“My nonprofit, Sanctuary Village, is working with the City of Philadelphia to build its first tiny house village as a solution for homelessness.”
— Cathy Freeman Farrell C’82
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Celebrate Your Reunion, May 13–16, 2022!
Penn Alumni is planning a combined reunion for those who missed theirs in 2020 and 2021, along with those celebrating reunions in 2022 (classes ending in 0, 1, 2, 5, 6, and 7). Visit www.alumni.upenn.edu/alumniweekend for more information.
1948
Stan Carnarius C’48 writes, “It seemed to me that after all this time (I am now 97), I should express some appreciation for what I gained at Penn. I started in the School of Education but then was drafted into World War II and went off to discover the importance of foreign languages. So when I got back to Penn, I more or less majored in German, with lots of French and some Spanish thrown in, plus one semester of Russian. My working career started as a book editor in a Lutheran publishing house that needed my German skills, then I worked for several years in attitude research, and finally settled into 20-plus years as an industrial trainer providing management training in French and German and even a little Portuguese. We had about 35 guys in our advanced French class when I was drafted, and when I got back to Penn, a number of them were back in that class, but we were all a lot more ‘sobered up,’ or something. A very special treat was the chance to sing in the choir under Eugene Ormandy’s direction of a performance of Beethoven’s Chorale Symphony.”
1960
David Callahan EE’60 writes, “My first feature film, Come On In—a psychological drama I wrote, directed, and independently coproduced—has, after a successful festival run, been picked up for distribution by Gravitas Ventures. Featuring a predominantly Black cast, centering on a Black protagonist, and coproduced by two Black-owned production companies, Come On In’s February release date was a deliberate choice. The film is very much inspired by the long history of Black independent filmmaking from Oscar Micheaux to Ava DuVernay and countless others who used their craft to present autonomous images of Black imagination to the world.” More information can be found at comeoninfilm.com.
W. Bruce Watson C’60 EE’61 writes, “I am working on yet another memoir, Observations, Recollections and Heap Ruins of Misremembrances: My Bipolar Life. Throughout my life, I’ve tried to impart, albeit ineptly, to any who cared to listen, an appreciation for what it was like to live the bipolar life, for me as well as for others. The best I can hope for is to leave you with an apt metaphor: it’s like having a love affair with a crazy person. Time after time, you find you can’t bear to live without them, yet when you’re together, they make you thoroughly miserable, and worst of all, they scare the hell out of you. You run to them; you run from them; you run. I have learned something about the relationship between writing and manic depression: if you’re going to be a writer, one intent on a serious contribution, you should be aware that madness is a prerequisite, for all the most writerly words hide in its shadow, lurk in a penumbra that separates oblivion from frenzy. And that’s where you must go to find them. You won’t come back. You won’t want to come back.”
1962
Fonda Berger Hartman MT’62 GEd’75 see Marla Rossman Milgram C’83.
Dr. John M. Macdonald M’62 has published Poetry Rooms. He writes, “Every dynamic family is sustained by values, intuitions, and faith, passed from generation to generation. Such gifts come in the form of biographies, letters, photo albums, and even dinner conversations. Historical representations of what was believed to be relevant, honest, and alluring. Poetry is a cultural heritage gift, providing the magic of metaphor to help you understand yourself. Poetry Rooms is a heritage gift to family and friends.”
Steve Stovall W’62 ASC’63 writes, “On December 30, the towns of Louisville and Superior, Colorado, north of Denver, were ravaged by a fire that destroyed over 1,000 homes. On January 23, a fundraiser 5k race was held in our neighboring town to help our neighbors. Between entry fees and generous donations, $70,000 was raised. I’m more proud of participating in the event than of finishing first in the over-80 age group.”
1964
Stuart Resor C’64 has published a memoir, Amazing People I Met Along the Way. As he writes in the book’s introduction, “I have been a registered architect since 1971 and have been the architect for well over a thousand projects large and small. … The core of this book springs from the many great stories starting in my earlier days and a need to document all that before the dust of time causes them to fade away.” He adds, “There is a chapter about meeting JFK with my freshman-year roommate Dr. Ronnie Feldman C’65 GM’7. It’s a cool story!” Stuart was profiled in our Mar|Apr 2001 issue for his work in transforming a failed solar-energy farm into a RV park and campground.
Dan Rottenberg C’64 has published his 12th book, The Education of a Journalist: My Seventy Years on the Frontiers of Free Speech. He writes, “This memoir covers my eclectic career as editor of seven groundbreaking publications, a champion of free speech, the successful defender of seven libel suits, a pioneer of the alternative media movement, and a creator of the ‘Forbes 400’ list of wealthiest Americans. The book includes a chapter on my years at Penn, citing lessons I learned from faculty mentors and as a member of the Daily Pennsylvanian and the varsity football team. For more information, visit redmountpress.com.”
1965
Dr. Ronnie Feldman C’65 GM’7 see Stuart Resor C’64.
David S. Traub GAr’65 has published a new book, Philadelphia: City of Homes. With full-color photographs and descriptions, Traub, an architect, shares his deep and intimate knowledge of the city’s streets and buildings.
1967
Howard S. Marks W’67 has funded a professorship at the Wharton School for faculty in the field of behavioral economics and behavioral investing. Judd B. Kessler has been named the inaugural Howard Marks Endowed Professor at Wharton.
1968
James Carnahan C’68 writes, “I’ve recently published a pair of travel memoirs, Midlife Vagabond: A Chronicle of Travel in Europe and Midlife Vagabond 2: On the Road with Friends. Armchair travelers and travel planners will enjoy these intimate, colorfully illustrated reflections on the mundane and sublime ins and outs of travel abroad, solo (1984) and with companions (1986 and 1987). The first two of four planned volumes, the books are a visual treat, richly supplementing journal text with hundreds of my photographs (and a few drawings, too) from extended backpack and rail pass sojourns in Europe. Available on Amazon, or order from me directly at vagabond175@gmail.com.”
Ken Roemer G’68 Gr’71 won the 2021 Book Manuscript Award contest at the Mayborn Literary Nonfiction Conference for his book Allies to Indian Country: One Family, One Century. He writes, “Allies covers three generations of evolving ally relationships with reservation and urban Native communities, relationships involving problems as serious as jurisdiction injustices and delayed compensation for lost land, and as quirky as run-ins with TV charity payola shows. The FBI and Ronald Reagan, tied to a stake, make cameo appearances. (The stake was a Death Valley Days prop.)”
1969
David Barudin W’69 has published a new collection of short stories. He writes, “People Around the Corner and Other Strangers is 12 stories that remind us to be curious about the strangers we encounter by chance and miracle who shape our lives. There’s no end to life lessons and to teachers. This story collection is a nod to them, with a twist. That we, alone, are center stage is an illusion. Rather, we are each players in an ever-changing ensemble of leading actors. These stories join my novel Alternate Routes: Coming of Age in America’s Largest Generation. In other related news, I was interviewed for the current season of PBS’s Write Around the Corner, my fiction was a 2020 finalist for Virginia’s top writing award, and I’m currently working on a second novel.”
1970
Dr. Arnold R. Eiser C’70, an adjunct senior fellow of Penn’s Leonard Davis Institute, an adjunct fellow of Penn’s Center for Public Health Initiatives, and a professor emeritus of medicine at Drexel, has published Preserving Brain Health in a Toxic Age: New Insights from Neuroscience, Integrative Medicine, and Public Health (Rowman & Littlefield, 2021).
1972
Rob Elias C’72 has published two new books, Major League Rebels: Baseball Battles Over Worker’s Rights and American Empire (Rowman & Littlefield) and Baseball Rebels: The Players, People and Social Movements That Shook Up the Game and Changed America (University of Nebraska Press). He writes, “Player/owner conflicts in Major League Baseball have been in the news, and these books trace the history of baseball rebels both inside and outside the game.”
Georges A. Fauriol G’72 Gr’81 writes, “I retired in early 2020 from the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), where I was for a decade vice president of grant operations and evaluation, and I had spent the previous decade as vice president of strategic planning and senior vice president at one of NED’s implementing institutes, the International Republican Institute. It’s been an active retirement, as I still teach in Georgetown University’s Democracy and Governance graduate program, but have also returned to some of the interests from my days as a grad student at Penn—Caribbean studies, and particularly doing a fair amount of writing on Haiti. I remain a senior associate with the Center for Strategic and International Studies, which I originally joined in the late 1970s while writing my dissertation, and have also become a fellow at Global Americans, as well as codirector of the Caribbean Policy Consortium, and a Think Tank Haiti Steering Group member, a partnership of Université Quisqueya in Haiti and the Inter-American Dialogue in Washington. I’m interested in hearing from alumni with an interest in Haiti/Caribbean policy issues, so please email me at sailgf49@gmail.com.”
Hon. Gary E. Jackson W’72 was inaugurated as a judge in the Municipal Court of Atlanta on January 3. Gary writes, “I was elected by the citizens of Atlanta to my seventh term as a judge in the busiest court in Georgia, whose jurisdiction includes traffic, criminal misdemeanor, and city ordinances such as quality of life cases (e.g., disorderly conduct, drug, and panhandling). I recently served as president of the Council of Municipal Court Judges of Georgia and am looking forward to my 50th Reunion later this year.”
Dr. Joseph A. Spinella C’72 see Meg Spinella CW’73.
1973
Arthur Bass W’73 writes, “I have been living in Greenwich, Connecticut, for the past 30 years and am still working, now as managing director in charge of the institutional fixed income activities for Wedbush Securities. I have been involved in the fixed income and derivatives markets since graduation, and have worked in New York, Chicago, and London. I have been married to my wife, Jeanne, for 34 years and we have a 19-year-old daughter. I have been on the board of directors of the Wharton Club of New York for a number of years and have been the chairman of the Awards Committee for the annual Joseph Wharton Awards Dinner in New York the past 16 years. I am a member of our class’s 50th Reunion Organizing Committee and look forward to seeing my classmates at the reunion next year, May 13–14, 2023. It could be a great coming-out party from the COVID limitations. If you want to participate, please get in touch at reunion@ben.dev.upenn.edu.”
Gülbün C. O’Connor Gr’73, an anthropologist, has published Moro and the Weather Coast: A Revitalization Movement in the Solomon Islands. The Moro Movement, which began in 1957 along the southeastern coast of Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands, promotes a traditional way of life instead of embracing modernization. From 1965 to 1966, Gülbün observed the Moro adherents’ efforts to revitalize their lives and create an economy based on money.
Meg Spinella CW’73, a hospice chaplain and a grief and trauma counselor, has published a new novel, You Were My Mother. She writes, “The novel describes an arc of healing and hope as a family navigates multigenerational trauma. It was inspired by my hospice work with people with unspoken and unhealed trauma. You can find more resources for grief and trauma recovery on my website, www.noahsarknow.com. My husband Dr. Joseph A. Spinella C’72 and I spilt our time between Sarasota, Florida, and Tolland, Massachusetts. We spend part of every year in Marina di Ragusa, Sicily, in Italy.”
1976
Avrom Jacobs SW’76 WMP’81 writes, “Truly delighted to report the February birth of a baby boy, Yedidya, to my daughter, Kayla Jacobs, and her husband, Chaim Kutnicki, in Israel. He joins his brothers, Elior and Amitai, and his cousins, Liev Max and Rafi, children of Gilad Jacobs and Dr. Jamie Jacobs of Newton, Massachusetts. Retired from NormaTec, the medical/sports device firm cofounded with my late wife, Dr. Laura Furst Jacobs ChE’77 EE’77 GEng’78 Gr’82, I’ve been spending winters in Arizona and the rest of the year in Boston, hoping to resume extensive travel and charitable endeavors as COVID permits. The one downside to retirement, however, is that there are no days off!”
Joel A. Millman C’76 writes, “I managed to reach my 65th birthday in 2021, forcing my mandatory retirement from the media and communications division of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the United Nations’ chief migration agency. Retirement, however, does not mean I’ve stopped working for the IOM, which is based in Geneva, Switzerland. In my first full year without a full-time job, I’ve barely had a day off, completing assignments for IOM missions in Kenya, Costa Rica, and Guatemala, even if retirement meant giving up my cozy loft overlooking Geneva’s lively Plainpalais district. I left Europe last fall to return to West Philadelphia to begin work as a migration consultant to a number of collaborators in community development, academia, and the business community. As part of my efforts, I’ve relied on my background as a journalist (Wall Street Journal, 1996–2014) and IOM spokesman/investigator to launch a mapping project of Philadelphia’s growing African immigrant community, focusing on home ownership within the city limits by Ethiopians, Nigerians, Senegalese, Liberians, and many others. Most of those neighbors are within walking distance of Penn’s campus. When I started, I was confident I would reach 1,000 properties owned by immigrants or their children. But I’m up to over 10,000 entries now, and the number is still increasing. Immigration revival has been a boon across the city and migrants’ drive to start businesses and own their own homes benefits all their neighbors, including those nearby and many more, all the way back to Africa.”
1977
Paul Brown W’77 writes, “I was fortunate to get together recently with two fraternity brothers from ‘The Castle’ to swap stories and lies from our Penn days back in the ’70s. For a number of years, I was part of the Penn interview program in Toronto and met some of the remarkable people who were looking to attend Penn. Since graduating in 1977, I attended law school back home in Canada and then became involved in a myriad of activities but was always involved in Canadian politics. Our national newspaper the Globe & Mail published an op-ed I wrote on February 6, titled ‘As a Conservative, It Pains Me That We Aren’t Learning from Our Mistakes.’ It seems to have kicked off a discussion in Canada, particularly amongst conservatives. While its focus is Canadian, some elements of my lament reflect what’s going on in the States. You can read it at tinyurl.com/PaulBrownOpEd. Keep well and safe.”
Sean P. Colgan C’77 writes, “I, along with my wife Dr. Bibi Colgan, have been the primary sponsors to the New Zealand men’s and women’s rowing eight teams for the past six years. In addition, I also functioned as mentor, guidance coach, and an occasional supplier of venison, wild lamb, and Bibi’s home-produced honey from our farm. The men in the Tokyo Olympics last summer won the gold medal for the first time in 49 years and the women won a silver—the Kiwi women’s first-ever Olympic medal in the women’s eight. New Zealand, with just over 5 million people, was the top rowing nation at the Tokyo Olympics. I was well placed to assist as a member of the 1980 USA Olympic eight team, as well as a member of the US Rowing Hall of Fame and Penn Athletics Hall of Fame. We originally moved to New Zealand to be sheep and beef farmers but realized we had so much else to offer. In addition, last year I started a PCR saliva-based COVID-19 test company, Rako Science, which is now in 16 locations throughout New Zealand with 135 employees. Rako is the largest private test supplier to the public, including all the private hospitals and numerous film productions, including Lord of the Rings.”
Marshal S. Granor C’77, an attorney specializing in real estate law at Granor & Granor in Horsham, Pennsylvania, presented on the topic of nuisances in community associations at the 2022 National Community Association Law Seminar. Marshal is a fellow in the College of Community Association Lawyers and frequently teaches real estate and community association law courses for the Pennsylvania Bar Institute, the Bucks County Real Estate Institute, Community Associations Institute, and national continuing education providers. Marshal’s article on short-term rentals across the US appeared in the Fall 2020 issue of Real Estate Law Journal. He is married to Tamar Ezekiel Granor C’78 GEE’81 Gr’86.
1978
Don English C’78 see Ann Knapp English C’80.
Tamar Ezekiel Granor C’78 GEE’81 Gr’86 see Marshal S. Granor C’77.
David L. Rosenberg W’78 writes, “After many years at another major Wall Street firm, we moved our practice to the Beverly Hills, California, office of Morgan Stanley. The Rosenberg Group at Morgan Stanley focuses on providing solutions to the following question from individuals and families: What do you want your wealth to do for you?”
Anne Strauss-Wieder C’78 G’78, director of freight planning for the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority, is the 2022 recipient of the Thomas B. Deen Distinguished Lectureship, presented by the Transportation Research Board (TRB). She presented her lecture “Evolving with Rapidly Shifting Supply Chains and Freight Systems: The Past, the Present, and the Emerging Future,” on January 10, as part of TRB’s 2022 Annual Meeting.
1979
Dave Lieber C’79 has written a biography of two-time presidential candidate Ross Perot, titled Searching for Perot: My Journey to Discover Texas’ Top Family. From the book’s description: “He created the computer services industry, organized a raid to rescue employees from prison in Iran, and helped so many veterans he was nicknamed ‘godfather of Vietnam vets.’ … Running for president (twice) is only a small part of the story behind this complicated Texas genius and his philanthropic family.”
Dr. Mark Lopatin C’79 has written his first book, Rheum for Improvement: The Evolution of a Healthcare Advocate. He writes, “The book is a physician’s account of how corporate medicine has transformed healthcare from a human interaction between a patient and their physician into a business transaction between a consumer and a provider. It describes how bureaucracy interferes with physicians’ ability to properly care for patients, and how the patient-physician relationship has been sacrificed by those who seek to control the healthcare dollar. It is also my personal story of how frivolous legal action triggered me to become an outspoken advocate for healthcare reform. It should be of interest to anyone who interacts with our healthcare system, but especially physicians who deal with these bureaucratic obstacles on a daily basis. It is available on Amazon.”
1980
Ann Knapp English C’80 writes, “I’ve published an alphabet book about water and life, A Is for Aquifer. The book is written in rhymes (sample: “A is for aquifer, where groundwater runs deep. Hydraulically connected formations intersect the Earth’s surface in seeps”). A glossary at the back is included for those parents who never took geology or aquatic biology. I live in Rockville, Maryland, with my husband Don English C’78 and our dog, Murphy. More information about the book can be found on my website, annenglishauthor.com.”
1982
John N. Davis WG’82 has been named the Lee and Lunelle Nix Hemphill Endowed Chair in Business at Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene, Texas. He writes, “I’ve been at Hardin-Simmons since 2008 and will likely retire from here—eventually. I still enjoy the work.”
Cathy Freeman Farrell C’82 writes, “My nonprofit, Sanctuary Village, is working with the City of Philadelphia to build its first tiny house village as a solution for homelessness. Plans are underway for the village, which will be in the Holmesburg section of the city. Sanctuary Village was awarded the contract for this pilot tiny house village in response to a request for proposal issued by the city at the end of 2020. Fundraising is ongoing for the construction-related tasks for the village, which is using Seattle’s tiny house villages as its model. For details, you can visit www.tinyhousecommunity.org.”
Dr. Steven E. Rubin GM’82 writes, “After completing residency in ophthalmology at the Scheie Eye Institute in 1982, I returned to Scheie for a junior faculty position for one year before moving back to Long Island, New York. There I practiced pediatric ophthalmology for 35 years before semi-retiring into a position with Northwell Health as a physician advisor, appealing denied claims for inpatient admissions. I am the past vice chair and residency program director of ophthalmology at Northwell Health, as well as a past president of the American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus.”
1983
Marla Rossman Milgram C’83 writes, “I’m thrilled to share that my daughter, Caroline Milgram, has become a fourth-generation Penn Quaker—joining the School of Arts and Sciences Class of 2024, and following in my footsteps, as well as those of her grandmother Fonda Berger Hartman MT’62 GEd’75 and her great-grandfather Samuel D. Berger WEv’34. I work as executive vice president and general counsel of Nexxt Incorporated, a recruitment advertising and human resources technology company. I’d love to hear from long lost friends at mmilgram@nexxt.com.”
1984
Harlan Sands W’84, president of Cleveland State University (CSU), has been named one of the Newsmakers of the Year for 2021 by Crain’s Cleveland Business. According to the press materials, “Sands earned this recognition due to CSU’s notable accomplishments, including sponsoring Ohio’s largest mass vaccination site, which administered over 365,000 vaccines during the beginning of the pandemic [and] partnering with the Cleveland Clinic, Case Western Reserve University, and others to develop a new Cleveland Innovation District,” among other achievements.
1985
Adam Balogh C’85 writes, “I continue to enjoy my encore career as a rowing coach at Noble and Greenough School in Dedham, Massachusetts, and as a high-performance program coach at Cambridge Boat Club. The year 2021 was very special in many ways as we navigated the return from COVID to the water and racing. Highlights of the year include Nobles winning the USRowing Mens 4+ Youth National Championship and Cambridge Boat Club alum Dara Alizadeh C’15 representing Bermuda in the men’s single sculls at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic games, placing 18th overall and serving as his country’s flagbearer during the opening ceremony.”
1986
John Fiorillo W’86, a partner at the law firm Unruh Turner Burke & Frees, has been elected the 2022 President of the Chester County Bar Foundation.
Dr. Paul Milan Foster Jr. C’86 has been awarded an honorary doctorate from South East European University in Tetovo, North Macedonia. Paul was a key player in founding the university with US and European partners, and he formerly served as founding provost and vice president of academic affairs. In his keynote address, Paul said, “South East European University was founded in the dark days following 9/11, as [the] US and her European partners united in action behind the belief that education is the ultimate barricade between a continuum of learning, tolerance, and enlightenment, and the darkness of ethnic, religious, and ideological conflict.” Paul is currently president of United Properties and executive director of international studies at Montana State University Billings. He also is chair of Study Montana, a consortium of all Montana colleges and universities with interests in international education.
1987
David L. Richter EAS’87 W’87 L’92 has been named chief operating officer of infrastructure project management at Bureau Veritas Group, based in Paris. He writes, “Bureau Veritas is a world leader in laboratory testing, inspection, certification, and other consulting services, and I work out of the company’s New York City office.” David has also been elected to the board of directors of Pernix Group, a Chicago-based international construction contractor. He adds, “In my spare time, I’m pursuing a doctorate in civil engineering at Columbia University.”
1988
Kristina Kohl WG’88 has written her second book, Driving Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion. She writes, “Despite a growing focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion, the imbalance of power remains and manifests itself across organizations. To move the needle, leaders can turn to this book, which explains redesigning organizational processes and systems as well as leveraging tools for data-driven decision-making. It presents a framework to build an inclusive organization and a model to engage and support senior and middle management to begin capacity building and systemic change. By layering in AI and other technologies to support data-based decisions, the book shows managers how to move forward in creating just and equitable organizations.”
1989
Lisa Niver C’89 writes, “I’ve been sharing ways to help Ukraine on my website, www.wesaidgotravel.com, such as ‘You Can Help Keep Ukraine’s Media Going’ (tinyurl.com/ukrainemedia) and ‘You Can Help Rescue the Refugees at the Ukrainian Border’ (tinyurl.com/ukrainerefugee). During the ongoing COVID Coaster, I have been working on my memoir about 50 crazy challenges I did before turning 50! I was a two-time finalist for the 2021 National Arts and Entertainment Journalism Awards and recently was published in HuffPost (‘My Octopus Teacher Was Mesmerizing but There’s 1 Thing that Deeply Troubled Me,’ tinyurl.com/huffpostoctopus). My other COVID project was to join TikTok—find me @LisaNiver—and my YouTube channel is now over 1.5 million views (youtube.com/WeSaidGoTravel). Thanks to everyone who watches, comments, and shares! I hope my next update is about a book contract for my memoir!”
Laura Von Rosk GFA’89 has been selected by the Sam & Adele Golden Foundation for the Arts to participate in a spring 2022 residency at their facility in New Berlin, New York. Her recent exhibitions include a group show at the Painting Center in Chelsea, The Indivisible Spectrum, curated by JoAnne McFarland, Perri Neri, and Kristin Osterberg; and the Project V online exhibition We Are Still in Eden, curated by KellyAnn Monaghan.
Dan Will C’89 has been nominated by New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu, and confirmed by the New Hampshire Executive Council, to serve as an associate justice on the New Hampshire Superior Court. Dan had been serving as New Hampshire’s first solicitor general immediately prior to the governor’s nomination.
1990
Dr. Raymond Chung C’90 writes, “My first children’s picture book, Off to the Races with Mukha the Dingo, has been published by Belle Isle Books, an imprint of Brandylane Publishers. It is a fictional account of my real-life American Dingo accidentally winding up at the steeplechase races and the subsequent zany adventures that follow as she tries to reunite with her humans. Behind the story are lessons of resilience and goal setting, as well as asking others for help and helping others along the way. I spend my working hours as an orthopedic hand surgeon and have also been tinkering with product design (I have several surgical retractors available through Innomed). In addition, I’m searching for a corporate partner to develop a novel process for manufacturing armchairs. I reside in the Piedmont region of Virginia and enjoy life in the country with my wife Barbie, three rescue dogs (sadly Mukha died unexpectedly in December 2020), and a cat. Maintaining the property also takes up a good portion of my time. During my years in Philly, I never would have imagined that operating a tractor and a chainsaw would be facets of my current life. Lastly, I have also recently become active with our local Porsche Club of America chapter.”
Amy Karofsky C’90, a philosophy professor at Hofstra University, writes, “My philosophical monograph, A Case for Necessitarianism, was recently published by Routledge. The book provides a case for and explanation of necessitarianism—the view that absolutely nothing about the world could have been otherwise in any way whatsoever. As the first defense of necessitarianism in over 300 years, it provides the only contemporary account and support of the necessitarian position and its merits. The arguments aim towards a more realistic and scientific explanation of the universe and everything in it and have implications for many different philosophical issues and positions. I am also the primary coauthor of Philosophy Through Film, fourth edition (Routledge, 2021), a textbook for introductory-level philosophy classes that uses recent, popular movies to explore philosophical problems and issues.”
1992
Jennifer Higdon G’92 Gr’94, a Pulitzer Prize and three-time Grammy award–winning composer, has been elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters. Jennifer has been spotlighted in these pages on multiple occasions for her orchestral compositions.
Daniel A. Schwartz C’92, a partner at Shipman & Goodwin LLP, has been elected to the American Bar Association Board of Governors, serving District 18, which encompasses Washington, Indiana, and Connecticut.
1993
Lisa Nass Grabelle C’93 L’96 and Kiera Reilly C’93 write, “We’re looking forward to seeing classmates back on campus next year, May 12–14, 2023, for our 30th Reunion. We celebrated Hey Day in April via Zoom and already hosted several reunion committee meetings. Email us at upenn1993@gmail.com to be added to our reunion planning email list, and be sure to join our Facebook group, Penn Class of 1993. Get ready to ‘Talk Thirty to Me’ in May 2023!”
Meesh Joslyn Pierce W’93 WG’98 writes, “I’m excited to announce the 25th episode of my leadership podcast, MENTOR dna (mentordna.io)! I speak to C-suite executives and leaders across industries and am delighted to have been able to showcase the incredible leadership and work of so many Penn classmates! Guests include Steve Scalia C’94, Liz Leung WG’95, Whitney Gomez WG’98, Casey Courneen W’92, Jason Hodell WG’98, Dan Smith W’86, Matt Laessig G’98 WG’98, Dan Beldy WG’98, Jeff Stotland WG’98, and Kayvon Asemani W’18. Tune in if you’re interested in hearing stories from these incredible leaders about their career journeys, how they handle challenges, the craziest things they’ve seen in meetings, and advice to their 30-year-old selves! I live in Newport Beach, California, with my husband Graham and two sons. When I’m not in the studio or sitting at a baseball practice, I can be found advising companies and serving on a variety of boards in my community.”
1995
Russ Fliegler C’95 see Caryn Meyers Fliegler C’97.
1996
Dave Kerstein C’96 L’99 has been promoted to managing director and senior investment officer at Validity Finance, a litigation finance company. Dave welcomes alumni contact at dave@validityfinance.com.
Deb Pontoriero GNu’96 is a dermatology nurse practitioner at Connolly Dermatology in New Jersey.
Jeremy S. Rosof C’96 L’99, an attorney at Shaub Ahmuty Citrin & Spratt LLP, has been promoted to partner. He works out of the firm’s Long Island, New York, office. Jeremy was previously counsel at the international law firm of Dewey & LeBoeuf LLP.
1997
Caryn Meyers Fliegler C’97 writes, “I started a new role as grants officer at T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights. I was also recently elected clerk of Northfield Township. I live in suburban Chicago with my Penn alum husband Russ Fliegler C’95 and our two children, and I welcome your outreach at caryn.fliegler@gmail.com.”
Sam Liu C’97 writes, “I was promoted to partner at Mercer, a global consultancy specializing in human capital solutions. However, my proudest new title is ‘Dad’ as my wife Vivienne and I welcomed our first child, Isabella Xia Liu, on January 24. We’re looking forward to bringing her to campus as a future prospective Quaker.”
1998
Rachel Ehrlich Albanese C’98 L’01 writes, “I am honored to have been named chair of the US Restructuring Practice at the global law firm of DLA Piper LLP (US) and selected as one of Crain’s New York Business 2022 Notable Women in Law. The Crain’s honor is even more special because I share it with classmates Randi Mason C’98, partner and cochair of the Corporate Department at Morrison Cohen LLP, and Lisa Bebchick C’98, partner in the Litigation and Enforcement Practice Group at Ropes & Gray LLP.”
Sarah Federman C’98 has coauthored a chapter in a new book titled Untapped Power: Leveraging Diversity and Inclusion for Conflict and Development. According to the press release, “Her chapter addresses the need to include women and civil society representatives, among other diverse groups, in peace mediation and negotiation processes in order to achieve a more lasting and sustainable peace.”
Jeff Gingerich G’98 Gr’03 has been named president of St. Bonaventure University. Jeff currently serves as provost and senior vice president of academic affairs at the University of Scranton, and he will take up his new position on June 20.
1999
Caryn Beth Lazaroff Gold W’99 writes, “My husband Benjamin Gold and I are grateful to announce the birth of our daughter, Bella Anita Gold, who entered the world five and a half weeks early on October 21! Three-year-old big brother Shane Bernard is enjoying his new role.”
2000
David Freedlander C’00, a New York-based journalist, has written a new book, The AOC Generation: How Millennials Are Seizing Power and Rewriting the Rules of American Politics. David’s writing has appeared in New York Magazine, Bloomberg, Rolling Stone, and other publications; and he is an adjunct professor at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, where he teaches politics and political theory.
Eric Yecies C’00 G’01 recently celebrated his one-year anniversary as general counsel and chief compliance officer of LifeMD, a direct-to-patient telehealth company.
2002
Nathaniel Bach C’02 has joined Manatt, Phelps & Phillips LLP in Los Angeles as partner in the firm’s Entertainment Litigation Group.
Lindsay Ann Brown C’02 has been promoted to partner at Duane Morris LLP. She is part of the law firm’s trial practice group and specializes in environmental and commercial disputes.
Brigid Harrington C’02, a civil rights expert, has been hired as of counsel at Bowditch & Dewey. She works in the law firm’s employment and labor practice. Previously, she was the director of civil rights at the University of Massachusetts Boston.
2004
Kimberly N. Dobson C’04, an attorney at the employment and labor law firm Littler, has been elevated to shareholder. She works out of the company’s Long Island, New York, office.
Kate Lehman Trumbull C’04 was promoted to senior vice president of brand and product innovation at Domino’s Pizza. In her new role, she will oversee advertising, media, product innovation, and national sales.
2005
Jorge G. Moreno Soto G’05 Gr’10, an assistant professor of physics and astronomy at Pomona College, is lead author of a new paper in Nature Astronomy, “Galaxies Lacking Dark Matter Produced by Close Encounters in a Cosmological Simulation” (tinyurl.com/morenosoto). The paper reports “how, when tiny galaxies collide with bigger ones, the bigger galaxies can strip the smaller galaxies of their dark matter,” according to February 14 coverage from the University of California, Irvine. The UCI article continues, “Moreno, who has indigenous roots, received permission from Cherokee leaders to name the seven dark matter-free galaxies found in their simulations in honor of the seven Cherokee clans: Bird, Blue, Deer, Long Hair, Paint, Wild Potato and Wolf. ‘I feel a personal connection to these galaxies,’ said Moreno, who added that, just as the more massive galaxies robbed the smaller galaxies of their dark matter, ‘many people of indigenous ancestry were stripped of our culture. But our core remains, and we are still thriving.’”
2006
Natasha Charles CGS’06 GEd’09 WEv’09 WEv’10 GEd’14 writes, “I am the founder, CEO, and chief intuitive strategist of Intuitive Coaching with Natasha Charles, now celebrating its fourth year! Segueing from a career of over 20 years in the nonprofit and higher education space, I’m now a full-life coach and a new member of the Forbes Coaches Council, where you can find my articles (tinyurl.com/natashaforbes). I also cohost the monthly Wharton Alumni Club of Philadelphia networking breakfasts. Last summer, I pitched an idea to utilize technology to smart match founders and investors, prioritizing women and BIPOC founders and investors for a global entrepreneurship competition where I placed as a finalist. I’m motivated by women and BIPOC founders who have been consistently underfunded and underestimated. We have substantiated proof that advancing women advances society. I’m also motivated by my amazing, intelligent, creative, 2e (twice exceptional) daughter Natalie—a highly conscientious young woman, voracious reader, creator, and future pediatric orthopedic surgeon who loves tennis, assembling robotic and electronic devices, creating digital art, Korean teledramas, anime, manga, web comics, and engineering. I pour my divergent learning style and the immense love in my heart into my coaching work. I’m also single.”
Tammy Ching-Ching Wu GAr’06 has joined The Lighting Practice as a senior lighting designer. Tammy is a LEED Accredited Professional who has designed interior and exterior lighting solutions for academic, corporate, exhibit and museum, performing arts venues, and private residences.
2008
Marc Garfinkle W’08 see Amanda J. Garfinkle C’09.
Abby Kolker C’08 writes, “Roi Godelman and I are thrilled to announce the birth of our daughter, Naya Kolker Godelman, on November 6. The three of us and our yellow lab Bana live in Washington, DC. I’m an immigration policy analyst at the Library of Congress and Roi is a software engineer at Capital One.”
2009
Amanda J. Garfinkle C’09 writes, “My husband Marc Garfinkle W’08 and I were overjoyed to welcome our third child, a daughter named Gracyn Margot, into the world on October 29. In typical third-child fashion, we just got around to updating everyone!”
2010
Andrew Swartzell GAr’10 has been promoted to senior associate at the architecture firm Pickard Chilton.
2011
Leeza Garber L’11, an attorney specializing in cybersecurity, has coauthored a new book with retired FBI agent Scott Olsen, Can. Trust. Will.: Hiring for the Human Element in the New Age of Cybersecurity. Leeza is a lecturer at the Wharton School and an adjunct professor of law at Drexel.
2015
Dara Alizadeh C’15 see Adam Balogh C’85.
Sean Massa C’15 has been awarded a 2022 Charles B. Rangel International Affairs Fellowship, funded by the US Department of State and administered by Howard University. As part of the Rangel Program, Sean will intern with a member of Congress on issues related to foreign affairs this summer. Next summer, the US Department of State will send him overseas to intern in a US Embassy or Consulate. Upon successful completion of the program, he will become a US diplomat in the summer of 2024.
John A. McCabe LPS’15 shares that his book, Tracks Through Our Lives: Stories Told on Philly El Trains, was reviewed in the Bucks County Courier Times on October 3, 2019. Dick Sakulich called it “a delightful read and highly recommended.”
2016
Dr. Lucy De La Cruz GM’16 has been named chief of the breast surgery program at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital and director of the hospital’s Betty Lou Ourisman Breast Health Center. Lucy is a former assistant professor of clinical surgery at Penn’s Perelman School of Medicine.
John Lillegard C’16 has been awarded a 2022 Charles B. Rangel International Affairs Fellowship, funded by the US Department of State and administered by Howard University. As part of the Rangel Program, John will intern with a member of Congress on issues related to foreign affairs this summer. Next summer, the US Department of State will send him overseas to intern in a US Embassy or Consulate. Upon successful completion of the program, he will become a US diplomat in the summer of 2024.
2018
Mitchell Chan C’18 has been selected as the next senior articles editor of the Rutgers University Law Review, which will produce its 75th volume next year.
2019
Anny Zhuo Nu’19 GNu’23 and Jonathan Chen C’19 write, “We are getting married on June 23! We met on the very first night of New Student Orientation in 2015 and became engaged after graduation in 2019. After delays from being a pandemic nurse and a medical student, we are finally tying the knot in 2022.”