“Dowburd’s Deli is what helped keep me awake in the evenings, reading, studying, and writing.”
—Fred Achenbach W’57
1940s | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s| 2020s
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Deadlines 7/15 for the Sep|Oct issue; 9/15 for Nov|Dec; 11/15 for Jan|Feb; 1/15 for Mar|Apr; 3/15 for May|Jun; and 5/15 for Jul|Aug.
1956
Jerome Kahn Jr. W’56 shares that three generations of his family have attended Penn. His daughter is Margot Kahn Rosenbaum C’90, and two of his granddaughters are Amelia K. Rosenbaum EAS’22 and Natalie E. Rosenbaum, a sophomore in the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences.
1957
Fred Achenbach W’57 writes, “A recent information request from Madeleine McHugh Pierucci W’60 [“Letters,” Sep|Oct 2022] brought back great memories of my days at Wharton and my whole Penn experience. She wanted a name of a deli on 40th Street near Spruce. Dowburd’s Deli is what helped keep me awake in the evenings, reading, studying, and writing. I loved my four years at Penn. Had a great roommate and fraternity brother John Stadtmueller W’57, along with a very supportive brotherhood at SPE. I had what I considered a very successful career with the Bell System for 32 years. When they offered me a job, I thought for sure I would start out in the finance department, but it was something called the traffic department. Traffic meant movement of both local and long distance calls. After about 15 years of that, I spent some time in sales and finally finance. My final position was helping coordinate the merger of Bell of Pennsylvania, New Jersey Bell, and C & P Bell into the Bell Atlantic Corporation. Eventually, it merged into the Verizon Corporation. I did not want to transfer to Verizon, so I retired. While living in Bucks County, I got involved in politics at the local and county levels and also worked as chairman of Bucks County campaigns for John Heinz and Dick Thornburgh. Later, I became manager of the Warrington Township Water and Sewer Department. God bless my wife of 65 years along with three successful kids and five grandchildren. Thank you, University of Pennsylvania. I must be most thankful to my parents who gave me these opportunities.
1960
Madeleine McHugh Pierucci W’60 see Fred Achenbach W’57.
Elizabeth Carter Seeley W’60 is an attorney at Seeley & Berglass, based in Connecticut. Her husband Will Seeley sends this update: “She received her law degree from the University of Virginia, where she was one of two women in the class of 100 and passed the Connecticut bar exam in 1963, immediately after graduating. I was at UVA a year ahead, but we managed to coordinate our graduations and move to Hartford, Connecticut. There were no jobs for women lawyers in law firms in Hartford, where we had moved for my job, or with any bank or corporation, etc. Sitting for the bar exam next to another woman attorney, she was told that there was a job opening at the Legislative Commissioner’s Office in the Connecticut State Capitol. Its director was a brilliant woman who eventually became a federal judge in Connecticut. We have been married 60 years and it has been quite a ride. Now we are in our own small, downsized law firm together after separate career paths with a number of different law firms … and three children tossed in there somewhere—all of whom have college degrees, one of whom is an attorney, and another of whom has an MFA degree and a PhD and is a college professor.”
1966
Eugene Stelzig C’66 has released a new book, True Lies and Short Takes: Assorted Life Writing Essays. He writes, “This gathering of 24 autobiographical pieces focuses on different experiences and periods of my life and hybrid identity: a childhood spent in Austria, teenage years in an American school and a French lycée, coming to the US as a young adult and attending college, studying in England for two years, and then settling into an academic career in the US. ‘True lies’ suggests that by transforming lived experience into language—by way of memory, imagination, and reflection—we inevitably alter them as we write them down. But we also reexperience them, and in so doing, shift them into another register.”
1967
Dr. Edward Bluth C’67 GM’75 is the recipient of the 2023 Gold Medal of the American College of Radiology (ACR), which will be awarded on May 7. The ACR Gold Medal is awarded by the Board of Chancellors to an individual for “distinguished and extraordinary service to the ACR or to the discipline of radiology.” Edward is married to Elissa Weinberg Bluth CW’69.
1969
David Barudin W’69’s short story “Berka Menakhemovich” placed first in the Virginia Writers Club statewide competition in fiction writing. The Golden Nib prize is awarded annually in fiction, poetry, and nonfiction, and he was a finalist two years ago as well. David writes, “‘Berka’ is based on a painstaking genealogy search. It’s a story about how we all became Americans, and of America’s unique place in the world, as seen by immigrants. I wish we could all get in a time machine and experience our ancestors’ journeys and hardships in coming to America. Their stories shine a light on what binds us as families, communities, and as a country. The story appears in the collection People Around the Corner and Other Strangers.” David also wrote the novel Alternate Routes: Coming of Age in America’s Largest Generation. A second novel is scheduled to be released this spring.
Elissa Weinberg Bluth CW’69 see Dr. Edward Bluth C’67 GM’75.
Jack Stewart EE’69 see John Schwindt ChE’70.
1970
John Schwindt ChE’70 writes, “In September I lost my bride of 50-plus years, Mary Kaye Johnson Schwindt HUP’70. We met at Penn when we were ‘fixed up’ by her classmate, Georgia Robins Sadler HUP’70 Nu’72 WG’73 and my ROTC friend Jack Stewart EE’69 as a blind date for Skimmer ’69. We dated and were engaged in December 1970 and married in October 1971. Mary Kaye grew up in South Jersey and loved the Jersey Shore, spending many happy summers in Ocean City. We moved about the country, living in Delaware, North Carolina, and Connecticut before settling in Jackson, California. Mary Kaye was active in the Girl Scouts, loved travel and the theater, and was an avid photographer. She enjoyed cross country skiing, hiking, and tolerated camping. In her later years she enjoyed watching the wildlife visiting around our home, even if it was through the windows. Please remember her in your thoughts and prayers.”
1971
Howard Brod Brownstein C’71 W’71 has been recognized as an “Industry Icon” by ABF Journal, a publication serving the secured finance industry. An article titled “Present at the Inception: Brownstein Leads the Evolution of the Turnaround Industry” in the journal’s Third Quarter 2022 issue describes Howard’s 30-plus years in the turnaround profession, including overseeing the liquidation of Montgomery Ward, the largest retail liquidation in history, and serving as chief restructuring officer in US Mortgage, which involved a $138 million mortgage fraud against Fannie Mae and others. Howard is CEO of the Brownstein Corporation, a turnaround management and restructuring firm headquartered in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania.
Alban Salaman C’71, a partner at Holland & Knight LLP, has been named to Washingtonian magazine’s Top Lawyers Hall of Fame.
Michael C. West C’71 writes, “I was walking through a busy airport last fall when, above all the din, I heard a man’s voice say, ‘I went to Penn.’ My head snapped over and I saw the man speaking to a young woman who said, ‘I go to Brown.’ As a Quaker who almost went to Brown, I just had to butt in. The man was none other than our own classmate Rick Levy C’71 (whom I did not know at school), who is now both managing and playing for the band the Box Tops. We had a great time catching up on the past 50-plus years, and as we parted, I couldn’t help but wonder if he could ‘…gimme a ticket for an aeroplane, for I ain’t got time to take a fast train….’”
1972
Dr. Harold A. Pincus C’72, professor and vice chair of psychiatry at Columbia University, writes, “I am delighted to report that the John A. Hartford Foundation’s board of trustees recently approved over $17 million in funding for seven programs, including our Health and Aging Policy Fellowship, which provides professionals in health and aging with a year of financial support, policy placements, career opportunities, and expanded networks to directly experience the policymaking process and become effective advocates for older adults. I am director of the fellowship program (healthandagingpolicy.org) and codirector of Colombia’s Irving Institute for Clinical and Translational Research.”
Celebrate Your Reunion, May 12–15, 2023!
1973
Seth Bergmann GEE’73 competed in the Medford Lakes Colony Sprint Triathlon in New Jersey in August, finishing fifth out of seven men in the M70+ age group.
Robert M. Steeg C’73 ASC’75, managing partner of Steeg Law Firm, LLC in New Orleans, was included in The Best Lawyers in America 2023 for Banking and Finance Law, Commercial Finance Law, Commercial Transactions/UCC Law, Corporate Law, and Real Estate Law. He is one of a select group of attorneys who has received this honor for more than 25 years.
1974
Claire Marcus CW’74 FA’76 GFA’78 participated in Art Book Month, held during the month of October and hosted by the Vancouver Art Book Fair. Claire’s art can be viewed on her Instagram page @clairebmarcusart.
1976
Jim Glickson C’76 of New York and Dr. Don Pathman C’76 M’81 of Durham, North Carolina, bicycled from Buffalo to Albany, New York, in September along the 365-mile-long Erie Canalway Trail. They write, “This ride was almost 50 years to the day that we first met in the Lower Quad as freshmen. Although we biked considerably longer distances during our days at Penn and shortly thereafter, as two 68-year-old bikers, we were nevertheless quite pleased with ourselves, thank you. We’re already planning our next trip.” Jim and Don invite alumni contact at jimglixx@gmail.com and don_pathman@unc.edu, respectively.
Celebrate Your Reunion, May 12–15, 2023!
1978
Vincent T. Lombardo C’78 was inducted into the Cleveland State University Cleveland-Marshall College of Law Hall of Fame on November 4. Vincent is a retired attorney at the Ohio Attorney General’s Office. He graduated from CSU’s Cleveland-Marshall College of Law in 1981.
1979
Neil Plakcy C’79 writes, “I retired in August after 20 years as a professor of English at Broward College in South Florida. This has enabled me to pivot to a full-time writing career. My 50th full-length novel is All Dog’s Children, the 15th in my bestselling golden retriever mysteries series. My website is mahubooks.com.”
1981
David B. Cohen C’81 EAS’81 G’81 L’86 WG’86 won a Gold Medal at the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation World Master Championship in Las Vegas on September 3. He competed as an ultra-heavyweight purple belt in the Master 7 division.
Dr. Gregg Coodley C’81 has published a new book, Patients in Peril: The Demise of Primary Care in America. The book looks at the crisis in primary care in the US and the rapidly declining numbers of primary care doctors. Gregg writes, “The book is based on research as well as my career as a primary care physician for 35 years. I am worried about the lack of doctors that will be there for patients in the years to come” [“Expert Opinion,” this issue].
1982
Merle R. Ochrach C’82, a principal at Hamburg, Rubin, Mullin, Maxwell & Lupin, is listed in the 2023 edition of The Best Lawyers in America, under the category of Banking and Finance Law.
Steven Ruggles G’82 Gr’84 was named a 2022 MacArthur Fellow by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation in October. Steven is a historical demographer at the University of Minnesota’s Institute for Social Research and Innovation. A video profile of him can be viewed at macfound.org/fellows/class-of-2022/steven-ruggles.
Celebrate Your Reunion, May 12–15, 2023!
1983
Carol Hosley Tierney C’83 see Joseph N. DiStefano C’85.
1984
Dr. Virginia Man-Yee Lee WG’84, the John H. Ware 3rd Endowed Professor in Alzheimer’s Research at Penn’s Perelman School of Medicine, has been named a Citation Laureate by Clarivate, an analytics company. According to the release: “These are researchers whose work is deemed to be ‘of Nobel class,’ as demonstrated by analysis carried out by the Institute for Scientific Information, part of Clarivate.” To date, 64 of the Citation Laureates went on to receive a Nobel Prize. Dr. Lee is also director of Penn’s Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research and codirector of Penn’s Marian S. Ware Center for Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Program.
Jeffrey “Paco” Pollock C’84 writes, “Although I was not necessarily best known for my athletic prowess 40 years ago, I’m thrilled to have achieved the following this fall: 1) won the Allegheny County Bar Association 2022 Esquire Tennis Tournament; 2) finished in first place after the playoffs of the season-long Westmoreland Country Club Men’s Golf Association Tourney; and 3) played a pivotal role for my Lawyers’ League softball team as we won The Bomb’s 17th ACBA Championship (highlighted by an inside-the-park grand slam in the 14–11 title game victory).”
1985
Joseph N. DiStefano C’85 writes, “Friends and family of the late Joseph Killackey W’85 WG’03 have been in touch this fall to remember and pray for him, his children, and grandchild on the 10th anniversary of his untimely death. At the suggestion of our classmate Penn Senior Executive Vice President Craig Carnaroli W’85, we previously raised funds for a room named in Joe’s honor at the Newman Center on 38th Street, where Joe organized programs to feed the hungry, visit the sick and imprisoned, and challenge unjust structures in American society. He is fondly remembered by his classmates, including Dean Cho C’85, John Alessi C’85, Fran Olivieri EE’85 G’86, Carol Hosley Tierney C’83, and many more friends at Penn. I was on campus for the May graduation of my daughter Maria DiStefano C’22, a consultant to nonprofits. Maria, her oldest brother Nick DiStefano C’13—a senior software developer and new dad—and I were all Penn history majors and students of labor historian Walter Licht, whose retirement symposium I attended with John Alessi, a senior policy adviser at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. My writing on public investments for the Philadelphia Inquirer won a string of reporting awards this fall, including a Gerald Loeb Award for Distinguished Business & Financial Journalism and the John V. R. Bull First Amendment Award from the Keystone News Media Foundation, both with colleagues; and the Pride Award, in recognition of my ‘persistent, dedicated and valued journalism as a finance and business reporter at the Philadelphia Inquirer,’ from the Philadelphia Public Schools Retired Employees Association. Besides the Inquirer, I’ve written for Bloomberg, The Nation, the Gazette, and other publications, along with the book Comcasted: How Ralph and Brian Roberts Took Over America’s TV, One Deal at a Time (Camino Books, 2005). Classmates, publishers in search of business writers, and old friends can reach me at distefano251@gmail.com, and @PhillyJoeD on Twitter while it lasts.”
1986
Ralph Cathcart C’86 has been named to Super Lawyers magazine for his intellectual property litigation achievements for the ninth year in a row. He was also named a World Trademark Report – WTR1000 recipient and recognized as an IP Star 2022 by Managing Intellectual Property magazine. Ralph is a partner at Ladas & Parry LLP. He works out of the firm’s New York office.
Dr. Francine Koplin Rattner V’86 writes, “After graduating from Penn, I worked at the same veterinary hospital in Edgewater, Maryland, for the next 33 years: first as an associate veterinarian, then partner, and then sole owner of the six-doctor practice. So far, my retirement years have been quite enjoyable and productive. I’ve tutored second graders in reading, taught kindergarten students about nature in a state-mandated environmental literacy program, and am involved with several charities. One such organization is South-East Zoo Alliance for Conservation & Reproduction in Yulee, Florida. Recently, I was appointed to its board of directors. I help remotely from home and travel there regularly for various projects. I’m excited to share that on a recent visit, I had the unique opportunity to assist in the collection of semen samples from three rhinoceros species for future use in artificial insemination and biobanking.”
Howard L. Wolk C’86 W’86 has written a new book with John Landry, titled Launchpad Republic: America’s Entrepreneurial Edge and Why It Matters.
1987
Greg Adler C’87 and Marilyn Schwartz Adler WG’91 write, “We celebrated the marriage of our daughter, Melissa Adler C’23,to Benjamin Kaplan C’22 in September. Penn attendees included Kenneth Eckstein C’76, James Godman C’87, Eric Green WG’91, Clint Greenbaum WG’83, Elisa Fishbein Greenbaum WG’83, Marko Issever G’84 WG’84, Sara Klein C’06, Richard Linhart W’83, William Mack W’61, Morris Massel C’94, Laura Siegel Rabinowitz C’86, James Shenwick W’79, and more than 100 classmates and friends of the bride and groom who are current Penn students or recent graduates.”
Celebrate Your Reunion, May 12–15, 2023!
1988
David Mizrachi C’88 writes, “I was awarded a Master of Laws (LLM) by Columbia Law School this year after completing the Executive LLM Program on Global Business Law, 34 years after completing my BA at Penn. I moved to New York this summer to be in residence at Columbia for the program and had a chance to see my good Penn friends Howard Levkowitz W’89 C’89, Mike Karz W’89 C’89, Adam Shiff W’89 C’89, Michelle Berman C’89, Steve Brodsky C’89, Jeannette Colonomos Gee C’89, Richard Brail W’89 C’89, Leon Rittenberg W’89, Daniel Bettsack EAS’89, and Sander Gerber W’89 C’89.”
Dr. Tara Sexton D’88, clinical assistant professor of restorative dentistry at Penn Dental and owner of Main Line Smiles in Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania, has been named one of Main Line Today magazine’s Top 20 Power Women for 2022.
1990
David J. Glass C’90 has been reelected managing partner of his firm, EPG Lawyers, for another three-year term. He writes, “I also debuted my podcast, TheHourGLASS Podcast, on October 15 with video episodes available on YouTube as well as audio versions on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. The podcast will focus on the intersection of family law and psychology for people emerging from their divorces and starting their ‘second chance at happiness.’ More information can be found at thehourglasspodcast.com.”
Lesley Bischoff King W’90 has been appointed chair of the board of University of Global Health Equity, a health sciences university in Rwanda. She is also a board member for Partners in Health. She lives in California with her husband and four children.
Margot Kahn Rosenbaum C’90 see Jerome Kahn Jr. W’56.
1991
Marilyn Schwartz Adler WG’91 see Greg Adler C’87.
Tad Safran C’91 writes, “I wrote and directed a podcast called The Lamb, starring actor David Krumholtz. It’s a six-episode fiction limited series that was nominated for a Podcast Academy award (‘the Ambies’) for Best Writing. If you listen and like it, please feel free to leave an effusive review on Apple Podcasts. And, my first book is out now, The Twelve Topsy-Turvy Very Messy Days of Christmas. It was coauthored with James Patterson and as of October 21 is currently a bestseller on Amazon. A second book (also coauthored with James Patterson) should be available late 2023. In other news, I have six-year-old identical twin boys who keep me on my toes (assuming ‘on my toes’ is another way of saying ‘exhausted’).”
1992
Dr. Angela DeMichele GM’92 GM’94 GM’98 GM’01, professor of medicine and epidemiology at Penn and codirector of the breast cancer program at Penn Medicine’s Abramson Cancer Center, was a 2022 Founders Honoree at the Living Beyond Breast Cancer Butterfly Ball.
Celebrate Your Reunion, May 12–15, 2023!
1993
Jennifer Barall C’93 has joined the Dallas office of law firm McKool Smith. She focuses her practice on complex commercial litigation.
1995
Anne Gharaibeh GLA’95 has been appointed dean of the College of Architecture and Design at Jordan University of Science and Technology in northern Jordan. Anne writes, “I originally established this college together with a few of my colleagues in 2008. I also established the Department of City Planning and Design in the same year together with two other departments: the Department of Architecture and the Department of Design and Visual Communication. I am part of a very small team of educators who’ve worked so hard in the past 14 years to establish this college and its facilities. The college accepts around 200 students every year in its three bachelors’ and two masters’ programs. We are in the process of receiving accreditation from the National Architectural Accrediting Board for the architecture program while other programs have national accreditation now.”
Allison Winn Scotch C’95 has authored a new novel, The Rewind. From the book’s press materials: “The Rewind is not only a delightful love story, but it’s filled with ’90s nostalgia and pop culture references that modern readers will devour.” Allison has published eight novels, including Time of My Life, In Twenty Years, and Cleo McDougal Regrets Nothing. She lives in Los Angeles.
Rena Selya C’95 G’95 writes, “In 2020, I completed a master’s in library and information science at UCLA. I am currently the archivist at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where I am also the associate director of the Program in the History of Medicine. I am delighted to share that my book, Salvador Luria: An Immigrant Biologist in Cold War America, is now available from MIT Press.”
Dr. Jennifer Moriatis Wolf M’95, a professor of orthopedic surgery and rehabilitation medicine at the University of Chicago, has been appointed president of the American Society for Surgery of the Hand. She is the second woman to hold this position.
Celebrate Your Reunion, May 12–15, 2023!
1998
Teresa Calendrillo-Fuller Nu’98 has been promoted to chief nursing officer and vice president of Patient Care Services of the Fairfield region of Hartford Healthcare at St. Vincent’s Medical Center in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Teresa oversees all of Patient Care Services at the 450-plus bed hospital and nursing services at all locations throughout the region, including a 75-bed behavioral health hospital in Westport, Connecticut.
Sarah Federman C’98, associate professor of conflict resolution at the University of San Diego, has edited a new open-access book with Ronald Niezen about the sometimes-overlapping roles people play during a conflict, titled Narratives of Mass Atrocity: Victims and Perpetrators in the Aftermath (Cambridge University Press, 2022). The full book can be accessed online at doi.org/10.1017/9781009110693.
Janice Ferebee SW’98, a girls’ empowerment expert and Ward 2 Committeewoman for the DC Democratic State Committee, is the author of Got It Goin’ On—II: Power Tools for Girls! (GIGO-II). She writes, “First published in 2000, the book is celebrating over 20 years empowering girls with a newly revised edition. It is a personal development and social-emotional learning tool for girls and young women of color, focused on empowering them to reach their full potential, and counteracting negative influences they are bombarded with daily—with guidance from the GIGO Guardian Angels. My more than four decades of experience began with a stint as the first African American Models Editor for Seventeen magazine. I turned my unique personal and professional life experiences into tools to help educators, parents, practitioners, and girl-serving organizations empower girls and young women of color to build confidence and cultural pride and create blueprints for their lives. I believe girls are one of the world’s most precious natural treasures and am dedicated to empowering the next generation of women warriors of color! GIGO-II is a must have for every girl’s personal library.” More information can be found at authorjaniceferebee.com.
2000
Gregory Abrams C’00 has joined the law firm Tucker Ellis as a partner in its labor and employment practice group. He works out of the firm’s Chicago office.
2001
Aaron Karo W’01 and Matt Ritter L’05 write, “We are screenwriters and comedians who have launched a podcast called Man of the Year that is now available on Apple, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts! Every year on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, our group of nine childhood friends (which also includes Jason Epstein W’01 and David Epstein C’01) meets at Peter Luger Steak House in Brooklyn and awards our gigantic Man of the Year trophy to whichever friend had the best year. This incredible tradition has kept our friend group strong for 35 years and counting, and is the inspiration for our podcast, which is about the art of building and maintaining lifelong friendships. Check us out at manoftheyearpodcast.com.”
Ryan Little C’01 writes, “I moved to the DC area and joined the Office of Legal Counsel to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. I advise Chairman Mark Milley and the Joint Staff on national security law and policy concerning worldwide military operations and intelligence activities. I’ve kept busy working on issues such as Ukraine, the Afghanistan retrograde, January 6, and the quickly evolving domains of space and cyberspace.”
2002
Dr. Szczepan Baran V’02 has been appointed chief scientific officer for VeriSIM Life, a company that uses artificial intelligence–enabled biosimulation technology to streamline drug discovery and development. According to the release, VeriSIM Life’s BIOiSIM technology “not only reduces the time and cost of drug discovery and development, it also greatly reduces the need for animal testing that, in the vast majority of cases, does not translate to humans (over 90 percent of drugs tested in animals fail to pass human clinical trials).”
Elena Lahr-Vivaz G’02 Gr’08, associate professor of Spanish at Rutgers University–Newark, has written a new book, Writing Islands: Space and Identity in the Transnational Cuban Archipelago. In the book, she analyzes works of contemporary Cuban writers on the island alongside those in exile. She writes, “I started thinking about the ideas in the book during my first trip to Havana as a graduate student, in 2003.”
2005
Alexander Chester C’05 has joined Duane Morris LLP as a partner in the firm’s Corporate Practice Group in its New York office. Alexander’s practice focuses on corporate transactions in the sports industry.
Meenal Lele EAS’05 W’05 has written a new book, The Baby and the Biome: How the Tiny World Inside Your Child Holds the Secret to Their Health. According to the release, the book “offers simple, practical steps to help parents prevent their children from developing food allergies and autoimmune diseases.”
Michael J. Patterson C’05 married Joe A. Delgadillo on November 12 in Austin, Texas. Michael writes, “Adam M. Lubow C’03 was my best man, and Derek Tagliarino C’03 was in the wedding party. Also in attendance was Lauren Montalvo C’06.”
Matt Ritter L’05 see Aaron Karo W’01.
2006
Sally Wesley Bonet GEd’06, an assistant professor of educational studies at Colgate University, is the author of Meaningless Citizenship: Iraqi Refugees and the Welfare State. From the press materials: “[The book] traces the costs of America’s long-term military involvement around the world by following the forced displacement of Iraqi families. Sally Wesley Bonet unveils how Iraqis are doubly displaced: first by the machinery of American imperialism in their native countries and then through a more pernicious war occurring on US soil—the dismantling of the welfare state.”
Sammy Mack C’06 writes, “In October, I attended the annual Radio Television Digital News Association gala, where a multimedia series I helped edit, Class of COVID-19: An Education Crisis for Florida’s Vulnerable Students, was honored with a National Edward R. Murrow Award. You can find the project—which includes digital, audio, and visual storytelling in collaboration with journalists from across Florida’s public media organizations—at classofcovid.org. This is the third National Edward R. Murrow Award I’ve been part of (and the first one I remembered to write in about!). Also, my family moved from Miami to Little Rock, Arkansas, in 2021. Is that still news? It still feels like news in my house.”
2007
Brian Cohen C’07 GEd’09 writes, “After 14 years as a teacher in public schools in Philadelphia and Brooklyn, I am now the CEO of Award Magic, a service helping clients use their credit card points and miles to book tickets around the world.” Brian invites alumni contact at brian@awardmagic.com.
Ashish Khemka WG’07, director of Khemka Global Infrastructure, was recently featured in two newspaper articles. The articles (in Arabic and Russian) can be accessed at tinyurl.com/AshishKhemka1 and tinyurl.com/AshishKhemka2. Ashish invites alumni contact at akhemka@gmail.com.
Christy Misogianes Limbach C’07 has published her first children’s picture book, Asher the Dino: Mommy Goes to Work. She writes, “Inspired by my son’s struggle with my post-pandemic return to the office, this book tells the story of a young dinosaur who experiences separation anxiety when his mom goes to work. I hope it will help other families going through similar transitions.”
2009
Bharat Moudgil C’09 L’12 has been promoted to partner at Proskauer, an international law firm. Bharat is a member of the firm’s Private Credit Group, and he is based out of Los Angeles.
Dr. Kevin L. Rakszawski EAS’09 has been named one of the Top Physicians Under 40 by the Pennsylvania Medical Society. He is an assistant professor of medicine and the vice chair of quality in the Division of Hematology/Oncology at Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center in Hershey, Pennsylvania.
2011
William Xiong C’11 L’17, an attorney at Ballard Spahr LLP in Philadelphia who practices transactional finance law, received a 2022 Cornerstone Award from the Lawyers Alliance for New York in recognition of his “exceptional contributions of pro bono legal services to nonprofit organizations.” The award recognizes William’s pro bono work on behalf of Community Health Initiatives to help the organization secure funding and space to construct and operate a community health center to serve residents of South Brooklyn.
Celebrate Your Reunion, May 12–15, 2023!
2013
Nick DiStefano C’13 see Joseph N. DiStefano C’85.
2014
Grant Darwin L’14 has been promoted to partner at Proskauer, an international law firm. Grant is a member of the firm’s Mergers and Acquisitions Practice, and he is based out of New York.
2019
Rina Madhani GEd’19 is cofounder of Start Lighthouse, a literacy nonprofit organization with a mission of advancing childhood literacy through a social justice lens. She writes, “Start Lighthouse addresses the literacy crisis by creating compelling, rewarding reading programs for children and families. Our method includes ‘Literary Adventures’ hosted in conjunction with partner public schools to build home libraries and foster a sense of book ownership; diverse representation in the books we distribute so students see themselves in what they read; and creating permanent spaces in partner public schools to support literacy development for students as well as family members and caregivers.” Rina has been selected as a L’Oréal Paris 2022 Women of Worth. More information on the distinctive honor can be found at tinyurl.com/RinaMadhani.
2022
Braulio A. Cappas Gr’22, a medical laboratory scientist at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, married Brian A. Santiago on November 11.
Maria DiStefano C’22 see Joseph N. DiStefano C’85.
Benjamin Kaplan C’22 see Greg Adler C’87.
Rowana Miller C’22 is founder and executive director of Cosmic Writers, which celebrates its one-year anniversary in January. She writes, “We have served 500-plus children in 30 states and six countries over the course of 2022. Our highlights include a hip-hop poetry program in collaboration with the Free Library of Philadelphia; a 10-workshop climate-writing conference in collaboration with the Penn Program for Environmental Humanities; and a summer creative writing carnival in FDR Park. For our one-year anniversary, we’ll be holding a virtual showcase featuring some of our talented young writers, and an in-person awards ceremony on Penn’s campus to honor the community members who have been most influential over the past year.” More information can be found at cosmicwriters.org.
Amelia K. Rosenbaum EAS’22 see Jerome Kahn Jr. W’56.