is co-founder of Roaring Third Productions of Cleveland, producers of Shadow of the Run, an immersive and interactive theater project about the Eliot Ness investigation of the Cleveland Torso Murders in the 1930s. Despite dark subject matter, the story is a tale of how communities form and support one another in times of crisis.
 
Melinda Miller (CWR ‘00) is an assistant professor in the Department of Economics at the Virginia Tech College of Science. Prior to coming to Virginia Tech, Miller was an assistant professor at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, and a visiting assistant professor at Yale University and the University of Michigan. 
 
Tom Stafford (MGT ‘00) is managing director for EdgePoint, a boutique investment banking firm in Beachwood, Ohio.  
 
Harry W. Greenfield (MGT ‘01), of the Cleveland law firm of Buckley King, was designated as a 2018 Ohio Super Lawyer and Ohio Rising Star. 
 
Erin Rogalski (CWR ‘01) was named to the University Athletic Association 30th Anniversary Women’s Basketball Team. The team consists of student-athletes who were selected as the UAA Player of the Year, or accumulated five or more points with two points awarded for All Association first-team recognition, and one point for second-team honors over a career.
 
JeNine Nickerson (CWR ‘02, MGT ‘13) was named to the University Athletic Association 30th Anniversary Women’s Basketball Team. The team consists of student-athletes who were selected as the UAA Player of the Year, or accumulated five or more points with two points awarded for All Association first-team recognition, and one point for second-team honors over a career.
 
Jason Radachy (CWR ‘02) was promoted to Counsel at Cantor Colburn LLP, one of the largest intellectual property law firms in the country. 
 
Randy Oostra (MGT ‘05), chief executive officer of Toledo-based ProMedica health system, was appointed to the national board of Local Initiatives Support Corporation’s (LISC) national board. LISC forges communities of opportunity across America that feature great places to live, work, visit, do business and raise families. 
 
Carson Oren (CWR ‘06) was named to the University Athletic Association 30th Anniversary Men’s Basketball Team. The team consists of student-athletes who were selected as the UAA Player of the Year, or accumulated five or more points with two points awarded for All Association first-team recognition, and one point for second-team honors over a career.
 
Geoffrey S. Kunkler (CWR ‘08, GRS ‘09, political science) was promoted to partner in the Family Wealth & Estate Planning practice of Carlile Patchen &  Murphy LLP in Columbus, Ohio. 
 
Timothy Timura (MGT ‘08) is deputy director and deputy chief economist for the Securities and Exchange Commission’s Division of Economic and Risk Analysis.
 
Effy Carpenter (MGT ‘09), Leslie Feng (MGT ‘09), and Doug Romstadt (MGT ‘09) co-founded Monarchy Eyewear, LLC, with Paul Ong (CWR ‘93, MGT ‘09). The privately held, Cleveland-based startup produces Italian handmade, high fashion sunglasses that sell directly to consumers via www.MonarchyEyewear.com. Carpenter, Feng and Romstadt serve as investors and in advisory roles. The company’s founders met while attending the Executive MBA program at CWRU’s Weatherhead School of Management. 
 
Ashleigh Tondo (CWR ‘10) was named to the University Athletic Association 30th Anniversary Women’s Basketball Team. The team consists of student-athletes who were selected as the UAA Player of the Year, or accumulated five or more points with two points awarded for All Association first-team recognition, and one point for second-team honors over a career.

F. Andrew Rowan (GRS ‘11, applied anatomy; MED ‘11) is an assistant professor of orthopaedic surgery at Indiana University (IU) School of Medicine and is a practicing surgeon at IU Health Methodist and IU Health North.
 
Ronnie Ursin (NUR ‘11) is president and chief executive officer of Jennersville Hospital in West Grove, Pennsylvania.  
 
Erin Hollinger (CWR ‘12) was named to the University Athletic Association 30th Anniversary Women’s Basketball Team. The team consists of student-athletes who were selected as the UAA Player of the Year, or accumulated five or more points with two points awarded for All Association first-team recognition, and one point for second-team honors over a career.
 
David Kaniecki (NUR ‘12, ‘17), of Westlake, Ohio, is a real estate agent with The Holden Agency, an independent real estate brokerage serving clients throughout the state. Kaniecki also is an acute care nurse practitioner for the Cleveland Metro Life Flight Team and author of the book Operation Flight Nurse: Real-Life Medical Emergencies (self-published), as well as several published papers. He has spoken at national conferences, served as a lab instructor, advanced practice skills instructor, lecturer, and faculty instructor.
 
Christine Woods (CWR ‘12) is co-founder of Roaring Third Productions of Cleveland, producers of Shadow of the Run, an immersive and interactive theater project about the Eliot Ness investigation of the Cleveland Torso Murders in the 1930s. Despite dark subject matter, the story is a tale of how communities form and support one another in times of crisis.
 
Evelyn Iacono (CWR ‘13) was named to the University Athletic Association 30th Anniversary Women’s Basketball Team. The team consists of student-athletes who were selected as the UAA Player of the Year, or accumulated five or more points with two points awarded for All Association first-team recognition, and one point for second-team honors over a career.
 
Sara Bogomolny (CWR ‘16) is assistant director of Roaring Third Productions of Cleveland, producers of Shadow of the Run, an immersive and interactive theater project about the Eliot Ness investigation of the Cleveland Torso Murders in the 1930s. Despite dark subject matter, the story is a tale of how communities form and support one another in times of crisis.
 
Connor Faix (CWR ‘17) joined the baseball coaching staff at North Iowa Area Community College in Mason City, Iowa. 
 
Sharona Hoffman (LAW ‘17), the Edgar A. Hahn Professor of Law at the Case Western Reserve University School of Law, was elected to the prestigious American Law Institute, a 90-year-old institute composed of exceptional judges, lawyers and legal academics internationally.

Published January 2, 2018
Kerry C. Dustin (LAW ‘70) was appointed to the board of commissioners of the city of Naples Airport Authority by the Naples City Council in Florida. The board is composed of five citizen volunteers who are appointed to four-year terms to govern the Airport Authority. Dustin is founder and chairman of Falls River Group LLC.

Hon. Harry Field (LAW ‘70) retired from his position as Willoughby Municipal Court Judge for the 11th District Court of Appeals in Willoughby, Ohio.

James Stewart Polshek (WRC ‘73) received the 2018 Gold Medal from the American Institute of Architects, the organization’s highest honor, recognizing an individual whose significant body of work has had a lasting influence on the theory and practice of architecture. Polshek served as architect for the William J. Clinton Presidential Center in Little Rock, Arkansas; the 1987 restoration and renovation of New York’s Carnegie Hall; the 645,000-square-foot Newseum/Freedom Forum Headquarters, a monument to journalism and free speech; and the National Museum of American Jewish History in Philadelphia.

Debra J. Mines (GRS ‘77, education) of Atlanta, Georgia, wrote and published her first book, Stinky Shoes, a humorous story full of adventures and mishaps showing that not all wishes are good wishes.

Hon. Timothy J. Grendell (LAW ‘78), Geauga County (OH) Probate/Juvenile Court judge, is the president of the Ohio Association of Juvenile Court Judges. Grendell also serves as the presiding judge of the Geauga County Court of Common Pleas, as secretary/historian of the Ohio Probate Judges Association and as an executive board member of the Ohio Judicial Conference.

Hon. Mary Jane Trapp (LAW ‘81), of the Cleveland law firm of Thrasher, Dinsmore & Dolan, was named to the 2018 Ohio Super Lawyers List.

Cadmus Rich (WRC ‘87) is the chief medical officer for Aura Biosciences, a biotechnology company based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and developing a new class of therapies to target and selectively destroy cancer cells.

John R. Liber (LAW ‘90), of the Cleveland law firm of Thrasher, Dinsmore & Dolan, was named to the 2018 Ohio Super Lawyers List.

Terri Goss Kinzy (GRS ‘91, biochemistry) is vice president for research at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo.

Lisa D. Sutton (LAW ‘94) joined the board of trustees for Ursuline College. Sutton, of Moreland Hills, Ohio, is vice president/chief counsel – environment, health & safety for the Law Department at Eaton Corporation.

Nicole R. Nason (LAW ‘95) is the assistant secretary for administration at the U.S. Department of State.

J. Troy Terakedis (LAW ‘95, MGT ‘95) was named a 2018 Ohio Super Lawyer for Tax Law. He counsels clients on a variety of federal income tax matters as a member of the Dickinson Wright PLLC law firm in Columbus, Ohio.

Gregory Ogrinc (MED ‘97) is the senior associate dean for medical education for the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth College, a role that he has served in on an interim basis since 2014. Ogrinc is a professor of medicine, health policy and clinical practice, and community and family medicine at Geisel, and a hospitalist at the White River Junction VA Medical Center.

Fay Cobb Payton (GRS ‘97, management information systems), professor of information systems and technology and University Faculty Scholar in the North Carolina State University Poole College of Management, was inducted into The PhD Project Hall of Fame for 2017. The PhD Project is a national program that has increased faculty diversity at hundreds of college and university business schools. It is the only systemic nationwide program aimed at diversifying university faculty by attracting and enabling African-, Hispanic- and Native Americans to choose college teaching as a career, and to succeed in the rigorous process of obtaining a doctoral degree that qualifies them to be professors.

Jeremy Weaver (MNO ‘97) is the assistant dean of advancement for the Virginia Tech College of Engineering.

Hon. Michelle Earley (LAW ‘99), Cleveland Municipal Court judge, has been named the court's administrative and presiding judge in 2018.

Jennifer LaClair (MGT ‘01) will become the chief financial officer Ally Financial in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, effective March 1, 2018.

Adam R. Nazette (LAW ’03, MGT, ’03), partner at Thompson Hine law firm in Cleveland, was named to the Crain’s Cleveland Business 2017 “Forty Under 40” list. A resident of Rocky River, Ohio, Nazette is the president and past vice president of the Rocky River Education Foundation and serves on the Greater Cleveland Habitat for Humanity board of directors.

Pamela Sedmak (MGT ‘06) was appointed to the board of directors of Counsyl, a company that has championed advances in genetic screening for women and their families and has screened more than 850,000 patients, served more than 17,000 health care providers and provided more than 60,000 genetic counseling sessions. Sedmak is a senior advisor at McKinsey & Company, a worldwide management consulting firm.

Alesha Washington (MNO ’07), vice president for government advocacy at Greater Cleveland Partnership, was named to the Crain’s Cleveland Business 2017 “Forty Under 40” list. Washington represents the business community of Cleveland to Ohio’s state legislators and public officials.

Geoffrey Dureska (LAW ‘09) has joined the Atlanta, Georgia, office of Dunlap, Bennett & Ludwig, PLLC as senior counsel. His current practice consists primarily of Corporate and Intellectual Property Litigation.

Michelle Hirsch (MGT ’09), senior vice president at Brunswick Cos., was named to the Crain’s Cleveland Business 2017 “Forty Under 40” list.

David Svec (MED ‘09, MGT ‘09) has been appointed to the newly created position of chief medical officer for Stanford Health Care-ValleyCare, part of the Stanford Health Care system and located in Pleasanton, California.

Olga Eliseeva (CWR ‘16), a graduate student in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Texas A&M University, is serving as one of three student voices on the board of trustees for ASM International, a professional organization for materials scientists and engineers.
 

December 2017

Charles Acker (LAW '63) is proud to announce that his daughter, Christi, is the New York Supreme Court Justice for the 9th Judicial District, including the counties of Westchester, Putnam, Orange, Rockland and Dutchess.

Janice Steirer (CLC '66) and her husband Michael, a retired educator, celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary on Dec. 23, 2017. Jan taught second grade in the Cleveland schools and then raised four daughters. She enjoys traveling throughout the world and is a planning a trip to Panama in January.

Lee Davis (WRC ‘73) has retired, after 35 years as a school psychologist. While mental health issues in the U.S. have changed drastically during his career, he credits his undergraduate and graduate school programs for preparing him well.

Janette (Jan) Engle Lewis (NUR ‘73, ‘76) married Steve Fisher in August 2017. They live in Baja California, Mexico, where Jan is mental health consultant/educator at a women's shelter and helping Steve with a book about his five decades in Africa, where they first met 40 years ago.

Sam Srinivasan (MGT ‘73) has joined the board of directors Attivo Networks, a developer of deception technology for cybersecurity defense.

Michael Goler (LAW '77) received the Bob Rosewater Memorial Award for Meritorious Service to The Real Estate Section of the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association in recognition of his long-term service to the Bar Association’s Real Estate Law Section, his expertise in the practice of real estate law and his commitment to community service in Greater Cleveland. Goler, a partner in the law firm Miller Goler Faeges Lapine LLP, is a past chair of the Real Estate Section, a past chair and regular participant in the Section’s annual Real Estate Law Institute, and a founder and first chair of the Bar Association’s Environmental Law Section. In 2016, he received the Outstanding Fundraising Volunteer Award from the Greater Cleveland Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals. 

Suzanne Rose (MED ‘85) has been named senior vice dean for Medical Education in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Rose, who will begin her new role in February 2018, currently serves as senior associate dean for Education at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine.

Joseph Claude (JC) Gibson (GRS ‘87, organizational development and analysis) is executive vice president of human resources for HealthSmart, an Irving, Texas, company offering customizable and scalable health plan solutions for self-funded employers.

Kathy Magliato (MED '90), a cardiothoracic surgeon in Los Angeles and a member of Dean Davis' Visiting Committee at CWRU, was selected as one of the 100 Most Intriguing Entrepreneurs in the U.S. by Goldman Sachs. Magliato is developing a cardiovascular diagnostic device for the early, non-invasive detection of cardiovascular disease.

Charles B. Rwabukwali (GRS ‘93, ‘97, anthropology) was inducted as a fellow of the Uganda National Academy of Sciences (UNAS) on October 27th in Kampala, Uganda. Rwabukwali is a professor in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at Makerere University. The UNAS is an honorific organization which serves as an independent platform through which scientists exchange ideas, knowledge and experiences on topical issues that foster national development in Uganda. Rwabukwali is one of only three UNAS members who are social scientists.

Melissa Lichtler (CWR ‘94; GRS ‘01, music education), in her 21st year of teaching within the Chardon Local Schools, was featured in the Northeast Ohio’s newspaper The News-Herald for her dedication and love of teaching. Lichtler also serves as co-director of the Cleveland Youth Wind Symphony and a cooperating teacher in the CWRU student teaching program.

Heidi B. Friedman (LAW ‘95), of the Cleveland law firm Thompson Hine LLP, is one of 20 environmental lawyers selected nationally as Fellows by the American College of Environmental Lawyers, a professional association of distinguished lawyers practicing in the field of environmental law.

Jackie Dalton (MGT ‘96) is assistant vice president for the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland. Dalton is responsible for overseeing the consumer compliance and corporate compliance risk teams in the Supervision and Regulation Department.

Shelly Power (SAS ‘98, MGT ‘98), artistic director and chief executive officer of the Prix de Lausanne dance competition in Switzerland, has been named the next executive director for the Pennsylvania Ballet. Power will take over Philadelphia’s dance company and school full-time.

Laurel Domanski Diaz (MGT ‘04, SAS ‘04) is chief operating officer for Neighborhood Family Practice, a primary care provider on Cleveland's near West Side.

Angelina Bair (CWR ‘08) received a Senatorial Citation from the General Assembly of the State of Ohio on behalf of Senator Sandra Williams, recognizing my academic excellence in the field of Library & Information Science and the completion of a Master of Library Information Science degree Kent State University.

Erin Klug (LAW ‘09), an intellectual property attorney with the law firm Varnum LLP, was named one of Michigan’s “Up and Coming Lawyers” by Michigan Lawyers Weekly. “Up & Coming Lawyers” are attorneys in their first ten years of practice who are establishing a name for themselves, who go above and beyond and who display the ambition drive, determination and accomplishments that set them apart from their peers. Klug has been active for eight years in the Women’s Bar Association of Oakland County, currently serving as president. She is also a Director at Large of the Women Lawyers Association of Michigan, which honored her with the organization's Leadership Award. Additionally, Klug is a member of the Animal Legal Defense Fund and Attorneys for Animals.

Jonathan Williams (DEN ‘09, MED ‘12, DEN ‘14) is the new owner of White Mountain Oral Surgery in North Conway, New Hampshire. The practice provides a wide range of services from dental extractions and implants, bone grafting, cleft lip and palate surgery, sinus lifts, treatment and evaluation of head and neck pathology and corrective surgery of the face and jaw. His wife, Laura Williams (DEN ‘09), joined Eastern Slope Dental in North Conway.

Dawn Columbare (NUR ‘11) was elected to the board of directors for The Resource Center, a support organization for people with disabilities and their families. Currently working as a nursing education consultant, Columbare retired from Jamestown Community College in 2015 after a 22-year career.

Heather Rybasack (MED ‘13), a fellow in the Department of Emergency Medicine at the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, is now serving as deputy medical director to the Cumberland Rescue Service in Cumberland, Rhode Island.

Julie A. Micalizzi (LAW ‘17) joined the Cleveland office of McDonald Hopkins LLC, a business advisory and advocacy law firm, as an associate in the Intellectual Property Department.

Published November 2017

Charles (Chuck) Wiedman (ADL '54, DEN '61) and Dolores (Kasprzak) Wiedman (FSM '55) celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary on August 31, 2017, with family and friends in Frisco, Texas. In addition, Chuck Weidman was inducted into the Ashtabula County (Ohio) Track, Field and Cross Country Hall of Fame in May, 2017.

Michael Cullen (ADL ’67; GRS ’75, anatomy) was honored with the establishment of the Dr. Michael J. Cullen – Impact Through Innovation Fund at the University of Evansville (UE) in Evansville, Indiana.  He recently retired after 20 years at UE, where he served as professor and chair of biology, and as senior vice president of academic affairs.  Prior to his time at UE, Cullen was a faculty member at the University of Southern California School of Medicine for almost 19 years.  He also was a biomedical researcher at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland, focusing on demyelinating diseases and neuroplasticity.  Cullen and his wife, Ruth, now reside in Franklin, Tennessee.

Richard H. Thaler (ADL ‘67, HON ‘03), the Charles R. Walgreen Distinguished Service Professor of Behavioral Science and Economics at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, was honored by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences with the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel 2017. Thaler was recognized for his contributions to behavioral economics, a relatively new field that bridges the gap between economics and psychology. Thaler, the author of the bestselling books Misbehaving: The Making of Behavioral Economics (2015) and Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth and Happiness (2008), is renowned for creating easy-to-understand scenarios that show how human behavior often contradicts traditional economic logic.

Regis Scafe (ADL ‘71) is retiring from his position as head football coach from Thomas More College, ending a 45-year coaching career. Scafe was named the PAC Coach of the Year in 2015 and 2016, and was named the D3football.com South Region Coach of the Year in 2015. He has a 127-97 record in 22 years as a collegiate head coach.

Nan Tynberg (GRS ‘72, romance languages) published Shape: Reading in Three Dimensions, her first non-academic writing. Available on Amazon, the book reflects Tynberg’s on the select works of favorite poets and storytellers. 

Ivan Banks (WRC ‘74) is chair of the department of education and psychology at Alcorn State University in Mississippi. He previously was the director of the Center for Educator Preparation and Certification Services at Alabama A&M University and the former interim executive director for the Vicksburg campus of Alcorn State University.

Walter Copan (WRC ‘75; GRS ‘82, chemistry) was confirmed by the Senate as the new director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Copan  also holds the title of undersecretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology.

John W. Patton Jr. (WRC ‘75) is general counsel and secretary to the board of trustees of Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science. In 1995, he became the first African American president of the Beverly Hills Bar Association. Patton is a member of the board of directors of CWRU’s African American Alumni Association.

Kevin Joyce (WRC ‘79) is teaching Business Ethics, Law and Communication to MBA students in the Bowling Green State University College of Business.

Amy W. Williams (MED ‘84), chair of the Department of Internal Medicine at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, received the 2017 Lifetime Achievement Award from the Mayo Clinic Doctors Mayo Society. Throughout her career at Mayo Clinic, Williams has held numerous leadership positions and has served in leadership roles for the American Society of Nephrology, Minnesota Hospital Association, and Women in Nephrology.

David Cooperrider (GRS ‘86, organizational development) was honored with the Organization Development Network’s prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award in October, 2017. The award is given to individuals who have served the profession over an extended period of time, have earned the respect and admiration of professional colleagues and have freely engaged not only contemporaries, but also have been committed to maintain a dynamic connection to all generations of OD practitioners. Cooperrider is the Fairmount Minerals Professor of Social Entrepreneurship at CWRU’s  Weatherhead School of Management and founder of the revolutionary theory on Appreciative Inquiry, an approach that examines the positive attributes of organizations in order to solve problems. He has served as an advisor to former President Bill Clinton and Nobel Laureates the Dalai Lama and Costa Rican President Oscar Arias Sanchez. His mentor and former teacher, Peter Sorensen Jr., PhD, also received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the same ceremony.

Aida Saracevic Tanaka (WRC  ‘86) is the general counsel of Shape Corp., an automotive Tier 1 supplier in Grand Haven, Michigan.

Dixie Benshoff (MGT ‘88, SAS ‘88) was inducted into the Ravenna High School Hall of Fame in Ravenna, Ohio. Benshoff received the Academic/Career Accomplishment Award due to her contributions to the field of education and psychology. Formerly a department director at Akron General Medical Center and the Cleveland Clinic, Benshoff is currently adjunct assistant professor of community and family medicine at Northeast Ohio Medical University.

Anthea Daniels (LAW ‘89) is vice president and general counsel for Akron Children's Hospital.

Sean Higgins (GRS ‘90, applied physics) serves as an independent director on the board of directors for ShiftPixy, Inc., an on-demand human capital platform that syncs work opportunities from shift-based employers with ready-for-hire workers. Higgins is co-founder and vice president of professional services of Herjavec Group, an information security solutions firm headquartered in Toronto, Ontario.

Matt Medford (CWR ‘93) promoted to director of mechanical engineering at Symbotic, delivering automated warehouse solutions to companies around the world.

Richard Eubanks Jr. (MED ‘95), a cardiac, thoracic and vascular surgeon, joined the staff at Memorial Hospital-Golden Triangle in Columbus, Mississippi.

Kristin L. Pruitt (LAW ‘96) was promoted to executive vice president, chief administrative officer and general counsel for Lake City Bank, a $4.4 billion bank headquartered in Warsaw, Indiana.

Jeffrey E. Janis (MED ‘98), professor and executive vice chairman of the Department of Plastic Surgery at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, is president of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, the world's largest organization of board-certified plastic surgeons and foremost authority on cosmetic and reconstructive surgery.

Dana Parker (SAS ‘98) is working as an independent living donor advocate and a transplant social worker at the University of Colorado Health in Aurora, Colorado, a large multi-organ transplant center performing over 90 living donor transplants in 2017.

John Mansour (MED ‘99), associate professor of surgery and chief of the Division of Surgical Oncology, received the 2017 Patricia and William L. Watson Jr., MD Award for Excellence in Clinical Medicine. Established in 2009, the Watson Award is The University of Texas Southwestern’s highest clinical honor and is bestowed upon an outstanding physician whose work exemplifies the Medical Center’s commitment to patient care.

Ed Sproull (CWR ‘99; GRS ‘99, computer engineering) retired from Microsoft Corp after more than 17 years. Sproull, who lost his left leg below the knee in a motorcycle accident in 1981, has run more than 40 triathlons, including eight half-Ironman or longer events.

Gina Fridberg (MGT ‘01) is director of business development at Podolsky Circle, a commercial real estate advisory firm headquartered in Chicago. Fridberg comes to Podolsky Circle from Fifth Third Bank, where she originated and managed more than $400 million in acquisition and construction loans across the U.S.

Marco A. Rodriguez (MED ‘03), a board-certified and fellowship-trained orthopedic spine surgeon, founded the International Spine Institute in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Dr. Rodriguez treats a variety of degenerative spinal conditions including herniated disc, sciatica, low back pain, spinal stenosis, neck pain, spondylolisthesis and failed back surgery.

Michael C. Diem (MGT ‘05) is senior vice president of business and corporate development for Amicus Therapeutics, a global biotechnology company focused on therapies for rare and orphan diseases.

Cynthia Mitchell (LAW ‘05) is the first woman to be appointed Pueblo County attorney in Colorado.

Elizabeth Sullivan (CWR ‘05; GRS ‘05, bioethics) is the co-chair of the Healthcare Practice Group, a team of attorneys providing legal services to individuals and entities throughout the U.S. healthcare industry, for McDonald Hopkins, a business advisory and advocacy law firm. 

Christopher Chan (LAW ‘07) has been recognized by Asian Legal Business as a Top 40 Lawyer Under 40 in Asia. The list profiles the brightest young legal minds in the region.

Mary Cotton (GRS ‘08, communication sciences), a speech and language pathologist living in Burlington, Vermont, has joined the board of directors of Vermont Learning-Support Initiative. Cotton works at Champlain Valley Union High School with adolescents who experience a variety of challenges, but primarily those with language impairment and social cognition issues.

Katie Kriegshauser (CWR '09) of Kansas City, MO, became the director and co-owner of the Kansas City Center for Anxiety Treatment, P.A. (KCCAT), a center focusing on evidence-based treatment of anxiety across the lifespan, clinical research and clinician training. KCCAT is one of only a few team-based resources available nationwide offering closely-tailored care for both children and adults with anxiety and related disorders. Kriegshauser and the KCCAT team recently received funding from the National Institute of Mental Health for an early childhood mobile-app-based prevention and early intervention program for anxiety and related conditions.

Emily E. Hoffman (CWR ‘11), of Northwestern University, received the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) with the SWE Outstanding Collegiate Member award. Hoffman accepted the award at SWE’s annual conference in October 2017. The SWE Outstanding Collegiate Member award recognizes outstanding contributions to SWE, the engineering community and a college campus. Hoffman helped to found the graduate SWE group at Northwestern and currently serves at the society level as graduate programming coordinator for GradSWE. Emily also was active in SWE at CWRU.

Debra DeHass Lehr (NUR ‘11, ‘12) joined the Nursing Board of the American Health Council.

Ilirjan Pipa (LAW ‘11, MGT ‘11) was named a member of McDonald Hopkins,  a business advisory and advocacy law firm. Pipa, who works out of the firm’s Cleveland office, has significant experience in securities, mergers and acquisitions, and general corporate transactions.

Brandon Crane (DEN ‘13) joined the practice of Dr. Thomas R. Hughes at Avon Dental Care in Avon, Ohio. Crane spent the past four years as an officer in the United States Air Force and has provided dental care for the past three years at Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico.

Mariana Amatullo (GRS ‘15, management) joined The New School as associate professor strategic design and management, Parsons School of Design Strategies. Amatullo is co-founder and vice president of Designmatters, the award-winning social impact department of ArtCenter College of Design, in Pasadena, Calif. She is the recipient of numerous design and social innovation awards and honors, among them the 2012 DELL Social Innovation Education award for outstanding leadership in teaching and supporting student social innovators, Fast Company’s Co.Design 50 Designers Shaping the Future, and the Public Interest Design 100. 

Nicholas Lias (DEN ‘15) joined the Advantage Dental Clinic in Klamath Falls, Oregon. Lias recently completed then went on to finish a year-long general practice residency at the Louis Stokes VA Medical Center where he helped members of the armed forces.

Brooke Orcutt (CWR ‘15), a multiple-time All-University Athletic Association player, has been named the assistant women's basketball coach at CWRU.

Judy Tingley (NUR ‘16), vice president and chief executive officer for Erlanger Health System’s Heart and Lung Institute in Chattanooga, Tenn., and an assistant clinical professor of nursing for the Columbia University School of Nursing’s Doctor of Nursing Practice program, received the Outstanding Alumni Award from Georgia Southwestern State University.

Carrie Busic (MGT ‘17), the national small business accounts sales and underwriting leader at Westfield Insurance has been named to the board of trustees for Gamma Iota Sigma, an organization promoting, encouraging and sustaining student interest in insurance, risk management and actuarial science as professions.

Published October 2017

Rosalind Coleman (MED ‘69), professor of nutrition at the Gillings School of Global Public Health and of pediatrics in the School of Medicine at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, delivered the prestigious L. Van Deenen Lecture at the 2018 International Conference on the Bioscience of Lipids, held in Helsinki, Finland.

Marc E. Milstein (CIT ‘72) joined the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, an academic medical center, as vice president of information resources and chief information officer. 

Steven Altschuler (WRC ‘75, MED ‘79) is a senior advisor for Diversified Search, a professional search firm. Altschuler specializes in work in academic medicine within Diversified’s Healthcare Services Practice, providing insight into candidate fits for senior-level positions. Altschuler is an emeritus trustee of CWRU.

Matt Feldman (WRC ‘75), president and CEO of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago, will serve as co-chair and ambassador for the CEO Leadership Council of the Financial Services Pipeline Initiative. He will provide strategic oversight in connection with the initiative's programming and fundraising, as well as work alongside industry leaders from a collective of approximately 19 financial institutions to manage and push forward the group’s goal of increasing the pipeline of African-American and Latino talent in Chicago's financial services industry.

Howard M. Stein (LAW ‘78), a partner at Certilman Balin Adler & Hyman, LLP  and based in the firm’s East Meadow, New York, office, was named to the 2017 New York Super Lawyers List. The honor recognizes top lawyers in their respective areas of practice. Stein heads the Real Estate Practice Group where he concentrates on matters related to real property acquisitions, sales, leasing, real estate finance and loan workouts. He is an adjunct professor of real estate law at Touro Law Center, and also Chairman of the School’s Board of Governors.

Krishna Venkataswamy (GRS ‘85, macromolecular science) is senior vice president and chief technology officer joins Interface Performance Materials. Headquartered in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Interface Performance Materials has  manufacturing locations across the world and supplies advanced sealing solutions and thermal management systems. 

David L. Cooperrider (GRS ‘86, organizational behavior), the Fairmount Minerals Professor of Social Entrepreneurship at the Weatherhead School of Management, was honored by the Organization Development Network with the Lifetime Achievement Award by OD Network on October 16, in recognition of his significant and lasting impact on the field and practice of organization development.

Lizellen La Follette (MED ‘88) joined the Sonoma Valley Specialists Clinic in downtown Sonoma, California. The clinic is operated by Sonoma Valley Hospital to provide residents with greater access to medical specialists.

Paul Washlock (CWR ‘90; GRS ‘91, chemical engineering) is the distribution sales manager for Pilot Chemical Company, overseeing North American distribution sales for the company’s products and services to the household and industrial detergent, personal care, lubricant, oilfield, emulsion polymerization, disinfecting and sanitizing industries.

John A. Heer (LAW ‘91) joined the Cleveland office of McDonald Hopkins LLC, a business advisory and advocacy law firm, as counsel in the Business Department. He has been an environmental attorney for more than 26 years with experience counseling clients in environmental law and regulatory matters. Heer serves on the boards of Akron Snow Angels and The LD Edge Network and is a member of the Pro Bono Committee of the Legal Aid Society.

Mary Raitano (LAW ‘91, SAS ‘95) is the first executive director for Habitat for Humanity of Medina County. Her 20 years of experience in the nonprofit sector includes her work as director of refugee resettlement at the International Institute of Akron, the community impact coordinator for United Way of Medina County and manager at the Lifeline program in Akron.

John Grabnar (MGT ‘92) is general plant manager at the Beaver Valley Power Station in Shippingport, Pennsylvania. The stations is owned by FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Company, a subsidiary of FirstEnergy Corp.

Alex Konya (MGT ‘97) is vice president, Global Marketing and Product Management for Interface Performance Materials. Headquartered in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Interface Performance Materials has manufacturing locations across the world and supplies advanced sealing solutions and thermal management systems. 

Christine Fall (MED ‘98) was appointed to the Physician Board of the American Health Council. Fall is the author of Nutritional Harmony, a publication created to explain how food impacts chronic disease and cancer, owner of L&D Integrative Medicine Consulting, LLC., a provider of educational seminars to the public, associate professor of primary care for Ohio University’s Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine, and a medical provider at Premise Health. She is board certified in both internal medicine and integrative holistic medicine.

John DiBella II (CWR ‘01; GRS ‘04, biomedical engineering) is president of the Lancaster, California division of Simulations Plus, Inc., a developer of drug discovery and development software focused on improving the ways scientists use knowledge and data to predict the properties and outcomes of pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and chemical agents.

Vishal Singh (MGT ‘03) is president of the Milgard Windows & Doors, based in Tacoma, Washington.

Micah Litow (CWR ‘04; MGT ‘04; GRS ‘04, master of engineering & management) is chief marketing and business development officer for Preora Diagnostics Inc., a privately held medical technology company developing low-cost and highly accurate cancer screening tests.

Tim Sykes (CWR ‘10; GRS ‘11, engineering and management), a former Spartan wrestler who now lives in Houston, was visiting family in Cleveland when Hurricane Harvey hit. Sykes raised funds and transported donated goods and supplies to Houston.

Vanessa Bond (GRS ‘12, music education) of West Hartford, Connecticut, was inducted into the Hightstown High Athletic Hall of Fame in Hightstown, New Jersey.

Alexa M. Johnson (LAW ‘17) joined Klarquist Sparkman, LLP, a law firm in Portland, Oregon. Johnson’s practice includes all areas of intellectual property law, with a focus on the preparation and prosecution of U.S. and foreign patent applications. Her areas of expertise include biotechnology, medical devices, and chemical and mechanical engineering. Prior to joining Klarquist, Johnson was a patent department extern at NASA’s Glenn Research Center.

Published September 2017

Daniel Saunders (CIT ‘48, CLC ‘50) celebrated his 91st birthday on August 17, 2017.

Dale Phillip (CIT ‘61) of Westlake, Ohio, has retired from his role as president and chief executive officer of AKS Cutting Systems, a subsidiary of Kiffer Industries and a manufacturer in the tool & die, automation, custom and precision machinery, robotic integration and metal  cutting industries.

Peggy Lumpkin (WRC ‘73) is director of the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning and assistant professor of education at Young Harris College in Young Harris, Georgia.

Toby Haberkorn (WRC ‘74), an experienced executive-search consultant and career coach, has co-authored Best Job Search Tips For Age 60-Plus: A Practical Work Options Resource For Baby Boomers (Baypointe Publishers). For people who want to continue working in paid and volunteer capacities, the book provides realistic work options, 21st century job search strategies and numerous resources.

David J. Helscher (LAW ‘79) of Clinton, Iowa, has been elected to serve on the Board of Governors of the Iowa State Bar Association. He will represent Judicial District 7 on the governing body.

Liz Brandt (LAW ‘82), a James E. Wilson Distinguished Professor in the College of Law, has been appointed to the position of Secretary of the Faculty at the University of Idaho, a key position in university governance.

Mohamed Djerdjouri (GRS ‘83, ‘88, operations research) is the dean of the University of South Carolina Upstate’s George Dean Johnson Jr. College of Business and Economics, located in Spartanburg, South Carolina.

Krishna Venkataswamy (GRS ’85, macromolecular science) of Lancaster, Ohio, is senior vice president and chief technology officer for Interface Performance Materials, a manufacturing, design and research company focused on applied materials science and polymer chemistry.

Kay Ellen Peterson (MGT ‘88, ‘10) co-authored a book with CWRU Professor Emeritus David A. Kolb entitled How You Learn Is How You Live: Using Nine Ways of Learning to Transform Your Life (Berrett-Koehler).

Thomas Simmons (MGT ‘89, LAW ‘93), of the law firm Tucker Ellis LLP,  has been named to the list of The Best Lawyers in America for 2018. 

Beth A. Cherry (NUR ‘93) is vice president of Physician Services for Broward Health, a health care system in South Florida.

Mike Labbe (GRS ‘93, biomedical engineering) is the director, R&D engineering for Valtronic Technologies (USA), a medical device developer and manufacturer. Labbe holds seven U.S. patents, has been published in Med Phys, and has been a presenter at the American Association of Physicists in Medicine, a scientific, educational and professional organization of medical physicists.

Marsha Atkins (NUR ‘94) is dean of nursing for Northern Virginia Community College’s Medical Education Campus.

Robert Bodde (MGT ‘94) is regional sales manager for Michigan, Ohio, Western Pennsylvania, Kentucky and West Virginia for LNS America, Inc. He assumes responsibility for sales and customer support for LNS bar feeders, chip and coolant management systems, air filtration products and workholding devices.

Eric Schnur (MGT '94), chairman, president and chief executive officer of Lubrizol, is CWRU trustee.  

Diane Balciar (MGT ‘97) is a realtor with Kerr & Co Realty of Cool Springs, Tennessee.

Eric Evans (MGT ‘97) is chief financial officer for Avista Pharma Solutions, Inc., a contract testing, development and manufacturing organization providing pharmaceutical, animal health and medical device clients a range of scientifically-differentiated services.

Alex Konya (MGT ‘97) of Lancaster, Ohio, is vice president of global marketing and product management for Interface Performance Materials, a manufacturing, design and research company focused on applied materials science and polymer chemistry.

Heather Logan Melick (LAW ‘97) recently graduated summa cum laude with her BSN from Mount Carmel College of Nursing. Heather is associate general counsel with the Office of Legal Affairs at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in Columbus, Ohio.

Ronald D. Ford (MGT ‘98) is the senior vice president and chief financial officer of Armstrong Flooring, overseeing global finance and accounting functions.

Bruno Richard (MGT ‘99) is vice president and general manager, Travel Retail Europe Middle East and Africa for Estée Lauder.

Mark M. Crowley (MGT ‘03) is the president of Lake Catholic High School in Mentor, Ohio.

Jennifer Altstadt (MGT ‘04) is chief operating officer for Sea-Land Chemical Company, a distributor of specialty chemicals, providing a variety of products to lubricant, cleaner, coatings, adhesives, rubber and plastics industries.

Laura Gorjanc Pizmoht (LAW ‘04) is a Willoughby Hills District 1 City Council member in Willoughby Hills, Ohio.

Bruce C. Gockerman (MGT ‘08) is an industry assistant professor of public administration in the Stuart School of Business at Illinois Institute of Technology. 

Steven G. Rado (LAW ‘08) is chief digital officer for The Children's Place, Inc., a children's apparel retailer.

Michael A. Weiss (MGT ‘10) is chair of the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and director of chemical biology and biotherapeutics for the Indiana University Precision Health Initiative at the Indiana University School of Medicine. He joins Indiana University from the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, where he was chair of biochemistry, a distinguished research professor and the Cowan-Blum professor of cancer research. 

Okezie Aguwa (MED ‘11) joined Denver Spine Surgeons in Greenwood Village, Colo.

Christopher Ryan Cave Barrett (LAW ‘11) is vice president, corporate development and intellectual property for Axial Biotherapeutics, a biopharmaceutical company exploring the link between the human gut microbiome and the central nervous system to develop a new class of biotherapeutics to improve the quality of life for people with neurological diseases and disorders. He is based in Axial’s Boston office.

Stephanie Hippo (CWR ‘15) married Jonathan Onorato (CWR ‘15) on July 3, 2016, at The Currituck Club in North Carolina. 

John G. Marvar (LAW ‘16, MGT ‘16) is an associate in the Business Department of the Cleveland office of McDonald Hopkins LLC, a business advisory and advocacy law firm.

Mark Duffy (DEN ‘17) is a dentist at Bright Now Dental in Miamisburg, Ohio.‌

Published August 2017

John Shields (CIT ‘68; GRS ‘71, ‘75, metallurgy & material science) is a 2017 APMI Fellowship Award recipient, recognizing his work on molybdenum and its associated metals and his reputation for the research and development of alloys. Additionally, he worked with NASA to develop materials for space shuttles.

Allan Reid (CIT ‘74) is an attorney for Foley Panszi Law in Zionsville, Indiana. Reid focuses his practice primarily on criminal law and is a former master commissioner in the criminal courts of Marion County in Indiana.

Katharine Van Tassel (NUR ‘80, LAW ‘86) is associate dean of academics and professor of law at Concordia University School of Law, a Boise, Idaho, non-profit law school. Van Tassel holds an MPH in Law and Public Health Policy from Harvard University and is completing an MS in Food Safety from Johns Hopkins University. She previously was a professor of law and director of health law programs with Creighton University School of Law.

Prasan Samal (GRS ‘81, metallurgy & material science) is a 2017 APMI Fellowship Award recipient. Now retired, Samal helped develop and qualify stainless steel components for use in automotive exhaust systems. He is author or co-author of 11 U.S. patents, two books and more than 50 technical papers. APMI International is a non-profit professional society which promotes the advancement of powder metallurgy and particulate materials as a science.

Michael J. Stamos (WRC ‘81, MED ‘85) is dean of the University of California Irvine School of Medicine.

Michael Ward (LAW ‘84) is chief executive officer of Aeterna Zentaris Inc., a specialty biopharmaceutical company developing and commercializing novel pharmaceutical therapies.

Thomas J. Intili (LAW ‘86) was inducted as fellow of the Ohio State Bar Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the Ohio State Bar Association, during a ceremony at the Ohio Supreme Court in June 2017. The foundation promotes the pursuit of justice and the public understanding of the rule of law. A new class of civic-minded lawyers is inducted annually and volunteer for one year of service to outreach programs throughout Ohio.

Gina Beim (GRS ‘87, Systems Control & Engineering; MGT ‘04), founder and president of MCDA Consulting LLC, with the 2017 Outstanding Civil Engineer of the Year Award from The Cleveland Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers.

Alison K. Hall (GRS ‘88, anatomy) is the associate dean of research workforce development for the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences.

Lori Linskey (LAW ‘88) is the first woman in Monmouth County's history to be named First Assistant Prosecutor, the second-in-command of New Jersey’s Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office.

Wayne Schaeffer (CWR ‘90) is Project Engineer at Tempest , a manufacturer of chillers and heat transfer systems for the food, pharmaceutical, chemical, energy, tire & rubber industries.

Lars-Ake Norling (GRS ‘92, systems control & engineering) is chairman of Digi.Com Berhad, a mobile service provider in Malaysia.

Mark Stephan (MED ‘94) is the medical director for Equality Health, a company focused on centralized technology, services and network designs intended to organize a better health care delivery system for underserved communities.

Lisa D. Sutton (LAW ‘94) of Moreland Hills, Ohio, joined the Board of Trustees of Ursuline College. Sutton is a member of the senior leadership team of the law department at Eaton Corporation, serving the Cleveland-based company as vice president/chief counsel – environment, health & safety.

David White (MGT ‘94) is vice president of sales and marketing at Standard Locknut LLC. In this role, White will drive strategic product and market expansion.

Sarah K. Masters (MNO '95) and Paul M. Kearney were married on May 20, 2017, in Arlington, Virginia at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Arlington, where Masters is the director of congregational life and Kearney is the facilities manager. The couple resides in Herndon, Virginia.

Donnette A. Fisher (LAW ‘97) was appointed law director by the city of Xenia, Ohio, by the Xenia City Council.

Jennifer Rubio Thatcher (CWR ‘98) of Beachwood, Ohio, opened a new optometry clinic, Beachwood Family Eye Clinic, in June 2017.

Robert L. Wagner (LAW ‘01) joined the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, office of Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney PC, bringing his complex litigation and intellectual property counsel experience to the law firm’s energy team.

Christine Wright (MGT ‘02) is director of corporate development for global public health organization NSF International.

Brian Bauman (MED ‘04) is medical director of hospital system Summa Health's Respiratory Care/Pulmonary Service and Lung Nodule Program.

Amy Gilman (GRS ‘06, art history) has been named director of the Chazen Museum of Art. The museum, opened to further the University of Wisconsin–Madison’s mission of education, research and public service, holds the second-largest collection of art in Wisconsin.

Angela Bair (CWR ‘08) is graduating in August 2017 with a Master of Library & Information Science from Kent State University, with a concentration in Youth Services.

Julie Hein (LAW ‘09) joined the law firm of BakerHostetler’s Cincinnati office as a member of the Intellectual Property Group’s Privacy and Data Protection team.

Nancy White (MGT ‘10) is general manager of Cliff House Maine, a waterfront resort on the southern coast of Maine.

Andrea N. Lee (LAW ‘12) joined Honigman Miller Schwartz and Cohn LLP as an associate in the health care and corporate practices. Lee advises clients in the health care sector on transactional, regulatory and compliance matters.

Richard Garceau (MGT ‘14) is the vice president of sales for 7SIGNAL, a provider of Wi-Fi performance management software.

Evan Guarr (CWR ‘17) is the lab manager in the Chemical Engineering Department of CWRU. 

Andrew Henning (MGT ‘17) received the NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship based on his athletic and academic achievements, along with his work in the community and demonstrated leadership. He will receive a grant to be used for graduate study. Henning is the second Spartan this year to win the scholarship and the 26th student-athlete overall in CWRU history. He is also just the second member of the men’s swimming and diving team to receive the scholarship.

 

Published July 2017

Mary Jane Tillman Goeth (FSM '44) celebrated her 94th birthday in May 2017.  She graduated from Flora Stone Mather College and continued her education at Harvard, where she earned her physical therapy credentials in a graduate program and worked at Boston Children's Hospital.  Eventually, Tillman and her husband returned to their home state of Oregon to raise five children. Over the rest of her career, she worked as a physical therapist with Oregon Health and Science University and Doernbecher Children's Hospital.

Eliezer Jaffe (SAS ‘57, ‘60), founder of Israel’s first academic school of social work, the Paul Baerwald School of Social Work at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, was presented with the Bonei Zion Prize for lifetime achievement awarded annually by Nefesh B’Nefesh to immigrants from English-speaking countries in recognition of their significant contributions to Israel. Specializing in philanthropy and nonprofit management, Jaffe was the first Centraid-L. Jacques Menard Professor for the Study of Nonprofit Organizations, Volunteering and Philanthropy at Hebrew University and co-chairman of the university’s Center for the Study of Philanthropy at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He was also professor emeritus at Hebrew University and founder of the Israel Free Loan Association, which assisted the needy and new immigrants with interest-free loans with personal repayment plans. Jaffe passed away in May 2017.

Bradley D. Kronstat (WRC ‘73) of Guilford, Connecticut, was installed as president for the Connecticut Society of Certified Public Accountants 2017-2018 activity year.  He is the assistant controller of Connecticut Gardens, LLC, in North Branford.

Parameswar Nandakumar Warrier (MGT ‘75) wrote and published the novel Sara's Message (JustFiction Edition) and The Nordic Model: A Promise of Prosperity for All (Lambert Academic Publishing), a look at the much-acclaimed Nordic Model of growth.

William Gropp (CIT ‘77) is the director of the National Center for Supercomputing Applications at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. 

Norma I. Quintana (SAS ’79), a documentary photographer, published her first art book, Circus: A Traveling Life (Damiani Editore). The book features a foreword by novelist Mona Simpson and presents a decade-long pictorial series of a traveling one-ring circus. Inspired by her education in social sciences and the appeal of the circus, Quintana decided to photograph a small, American circus that set up in her hometown of Hugo, Oklahoma.  Expecting a reluctance to her presence, she found herself warmly welcomed into the visually stunning world of the circus. What was initially a plan to take a few photographs became a life-changing decade of chronicling  the lives of a group of nomadic performers, often resulting in surreal collaborations between photographer and subject. Quintana is a photographer and educator working in the tradition of social documentary. Shooting with film and using only available light, her images are primarily in black and white. Quintana has studied under Mary Ellen Mark, Graciela Iturbide and Shelby Lee Adams and lectured nationally at major universities. She is a founding member of the Bay Area non-profit PhotoAlliance, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting the understanding, appreciation and creation of contemporary photography. (Photo credit: Damiani Editore)  

Rebecca Williams (CIT ‘79, MGT ‘93) of Apex, North Carolina, is president of the LORD Corporation’s Aerospace & Defense industry group, leading the company’s global business serving aerospace and defense customers.  

Jeanne Colleran (GRS ‘80, English), provost and academic vice president at John Carroll University, was named interim president. 

Michael Hopkins (MED ‘80), a gynecologic oncologist in Canton, Ohio, was inducted into the Aultman Hospital’s Hippocrates Honor Society. This lifetime achievement award, created by the Aultman Hospital medical staff, recognizes physicians who exemplify the qualities of excellence, compassion, integrity and leadership. 

Carolyn Cuff (GRS ‘82, ‘87, operations research), program coordinator and professor of mathematics, received the 2017 Distinguished Faculty Award from Westminster College in New Wilmington, Pennsylvania. The award recognizes her intellect, leadership and her influences on both her peers and students.

Rich Simons (CIT ‘83) is the vice president and general manager for Laars Heating Systems, a subsidiary of Bradford White Corp.

Kim Litwack (NUR ‘84, ‘82) is dean of the College of Nursing at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

Elizabeth Massella (MED ‘87) was named one of Pittsburgh’s Best Doctors by Pittsburgh Magazine. Massella, who specializes in pediatrics and adolescent medicine, was recognized in the pediatrics-general category. 

Jim Telljohann (MGT ‘87) is vice president, specialties, for Chevron Phillips Chemical Company LLC, a worldwide petrochemical business headquartered in The Woodlands, Texas.

Christopher T. Hutter (MGT ‘89) joined the board of directors for Power Survey and Equipment Ltd. Hutter is the executive vice president and chief operating officer of PowerSecure International, Inc., an energy products and services company serving utilities and large industrial and commercial customers. 

Lisa Danielle (DiCicco) Koch (CWR ‘90; GRS ‘98, fluid & thermal science), aerospace engineer in the Acoustics Branch at NASA Glenn Research Center, received the 2017 NASA Glenn Federal Women’s Program Award and the 2017 Cleveland Federal Executive Board Wings of Excellence Award.  She also is a graduate of the first NASA GRC Women in STEM Leadership Development Program. (Photo caption: Dr. Paula Dempsey, NASA Glenn Deputy Project Manager, Revolutionary Vertical Lift Technology Project; Danielle Koch, Aerospace Research Engineer, NASA Glenn Acoustics Branch; Nola Bland, Federal Women’s Program Manager, NASA Glenn Office of Diversity and Equal Opportunity. Photo credit: NASA Glenn Research Center)

Robbie Das (CWR ‘91) is the chief financial officer of lighting manufacturer Tempo Industries, LLC in Irvine, California. Before joining Tempo, Das served as the CFO/COO for LED Global Corp. and his experience includes roles as a senior executive with Siemens and PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Dan Schwallie (LAW ’91) recently published the articles: Roth Is on the Rise: Is Roth Right for Your Plan? in the second quarter 2017 issue of Benefits Quarterly; Hardship Withdrawals Create Hardships for Plan Sponsors in the Spring 2017 issue of the Journal of Deferred Compensation; and Is It an Unforeseeable Emergency or a Hardship Distribution? in the Summer 2017 issue of the Journal of Pension Planning & Compliance.

Robert Zakon (CWR ‘91, GRS ‘92, computer engineering) completed a year of public service in Washington, D.C., as a White House Presidential Innovation Fellow, a program bringing the principles, values and practices of the innovation economy into government. Established in 2012 and signed into law through the TALENT Act in Congress, the program has included 112 fellows over the past five years from companies such as Google, Microsoft and Facebook. Zakon's tenure bridged two administrations, and encompassed work with the U.S. Department of the Treasury, Department of Defense and the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), among several other interagency initiatives. At the Treasury, Zakon worked in the development of policy and assessment strategies around financial and emerging technology innovations. As an innovator-in-residence within Treasury's Office of Critical Infrastructure Protection and Compliance Policy, he explored ways to enhance governance around cybersecurity in the financial services sector, and facilitating cross-agency innovation efforts. As an advisor to several OSTP initiatives, Zakon worked to provide government transparency and access across the open data and science communities, and coordinated sharing among the government's leading innovators. Other activities included serving as a mentor for a hack-a-thon exploring ways to eliminate the gender pay gap, serving as a product strategy trainer for agile digital procurement and lecturing at the National Defense University on the future of cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, machine learning and big data. Zakon received a letter from President Barack Obama acknowledging his contributions, "With talent and creativity, you've helped advance our mission to reimagine public service and build a tomorrow of expanded opportunity and greater possibility for all." Zakon resides in the Mount Washington Valley of New Hampshire with his wife and two sons.

Malki Indich (SAS ‘93) of Lakewood, New Jersey, was honored as a VIP Member for 2017 by Strathmore’s Who’s Who Worldwide Edition for her outstanding contributions and achievements for over 20 years in the fields of counseling and education. Indich is the owner of Malki Indich LCSW, a firm that provides counseling services for children and families, and serves as a consultant at Catapult Learning Inc., a company providing educational management services.

Robert Simpson (LAW ‘93, MGT ‘93) of Farmington, Connecticut, received the Trailblazer Award from the George W. Crawford Black Bar Association. The organization’s highest award recognizes individuals who promote personal growth, leadership development and community service in the legal profession. Simpson is a trial attorney and partner with the Hartford, Connecticut, office of Shipman & Goodwin LLP, leading the firm’s Product Liability and Toxic Tort Practice Team in representing clients in federal and state litigation throughout the United States. Simpson serves on the Executive Committee for the National Bar Association, Commercial Law Section and is a division director of the ABA Section of Litigation. Additionally, Simpson is a long-standing member of the George W. Crawford Black Bar Association and the Connecticut Hispanic Bar Association, on the board of the Hartford County Bar Foundation, a member of the Board of Directors of Riverfront Recapture, Inc., active in leadership for the Golden Eagles Pathfinder Scout Group and stewardship director for the Faith SDA Church in Hartford.

Mark Stephan (MED ‘94) of Phoenix, Arizona, is vice president and medical director of Equality Health, a healthcare network in Maricopa county dedicated to ending health disparities among the Hispanic community. 

Tshilidzi Marwala (CWR ‘95) was appointed the vice-chancellor and principal of the University of Johannesburg, effective January 1, 2018. 

Elizabeth Madigan (GRS ‘96, nursing) is the chief executive officer of the Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International.

Mark I. Froimson (MGT ‘97) of Hunting Valley, Ohio, joined the board of directors of Pacira Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a company focused on the development of new products for acute care practitioners and their patients. Froimson is currently serving as the president of the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons. Previously, he was the executive vice president and chief clinical officer of Trinity Health, a national non-profit Catholic healthcare system.

Janet Quinzer-Gooch (GRS ‘97) is the executive vice president for academic affairs and provost at Truman State University. 

Vikram Gupta (MGT ‘00), founder and chief executive officer, celebrated the sixth anniversary of his company, IvyCap Ventures, India's largest homegrown domestic fund, by hosting IvyCap Day 2017 in Mumbai. The event commemorated the startup ecosystem and its spirit of innovation and was attended by more than 300 startup founders, prominent Indian and global venture capitalists, fund managers, mentors and academics.

Todd M. Leombruno (MGT ‘00) of Chagrin Falls, Ohio, was elected vice president and controller of Parker Hannifin Corporation, a global motion and control technologies company.

Jeremy Davis (MGT ‘02) is chief executive officer of Consolidated Glass Holding Inc., the managing entity for a group of subsidiary companies operating in the architectural, security and custom glass and metal fabrication businesses. (Photo credit: Consolidated Glass Holding Inc.)
‌‌
Todd Platzer (MGT ‘04) co-founded Ozone Layer Deodorant, LLC, a company creating a skincare line using a patented process for infusing ozone into shea butter and creating a chemical-free deodorant.

‌‌Mark Lunter (MGT ‘05) is chief marketing officer for Rush Street Gaming, a developer and operator of casinos in the United States. Lunter most recently served as regional vice president of marketing for Caesars Entertainment, leading strategies for its eastern and mid-south regions. Lunter is based out of company’s headquarters in Chicago.

Brad M. Picha (MED ‘06), a board-certified orthopedic spine surgeon, joined Laser Spine Institute in Mayfield Heights, Ohio.

Ilana Ressler (MED ‘06), a physician board-certified in reproductive endocrinology and obstetrics and gynecology, joined the Reproductive Medicine Associates of Connecticut in Fairfield County.‌

John Knific (CWR '09) of Cleveland, Ohio, is president, COO & co-founder of Wisr. The Cleveland-based educational technology company, providing an engaging space for alumni and students to connect with each other, was honored with a Venture Innovation Award at the 2017 ASU+GSV Summit. Knific, who is also an EdTech Exec and DecisionDesk CEO/co-founder, was among Bloomberg BusinessWeek’s Top 25 Young Entrepreneurs in 2007. Alumni are invited to mentor current CWRU students through The Alumni Career Network, powered by Wisr, by registering at https://case.wisr.io

Jessica Malone (CWR ‘10), assistant director of development the Philanthropy Institute, Cleveland Clinic, was selected as a member of Crain’s Cleveland Business’s 2017 class of Twenty in Their 20s, a group of young professionals that are helping propel Northeast Ohio’s renaissance through their business, civic and philanthropic endeavors. 

‌Rebecca Jones (CWR ‘16) graduated from the Infantry Basic Officer Course at Fort Benning, Georgia, becoming the first female Infantry officer from Case Western Reserve University.

‌Aditya Rengaswamy (MGT ‘16) of Miami, Florida, received the Undergraduate Award of Distinction from the North-American Interfraternity Conference. The award recognizes fraternity men who have found in their experience an outlet for developing as both a leader and a better man by embodying the values of their fraternity and expecting the same from those with whom they associate. While at CWRU, Aditya was highly involved in the campus community as chapter president of Theta Chi, founder of Kids Against Hunger and executive board member of the What You Do Matters Summit. Additionally, he was recognized many times for his academic contributions to the Weatherhead School of Management.

Eli William (DEN ‘17) is a recipient of the 2017 Community Commitment Award, given annually by the Delta Dental Foundation, for committing to practice in a designated health professional shortage area in an effort to increase access to dental care in areas of high need. William joined a family dental practice in St. Clairsville, Ohio.

 

Published June 2017

Bernard Isaacson (DEN ‘44), age 98, continues to attend classes at Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Rochester Institute of Technology and to golf. 

Ardath A. Franck (GRS ‘56, communications sciences) of Fairlawn, Ohio, was inducted into the Ohio Senior Citizens Hall of Fame by the Ohio Department of Aging, the Ohio Association of Area Agencies on Aging and members of the Ohio General Assembly.  Franck was recognized in a ceremony at the Ohio Statehouse Atrium in Columbus on May 18. She is a speech therapist whose career has spanned more than seven decades. Today, Franck serves as the director of the Akron Education Campus and also tutors law and nursing students preparing for board examinations.

Diana Attie (FSM ‘60; GRS ‘62, art education), professor emeritus of art at The University of Toledo, received the Milestones Award for her outstanding leadership qualities in the field of art from the YWCA of Northwest Ohio.

Lucille Garber Ford (GRS ‘67, economics) was inducted into the Ohio Senior Citizens Hall of Fame, by the Ohio Department of Aging, the Ohio Association of Area Agencies on Aging and members of the Ohio General Assembly during a special ceremony at the Statehouse Atrium in Columbus. In the 1960s, Ford was the first and only woman to serve on the Ohio Edison Company Board of Directors and the first woman appointed to serve on a bank board for National City Bank. Ford made history in 1978 when she became the first woman to run for lieutenant governor in Ohio. In 1979, Ford was named dean of the School of Business Administration, Economics and Radio/TV of Ashland University. She developed several new majors and educational programs for adult students. In 1986, she became vice president of academic affairs, the nursing program, the writing center, the honors program and many other academic and administrative activities. She became provost in 1990, administering both graduate and undergraduate programs, continuing education and special programs, and is currently serving as provost emeritus, professor emeritus and board trustee emeritus.  Since retiring from Ashland in 1995, she has devoted her leadership skills to the Ashland County Community Foundation, a fund enhances the Ashland County community. She has served on five major public company boards, held countless civic and community leadership positions, and sat on numerous local, state and national boards.

Carl A. Singer (CIT '68), is the national commander of the Jewish War Veterans of the USA, a congressionally chartered veterans service organization which has been continuously active since 1896 and advocates on behalf of all American veterans.

Linda Lehmann Masek (LYS ‘70) wrote and published The Mag-ni-fi-cat Mysteries (Fireside/Lux Publications). The book continue the story of Maggie the cat and her human friends in 1950's America. With illustrations created by the author, her home state of Ohio provides the local background for all the adventure.

Margaret Vugrin (FSM ‘71, LYS ‘72) received a master’s in public health from Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC), Department of Public Health. She has worked as a reference librarian at TTUHSC Library in Lubbock, Texas, for the past 30 years. Vugrin moved to Texas when her husband, Davor Vugrin, MD, accepted an invitation to be chief of medical oncology at the TTUHSC Medical School. The couple's five children are scattered across the United States and their six grandchildren range in age from 14 to two years.

David W. Rose (WRC ‘74) writes the column Notes from Underground regularly featured in FUNGI Magazine, an exploration of the history of mycology via poetry, literature and biography.

Lee Fisher (LAW ‘76, MGT ‘97, MNO ‘05) is dean of Cleveland State University’s Cleveland-Marshall College of Law. 

Barrett J. Rollins (GRS ‘79, molecular biology & microbiology; MED ‘80), chief scientific officer and faculty dean for academic affairs at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston and the Linde Family Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, received an honorary degree from Amherst College during its 196th Commencement exercises on May 21, 2017.

Elaine Nichols (SAS '80) is the supervisory curator of culture at the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture.

Wesley W. Wilson (LYS ‘81), coordinator of archives and special collections at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana, is the 2017 recipient of the Sister M. Claude Lane, O.P., Memorial Award given by the Society of American Archivists in conjunction with the Society of Southwest Archivists. The award, honoring an archivist who has made a significant contribution to the field of religious archives, will be presented during a ceremony in July.

Michael C.H. McDaniel (LAW ‘82), a WMU-Cooley Law School associate dean and professor, was honored with the Distinguished Citizen Award by the Chief Okemos District of the Boy Scouts of America during the 2017 Distinguished Citizen Breakfast for Scouting. During the event, he also received the Key to the City from Lansing (Michigan) Mayor Virg Bernero. In addition to teaching constitutional law, McDaniel is also the director of the Homeland and National Security Law LL.M. program at WMU-Cooley Law School, a program he created in 2013. McDaniel is a retired Brigadier General and was Deputy Assistant Secretary for Homeland Defense Strategy, Prevention and Mission Assurance at Department of Defense prior to joining law school. In 2003, he was also Homeland Security Advisor to then-Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm, and has been the chairperson for Great Lakes Hazard Coalition (GLHC) since 2012. He also served as the Assistant Adjutant General for Homeland Security with the Michigan National Guard. In 2016, McDaniel was appointed by Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder to the Flint Water Interagency Coordinating Committee (FWICC) and helped to secure $100 million in funding from Congress. The funding sped up the process of removing hazardous water pipes, with over 600 pipes replaced by the end of 2016.

Amy Reif (WRC '82, MGT '86) of Bloomington, Indiana, is the command radiation health officer and an assistant radiation safety officer at the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division, in Crane, Indiana.

Bob Graf (GRS ‘83, ‘85, macromolecular science) is corporate vice president of data science and analytics, a new position for the Lubrizol Corporation based in Wickliffe, Ohio.

Steven Accinelli (GRS '85, operations research), professor of aviation and director of aviation programs at the University of Dubuque, was named to the school's Faculty Hall of Fame for his nearly 20 years of work bringing the aviation program to national prominence. (Photo credit: University of Dubuque)

Forrest A. Norman III (WRC ‘86, LAW ‘92), shareholder of Dickie, McCamey & Chilcote, P.C. and founder and chair of Dickie McCamey’s Church Law Practice Group, presented Violence, Security and Church Liability to members of the National Conference of the Christian Legal Society in Washington, D.C. Norman lives in Hudson, Ohio.

Michelle Mohr Carney (SAS ‘89), professor and director of the School of Social Work at Arizona State University, has been named dean of the University of Kansas School of Social Welfare.

Christine Lys (CWR ‘90; GRS ‘97, biology) of San Diego, California, is associate vice president, business development at Accelovance, Inc., a global contract research organization specializing in oncology, vaccines/immunology and general medicine.

Hugh McNeelege (LAW ‘91), writing under the name Bear Kosik, was selected as one of the first resident playwrights at Manhattan Repertory Theatre. His play, Alpha Betty, was presented in June at the Players Theatre Short Play Festival and Between Panic and Desire was presented in July at the Midtown International Theatre Festival, both in Manhattan's Theater District.

Anton (Tony) Wallner (GRS ’92, chemistry) was named dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Webster University in Saint Louis, Missouri. He will begin his position July. He previously was at Barry University in Miami Shores, Florida.

Russell Warley (GRS ‘93, chemical engineering) was named dean of faculty and professor of chemical engineering at the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in Terre Haute, Ind.

Elaine Szeto (MGT '94, '00) is chief product officer of Western Alliance Bancorporation in Phoenix, Arizona, overseeing product strategy and development as well as services to drive innovation and meet the needs of both business and personal clients.

D. Phillip Stickney (MED ‘95) joined Kettering Physician Network Orthopedics & Sports Medicine in Hamilton, Ohio. Stickney is a general orthopedist, specializing in shoulder, hip and knee replacement. He also evaluates and treats degenerative conditions of the lumbar spine.

Miguel A. Medina III (SAS ‘97), a plastic and reconstructive surgeon, joined the team of cancer specialists at Miami Cancer Institute, part of Baptist Health South Florida.

Anu Hoey (GRS ‘98, molecular virology) is vice president of corporate development at Invenra, Inc., is an antibody discovery and development company focused on bispecific antibodies for immuno-oncology and based in Madison, Wisconsin.

John Melcher (MGT '98) is chief operating officer of Crystal Mountain, a family-owned, four-season resort destination southwest of Traverse City, Michigan. 

Tesham Gor (MGT ‘02) is corporate vice president, corporate strategy and consumer insights for the Lubrizol Corporation based in Wickliffe, Ohio.

Andrew Lundberg (CWR '02) of Cincinnati, Ohio, is senior analyst at 84.51°,  a wholly owned subsidiary of The Kroger Co. focused on customer engagement.

Kate Wexler (LAW ‘02) joined Hahn Loeser & Parks LLP as senior attorney in the Business Practice Area in the Cleveland office. Wexler earned her JD cum Laude from Case Western Reserve University School of Law.

Justin Haselton (CWR ‘03), a civil engineer with R.E. Warner & Associates, Inc. in Westlake, Ohio, was named one of Civil + Structural Engineer Magazine’s 2017 “Rising Stars.” (Photo credit: CMP Communications)

Margaret Greco (MED ‘04), a pediatric cardiologist, joined SwedishAmerican of Rockford, Ill.

Jennifer Kahn McGinn (MGT '04) published her first children’s book Emily’s Shoes (CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform), the story of a young girl who dreams in vivid color with the help of special shoes. The book was illustrated by a 12-year-old artist and proceeds support research for Batten Disease, an inherited disease of the nervous system that affects McGinn’s seven-year-old twin nieces.

Luke Feeney (LAW ‘05), mayor of the City of Chillicothe, Ohio, delivered the keynote speech at Ohio University Chillicothe’s Graduation Recognition Ceremony in April 2017.

Ellen Rudolph (GRS ‘07, art history) is chief curator at the Akron Art Museum. Rudolph previously served as executive director of the Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage in Beachwood, Ohio.

Jaeyeon Kim (GRS ‘08, biomedical engineering) is associate director of pharmacometrics at Novartis.

Erin Klug (LAW ‘09) was sworn onto the board of the Women Lawyers Association of Michigan and received the group’s 2017 Regional Leadership Award at its 99th annual meeting. Klug, an intellectual property attorney focusing on patent and trademark procurement, is counsel at the Novi, Mich., offices of Varnum LLP.

Eli H. Miller (MGT ‘09) is the acting U.S. director of the Asian Development Bank and the acting U.S. director of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. He also is the chief of staff at the U.S. Department of the Treasury.

Nicholas Preusch (LAW ‘09), a tax manager at PBMares, LLP, a public accounting and consulting firm with national and international clients, was named one of the Virginia Society of Certified Public Accountants Top 5 Under 35 for 2017.

Paul Hay (CWR '10) received his PhD in classical studies from the University of Texas at Austin. He will begin a teaching appointment in the Department of Classics at CWRU in fall 2017.

Andrew J. Wolf (CWR ‘10) joined Hahn Loeser & Parks LLP as an associate in the Labor & Employment practice area in the Cleveland office. Wolf earned his JD cum laude from William and Mary Law School, where he was the executive editor of the William & Mary Bill of Rights Journal, earned the Legal Skills Scholar Award and won a Book Award for Topics in Disability Law. Wolf earned his BA summa cum laude from Case Western Reserve University, where he earned Phi Beta Kappa honors.

Sarah Hutnik (CWR ‘11, MGT ‘11, LAW ‘16), of Dayton, Ohio, is assistant prosecuting attorney for Montgomery County, Ohio, assigned to the Child Protection Unit of the Prosecutor’s Office.

David McCormick (GRS ‘11, early music performance), director of the Shenandoah Valley Bach Festival, received a Rising Star Award from his alma mater, Shenandoah University Conservatory, in Winchester, Va.

Fabrice Henry (CWR ‘13) graduated cum laude from the The Ohio State University College of Medicine. He is a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society and, during the convocation ceremony, he received the William Neely Taylor, MD Award in recognition of excellence in the field of Urology. Henry starts his residency in Urology at Akron General Medical Center and Akron City Hospital in July.

Sheilla Lienerth (MGT ‘15) is assistant vice president of client relations for Safeguard Properties in Valley View, Ohio.

Sara Smoter (LAW ‘16) joined the national trial and litigation law firm Kaufman & Company, LLC as an associate attorney in the firm’s Cleveland office. Smoter’s previous experience includes externships with the district judge for the U.S. District Court, Western District of Pennsylvania, the United States magistrate judge for the Northern District of Ohio and the Offices of the United States Attorneys for the Northern District of Ohio. While attending Case Western Reserve University School of Law, Smoter served as executive notes editor of Case Western Reserve Law Review.

Published May 2017

‌John C. Thomas, Jr. (ADL ‘67) has written and published Fit In Bits: How to Stay Fit When you Have No Time to Stay Fit (CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform), a guide to incorporating exercise into spare moments and situations in the course of an ordinary day.

Arthur Ross (MED ‘75) is joining the Scientific Advisory Board of MedAware Systems, Inc. A pediatric surgeon and researcher, Ross has served three medical schools as a campus executive or dean.

Richard Balnave (LAW ‘77), professor at the University of Virginia School of Law, has retired after 33 years of teaching a range of clinics in family law and children's law, as well as courses in professional responsibility. Permission to use photo in print and online granted by Kimberly Reich, Univ of Virginia School of Law. Photo credit: University of Virginia School of Law

Michael C.H. McDaniel (LAW ‘82), retired brigadier general and current Western Michigan University Thomas M. Cooley Law School associate dean and professor of law, was inducted into the alumni ROTC Hall of Fame for the Seneca Battalion of the U.S. Army Reserve Officers’ Training Corps at St. Bonaventure University, located in Olean, New York, on April 1, 2017.

Sabra T. Pierce Scott (WRC ‘82, SAS ‘12) was sworn in by Mayor Frank G. Jackson as the City of Cleveland’s first director of quality control and performance management. The mission of this office is to track departmental performance and incorporate efficient, effective and economically sound process improvement methods to ensure high levels of accountability, compliance and quality control. Photo credit: City of Cleveland

Melissa Baumann (GRS ‘86, ‘88, metallurgy & material science) has been named the provost and chief academic officer at Xavier University, effective June 15, 2017.

Sanku Mallik (GRS ‘92, chemistry), professor of pharmaceutical sciences, received North Dakota State University’s prestigious Waldron Award for Excellence in Research. A nationally respected researcher, he has received $15.5 million in grants over the past 10 years, including a Centers of Biomedical Research Excellence grant from the National Institutes of Health for his pancreatic cancer research.

Marta Roth (MED ‘92), primary care physician at Roth Family Medicine Ltd. in Fairlawn, Ohio, has been selected to join the Physician Board at the American Health Council. She will be sharing her knowledge and expertise on family medicine.

Nimesh Mehta (CWR ‘96, MGT, ‘99) is chief operating officer and managing director of Civitas Capital Group, a family of specialty asset management and financial services companies.

Raland Hatchett Jr. (MGT ‘05) is executive director of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Summit, Medina, and Stark Counties, Inc.

‌Angelina Bair (CWR ‘08) of University Heights, Ohio, received the Priscilla L. Drach Children’s Librarian Scholarship from Kent State University’s School of Library and Information Science. The scholarship is awarded to students who demonstrate creativity, leadership and dedication to children’s librarianship through academic achievement. Bair is pursuing her Master of Library and Information Science with a specialization in youth services and special collections at Kent State University, while working as a library associate substitute at Willoughby-Eastlake Public Library. She hopes to become a children’s librarian within a public library and to continue researching children’s literature. Photo credit: Kent State University

Derek Overstreet (CWR ‘08) joined the board of directors of Zoned Properties, Inc., a strategic real estate development firm whose primary mission is to identify, develop, and lease safe and sustainable properties in emerging industries. Overstreet is co-founder and chief scientific officer of Sonoran Biosciences, which develops new sustained-release pharmaceutical formulations for applications including orthopedic infection and postoperative pain management.

Michelle Buerschen (NUR ‘13, ‘16) joined the practice of Hyatt Family Care and is seeing patients at the Premier Physician Network practice in Tipp City, Ohio.

Published April 2017

George N. Havens (CIT ‘49, MGT ‘72) wrote and published Heroic Leaders: Visionary. Courageous. Inspiring. (Strategic Consulting Press) The book argues that life is richer with the benefit of heroes, by chronicling four unsung heroic leaders who have been important influences in his life: John Frank Stevens, The Hero of Marias Pass and the Panama Canal; Heinrich Harrer, a mountain climber and adventurer; T. Keith Glennan, a leader in education and at NASA; and David Ogilvy, an influential advertiser. This is the seventh book Havens has written since retiring as the head of The Jayme Organization, an advertising and marketing firm. His other books are based on his expertise and experience and include: We Made the Headlines Possible (Greenleaf Book Group) on his World War II service; A Special Time, A Special Place: East Cleveland Remembered (Greenleaf Book Group) on growing up there; A Professional Guide to Winning Presentation (Greenleaf Book Group) on his ad agency’s best practices; and The Competitive Challenge (Greenleaf Book Group) on satisfying today’s tougher customers. Havens, a resident of University Circle’s Judson Manor, now heads Strategic Consulting, a firm focused on leadership, planning and marketing.
 

Bob MacIntyre (CIT ‘52) of Redlands, California, has invented a syringe extender through his company ZIACOM. The product was the result of a request from Orthopedic Surgeon Dr. Christopher Jobe at Loma Linda University Medical Center (LLUMC), who was searching for a syringe extender that could be operated with one hand and provide doctors with better accuracy when working with orthopedic patients. The two men worked together on the development and the instrument is now being marketed by LLUMC officials. MacIntyre is also the inventor of The Arm Enhancer, designed to mitigate the problems of golf and tennis elbow, and The SeeCane, a tool using an LED light to provide additional stability and illumination. All of MacIntyre’s inventions were developed in his home.

Linda Lehmann Masek (LYS ‘70) wrote and published The Mysterious Cattery and Under the Cat's Paw (Fireside/Lux Publications). The books include two novellas, poetry and a full-length novel. Masek’s creative stories follow the tails(!) of: CopyCat, a feline sleuth, who solves a murder; Mag-ni-fi-cat, a cat who takes on a haunted house; and Catkin, a cat who brings a girl home to her family. With illustrations created by the author, her home state of Ohio provides the local background for all the adventure.

James N. Letendre (LYS ‘74) has retired after working in public libraries in Chicago, Miami Beach and Charleston, S.C. In 2015, he received his Master of Arts in Theology from St. Leo University in Florida. On February 11, 2017, Letendre was ordained a Permanent Deacon for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charleston, S.C.

Parameswar Nandakumar Warrier (MGT ‘75) wrote and published the novel The Stockholm Triangle (JustFiction Edition), in which a Somalian refugee in Sweden suspects that a new friend was involved in a massacre by U.N forces in his home village.

John McCreery (CIT ‘77) was appointed Chief Operating Officer of Iradimed Corporation, a developer of MRI compatible medical devices. McCreery has primary responsibility over the regulatory, manufacturing and engineering departments of the company.

JoAnn E. Manson (MED ‘79), chief of the Division of Preventive Medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, was honored by the Massachusetts Medical Society as the 2017 recipient of the Women’s Health Research Award, recognizing a physician for contributions that advance women’s health research in Massachusetts.

Annie L. Sobel (MED ‘83), of Lubbock, Texas, was appointed to the Texas Military Preparedness Commission by Governor Greg Abbott. Sobel is an associate professor at the Department of Medical Education and at the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at Texas Tech University (TTU), adjunct professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at TTU and an adjunct associate professor at the TTU Health Science Center School of Nursing. She is a former distinguished member of the technical staff at the Sandia National Laboratory in Albuquerque, N.M., and guest scientist at Los Alamos National Laboratory. She is also the current chair of the Permanent Monitoring Panel for mitigation of acts of terrorism for the World Federation of Scientists. Sobel achieved 20 years of military service in 2008, and retired as a Major General in the Arizona Air National Guard with an honorable discharge with prior service in the United States Army.

David J. Pristash (MGT ‘86) received his eighth patent for a vertical axis wind/solar turbine, which significantly increases the harvesting of solar energy while reducing environmental impact.

‌‌‌Lauren Lawrence (MGT ‘89) of Mt. Pleasant, Michigan, was promoted to vice president of Karmanos Cancer Network, providing oversight and leadership for 14 cancer centers throughout Michigan. She first joined the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute at McLaren Health Care in Michigan in December 2013. Prior to that, Lawrence served as executive director of the Seidman Cancer Center at Lake Health University Hospitals in Mentor, Ohio, and in administrative roles in the Cleveland Clinic.

Linda Conrad (MGT ‘92) was appointed vice president, financial planning and analysis for Cooper Standard. She is based at the company's headquarters in Novi, Mich.

Robert Geho (MGT ‘94) was elected to the Cleveland Institute of Music Board of Trustees. Geho is the co-founder and CEO of Diasome Pharmaceuticals, Inc., where he leads the management of the company’s development programs in new therapies for diabetes and obesity, and co-founder and director of SDG, Inc., a nanotechnology therapeutics company that is an Equity Partner Company of the Cleveland Clinic Foundation. Geho also serves as a member of the board of directors of the Diabetes Hands Foundation.
 

Chris Cronin (GRS ‘96, history) was promoted to principal consultant at HALOCK, a Chicago-based information security consulting firm. He has authored multiple risk management and governance methodologies and is a frequent public speaker on the topic of information security. Cronin serves on the board of directors of Eighth Blackbird, a Chicago-based arts organization.

Kimberley Mitchell (GRS ‘96, communications science) joined the law firm of Smith, Haughey, Rice & Roegge as a shareholder. Mitchell is a lawyer in the business and real estate law practice group based in the firm’s Holland, Mich., office. 

Ronald J. O'Leary (LAW ‘97), Cleveland's current director of building and housing, was appointed Cleveland Housing Court judge in the Housing Division of Cleveland Municipal Court by Ohio Gov. John Kasich. He will take over on April 10. O'Leary will have to run for election in November to retain the seat through the end of the term, which concludes January 1, 2020. 

Richik Sarkar (LAW ‘98), a member of McGlinchey Stafford’s Cleveland office, has been selected to participate in the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity’s 2017 Fellows Program, which aims to identify, train and advance the next generation of leaders in the legal profession. Demonstrating leadership in the legal community, Richik joins an organization of more than 240 corporate chief legal officers and law firm managing partners who are personally committed to creating a truly diverse legal profession.

Gregory S. Lovins (MGT ‘99) is vice president and interim chief financial officer of Avery Dennison Corp., a global leader in pressure-sensitive and functional materials and labeling solutions. Lovins will lead the company’s finance function, including audit, financial reporting, investor relations, financial planning and analysis, tax and treasury. He will also oversee the company’s information technology group.

‌‌Jack Trachtenberg (CWR ‘99, GRS ‘99, political science) is a principal at Deloitte Tax LLP’s Multistate Tax Controversy Services practice in New York, focusing on all aspects of New York State and City tax controversy matters for corporations and passthroughs, including income/franchise and sales and use tax. He also advises clients on New York State and New York City tax matters, having successfully litigated cases before the New York State Division of Tax Appeals, the New York State Tax Appeals Tribunal and the New York State Supreme Courts. Before joining Deloitte, Jack was a partner at Reed Smith LLP focused on corporate income, franchise, gross receipts, sales and use and personal income taxes.

Dr. Chunjiang 'CJ' Qian (GRS ‘01, Systems Control & Engineering), Mary Lou Clarke Endowed Professor, was appointed chair of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Texas at San Antonio.

Jacqueline Jones (CWR ‘02, GRS ‘04, ‘07, biomedical engineering) was one of 50 women across the state of Connecticut honored during the thirteenth annual Connecticut Technology Council Women of Innovation Awards Ceremony. The awards recognize women innovators, role models and leaders in science and technology professions. Of these 50 women, nine were recognized as winners in their respective categories. Jones won the category of Large Business Innovation and Leadership for her role as an R&D manager at Medtronic, a medical technology development company, where she leads a team focused on clinical engineering and user experience of a next generation surgical robot.

AnnMarie Kassouf (SAS ‘05) married Paul Lepro on July 9, 2016. The ceremony took place at St. Elias Melkite Catholic Church in Cleveland, followed by a reception at Mapleside Farms in Brunswick, Ohio, and a Mediterranean honeymoon cruise. The new Mrs. Lepro is a social worker at Cleveland Metro Health Medical Center. The couple resides in Lakewood.

John Popovich (MGT ‘05) is vice president of fluid sealing and thermal systems sales at EGC Enterprises, a company that pioneered the use of flexible graphite in fluid sealing and thermal management applications for high heat and high pressure applications.

Arlene Guzik (NUR ‘08) joined BayCare Urgent Care, of Clearwater, Florida, as director of occupational medicine services. Guzik has more than 25 years of experience in occupational health and previously served as assistant medical director and vice president, operations of Lakeside Occupational Medical Centers Inc. in Largo, Florida.

Ganesh Kumar (MGT ‘09), formerly executive vice president and chief financial official, was promoted to senior executive vice president and chief operating officer of OFG Bancorp, a financial holding company providing banking and financial services. Kumar is in charge of all retail operations, which collectively represent OFG’s largest revenue generating business, and all strategic business development and expansion endeavors.

Published March 2017

Frank Germane (CLC ‘49) received the Knight of the Legion of Honor medal from the French government for his service in the U.S. Army during WWII. 

Fred Gray (LAW ‘54, HON ‘92), a prominent civil rights lawyer, received the Trailblazer Award from the International Civil Rights Center & Museum in Greensboro, N.C.

James Young (GRS '71, history) published Union Power: United Electrical Workers in Erie, Pennsylvania (Monthly Review Press). The narrative extends from union organizing efforts during the Great Depression through ferocious political attacks during the McCarthy Era and economic losses of the Great recession and beyond in the quintessential American industrial town of Erie. Much of the content is supplied through oral history interviews, as well as traditional archival sources. Young serves as treasurer of the Pennsylvania Labor History Society and is working on a history of workers at the Hershey Foods facility in Pennsylvania.

Larry W. Hurtado (GRS ‘73, religion), emeritus professor of new testament language, literature & theology in the School of Divinity at the University of Edinburgh, received the 2017 PROSE Award in the category of archaeology & ancient history for his book, Destroyer of the Gods: Early Christian Distinctiveness in the Roman World (Baylor University Press).

Gina Gibney (WRC ‘79, GRS ‘82, theatre), founder, artistic director & CEO of Gibney Dance in New York City, received Dance/USA's Ernie Award at the organization’s 2017 Annual Conference. The Ernie Award honors individuals working in the dance field whose achievements have significantly empowered artists and supported their creativity individually or as a community. Gibney founded Gibney Dance in 1991 as a performing and social action dance company, which has today emerged as a cultural leader in the arts and social justice fields. She was named to the Out100 2016 list of influential members of the LGBT community, and in 2008 she was named to the Vanity Fair Hall of Fame for "making art and taking action." 

Barney Olson (CIT ‘80) joined R.E. Warner & Associates Inc. of Westlake, Ohio, as senior process engineer.

George Njoroge (GRS ‘83, chemistry, GRS ‘85, chemistry), a U.S.-based Kenyan researcher and senior research fellow at Eli Lilly, has made history as the first African to be granted more than 100 patents by the US Patent and Trade Office. In addition to the more than 100 patents, Dr Njoroge has authored and co-authored over 120 scientific publications. 

Maria Thomas-Jones (LAW ‘87)was named CEO of Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas. 

William J. Barrett (MGT ‘89) was elected to the board of directors of 1ST Constitution Bancorp.

Anton Wallner (GRS ‘92, chemistry), an associate dean at Barry University in Florida, will join Webster University as the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences this summer.

Robert Dombrowski (MED ‘93) joined The Centers for Advanced Orthopaedics at its Prince William Orthopaedics, Hand Surgery & Sports Medicine Care Center in McLean, Va. Dr. Dombrowski specializes in sports medicine and joint replacement of the shoulder, knee and hip. 

Paul B. Hervey (LAW ‘94) of Canton, Ohio, joined the law firm of Day Ketterer as a member.

Mylynn Tufte (NUR ‘95) was named state health officer for North Dakota by Governor Doug Burgum. 

Eddie Taylor Jr. (MGT ‘99) joined the board of trustees at the Burton D. Morgan Foundation. Taylor currently serves as president of Taylor Oswald, an independent, employee-owned insurance brokerage firm. Taylor also serves as vice chair of University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center and board member for Greater Cleveland Sports Commission, Greater Cleveland Partnership, Northeast Ohio Council on Higher Education, College Now, Greater Cleveland, Cuyahoga Community College Foundation and the Ohio Foundation of Independent Colleges. Photo credit: Burton D. Morgan Foundation

Michael Cosgrove (LAW ‘00) was appointed director of community development for the City of Cleveland by Mayor Frank Jackson. 

Jefferey Ogden Katz (LAW ‘04), a partner at Chicago’s Patterson Law Firm, was selected as an Illinois Super Lawyers Rising Star for 2017. Katz focuses his practice on professional liability cases throughout the country. Additionally, he represents attorneys before the Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission and candidates for admission to the Illinois Board of Admissions to the Bar. Katz has served as the chair of the Chicago Bar Association Young Lawyers Section of the Professional Responsibility Committee since 2009 and has presented on issues relating to professional liability to the Chicago Bar Association, American Association for Justice and American Conference Institute. He has been cited on ESPN and in Sports Illustrated and is licensed in Illinois, Wisconsin and Kentucky. Super Lawyers is a rating service of peer-nominated lawyers who have attained a high-degree of peer recognition and professional achievement.  

Joe Mandato (MGT ‘04) was elected to board of trustees of Save the Children, an international humanitarian and relief organization serving children in need in the United States and around the world. Mandato is CWRU trustee and managing director of De Novo Ventures, a firm  that invests in medical devices and biotechnology companies.

Anna Cerra (NUR ‘05, NUR ‘06) was appointed vice president of Patient Care Services and chief nursing officer at the Greenwich Hospital of Greenwich, Conn. 

Darren Norby (DEN ‘08) opened ABQ Dentures in Albuquerque, N.M. 

Charles Sing (CWR ‘08, GRS ‘09, macromolecular science, GRS ‘09, macromolecular science), professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, was selected for a 2017 NSF CAREER Award. 

Jean Truman (NUR ‘08) of Bradford, Penn., associate professor of nursing, was named assistant dean of academic affairs at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford.

Matt Mendenhall (GRS ‘10, social welfare) has been named president of the Regional Development Authority. Founded in 1989 as the qualified sponsoring organization for a riverboat casino in Davenport, the RDA distributes grants to nonprofit groups with funding from casino revenues. Since 1991, the RDA has awarded a total of $60.4 million. Photo credit: Gary Krambeck

Amy Baisden (LAW ‘11) joined Yankee Farm Credit’s Middlebury, Vt., office as a Loan Documentation Specialist. For generations, her family raised beef cattle in Fayette County, WV. Amy is looking forward to turning her career toward supporting farmers and agricultural businesses. 

Loressa Cole (NUR ‘12) was appointed the new chief officer/executive vice president of the American Nurses Credentialing Center. 

Emily Miller (SAS ‘15) joined two former high school classmates and the Petoskey-Harbor Springs Area Community Foundation to establish the Harbor Springs Opportunity Scholarship for graduates of her alma mater, Harbor Springs High School in Michigan. Recipients of the annual $1,000 scholarship will be selected by the community foundation. Miller currently works as a research assistant and project coordinator for the National Initiative on Mixed-Income Communities at the Center on Urban Poverty and Community Development at CWRU. 

‌Gloria Tavera (GRS ‘16, pathology) was named to the Forbes “30 Under 30” list in the health care category.

Published February 2017

Charles J. Wilson (CIT ‘57) of Cleveland Heights, Ohio, received the Frank W. Reinhart Award from the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) International Committee on Fasteners. A member of ASTM since 1984, Wilson was specifically recognized for his outstanding contributions to the standardization of terminology for the fastener industry. In 2001, the committee honored Wilson with the Fred F. Weingruber Award for contributions to fastener standardization. Wilson previously served as director of engineering and treasurer with Industrial Fasteners Institute, and an instructor of mechanical engineering at Fenn College (now part of Cleveland State University). Wilson, a fellow of ASTM International, is also a member of the Society of Automotive Engineers and an American Society of Mechanical Engineering fellow.

Robert Resnik (MED ‘65), professor emeritus at The University of California, San Diego, was selected to join the Physician Board at the American Health Council. Resnik has over five decades of experience in the field of Obstetrics and Gynecology/Reproductive Medicine and is certified by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and the Subspecialty Board of Maternal-Fetal Medicine. Additionally, Resnik is an elected fellow ad eundem to the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, United Kingdom, a fellow of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology and a member of the Society for Maternal Fetal Medicine. Resnik has published more than one hundred peer-reviewed publications and the textbook Creasy and Resnik’s Maternal-Fetal Medicine: Principles and Practice. (Photo credit: American Health Council)

Hon. Sheila Farmer (LAW ‘70), judge for the Fifth District Court of Appeals in Canton, Ohio, retired. Farmer has been a judge in Stark County for 39 years, including at the municipal and common pleas level.

Gerald Kohanski (GRS ‘73, English) was re-elected as president of the Aurora (Ohio) Board of Education. Kohanski has served on the board for 19 years, including 17 as president. He is an adjunct professor of English at Kent State University.

Leslie D. Dunn (LAW ‘75) of Shaker Heights, Ohio, was elected as an independent director on the Federal Home Loan Bank of Cincinnati's Board of Directors. Dunn was first appointed to the board in 2007 and was subsequently elected to four-year terms in 2009 and 2013. She is the chair of the Governance committee of the board and serves on its audit and personnel and compensation committees. She also serves on the boards of other public and privately held companies, including New York Community Bancorp Inc. and E&H Family Group Inc. Among her many civic and charitable activities, Dunn is a director of Breakthrough Charter Schools, Cuyahoga County Invest in Children, the David and Inez Myers Foundation, Mount Sinai Health Care Foundation and the Cleveland Museum of Contemporary Art.

Glenn F. Pierce (WRC ‘76, GRS ‘82, pathology, MED ‘84), of La Jolla, Calif., was appointed to the board of directors for Voyager Therapeutics, Inc., a clinical-stage gene therapy company developing life-changing treatments for severe diseases of the central nervous system.

Richard H. Nemeth (WRC ‘78) was selected for inclusion on the Super Lawyers 2017 list in the area of consumer bankruptcy law. Nemeth, managing member of the Cleveland-based law firm Nemeth & Associates LLC, also was elected to the board of directors of the National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys, the only national bar association for consumer bankruptcy attorneys. Additionally, he was a panelist at the 2016 annual meeting of the National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges, where he spoke on the treatment of student loans in consumer bankruptcy proceedings.

Richard M. Bain (LAW ‘79), of the Cleveland law firm of Buckley King, was named to the list of 2017 Ohio Super Lawyers and Ohio Rising Stars. Super Lawyers, a service of Thomson Reuters, is a rating service of lawyers who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement.

Jeffrey Baddeley (LAW ‘83), of the Cleveland law firm of Buckley King, was named to the list of 2017 Ohio Super Lawyers and Ohio Rising Stars. Super Lawyers, a service of Thomson Reuters, is a rating service of lawyers who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement.

Curtis Manley (WRC '83) released his debut children's fiction picture book, The Summer Nick Taught His Cats to Read (Simon & Schuster), in which a young boy finds that sometimes it takes just the right book to fall in love with reading.

Jane Semple (MGT ‘85) published her book Doctor’s Guide to Breast Cancer: Prevention and Treatment: A Naturopathic Approach and the second edition of Healthy, Vibrant Skin: A Naturopathic Approach (Woodland Publishing).

Jerry Wiggert (CIT ‘85), an associate professor of marine science at the University of Southern Mississippi, is serving as interim chairman for the university’s Division of Marine Science. He has been with the university since 2007.

Rosemary Sweeney (LAW ‘87), of the Cleveland law firm of Buckley King, was named to the list of 2017 Ohio Super Lawyers and Ohio Rising Stars. Super Lawyers, a service of Thomson Reuters, is a rating service of lawyers who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement.

David R. Watson (LAW ‘88) has been named executive director of the Institute of Continuing Legal Education, the education provider of the State Bar of Michigan. Watson formerly served as the executive director for the New York State Bar Association.

Janet Beardsley (NUR ‘93, NUR ‘96) joined the staff at Naples Family Practice in Lewiston, Maine. In addition to being a certified nurse midwife and A.N.P., Beardsley is interested in primary care, women’s health and sleep disorders and is a candidate for a doctor of nursing practice degree at University of Massachusetts Boston.

Geoff Wedig (CWR ‘94), of Torrance, Calif., and Nicholas Apostoloff received an Academy Award for Scientific and Technical Achievement for the design and development of animation rig-based facial performance-capture systems at ImageMovers Digital and Digital Domain. These systems evolved through independent, then combined, efforts at two different studios, resulting in an artist-controllable, editable, scalable solution for the high-fidelity transfer of facial performances to convincing digital characters.

Stephanie Stebich (MNO ‘99), former executive director of Tacoma Art Museum, was appointed director of the Smithsonian American Art Museum. Stebich holds degrees from Columbia University and New York University’s Institute of Fine Arts. She is a graduate of the Getty Leadership Institute in Los Angeles and was a fellow at the Guggenheim Museum. She is a trustee of both the Association of Art Museum Directors and the American Alliance of Museums. She is married to Anne-Imelda Radice, executive director of the American Folk Art Museum in New York City. (Photo credit: Lui Kit Wong)

Edward Yim (MGT ‘99), of Los Angeles, Calif., was appointed president of The American Composers Orchestra, responsible for all aspects of ACO’s operations, including a leadership role in fundraising and evaluating existing activities and designing new programs that achieve and advance the mission of the now forty-year-old institution which has been responsible for performances of music by over 800 American composers, including 350 world premieres and newly-commissioned works.

Thomas Frazier II (GRS ‘00, psychology, GRS ‘04, psychology) joined Autism Speaks as its chief science officer. Frazier comes to Autism Speaks from Cleveland Clinic Children's, where he directed its Center for Autism since 2013. Previously, he was the autism center’s research director.

Samantha Hoover (GRS ‘01, art history) was named deputy director for advancement, communications and administration for the Hudson River Museum in Yonkers, N.Y. Hoover previously was with the New York School of Interior Design, New York City.

Jennifer LaClair (MGT ‘01) has been appointed head of Business Banking at PNC. Based in Pittsburgh, LaClair is responsible for leading one of the largest domestic business banks. While earning her master in business administration at Case Western Reserve University, she was named the Class of 2001 Alumni Scholar and earned the Scott S. Cowen Outstanding Leadership Award. (Photo credit: PNC Bank)

Sherrie Miday (LAW ‘01) was elected judge for the Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court of Ohio.

Christopher Bedford (GRS ‘03, art history), Dorothy Wagner Wallis Director of the Baltimore Museum of Art, has been elected to the board of directors of the Greater Baltimore Cultural Alliance.

William M. Henry (CWR ‘04) was named a partner at the law firm of Thompson Hine LLP, where he is a member of the Cleveland-based corporate transactions & securities practice group. Henry was selected to the Super Lawyers 2017 Ohio Rising Stars list and received his juris doctorate with honors from The University of Texas School of Law in 2007. 

Robin Patrice Lowman (MED ‘04) of Atlanta, married Richard Andrew “Trey” White III, on December 3, 2016, at The Sanctuary at Kiawah Island Golf Resort on Kiawah Island, S.C. Lowman is an emergency medicine physician. (Photo credit: The Decisive Moment)

Gerhard (Gary) Anderson (LAW ‘05), Weston, Conn., was promoted to partner of the national law firm Seward & Kissel LLP. Anderson is a member of the firm’s business transactions group and works with public and private companies, private investment funds, investment management firms, financial institutions, business owners and managers in connection with a variety of business transactions, financings, and general corporate matters.

Greg Lewis (LAW ‘06) joined the partnership at the law firm of Price Heneveld LLP of Grand Rapids, Mich.

Eric Woychik (MGT ‘06), of Oakland, Calif., joined Willdan Group, Inc., a provider of professional technical and consulting services, as the firm’s in-house regulatory policy expert. Woychik has more than 40 years of regulatory policy expertise in the clean-energy and utilities arena, and has worked on behalf of a broad range of organizations including the California PUC and the New York PSC.

Christine (Fleming) Hendon (GRS ‘07, biomedical engineering, GRS ‘10, biomedical engineering), assistant professor of electrical engineering at Columbia University, won the Presidential Early Career Award, the highest honor the U.S. government gives to young scientists and engineers. Hendon, who develops innovative medical imaging instruments for use in surgery and breast cancer detection, was one of 102 researchers from across the nation named by President Obama. Hendon has earned numerous honors for her groundbreaking work: in 2015 she won a National Science Foundation Faculty Early Career Development award; in 2014 she received a National Institutes of Health New Innovator Award; in 2013 she was named to both MIT’s prestigious list of 35 Innovators Under 35; and the Forbes 30 Under 30 list of game changers in science and health care.

Conor A. McLaughlin (LAW ‘07) was named a partner at the law firm of Thompson Hine LLP, where he is a member of the Cleveland-based the product liability litigation practice group.

Nathan J. DeVries (LAW ‘09), who concentrates his practice in patent counseling, prosecution and portfolio management, was named a partner at the law firm of Warner Norcross & Judd LLP in Grand Rapids, Mich. DeVries graduated with his law degree from Case Western University magna cum laude where he was Order of the Coif.

Alisa (Davis) Murray (SAS ‘11), of Euclid, Ohio, published Unlikely Hitter, the fictional story of a woman seeking justice after her happy life is turned upside down by a crime. In addition to writing, Murray is currently at the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority teaching people with both mental and physical disabilities how to ride public transportation.

Pooja Hitendra Rambhia (CWR ‘13) received a 2017 research grant from the American Skin Association for her study Investigating the Functional Role of a Novel Germline XPC Mutation in a High Risk Melanoma Family.

Sergio A. Garcia (MGT ‘16) was named the new president of operations and university chief of staff at State University of New York’s Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, N.Y. Garcia previously served as vice president and administrative chief of staff at St. Lawrence Health System’s Canton-Potsdam Hospital of Potsdam, N.Y., senior adviser to the U.S. Embassy in Kabul and chief of staff and senior policy adviser to two assistant secretaries of state in the U.S. Department of State.

Felipe Gomez del Campo (CWR ‘16) was one of four innovators nationally selected to participate in a new two-year entrepreneurship program at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory in Lemont, Ill.

Kevin Laverty (CWR ‘16), of New Kensington, Pa., joined VisiMax Technologies, which serves companies in commercial and industrial markets who specialize in instrumentation, lighting design and manufacturing, display, and optical systems.

Olivia Ortega (CWR ’16) of Newark, Ohio, was selected as a member of the inaugural cohort of Cleveland Foundation Public Service Fellows. Ortega will work with Cleveland City Council on its new policy agenda, Civitism, and will work with the council president and committee chairs on the council's public health initiative, centered on addressing infant mortality and lead poisoning.

Addie Shock (NUR ‘16) joined the New Beginnings Pediatrics offices in Norwalk and Bellevue, Ohio, as a certified pediatric nurse practitioner. Shock is a member of the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Associates and Practitioners, Society of Pediatrics Nurses, and Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing.

Sara Smoter (LAW ‘16) joined the national trial and litigation law firm Kaufman & Company, LLC as an associate attorney in the firm’s Cleveland office. Smoter’s previous experience includes externships with the district judge for the U.S. District Court, Western District of Pennsylvania, the United States magistrate judge for the Northern District of Ohio and the Offices of the United States Attorneys for the Northern District of Ohio. While attending Case Western Reserve University School of Law, Smoter served as executive notes editor of Case Western Reserve Law Review.

Dayton Snyder (CWR ‘16) of West Lafayette, Ind., was awarded an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship, based on his academic and athletic achievements during his football career as a Spartan.

Judy E. Tingley (NUR ‘16) was appointed vice president and CEO of Erlanger Health System’s new Heart and Lung Institute in Chattanooga, Tenn.

Katrice Williams (SAS ‘16), policy assistant at the American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio, delivered the keynote address, Voting Rights in an Election Year, at the Wooster-Orrville NAACP’s annual Freedom Fund Dinner on the College of Wooster campus. Williams has worked in program development, parent and family engagement, and women’s rights and empowerment in several countries including China, Nigeria, South Africa, the United Kingdom, the United States and Zambia.

Published January 2017

Michael H. Diamant (CIT ‘68), a partner at the Cleveland offices of the Taft law firm, was named a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, an international center of excellence for the practice and profession of alternative dispute resolution. Diamant completed coursework and testing in international arbitration and international award writing to be awarded his fellowship. 

Bernadette Kerrigan (SAS ‘86) was named the executive director of First Year Cleveland, a City of Cleveland initiative aimed at combating infant mortality in the region.

Chip Bell (WRC ‘87) was named the managing director of the Cleveland office of Accenture, a global consulting firm. Photo credit: Accenture ‌

Col. John O’Brien (CWR ‘89), of the Pennsylvania Air National Guard, assumed command of the 111th Operations Group at Horsham Air Guard Station in Montgomery County, Pa. O’Brien is the highest-ranking officer for the unit’s remotely piloted aircraft mission, which employs the MQ-9 aircraft, an armed, multi-mission, medium-altitude, long-endurance aircraft used for intelligence collection and dynamic execution of targets. He formerly commanded the 111th’s Operations Support Squadron. 

Scott P. Bruder (GRS ‘90, biomedical sciences, MED ‘92) was appointed as an independent director and a member of the Compensation Committee of Bellerophon Therapeutics, Inc., a clinical-stage biotherapeutics company. Bruder has held a number of senior executive and scientific roles at Stryker Corporation, Becton, Dickinson and Company, Johnson & Johnson, Anika Therapeutics and Osiris Therapeutics. He is currently an adjunct professor of biomedical engineering at CWRU and recently served on an FDA advisory committee for cellular, tissue and gene therapies. He continues to serve on several academic advisory boards for biomedical engineering at leading universities.

Susan Chiancone (MGT ‘92) was appointed vice president, chief financial officer of Meister Media Worldwide. In her role, Chiancone has executive management responsibility for corporate finance, accounting and administration.

Jay R. Deshmukh (LAW ‘92) joined Arent Fox LLP as a partner in the firm’s New York office. Deshmukh joins the firm’s internationally recognized Intellectual Property practice and industry-leading Hatch-Waxman team, where he will focus on patent litigation and counseling, particularly for the generic pharmaceutical industry.

Murat Eskiyerli (GRS ‘92, electrical engineering & applied physics) relocated to the Netherlands after accepting a job from a U.S. company with offices in the Nijmegen area. Eskiyerli previously spent ten years in Turkey.

Todd M. Michney (CWR ‘93) of Atlanta, Ga., published Surrogate Suburbs: Black Upward Mobility and Neighborhood Change in Cleveland, 1900–1980 (UNC Press). The book looks at how middling African American families such as post office workers, truck drivers, and tradesmen negotiated racially discriminatory barriers in order to successfully buy land, secure mortgages and build homes in newer, outlying areas of Cleveland prior to 1930; and how after World War II, middle class black Clevelanders strove to extend these gains amid interracial tensions, land development disputes, class and status conflicts within the African American community, a declining local economy and worsening neighborhood living conditions. Photo credit: UNC Press‌

Amit Patel (MED ‘98) was named Chief of Cardiac Surgery at the University of Miami Health System. Patel is a leader in the development of new therapies for cardiac diseases and previously served as professor of surgery and director of Clinical Regenerative Medicine and Tissue Engineering at the University of Utah School of Medicine. Photo credit: University of Miami Health Systems ‌

William J. Doan (GRS ‘99, American studies), Penn State professor of theatre and former associate dean for research and graduate studies in the College of Arts and Architecture, was appointed director of the School of Theatre for a three-year term. A playwright, author and solo performer, his most recent play, Drifting, received a production at Dixon Place Theatre in New York City. Photo credit: Penn State‌

Ralph Holmes (MGT ‘00) was named president and general manager for Cigna’s commercial health care benefits plans in Arizona, adding to its Phoenix-based leadership team. Photo credit: Cigna‌

Andrean R. Horton (LAW ‘00) was appointed executive vice president and CLO of A. Schulman, Inc. Horton joined Schulman in 2010.

Matthew Previts (MGT ’02), account executive at Logicalis, was honored by Crain’s Cleveland Business’ Forty Under Forty for 2016. 

Mary McNamara (SAS ‘03) was sworn in as director of the Cleveland Department of Aging by Mayor Frank G. Jackson. McNamara is a licensed social worker and has been with the City’s Department of Aging since 2008. She is a board member for Abington Arms University Circle Housing and Amani Children’s Foundation as well as a committee member for the Western Reserve Area Agency on Aging.

Brent Pietrafese (LAW ’03, MGT ’03), partner at Calfee, Halter & Griswold LLP, was honored by Crain’s Cleveland Business’ Forty Under Forty for 2016. 

Tim Aten (CWR ‘04) of Vermilion, Ohio, appeared on TV’s long-running “Jeopardy!” game show in December 2016.  

Adrienne N. Cvetkovic (LAW ‘04) joined the law firm of Buckley King as an associate in its commercial litigation practice in Cleveland, Ohio.

Augusta Wilson (CWR ‘05) was named the new energy law & policy fellow at the Frank J. Guarini Center on Environmental, Energy and Land Use Law at New York University School of Law. Wilson joined the center from the Clean Air Council in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where she did litigation and policy work on a number of sustainable energy issues, including hydraulic fracturing and the Clean Power Plan. Wilson previously was a law clerk in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico and an associate at White & Case in New York. Augusta received her JD from Cornell Law School and is admitted to practice law in New York and Pennsylvania.

Valissa Turner Howard (LAW ’07), deputy inspector general for Cuyahoga County, was honored by Crain’s Cleveland Business’ Forty Under Forty for 2016. 

Ann Marie Adornato (DEN ‘08) purchased Dr. John Albert's Periodontic and Implant Dentistry practice in Liverpool, New York. Adornato is a member of the American Academy of Periodontology, and has completed step 1 for board certification in periodontics.  

Trevor Clatterbuck (CWR ‘08, CWR ‘08) has opened Ohio City Provisions in Cleveland, a store stocked entirely with food grown within Ohio's borders. In fact, some of the provisions are grown at Clatterbuck’s Wholesome Valley Farms in Wilmot, Ohio. Photo credit: Chuck Crow/The Cleveland Plain Dealer‌

David Ebersole (LAW ’08), assistant director of the Department of Economic Development for the City of Cleveland, honored by Crain’s Cleveland Business’ Forty Under Forty for 2016. 

Joseph Connolly (GRS ’09, systems control & engineering), an aerospace engineer at the NASA Glenn Research Center, honored by Crain’s Cleveland Business’ Forty Under Forty for 2016. 

Diane DeVivo (NUR ‘09, NUR ‘10), Director of Patient Care Services at Northwell Health, has been selected to join the Nursing Board at the American Health Council, where she will be sharing her knowledge and expertise in Leadership and Emergency Medicine. DeVivo's career as an emergency nurse has spanned over 25 years and her career in Critical Care Leadership and Operations for the past 13 years. DeVivo is affiliated with the Emergency Nurses Association (ENA), American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) and Society for Critical Care Medicine. She actively volunteers with her local community church. 

Katherine Krynak (GRS ‘15, biology), assistant professor of biology at Ohio Northern University, received a Fulbright Scholarship opportunity to study in Ecuador. Her study, Effects of Introduced Trout on Glassfrogs of Ecuador and the Relationship to Amphibian Disease Susceptibility, has the potential to make a positive impact on the region’s environment and people. She previously worked in Panama studying indigenous golden frogs and as a zookeeper in Cincinnati and Cleveland. She currently is working with the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo to study relationships between western lowland gorillas and heart disease and an upcoming project involving black rhinos and insulin resistance. Photo credit: Ohio Northern University‌

Suneil Kamath (MGT ‘16) was named to LinkedIn’s second annual Top Voices List. The list features 180 writers whose work stands out among the more than 160,000 stories published on LinkedIn every week. Writers are selected based on a diverse set of factors, including engagement and follower growth, and write on a wide variety of topics, including education, entrepreneurship and artificial intelligence.

 C.J. Krimbill (CWR ‘16) was selected to receive the NCAA Today's Top 10 Award, recognizing former student-athletes for their successes on the field, in the classroom and in the community.  The 10 recipients, selected from all three NCAA divisions, completed their athletics eligibility during the 2015-16 academic year and were recognized at the Honors Celebration during the NCAA Convention in Nashville, Tennessee.