March|April 2015
“If you look at the date when I received a favorable vote in the Senate, you’ll know why my favorite animal now is a lame duck.” —Robert Adler C’66
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Dr. Norma Podoszek Barretta FA’49 received a lifetime-achievement award from the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis last year for her contributions to the field of hypnosis and hypnosis education.
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Gordon Cavanaugh L’53 last year received the Michael S. Scher Award for Outstanding Service and Commitment to Affordable Housing and Community Development Law from the ABA Forum on Affordable Housing and Development. He was “a primary force initiating the HOPE VI and MTW programs which improved housing options for very low-income families and seniors.”
Jerome Richard C’53, www.jeromerichard1.com , was a winner, for his book The Architect, in Seattle Public Library’s contest last year for self-published novels by Seattle authors.
Alan Miles Ruben C’53 G’56 L’56 is an emeritus professor at the Cleveland-Marshall College of Law and an advisory professor of law at Fu Dan University in Shanghai. He was appointed by the International Court of Arbitration to an arbitration tribunal for a dispute between a Bolivian and an American corporation. He lectured last fall on “The Past Practice Puzzle” at San Francisco and Cleveland programs presented by the Labor Arbitration Institute.
Fred B. Walters C’53 writes, “I was inducted [last November] into the Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia Hall of Fame. [The citation notes], ‘legendary executive editor at KYW Newsradio and former press secretary for the Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs.’”
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Dr. Jay H. Baker W’56, the retired president and director of Kohl’s Corporation, in January received the Dean’s Medal, the Wharton School’s highest honor. In 2002, he and his wife endowed what is now the Jay H. Baker Retailing Center, of which he is chair; he is a past member of Wharton’s Board of Overseers and its Undergraduate Executive Board.
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Dr. Maurice J. Lewis C’57 writes, “I [retired] in December from my internal-medicine practice of 47 years with gratitude to far too many to list here. My earliest memory of Penn is singing ‘The Red and Blue’ at Franklin Field with my father. My parents were quite proud of me, as I am proud of my college: science, literature, music, crew, and fencing all entranced me. The Ivy bedrock, the foundation for my joy of learning and teaching, a career and life well spent. To College Hall and everything for which it stands, ‘Here’s A Toast to Dear Old Penn.’”
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Daniel Kristol C’58 L’61 wrote in December that he received “the Daniel L. Herrmann Professional Conduct Award [from] the Delaware State Bar Association [for] a member of the Delaware Bar who, over the course of time, has demonstrated those qualities of courtesy and civility which, together with high ability and distinguished service, exemplifies the Delaware lawyer.”
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Sanford Jacobs W’59, a retired senior writer with The Wall Street Journal, writes, “I completed The Little Black Book of Political Wisdom in time for Skyhorse Publishing to give it a fitting publication date: Nov. 4, 2014, Election Day. To gather the 600-plus quotations for the book required a research trip through centuries of political history, a pleasurable refresher course for this Wharton Political Science major and lifelong political junky. I remember that I was a reluctant Wharton student until I found my major and secured a feature-writing position on The Daily Pennsylvanian. Both, I am glad to report, equipped me well for a rewarding life as a journalist and writer. My wife, Hortense, and I live in Fearrington Village, near Chapel Hill, N.C.”
CELEBRATE YOUR REUNION: May 15-18, 2015
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Roger Colley W’60 announces the release of the second novel in his trilogy (truthfulmyths.com). “In Three Days is a story of a 9/11 attack on America with a modified Ebola virus that can spread airborne … an action/thriller, but more importantly, a message the nation has to step up its efforts to approve a vaccine and an anti-viral against this and other deadly pathogens.”
Stephen J. Harmelin C’60, Philadelphia, is vice chair of the executive committee and a partner of the law firm of Dilworth Paxson. Last year, he was appointed to a second term on the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts.
Albert M. Tantala C’60 CE’61, Newtown, Pa., retired as chair of the Third Federal Bank upon its merger with National Penn Bank in October. He is still active with his family’s architecture and consulting engineering business. He adds that Nicole Carlucci Tantala EAS’97 and Michael W. Tantala EAS’98 welcomed their first born, Marisa Jean.
Dr. Malcolm Zola GD’60 writes that he and his wife, Marcia, are proud to welcome their grandson, William Saunders, as a third-generation Quaker to the Class of 2018. Joining in welcoming him are his parents, Gary Saunders and Adele Zola Saunders C’86, and uncles Neil Zola C’87, Marc Zola C’90, and Daniel Zola C’95.
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Ed Mannino C’63 L’66 writes that he and his wife, Toni, “were invested in the Order of Malta at a Mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York in November. The Order of Malta is an over-900-year-old lay religious order of the Catholic Church, devoted to serving the sick and poor and defending and witnessing to the Catholic faith. The order operates hospitals and medical facilities across the world and provides, through its international arm, on-the-scene aid to areas which are war-torn or victims of natural disasters.”
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Philip D. Freedman L’64 writes that in December, he received a patent for his work in new thermal-management materials. This is his fifth US patent; he received his first in 1968, as co-inventor of a method to recover hydrocarbons from mining-tar sands in Alberta. Currently, he is a patent practitioner in Lancaster, Pa., specializing in advanced and emerging technology areas.
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Robert Adler C’66 writes, “I am currently a commissioner at the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, having been appointed by President Obama in 2009. I was re-nominated by the President on May 14 and confirmed for a second term by the Senate on Dec. 2. If you look at the date when I received a favorable vote in the Senate, you’ll know why my favorite animal now is a lame duck. I was thrilled to see that a staunch consumer advocate like Senator Warren was the presiding member who announced the vote.”
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Carlson R. Chambliss Gr’68 reports that he has “recently published a book, The Comprehensive Catalog of US Federal Large-Size Notes, 1861- 1929. This book is 320 pages long and is lavishly illustrated. In addition to describing the various federal note issues in great detail, it also says quite a bit about the monetary history of the United States during this period. It may come as a surprise to some readers that permanent issues of US federal paper money did not appear until 1861, shortly after the Civil War had already begun. The changeover to the present small-size notes was an economy measure that took place in the summer of 1929, or just shortly before the US was to experience its greatest monetary crisis. Readers interested in more details on this book should contact me by mail at P. O. Box 804, Kutztown, PA 19530 or by email at [email protected].”
Gary Garczynski W’68, president of National Capital Land and Development, Inc., in Woodbridge, Va., in December was elected to a two-year term as chair of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta.
CELEBRATE YOUR REUNION: May 15-18, 2015
70 Bernard Schenkler C’70 has joined the Buffalo, N.Y., law firm of Woods Oviatt Gilman LLP as of counsel in the litigation department; he was formerly special counsel to Damon Morey LLP.
71 Peter Lizon Gr’71, an architect, wrote Moja cesta: Z Novosvetskej ulice do Noveho sveta [My Journey: From the Novosvetska (New World) Street to the New World], which was published in Slovak by the Vydavatelstvo Matice slovenskej last year. It is an account of his first 30 years in the old Czechoslovakia and, since 1968, his life in the US. One of his designs is the Embassy of the Slovak Republic in Washington.
74 Walter Jospin W’74 has been appointed regional director of the SEC’s Atlanta office. He was previously a corporate and securities partner in the Atlanta office of Paul Hastings LLP.
Dr. Jeanne Murray Walker Gr’74, Merion, Pa., is professor of English at the University of Delaware. She wrote Helping the Morning: New and Selected Poems, which was published by Word Farm Press last year.
CELEBRATE YOUR REUNION: May 15-18, 2015
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David L. Hyman C’75 GEd’76 is managing partner and head of the government-relations group of the Philadelphia law firm of Kleinbard Bell & Brecker LLP. Last December, he was appointed to the Public Utility Commission transition-review team for Governor Tom Wolf.
Michele Root-Bernstein CW’75 wrote Inventing Imaginary Worlds: From Childhood Play to Adult Creativity Across the Arts and Sciences, which was published by Rowman & Littlefield last year.
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Amb. David Gross C’76 and Betsy Gifford Gross W’76 celebrated the marriage of their son, Robbie Gross C’08, and Liz Dicus in San Antonio last July. Attending the wedding were Robbie’s grandfather Dr. Robert A. Gross ME’49, his uncle William H. Gifford Jr. C’77, best man Peter Alexander C’08, and many other alumni. Also in July, David, who is head of the international-telecoms and Internet group at Wiley Rein, LLP in Washington, became president of the Federal Communications Bar Association.
Anne Milner FA’75 GFA’78, annemilner.net, a painter, will have an opening of her paintings and drawings at the Penn Treaty Village Pennthouses on March 6, a Philadelphia “First Friday.”
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Richard L. Backer W’78, the pastoral-care coordinator for Winchester Hospital in Winchester, Mass., was ordained a rabbi on Jan. 11 in Broomfield, Colo., by the Aleph ordination program of Jewish Renewal.
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Michael Scullin C’79 is counsel at the Philadelphia law firm of McElroy, Deutsch, Mulvaney & Carpenter, LLP and the Honorary Consul of France in Philadelphia and Wilmington. Last year, he gave a presentation in Lyons, France, on “Legal Aspects of Investment and Doing Business in the United States,” under the auspices of the Council of American States in Europe.
CELEBRATE YOUR REUNION: May 15-18, 2015
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Mary M. Keenan C’80 G’80 writes, “I recently joined Webber Associates, a Harrisburg-area government-affairs consultancy, where I will continue to lobby the Pennsylvania legislature and executive-branch agencies.”
Shari Aronin Roberts C’80 writes, “I received a master’s in science in chemical engineering from Carnegie Mellon University in 1981 and worked for DuPont, Aventis, and Sanofi before retiring in 2010. I have lived in the Seattle area since 1985. In response to many requests from my students, I have created a food blog for people who have allergies or sensitivities to gluten, dairy, egg, or soy. I develop recipes, teach the recipes and techniques for successful baking, and now I write a blog (www.postivekitchen.wordpress.com); visit it for recipes and techniques for preparing delicious allergy-friendly baked goods and meals. I am also a recipe-tester for America’s Test Kitchen’s next gluten-free cookbook.”
Steve Unterberger C’80 has been promoted to partner and managing director of operations of Carrick Capital Partners, LLC, a San Francisco private-equity firm; previously, he was chief technology officer there.
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Anita Carr Shapiro C’83 in April will become president of the Practising Law Institute, a national provider of continuing legal and professional education; she has served as director and executive vice president of its program division since 2006.
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Richard Isaac C’84 writes, “After receiving my editing certificate from the University of Washington in 2008, I established my freelance-editing business, Rich Text Editing LLC (www.RichTextEditing.com). I served on the board of Lambert House, a service center for LGBT youth, from 2004 to 2012, and joined the board of the Northwest Independent Editors Guild in 2013. I married Kevin Fansler on Sept. 13, our seventh anniversary, in our back yard, and we will honeymoon in Cuba this March. I am taking classes in Swedish, the 10th language I’ve studied, with hopes of spending the summer of 2016 in Sweden.”
Robert L. Shapiro C’84 W’84 has joined the Washington office of law firm of Duane Morris LLP as a partner in its trial-practice group. Previously, he was with Hughes Hubbard & Reed.
CELEBRATE YOUR REUNION: May 15-18, 2015
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Dr. Alisa Kauffman D’85 was selected as one of the “Top 25 Women in Dentistry” by Dental Products Reports. She is the clinical director for Penn Dental and the director of the dental program at the LIFE center at Penn Nursing. She practices geriatric house-call dentistry in New York.
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Risa Vetri Ferman C’87 is district attorney of Montgomery County, Pa. In January she announced, “I will not seek a third term, and have chosen to seek a seat on the [county] Court of Common Pleas.”
Dr. Robert J. Moffatt V’87 is a veterinarian who has lived in Cape May Point, N.J., since 1999. Having served as a borough commissioner for some years, he was voted mayor in early January.
David L. Richter CE’87 W’87 L’92 has been promoted to president and chief executive officer of Hill International, Inc., the global construction-management firm. He is also pursuing his M.Sc. in major program management from the Saïd Business School at the University of Oxford.
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Dr. Steven E. Caplan C’88 and Dr. Faina V. Caplan C’90 are “very proud to announce that [our] son, Holden Mitchel Caplan, will be joining the class of C’2019, continuing the Penn tradition.”
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Ken Morgan C’89 is proud to report that he recently started his own practice, Morgan Law LLC, in Cherry Hill, N.J., and was “recently recognized as an ‘awesome attorney’ in South Jersey magazine.” He practices in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, and his practice areas include real estate, finance, and business counseling. He “would love to hear from his classmates and friends at [email protected] and would of course welcome referrals.”
CELEBRATE YOUR REUNION: May 15-18, 2015
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Dr. Faina V. Caplan C’90 see Dr. Steven E. Caplan C’88.
Jonathan Wolman C’90 W’90 writes, “The past two years have been quite a whirlwind. In Sept. 2012, I got married (for the first time) to my wife, Susannah. In Jan. 2014, we welcomed our first child, a baby boy named Harry. And in September, after 20 years in Chicago, we moved back to Columbus, where I have joined Insurance Office of Central Ohio as an agent. I am the third generation to be in the family business, which has been in existence since 1923.”
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Brian Swain WG’91 wrote in late November, “My newest novel, Sistina, has just been released by iUniverse.”
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Kimberly McCarron C’93 has been promoted to principal of SOSH Architects, an architecture, interiors, and planning firm based in Atlantic City, N.J., having been a senior associate there in charge of architectural-production services.
Leslie Stern Richards GRP’93, a Montgomery County Commissioner, in January was appointed secretary of transportation by Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf.
James K. Seaman G’93, vice president of internal audit and management-consulting services at Drexel University, has been appointed to the board of the Franklin Mint Federal Credit Union.
CELEBRATE YOUR REUNION: May 15-18, 2015
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Dr. Kenneth N. Sable EAS’95 writes, “I have moved from executive vice president and chief operating officer of St. Peter’s Healthcare System in New Brunswick, N.J., to president of Jersey Shore University Medical Center, a member of Meridian Health, in Neptune.”
Amy K. Stanton C’95 is the founding CEO of Stanton & Company, a marketing and PR agency based in Marina del Rey, Calif.
Neil Boyden Tanner G’95 was recently appointed vice president, chief counsel, and corporate secretary of Cigna Corp.
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Michael Mirmak EE’96 writes that he “and the US Patent and Trademark Office are thrilled to announce the arrival of patent #8,847,651, ‘Apparatus, method and system for implementing a hardware interface pinout.’ Weighing a healthy 20 pages, the new patent was formally delivered Sept. 20. Inventor and patent are doing fine, and there’s already planning underway for another little addition to the patent portfolio in the near future.”
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Christopher Casamassima C’97, a trial lawyer who specializes in complex business disputes, has been elected partner at the law firm of WilmerHale LLP in Los Angeles.
Robert G. Frucht L’97 has joined the New York office of the law firm of Dilworth Paxson LLP as of counsel in its corporate and business and securities practice groups.
Katherine A. Lehman W’97 is a managing director at Lincolnshire Management, a Manhattan private-equity firm. Last year, she was appointed to the board of Navient, a loan-management and asset-recovery company.
Nicole Carlucci Tantala EAS’97 and Michael W. Tantala EAS’98, Newtown, Pa., welcomed their first born, Marisa Jean.
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Michael W. Tantala EAS’98 see Nicole Carlucci Tantala EAS’97.
CELEBRATE YOUR REUNION: May 15-18, 2015
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Scott Cohen C’00, Plainview, N.Y., and his wife, Cori, are proud to announce the birth of their “second child Joshua Max Cohen, on April 29. His big sister Ava (now four), has been incredibly loving and protective of her little brother. His grandfather Raymond Cohen W’67 WG’68 was excited to welcome his newest grandson.”
Constantine Farmakidis C’00 married Leigh Wasserstrom C’03 on Nov. 29 in Kansas City, Mo. They met in 2013, while living and working in New York. His sister, Maria-Lisa Farmakidis WG’03, and his mother, Jeanne Farmakidis G’70 attended (his father, John C. Farmakidis WG’69, died in 2008). “Many Penn friends joined from both sides: Gaubab Bansal C’00, Chirag Jardosh W’00, Neal Nathani W’00, Sarah Kissel Nu’03, Sally Gates McEntyre GLA’09, Megan McGill C’05, Caitlin C. O’Connell Nu’03, Kendra Varland O’Connell Nu’03, and Laura Prostic C’04.”
Lou Kolman EAS’00 and Claire Kolman GEd’06 are happy to announce the birth of their son, Reid Isaac, on Oct. 15 in Calgary, Alberta; he joined big siblings Makena (five) and Asher (two). Lou is a clinical assistant professor of cardiology at the University of Calgary.
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Scott D. Eisenberg C’01 and his wife, Kamila, welcomed the birth of their first child, Orion Carver, on Sept. 21. “Orion is in the process of learning to sit on his own, and his next goal will be to speak Czech.”
Morgan Fisher Glaser C’01 and Michael Glaser are thrilled to announce the birth of their daughter, Bretton Grey, on Aug. 9. “She is already proudly wearing red and blue, just like her mom and aunt Lauren Glaser C’03.”
Ben Greenblum C’01 W’01 and Heather Flett Greenblum Nu’01 are thrilled to announce that he has joined the partnership of the law firm Williams & Connolly LLP in Washington. They live in Potomac, Md., with “three beautiful daughters: Dalia Rose (eight), Maya Lily (six), and Tova Violet (three), and would love to hear from Penn friends at [email protected].”
Nina Rubin C’01 announces her Gestalt life-coaching practice. “Having worked as a psychotherapist in Los Angeles for many years, [I] transitioned [my] practice areas to include teens and college students, couples, and adults in quarter-life crisis and beyond who desire action-oriented solutions. [My] practice is virtual and in-person; receive a free initial consultation when you visit coachingbyninarubin.com.”
Alexis Gultanoff Schostak C’01 and Michael E. Schostak W’01 are thrilled to announce the birth of their son, Benjamin Ezra Schostak, on Aug. 11. Benji joined big sister Hayley (four). They live in Bloomfield Hills, Mich., where Alexis is a corporate finance partner at the law firm of Dykema Gossett PLLC and Michael is the founder of Schostak Capital Advisors, LLC, a business consulting and transaction advisory firm.
Eric Yecies C’01 G’01 in January was elevated from senior counsel to partner in the New York office of the law firm of Holland & Knight LLP, where he litigates intellectual property matters for a range of industries, including pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, and medical devices.
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Jay Haverty EAS’02 W’02 GEng’02 last year was promoted to CEO of d50 Media, an integrated, multi-channel acquisition agency based in Wellesley, Mass.; he had been chief operating officer there since 2011.
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Leigh Wasserstrom C’03 see Constantine Farmakidis C’00.
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Stefani Topol Orland Silverstein C’04 WG’08 and Mark Lloyd Silverstein W’04 L’07 are thrilled to announce the birth of their daughter, Chloe Pep, on Nov. 7. She was welcomed with love by friends and family, including proud big brother Cyrus (19 months), grandfather Bobby Silverstein W’71, and uncle Evan Silverstein C’06 EAS’06.
CELEBRATE YOUR REUNION: May 15-18, 2015
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Dr. Hann-Hsiang (George) Chao W’05 see Kathleen Eckert C’08.
Lindsey Palmer C’05, lindseyjpalmer.com, writes that her “second novel, If We Lived Here, will be published by Kensington Books in April; the book is an exploration of love, friendship, and the particular horrors of a New York apartment hunt.” Her first novel, Pretty in Ink, a satire of the women’s magazine industry, based in part on her experience as an editor at Glamour, Redbook, and Self magazines, was published last year.
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Dr. Christopher Brown C’06 writes that he completed his active duty military service as an Army psychologist in Alaska. He is “settling in Fairbanks and joining the Tanana Valley Clinic, in order to help expand access to mental healthcare in the Alaskan interior.”
Claire Kolman GEd’06 see Lou Kolman EAS’00.
Dylan J. Steinberg L’06 is a litigation attorney in the Philadelphia law firm of Hangley Aronchick Segal Pudlin & Schiller who specializes in pharmaceutical and high-tech matters; in January, he was elected shareholder.
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Robert Jakobi C’07, London, managing director and co-owner of Metcalfe’s Food Company, writes of its “recent inclusion in the ‘Sunday Times Fast Track 100,’ an annual list of the top 100 fastest-growing, privately owned companies in the UK. We were the first food company to ever get into the top five and the only food company to make it in the top 10 this year.”
Allie Schafrann EAS’07 married David Ritter on June 15 at the Loeb Central Park Boathouse in New York. Her parents, Richard and Amy Steiner Schafrann C’76, walked her down the aisle “in a beautiful ceremony, with many alumni there to celebrate, including bridesmaidAlexandra Garcia Shannon W’07. The wedding was attended by Tracey Liebman C’07, Rachel Feintzeig C’07 and David Bennett C’07, Mindy Fox C’07 and Evan Fox EAS’07 W’07, Leanna Resseguie W’07, Jonathan Shannon W’07 WG’12, Dr. Daniel Asen C’04 G’04, Andrea Levy Greenberg C’76, Cathy Peterson G’83, and Lori Tauber Marcus W’84.” Allie and David currently live in Manhattan.
Julie Wertheimer C’07 GPU’10 married Benjamin Waxman on Nov. 22 at the Cira Centre in Philadelphia. They met in 2008, when she was working as assistant budget director for the City of Philadelphia and Ben reported on city finances for the Philadelphia Daily News. Members of the bridal party included Julie’s sister and maid of honor Samantha Wertheimer C’11, Elyssa Caplan C’07, Emily Kramer-Golinkoff C’07 G’13, and Elizabeth Fox G’13. Joining in the celebrations were many alumni family and friends, including Casey Anderson W’06, Dr. Cynthia Bartus M’06, Lauren Shosfy Boehmke C’07 W’07, Francesca Brody C’07, Kimberly Caramanica C’07, Ariel Greenstein C’07, Michelle Jacobson Eber EAS’07, Drew Feith Tye C’09 and Alexis Ruby Howe C’07 GEd’12, Lisa Friedman Felkins C’07 Nu’10 GNu’11, Dr. Jeffrey Fierstein M’77 GM’83 andBarbara Fierstein GEd’77, Meredith Fineman C’09, Marian Eisman Forman CW’69, Marissa Freeman C’07, Dr. Matthew Gorski C’06 andDr. Hannah Zelman Gorski EAS’08 D’12, Dari Horowitz C’07, Amy Inlander C’07, Evan Kreiner C’07 andRachel Berkowitz C’07, Austin Lavin C’06 and Beth Shapiro Lavin C’06, Alexandra Lenobel C’07, Gary Littman C’71 G’73 and Dr. Meryl Podolsky Littman V’75, Daniella Malekan C’10, Dr. Calixte Monast GEng’10 Gr’13 and Sarah de Wolf C’07 GFA’08, Hon. Michael A. Nutter W’79, Dr. Howard Panitch C’78, Eryn Santamoor GPU’06, Danielle Altares Sarik Nu’10 GNu’11 GrN’15, Jenna Metson Schilit C’07, Dr. Elissa Hassman Waldstein C’82, Marisa Waxman C’99 GCP’03, Kenneth Weinstein GPU’91, Lauren Wolfson C’09, Dr. Alan Zubrow C’72 M’76 GM’80, and Michael Zubrow C’07. Julie is also a daughter of the late Dr. John H. Wertheimer C’72 M’76 GM’81. Julie and Ben honeymooned in Puerto Rico and then returned to Philadelphia, where they live: he is press secretary for Vincent Hughes, a ranking Democrat in the Pennsylvania State Senate, and she is deputy director of public safety for the City of Philadelphia.
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Kathleen Eckert C’08 married Dr. Hann-Hsiang (George) Chao W’05 on Nov 15 in Richmond, Va. Attending were Xiao Li C’05 G’05, Danielle Klosiewicz Nu’08, Rachel Mowry C’08, Kristen Patton Sehic W’08 and Nadan Sehic C’09 W’09, Tom Fahey EAS’07 GEng’07 and Lisa De Gregoris Fahey C’07, and Amelia Fisher C’08 G’08. Kathleen was presented by her father, Philip Eckert C’67.
Robbie Gross C’08 married Liz Dicus in San Antonio, Tex., last July. Attending were his parents, David Gross C’76 and Betsy Gifford Gross W’76, his grandfather Dr. Robert A. Gross ME’49, his uncle William H. Gifford Jr. C’77, best man Peter Alexander C’08, and many Penn friends.