“I term myself ‘the world’s least wealthy philanthropist.’”
–Dr. Eli Goodman C’69
1940s | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s
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1953
The late Howard Magen W’53 CGS’07 is quoted at length in Dan Rottenberg C’64’s latest book, The Price We Paid: An Oral History of Penn’s Struggle to Join the Ivy League 1950–55, which was adapted into a feature in this issue of the Gazette. In addition to “faithfully attending Quaker games since 1943,” Howard had served as the president of the Class of 1953’s “hugely successful 40th Reunion” and as the first treasurer of the Friends of the University of Pennsylvania Libraries. [Ed. Note: Howard’s wife Cirel Watnik Magen CGS’07 sent this Alumni Note in before Howard’s death on Aug. 8 (see “Obituaries,” Class of 1953, this issue)].
1962
Barrett W. Freedlander C’62, a former Penn lacrosse player and a member of the Penn Men’s Lacrosse Hall of Fame, writes, “I am inspired to write this note after reading a chapter about me in the recently published book, The Price We Paid: An Oral History of Penn’s Struggle to Join the Ivy League 1950–55, authored by historian/journalist Dan Rottenberg C’64 [“Professional Contrarian,” Sep|Oct 2022]. It is mostly about the enduring impact of the legendary George Munger Ed’33 on the men who played football under him [“Gazetteer,” Jan|Feb 2018]. It is a great read, despite the chapter about me being just two pages long (appropriately). I was also involved in advocating for the induction of H. Laussat Geyelin C1877 L1879 G1880 into the Penn Athletics Hall of Fame, which happened in September. I still attend many Penn athletic events and host events in Baltimore for Penn lacrosse alumni and parents of players past and present. I was pleased to recently host in Baltimore classmates Joe Fidanque W’62, visiting from Panama, and Mike Ades W’62, from Lexington, Kentucky. We had reconnected at our 60th. On a sad note, my brother Howard Freedlander C’67, died suddenly in June [“Obituaries,” Sep|Oct 2024]. He was a longtime, revered president of his class. A few years ago, classmates endowed a scholarship in his honor. He was a good friend to many Penn alums and to me. I have taken up pickleball with passion. It brings some thrills and lots of frustration. I am also in the midst of putting together a memoir so that my memories along with family lore will be available to generations descended from cousins and from my kids.”
1964
Dan Rottenberg C’64 see Howard Magen W’53 CGS’07 and Barrett W. Freedlander C’62.
1969
Dr. Eli Goodman C’69 writes, “Pathologically polyphasic, I have the entire time worked as an internal medicine physician and medical consultant. Not even remotely retired, I continue to work in the realms of wound care, corrections medicine, home health care, and hospice. For better or worse, I remain in demand, even in my dotage. Other activities over the years have included radio work, product inventions, including the rarity of a patented punctuation mark—the ‘rhetoricon.’ Have written many articles. Have created with the help of collaborating artists hundreds of cartoons. Have published three books, including the recently released GOLF IS LIFE … Or Close to It that proves that golf’s and life’s vicissitudes are essentially the same. Very active in community organizations, including especially Rotary. I term myself ‘the world’s least wealthy philanthropist.’ Have failed in marriages, but have the blessings of marvelous kids, grandkids, and fabulous friends.” Eli can be reached at [email protected] or through his website, EliGoodmanMD.com.
Stuart Rawlings ASC’69 writes, “After many years of being an attorney, university professor, writer, musician, world explorer, and more, I have posted a YouTube video, Lucky Man: A Seven-Hour Telling of My Life Story. The narrative is combined with 850 photographs and excerpts from 40 songs played with friends. This is the kind of project that I believe all alumni should consider doing—for yourselves, your family and friends, and posterity.” Stuart’s video can be viewed at youtu.be/y2iPG5OifyE, and he can be reached by email at [email protected].
Celebrate Your Reunion, May 17–19, 2024!
1970
Sandi Shustak Kligman MT’70, Ted Gilmore W’70 and Maureen Hare Luschini Nu’70 cochairs of the Class of 1970’s 55th Reunion, were delighted to virtually reconnect with classmates Anna Sophocles Hadgis CGS’70 G’85, Ann Kent Cowen CW’70, Andy Wolk C’70, Vicki P. Caine CW’70, Judith Nemez Vredenburgh CW’70, Toni D. Schmiegelow CW’70, Ann L. O’Sullivan Nu’70 Gnu’72 Gr’84, Donald G. Maynard ChE’70, Phyllis Liu MT’70, and Judith Kalicka Ingis CW’70 during the recent Penn Reunion Volunteer Kick-Off. Along with returning Gift Committee Chair Bob Graham W’70, planning has already begun for May 16–19, 2025. The cochairs write, “All members of the Class of 1970 are warmly welcome to attend an informal get-together during the November 16 Post-50th Homecoming Brunch in Houston Hall or join the Reunion Committee. To sign up for either, please contact Charles Marsh at [email protected].”
Howard Lipke W’70 is a semi-retired clinical psychologist whose work focuses on psychotherapy and teaching therapists about how to work with combat veterans and first responders. He recently published the book No Applesplatter: Short Stories about Thinking, which, he writes, “provides some answers to questions about how thinking styles we all share can affect anger, confidence, competition, jealousy, and other tricky parts of life, for kids and even for adults.” His wife of 50-plus years, Lynn, was his primary editor.
1971
Dayton Duncan C’71 won two awards for his script for the Ken Burns Hon’22 documentary The American Buffalo, which was broadcast on PBS last fall. The Writer’s Guild of America gave him the 2024 award for best documentary script, and the Western Writers of America gave him its Spur Award for top documentary script. It was Duncan’s second Writers Guild award in a row, having received it for writing Ken Burns’s 2022 documentary film Benjamin Franklin, and it was his fifth Spur Award. His companion book for the film, Blood Memory: The Tragic Decline and Improbable Resurrection of the American Buffalo, published by Knopf, was called “elegiac” by Publisher’s Weekly, and the Wall Street Journal cited its “compelling narration and flawless execution.”
Robert Meadow C’71 W’71 Gr’76 and Carrie Menkel-Meadow L’74 share that they have “turned to theatrical production in their semi-retirement.” Their play production, Fatherland, (about a son who turned his father in to the FBI for the January 6 insurrection, based on trial transcripts) opened in New York at the Manhattan Theatre Club on September 26, won many awards, and received a five-month extended run at the Fountain Theatre in Los Angeles. Their next play, I, Daniel Blake (based on the 2016 British film directed by Ken Loach and written by Paul Laverty) opened in Los Angeles on October 13 at the Fountain Theatre. The play was brought over from Carrie’s scholar-in-residency at the Oxford Centre for Socio-Legal Studies in 2023. “Not yet completely retired,” Bob shares that his work as a “pollster and political consultant for major Democratic candidates [continues] all over the country,” and Carrie shares that she serves as Distinguished and Chancellor’s Professor of Law (and Political Science) at the University of California, Irvine, and as professor emerita of law at Georgetown University. “Other productions are in the works for both coasts,” they write.
1973
Bruce Richardson WG’73 is coauthor of a new book with Raymond Wilson. Bruce writes, “Our book, Brothers, … is our story of why a Black man and a white man became brothers 50 years after they served in Vietnam.” Bruce served in the US Army during the Vietnam War from 1969 to 1970, and now serves on the board of the Veterans Defense Project.
1974
Hon. Gordon Goodman C’74 L’77, a justice on the First Texas Court of Appeals, has published a new article in the UC Law Business Journal (July 2024), titled “The Ethics of Artificial Intelligence.” He explains, “This article discusses the techniques derived from complexity studies (including genetic algorithms and neural nets) that are incorporated in modern AI programs and the ethical challenges that will be encountered in using them within the legal practice of the 21st century.” In April, Gordon also gave a keynote address on “The Ethics of Artificial Intelligence” at the UC Law Business Symposium, an event that focused on AI’s role in the legal landscape.
David Ladensohn W’74, a mediator, retired executive, and entrepreneur who has been fly-fishing for 40 years, has authored a new book, Fly-Fishing with Leonardo da Vinci. Published by Trinity University Press, the book explores the art of fly-fishing and Leonardo da Vinci’s obsession with water. From the press release: “The famed Italian Renaissance artist meticulously drew every aspect of rivers, from the nature of water drops to the ways currents create and destroy the earth’s surface. His obsession led him to become a professional hydraulic engineer and an expert on the physics of water. … [The book] is meant to inform and entertain anyone interested in the artist or fly-fishing and their unlikely intersection.”
Carrie Menkel-Meadow L’74 see Robert Meadow C’71 W’71 Gr’76.
1978
Diane Kaplan C’78 was named a senior fellow at the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at Indiana University, with support from the M. J. Murdock Charitable Trust, in 2023. In addition, she was appointed by President Joe Biden Hon’13 and confirmed by the US Senate to the board of directors of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. In 2023, after 27 years as president of the Alaska-based Rasmuson Foundation, Diane cofounded Nudlaghi Leadership Institute, a remote retreat center for nonprofit leaders.
Steven Weisz C’78 GEd’79 is celebrating 45 years as CEO of Rainbow Promotions, an event production agency in the Philadelphia region. He also marks 35 years as CEO of Delaware Valley On Line, which provides web hosting and marketing solutions for small to mid-size businesses, nonprofits, and educational institutions. Recently, Steven returned to his “passion for photography with the launch of Art Imagined Photography,” he writes. His work received Honorable Mention at the 2024 Prix de la Photographie de Paris in the Fine Art/Nudes category, with one of his images exhibited at Expo Metro Milan, Italy, on October 26–27, in Piazza San Carlo, in front of the Basilica of San Carlo. Steven is also an active member of the National Press Photographers Association, an organization dedicated to the advancement of visual journalism.
John “Jock” Whittlesey C’78 shares, “I am writing a series of nonfiction, general-interest books, called Under the Keel: A Guidebook to the North Atlantic. Each book covers one day of a transatlantic crossing on the ocean liner Queen Mary 2. I talk about historic events, marine art, fisheries, marine biology, oceanography, shipping, navigation, and the places we go near. Under the Keel is available on Amazon.”
1979
Jennifer Joy Freyd C’79, a professor emerit of psychology at the University of Oregon and an affiliate professor at the University of Washington, received an honorary doctorate and was the keynote speaker at the 2024 commencement ceremony for Claremont Graduate University. In addition, this year Jennifer received the Gold Medal Award for Impact in Psychology from the American Psychological Foundation. In its description of her, the APF called Jennifer “internationally known as a pioneer in the fields of trauma psychology and institutional courage and is also a lifelong activist in the realm of sexual violence.”
Joshua Mostow C’79 G’87 Gr’88 of Vancouver, Canada, spent the 2023–24 academic year on sabbatical as a visiting fellow at Clare Hall, University of Cambridge, and Ca’Foscari University of Venice. In April the Government of Japan conferred on him the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon “for his contribution to the development of Japanese studies and promotion of mutual understanding with Japan.”
Michael Saron EE’79 GEE’81 WG’81 retired from Mizuho Securities in October after a 40-year career in banking. He worked in liability management for Merrill Lynch, Credit Suisse, and RBS as well. He and his wife have two children: Veronica, who is married and lives in California, and Mitchell, who fenced sabre for the US Olympic team in Paris.
Kim Van Do GFA’79 is an artist-in-residence and will be exhibiting his paintings at Blue Mountain Gallery in New York through November 23. His work can be viewed at his website, thekimdo.jimdofree.com/artwork, where he can also be contacted.
Celebrate Your Reunion, May 17–19, 2024!
1980
Alfred U. Pavlis C’80 has returned to Finn Dixon & Herling as a litigation partner. He most recently served as the First Assistant US Attorney in the District of Connecticut overseeing the Civil, Criminal and Administrative Divisions and acting as principal advisor to the US Attorney.
1981
Dr. Gregg Coodley C’81 recently published his sixth history, American Salvation: How Immigrants Made America Great. Gregg writes, “The book chronicles the contributions of individual immigrants from the American Revolution to the present. It also describes the different waves of immigrants and how they have faced the same repetitive prejudice and challenges. Finally, the book shows how America would not have become a superpower or world leader without the contribution of immigrants, who were so often reviled as ‘broken men from broken races.’”
Jeffrey Moche C’81 has self-published a new book, I Swear This Actually Happened to Me!— 100 of My Personal Life Stories that You Won’t Believe. Jeffrey writes, “These anecdotes are taken from all different parts of my life, including a handful from my college years. I’ve had a very atypical life since graduating from Penn. I’d planned to become a clinical psychotherapist, working in Aaron Beck’s cognitive depression clinic, and in the prestigious Payne Whitney psychiatric hospital in New York City. But in my mid-20s, I dropped that career path entirely and became a comedian/magician.”
Jordan Peimer C’81, former executive director of ArtPower at the University of California, San Diego, has been selected as the next director of the Lenfest Center for the Arts at Washington and Lee University.
1982
Deirdre Murphy C’82 displayed her painting and monoprints in a solo exhibition, titled Gradients of Growth, at Philadelphia’s Chimaera Gallery, September 8–October 28. From the press release: “The exhibition emphasizes ecological hope and the potential for environmental healing, offering a unique perspective on the resilience of nature in the face of climate change.”
1984
Elizabeth Yawitz Sehring C’84 is a film producer with Blowback Productions in New York City. She recently screened It’s Basic at Penn for the Center for Guaranteed Income Research at the School of Social Policy & Practice and the Penn student chapter of the International City/County Management Association. Serving as a panelist, she relayed the effectiveness of using storytelling to communicate research data to an audience. The film showcases participants of US pilot programs who receive unconditional cash transfers and examines the impact on their daily lives [“Fighting Poverty with Cash,” May|Jun 2021]. She writes, “It was a thrilling opportunity to be back at Penn presenting the film as its producer and even more inspiring to speak with students who are effecting change.” It’s Basic made its world premiere at the 2023 Tribeca Film Festival and continues to be featured on a nationwide film festival tour, where Elizabeth has “had the joy of reconnecting with former classmates in multiple cities, in particular at Philadelphia’s Ritz Theater this past October.” She is currently producing new films and handles distribution for existing films.
Celebrate Your Reunion, May 17–19, 2024!
1985
Stephen M. Cohen C’85 writes, “I am proud to note several books in print, including America’s Scientific Treasures, 2nd edition (Oxford University Press, 2020), describing scientific and technological sites of interest to adults in all 50 states around the USA; O Mg! How Chemistry Came to Be (World Scientific, 2022), the first accessible history of chemistry in over half a century, and in graphic form (which I both wrote and drew as a pandemic project); and What’s in a Name? A Young Person’s Jewish Genealogy Workbook, 2nd edition (JewishGen Press, 2024), a unique how-to Jewish genealogy book for teens, including charts for the junior genealogist to fill in. Alumni can also hear my popular podcast, The History of Chemistry, available on most popular podcast apps, telling the history of chemistry (for the non-scientist) from prehistoric times to the present. (I mention Penn in both O Mg! and the podcast occasionally, and Philadelphia has several important sites for you to visit in America’s Scientific Treasures.) I am available to give talks on both genealogical and chemical topics for the general audience.”
John H. Grady L’85 see Athena Anthopoulos C’86 GEd’93.
Charles Hecker C’85 has worked as a journalist and a geopolitical risk consultant and is now the author of a new book, Zero Sum: The Arc of International Business in Russia. Charles writes, “The book relies extensively on interviews from executives, government officials, analysts and expats active on the ground in Russia since the collapse of the Soviet Union. I also was greatly aided by professors at Wharton, the School of Arts and Sciences, and affiliates of Perry World House in reporting the book. The book is quite Red and Blue, you might say.”
1986
Athena Anthopoulos C’86 GEd’93 and John H. Grady L’85 were married on June 12, 2021, in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania.
Ralph H. Cathcart C’86, a partner at Ladas & Parry, was recently recognized by Savoy magazine as one of the “2024 Most Influential Lawyers” (Summer 2024). He was also recently named as an IP Star 2024 by Managing Intellectual Property magazine and as a WTR1000 top attorney by World Trademark Report. Ralph represents clients in the maintenance, protection, and enforcement of intellectual property rights.
Dr. David Nash WG’86, an internist, dean emeritus, and professor of health policy at Jefferson College of Population Health, has been named secretary/treasurer of the board of directors of the Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education.
1987
Lisa Litt C’87 W’87, a clinical faculty member of the department of psychology at the New School for Social Research, recently celebrated the publication of her new book, Treatment of Traumatic Stress and Substance Misuse: A Guide to Integrative Practice, written with colleague Denise Hien. Lisa writes, “The book offers a meaningful and practical perspective on working with these challenging co-occurring clinical concerns. [We] review the landscape of evidence-based treatments for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), other trauma-related problems, and substance misuse, and present an integrative, culturally responsive framework for assessment and treatment.”
1988
Michael Levy W’88 see Diana Busch Levy C’89.
David M. Mizrachi C’88, a lawyer, has been appointed a senior fellow of the Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government of the Harvard Kennedy School at Harvard University.
1989
Diana Busch Levy C’89 and Michael Levy W’88 are the owners of Undercover Chocolate, which manufacturers Undercover Chocolate Quinoa Crisps. Recently, Diana, who is 57 years old, was named to Forbes’s “50 Over 50” list for her work at the company. The couple shares that their quinoa crisps are “now sold in nearly 30,000 locations, [and] our products are also served on United Airlines, which hands out 4 to 6 million units per month.”
Celebrate Your Reunion, May 17–19, 2024!
1990
Dr. Lawrence R. Selinger GD’90 writes, “My wife, Millie Korman Selinger, published a memoir, called Hidden in the Open, which chronicles how her mother’s ingenuity and bravery managed to defy Hitler during World War II. The family of three survived [in Nazi-occupied Poland] by living on gentile papers. My wife did not know she was Jewish until she was eight and a half years old, when in 1947 the family escaped to Germany. More information can be found on her website, millieselinger.weebly.com.”
1992
Dr. Dawn Filos Mauro V’92 is a small-animal veterinarian and author of a new book, Tales of a Pet Vet: Stories from the Clinic and House Calls. From the press release: “From eccentric families with too many pets to owners whose devotion to their animals knows no bounds, veterinarian Dr. Dawn Filos shares the highs and lows of vet care in her new memoir.”
1994
Constance Cone GFA’94 has been working as an artist since 1973. A new show of her photographs, titled “78° North,” is now on exhibit at 3rd Street Gallery in Philadelphia through December 1.
Karen Fang C’94 is the author of Background Artist: The Life and Work of Tyrus Wong. From the press release: “The book … delves into the extraordinary journey of Tyrus Wong, a Chinese immigrant who overcame significant challenges, including time spent in offshore detention centers, to achieve a successful career as an artist, most notably for his work on Disney’s Bambi.”
Allie Nava C’94 writes, “I’m excited to share news of the release of my novel, July and Everything After. It’s a story of resilience amid unspeakable oppression and dehumanization, and the story of forgotten voices, survival, and healing during an overlooked dark period in human history. The story cuts across the US, Sri Lanka, and India. The novel has been called ‘Compelling … riveting … a delicately woven tale of healing’ by Midwest Book Review. I’m grateful for the support the book is receiving and share this now with our wonderful classmates.”
1996
Falguni Desai W’96 is a senior advisor at Microsoft. She works with large banks and financial institution clients in a strategy advisory role, helping with digital transformation. “Still traveling and supporting environmental causes,” she writes that she is “particularly focused on rainforest and ocean related causes” in her free time. She is based in New York City.
Pamela L. Geller C’96 Gr’04, an associate professor of anthropology at the University of Miami, has authored a new book, Becoming Object: The Sociopolitics of the Samuel George Morton Cranial Collection. According to the book’s press release, “Geller uses a biohistoric approach, which examines skeletal remains and archival sources, to take a close look at the times in which Morton lived, his work, and its complicated legacy.”
Jeremy A. Kahn C’96 is the author of Mastering AI: A Survival Guide to Our Superpowered Future. From the book’s description: “A Fortune magazine journalist draws on his expertise and extensive contacts among the companies and scientists at the forefront of artificial intelligence to offer dramatic predictions of AI’s impact over the next decade, from reshaping our economy and the way we work, learn, and create to unknitting our social fabric, jeopardizing our democracy, and fundamentally altering the way we think.”
Joseph Sciorra Gr’96, director of academic and cultural programs at Queens College, received the Vernacular Architecture Forum’s 2024 Catherine W. Bishir Prize, which is “awarded annually to the scholarly article from a juried North American publication that has made the most significant contribution to the study of vernacular architecture and cultural landscapes.” He won it for his article “‘The Strange Artistic Genius of This People’: The Ephemeral Art and Impermanent Architecture of Italian Immigrant Catholic Feste,” published in Buildings & Landscapes: Journal of the Vernacular Architecture Forum (Spring/Fall 2023). More information can be found at vafweb.org/page-1821960.
1997
William A. Sikes Gr’97 is an artist, educator, and the author of a new book, The End of Meaning: Cultural Change in America Since 1945, which charts the decline of experiences that give life meaning—art, literature, education, and more—and considers the implications of this loss for society at large.
1998
Katie Murtha C’98 has been appointed senior director of development at the Penn Museum. In this role, she is responsible for advancing the museum’s fundraising and alumni relations program. Previously, Katie served as the senior director of principal and major gifts at the Juilliard School, a performing arts conservatory of music, dance, and drama.
Doug Stambaugh W’98 has been promoted to senior vice president of corporate development and business operations for the global publisher Simon & Schuster, where he has worked for 16 years. He writes, “I have added global M&A and corporate development to my prior portfolio of operational and business development responsibilities.”
Cynthia Gibbs Wilson G’98 was awarded a PhD in Organizational Development and Change by Fielding Graduate University in July. She writes, “My research is on African Americans in the private equity industry, with a focus on those working in the venture capital sector. In many respects, the insights shared with me are inspirational. This research allows me to contribute to highlighting pathways to success as experienced individually and collectively by African Americans engaged in the private equity field. You may have insights to share on the topic. If so, please message me on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/in/cynthia-wilson-wealthgapresearcher.”
1999
Jennifer Estaris C’99 W’99 is the director of a new video game arriving on Netflix Games in December, called Monument Valley 3. Described as “a beautiful and meditative puzzle game,” the Monument Valley series has been featured in museums such as New York’s Museum of Modern Art and has inspired artists like singer-songwriter Ariana Grande. More information can be found at monumentvalleygame.com.
Ella Woger-Nieves C’99 is CEO of Invest Puerto Rico, a nonprofit that works to elevate Puerto Rico as a world-class business destination. She was appointed in 2023, after serving as acting CEO in 2022.
Celebrate Your Reunion, May 17–19, 2024!
2000
Grace Chiang Nicolette C’00 is the cohost of the fourth season of the podcast Giving Done Right, which she describes as “a show with everything donors need to know to make an impact with their charitable giving.” It can be found on all podcast platforms and at givingdoneright.org. As of this fall, Grace has been working at the Center for Effective Philanthropy in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where she is vice president of programming and external relations.
2002
Jeremy Braddock Gr’02 has published a new study of the Firesign Theatre, titled Firesign: The Electromagnetic History of Everything as Told on Nine Comedy Albums. From the book’s description, it’s “a cultural clearinghouse of the American 1960s and ‘70s told through the story of the period’s most important forgotten comedy group.”
Artis Henderson C’02 W’02 is a recipient of a 2024 Fulbright-National Geographic Award. As such, she will spend eight months in Western Australia studying marine stromatolites, the world’s oldest living microorganisms. Artis writes, “I’ll be working with a team of scientists that includes a paleontologist, an astrobiologist, and an oceanographer, as well as the Malgana people, traditional custodians of Shark Bay (Gatharragudu).” Artis is an author of two books, the first a memoir about her husband’s death in Iraq; and the second, an investigative piece about drug smuggling in the 1980s, forthcoming from HarperCollins. She writes, “I intend to use the research from my Fulbright-National Geographic award as material for my third book, a braided narrative that includes the perspectives of scientists, Malgana elders, and my own experiences.”
2004
Athena Aktipis G’04 Gr’08 has authored her second book, A Field Guide to the Apocalypse: A Mostly Serious Guide to Surviving Our Wild Times. Drawing on evolutionary biology, history, brain science, game theory, and more, cooperation theorist (and, coincidentally, zombie expert) Athena reassuringly explains how we, as a species, are “hardwired to survive big existential crises—and how we can do so by leveraging our innate abilities to communicate and cooperate,” according to the press materials. An associate professor at Arizona State University, Athena is cofounder of Zombified Media, “a nonprofit media company that produces educational podcasts, TV shows, and academic crossover events to help humanity survive the zombie apocalypse and other catastrophes.” Read more about Athena’s work at athenaaktipis.org.
Patrick Spero G’04 Gr’09 has been appointed CEO of the American Philosophical Society. Founded in 1743 by Benjamin Franklin, the APS is “the nation’s oldest learned society.” Patrick is a historian who has published widely on the era of the American Revolution. Previously, he was director of the APS’s library and museum from 2015 to 2023.
Celebrate Your Reunion, May 17–19, 2024!
2005
Adam Burgos C’05 was recently awarded tenure and promoted to associate professor in the philosophy department at Bucknell University. His research and teaching focuses on political philosophy, philosophy of race, and Latin American philosophy. He shares that he has many fond memories of his time as a philosophy major while at Penn.
Nicole Oddo Smith C’05 is the founder of a new business, Advantageous Recruiting and HR Consulting (www.advantageoushr.com). Nicole shares that she’s excited to combine her “experience and passion for recruiting and human resources” and welcomes the chance to support fellow Penn alumni businesses. Nicole and her family reside in Mount Airy, Philadelphia, and are “looking forward to reconnecting with classmates during our 20th Reunion, May 16–18!”
Daniel J. Tyrrell C’05, an attorney, has joined Bressler Amery & Ross as counsel in the commercial litigation practice group. Previously, he served as an assistant district attorney with the New York County District Attorney’s Office.
2007
Cirel Watnik Magen CGS’07 see Howard Magen W’53.
2009
Maura Cheeks C’09’s debut novel Acts of Forgiveness was released in February. In late June, Maura opened Liz’s Book Bar in the Carroll Gardens section of Brooklyn, a bookstore offering coffee, tea, beer, and wine with light bites. Named after her grandmother, the store has been described as “a place where you can feel comfortable just spending time.”
David Corvi GEd’09 GEd’11 writes, “On October 26, 2021, my wife and I lost our son, Charlie, to stillbirth due to a true knot in his umbilical cord. Since then, we have learned that around 21,000 babies die each year from stillbirth. About a quarter of these are preventable.” David and his wife have created the Charles Martin Corvi Fund to support families who have experienced pregnancy or infant loss. In addition, David wrote a book, Dear Charlie… Letters to My Son: A Father’s Journey of Loss, Grief, and Remembrance. More information about both can be found at charlesmartincorvi.org.
Celebrate Your Reunion, May 17–19, 2024!
2010
Marcia Budet GAr’10 GFA’10, a fine jewelry designer, is featured in a new book by Linda Kozloff-Turner, titled Women of Jewelry, now a part of the University of Pennsylvania’s Fisher Fine Arts Library permanent collection. Marcia shares that she is the only Puerto Rican designer featured in the book, which is a compilation of work and interviews of 100 women jewelry designers from all over the world. Marcia’s pieces have been showcased on the red carpet at the Met Gala and New York Fashion week runway shows, and her work has been published in British Vogue, Elle, and Women’s Wear Daily. She writes, “I’m proud to bring my Penn architectural background into my work and believe it to be a differentiator that makes it easily recognizable in the jewelry industry.” More information about Marcia and her line of jewelry can be found at marciabudet.com.
Liza St. James C’10, a writer, translator, and writing teacher, was recognized with a 2024 Artist Fellowship in Fiction from the New York State Council on the Arts and the New York Foundation for the Arts. More information about Liza and a sampling of her work can be found at her website, lizastjames.com.
2011
Diana Imbert-Hodges C’11 LPS’15 is cofounder of Defying Legal Gravity, a nonprofit that teaches legal literacy and civics to low-income students in New York City. Recently, Diana was awarded $200,000 from the David Prize, which recognizes people in New York who have “big ideas to make it even better.” More information about the prize and a short video-biography of Diana can be found at thedavidprize.org/winners/diana-imbert-hodges.
2013
Paul Wolff Mitchell C’13 G’14 Gr’22 and Christiaan van Dijk were married in Urk, the Netherlands, on June 7, and held a ceremony in the Hooglandse Kerk in Leiden, the Netherlands, on June 8. Guests included Samantha Sharon Ashok C’17 and Ana María Gómez López C’03 G’04. Paul is a postdoctoral researcher in anthropology at the University of Amsterdam. Christiaan is a chaplain at the Leiden University Medical Center. The couple lives with their two dogs in Leiden, the Netherlands.
2016
Aly Murray C’16 is cofounder of UPchieve, an edtech nonprofit that helps low-income students access live academic support [“Opening Doors,” Sep|Oct 2021]. UPchieve was recently named the top winner of the CTIA Wireless Foundation annual competitive grants program, Catalyst. As such, UPchieve will receive a $100,000 grant to help further its mission of providing free tutoring and college counseling.
2024
Nisha H. Shah EAS’24 has been selected to be part of Carnegie Mellon University’s inaugural cohort of the Rales Fellows Program. As a member of the cohort, Nisha will be studying Materials Science and Engineering, and she will receive faculty mentorship, professional development, career advisement, and a financial award that covers tuition, as well as a monthly stipend for living expenses.
