“It’s been a good life, and there’s more to come!”
—W. Curtis Schade C’67
1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s
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1958
Stuart Gellman W’58 was recently honored by Hospice and Palliative Care Buffalo in New York, at a groundbreaking ceremony for a new building named the Stuart Gellman Family Pavilion. The pavilion will accommodate over 400 people for staff meetings, as well as memorials and community events. The pavilion will be the centerpiece of a large area on the campus to be known as the Pathways of Remembrance.
1961
Eugene Elander G’61 has earned a PhD in economic systems from European–American University in Paris. His academic work focuses on an economic system he calls Cooperatism. He writes, “In Cooperatism, all economic interest groups are represented in decision-making by cooperatives.” These cooperatives, he explains, “are governed by the equivalent of the system of checks and balances in the political structure of many modern nations.” Eugene has been “striving for decades to secure the trial adoption of Cooperatism in one or more nations,” and he now focuses on European nations, as a dual citizen of Sweden and the United States.
Michael Zuckerman C’61 see Rita Axelroth Hodges C’05 GEd’15 GrEd’24.
1962
N. Bruce Rogers C’62 G’63 writes, “This past spring, I published a new nonfiction book, Why You Should Be Religious. It is part sociological, part physics, part biology, and overall religious, embracing not only Christianity but also Judaism and Islam.”
Steve Stovall W’62 ASC’63 participated in three races this summer in Colorado. On June 7, at a 5K in Evans, he won first place in the 80-and-over age category; on June 27, at a 5K in Thornton, he won first place in the 80-and-over category; on July 4 at a 4K in Boulder, he won second place in the 80-and-over category. He humbly adds that he was the only runner over 80 years old in two of the races and came in second in a race with only two octogenarian runners. “For better or for worse, I wore my Penn red-and-blue singlet in each event, “ he writes. “At this age (84), I don’t improve my times, I train hard to delay the slowing process. “
1963
Carolyn Rosen Boiarsky CW’63 writes, “I have been living in Hammond, Indiana, for the past 30 years, where I am a professor of English at Purdue University Northwest. The area reminds me of the area around the Philadelphia airport with its industries and oil refineries that you see as you drive over the Platt Memorial Bridge to catch your plane. After 25 years here, I discovered that I was living within 10 miles of a Superfund site. I returned to my first career as an investigative reporter for United Press International and began investigating the site. My book about the 1,100 mainly minority residents who were summarily evicted from their homes because of the pollution from the nearby industries was recently published by Purdue University Press and is available at Barnes & Noble and from Amazon.” Carolyn’s book is titled Lead Babies and Poisoned Housing: Environmental Injustice, Systemic Racism, and Governmental Failure.
1964
Stuart Resor C’64 writes, “As I was leaving Penn in the spring of 1964, I overheard the Beach Boys’ new song ‘Wendy’ playing loudly from the Architecture department. Later, in Puerto Rico, I heard more Beach Boys songs and thought, ‘California’s got to be a great place!’ Little did I know that through a chance of luck, I would cross paths with them in California. I had sent the San Diego Padres baseball team a note saying I had just finished restoring my 1946 Mercury Woodie Wagon and I would offer it to them for any purpose. About one week later, I got an unexpected call from Padres marketing executive Andy Strasberg, asking me if I would like to drive the Beach Boys up to the stage for a postgame concert. I said, ‘Definitely!’ and then about fainted. Soon that would all take place, and then began a great connection to the Beach Boys, their families, and all their concerts near enough to use the Woodie Wagon over and over again!”
David B. Zwirn C’64 L’67 writes, “The note from my classmate Stuart Resor C’64 brought back a fond memory [“Alumni Notes” May|Jun 2025]. I, too, was there when Grace Kelly came out of the Van Pelt Library and impressed us all. Stuart mentions Grace’s father, John Kelly Sr. Both he and his son, known in sports as Jack Kelly Jr. C’50, were world-class rowers. Jack is one of the Penn alumni to win the coveted Sullivan Award, given annually to America’s most outstanding amateur athlete. The other two are Joe Burk W’34 Hon’88, who, like Jack, was awarded the Sullivan for rowing, and Barney Berlinger Sr. W’31, who won for track and field. Few, if any, colleges can boast three Sullivan Award winners. Wasn’t Margaret Majer, Kelly’s mother, the University’s first female physical education instructor?” [Ed. Note: Yes, it’s true that Margaret Majer taught physical education for women at Penn, although she was not the first. She succeeded Ethel Loring, and you can read more about her on Penn Archives’ website, tinyurl.com/MargaretMajer.]
1965
Arthur L. Finkle WG’65, a court mediator and Jewish educator, has been designated as an Advanced Practitioner of mediation/arbitration by the Association for Conflict Resolution. Arthur has taught numerous courses in political science, history, and public administration at Rutgers University, Rider University, Kean University, SUNY, and community colleges; written 26 books; and penned hundreds of professional articles.
1967
W. Curtis Schade C’67 is long retired and living in Lake Oswego, Oregon. A French major at Penn, he went on to get his master’s and PhD. After a stint in college admissions work, his career was mostly in private, independent schools (two of them boarding schools) in Missouri, Connecticut, Maryland, and Utah, as a teacher, coach, and administrator. In retirement, he did college counseling, educational consulting, and helped start and run a summer program in Paris, whose primary focus was community service. Curtis writes, “A lot of tennis and skiing early on, Rotary and volunteer work, travels, keeping in touch with friends. It’s been a good life, and there’s more to come!”
Amy Shelanski CW’67 continues her long career as a real estate agent with Berkshire Hathaway Home Services Fox & Roach in Philadelphia. With no plans to retire in the near future, she’d love to hear from Penn alums in the Philly area. Reach out to her at [email protected].
1969
Chris Kurz C’69 WG’71 is the author of Why Not You! The Entrepreneur’s Playbook: 50 Years of Wisdom for Business Success. Chris writes, “The book identifies four characteristics of a successful entrepreneur—Passion, Attitude, Continuing Education, and Pearls of Wisdom—and then looks at business disciplines—finance, marketing, personnel, DEI, etc.—with important things to know in each area. Pearls of Wisdom are the things you learn over your career that you wish you knew when you started.” Chris says the book is based on his experience starting with a Wharton MBA and pursuing a successful entrepreneurial career in real estate and finance.
1970
Dr. Peter J. Barbour C’70, a retired neurologist and now full-time writer and illustrator, has written a new book for young adults, Fifteen Keys. He shares, “Set in the late 1800s, in the Pacific Northwest, three teens set out on a journey to find 15 keys that will help them to enter adulthood. Challenges from weather, terrain, and a host of odd characters threaten to defeat them. Will they succeed? Each experience is a life lesson that helps them to reach their goal.”
Stuart M. Widman W’70, of Chicago, received a Fulbright (Specialist) Award in 2024 to teach commercial arbitration from October to November 2024 at the Jigme Singye Wangchuck School of Law in Bhutan. That was his sixth overseas teaching or consulting engagement in arbitration or mediation, having previously done programs in Nigeria (1974–1976, 2014), Lesotho (2013), Cuba (2014), and Nepal (2015). Stu still has an active commercial arbitration and mediation practice at Widman Law Offices LLC, in Chicago.
1972
Bruce Olster W’72 shares that he “launched a credit fund in early 2025 to provide capital for new home construction through independent mortgage bankers throughout the US (wyndoncapital.com/debtfund). A 35-year passion germinated at Wharton and became an industry-leading expertise. I am joined in this venture by another Penn alumnus, Ted Demiris W’24.”
Deborah R. Willig CW’72, managing partner at Willig, Williams & Davidson, has been named a 2025 Pennsylvania Super Lawyer for employment and labor law by Super Lawyers.
1973
Seth Bergmann GEE’73 writes, “On June 1, I completed the American Cancer Society Bridge-to-Beach 66-mile bicycle ride from Philadelphia to Ventnor City, New Jersey.”
Jeff Lawrence C’73 was inducted into the International Maritime Hall of Fame in New York City on May 21. Jeff practiced international transportation law in Washington, DC, for over 40 years. After merging his boutique transportation law firm into the Philadelphia-based Cozen O’Connor law firm in 2010, he headed Cozen’s Transportation and Trade Practice Group, until his retirement in 2023. He currently is the managing director of a maritime industry transportation utility company, heads a trade association of 10 major containership carriers, and advises a number of shipping industry companies and associations. Jeff and his wife of 52 years, Donna, live in Silver Spring, Maryland. Their children and 10 grandchildren live on the East and West Coasts of the US and in Israel. He writes, “Full retirement beckons somewhere down the road.”
1975
Mary Donaldson-Evans Gr’75, having turned to creative writing after retiring from her position as Elias Ahuja Professor of French at the University of Delaware in 2011, has published two books with British press Austin Macauley. The first, Behind the Lines: A Soldier, His Family and the 10th Mountain Division, was inspired by the discovery of hundreds of letters exchanged by her parents during World War II. Released in July, the second, One Foot in the Grave, the Other on the Treadmill: Reflections from Over the Hill, is a whimsical collection of essays on aging written over a period of 30 years. Both are available on Amazon and in e-book format. For more information and links to short stories, visit marydonaldson-evans.com.
Sam J. Rabinowitz WG’75 writes, “Retiring after 42 years in small business, I have reawakened my creative side. My musical, Arthur Reborn (arthurreborn.com), has received several table readings, and last year an abridged staged reading was performed at the University of Nevada, Reno. My monologue, A Breath of Fresh Air, is scheduled to be performed twice this year, following its premiere performance last year. My poem, ‘When You Have to Say Goodbye,’ was recently published in print in two poetry journals. I am currently writing my next musical. As [filmmaker and comic book writer] J. Michael Straczynski has said, ‘Never surrender dreams.’ I continue to pursue mine.”
Mark L. Silow C’75 received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Legal Intelligencer. He is currently chair emeritus of Fox Rothschild, after helping to grow the law firm from a Philadelphia-centered office of 200 attorneys to a national firm of 1,000 attorneys in 30 offices across the US.
1976
Dr. Robert Fleisher GD’76 is the author of Bulletproof Healthcare Practice: Risk Management Essentials for Clinicians. From the book’s description: “It’s a practical, no-nonsense guide to help clinicians minimize their legal exposure while providing exceptional patient care.”
Emily Squires Levine C’76, an artist living in Philadelphia, is showing her work in an exhibit called Growing Towards the Sun at the Courtyard by Marriott Philadelphia South at the Navy Yard from July 15 through November 4. Emily uses layers of polymer clay to create patterned canes that are then sliced into the components that make up each piece. Pictures of her work can be found at emilysquireslevine.com.
Bruce M. Ludwig L’76, retired partner at Willig, Williams & Davidson, has been named a 2025 Pennsylvania Super Lawyer for employment and labor law by Super Lawyers.
1977
David Chanko W’77 has started his 49th year in education, having begun as a teaching assistant at Arizona State University in 1977. Will he make it to 50? “Only one more Grand Canyon University adjunct-professor contract to go!” he writes.
1978
Dr. Linda Rhodes V’78 announces her upcoming book, Breaking the Barnyard Barrier: A Woman Veterinarian Paves the Way, to be published in February by the University of Nevada Press. She writes, “The book is a memoir about my struggle breaking into large-animal vet medicine in Utah and Idaho in the late 1970s, where all the vets were men and all the farmers were Mormons. Although it is a story of that time, it is also a commentary on the struggles women face as they attempt to succeed in a profession traditionally dominated by men. Veterinary medicine has become feminized over the last 50 years, with the majority of graduates women, but still in large-animal medicine, there is a bias against women, and there continues to be a pay gap, with women making 80 percent of what men in comparable jobs make.”
Steven Weisz C’78 GEd’79 exhibited his photography under the banner of Art Imagined Photography at the historic Basilica of San Carlo in Milan, Italy, in 2024. His work has continued to tour internationally, with recent highlights including a feature at Miami Beach’s Art Deco Weekend in January and Expo Metro Barcelona’s Art Tunnel in June, showcased at the Passeig de Gràcia Metro Station. Next up is an exhibition in December in Hong Kong, where his photographs will be displayed along Hennessy Road, a well-known shopping district in Wan Chai. Through these global showcases, Steven continues to share his artistic vision with audiences around the world. More on his work at artimagined.photo.
1979
Kimberly Haas C’79 see Derek van der Tak C’82.
1980
Marc H. Morial C’80 was one of the recipients of a Penn Alumni Award of Merit for 2024 [“Homecoming 2024,” Jan|Feb 2025]. Marc is the president and CEO of the National Urban League, a civil rights and urban advocacy organization, and was recently inducted as an inaugural member of the New Orleans Walk of Fame, as well as the Louisiana Political Hall of Fame. His book, The Gumbo Coalition: 10 Leadership Lessons That Help You Inspire, Unite and Achieve, is used in leadership classes at several American universities; and the HBO Max documentary The Gumbo Coalition chronicles his work alongside that of a Latino civil rights leader. He is also host of America’s Black Forum, a nationally syndicated television show. Marc was featured in our Mar|Apr 2005 issue [“Man in a Hurry”].
Stu Morse C’80 announces the launch of Agent Career Education, an online digital course and mentorship company for real estate agents. As founder and chief education and strategic officer of the company, he says, “The disappearance of traditional mentorship and today’s broker-centric training produces an 80 percent failure rate among newly licensed agents. We find this unacceptable and are countering it with innovative course content and digital mentoring that is truly agent-centric.” He adds, “There goes my (drinking a highball) retirement plans.”
Jody Schuhart C’80 WG’84 writes, “Last July, Scott MacDougal WG’84 and I sold the SaaS [software as a service] business we’ve been building for 25-plus years. And then we retired on January 1! We’ve been living in/on Fox Lake, Illinois, for 10 years, and enjoy boating with our dog Odin. Our two daughters live in Skokie, Illinois, and L.A. … no grandkids yet. Retirement is good so far—more reading, golf, three-plus daily walks with Odin. On the docket: more boating, visiting friends and family we haven’t seen enough, starting a new hobby or two, and lots of travel—Scotland and Portugal this year; Greece, Croatia, and Africa next year.”
1981
Dr. Charles L. Bennett M’81 received the first AC Buehler Chair in Medicine and Economics at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and the Kellogg School of Management and subsequently the inaugural SmartState Chair in Safety and Efficacy at the University of South Carolina College of Pharmacy. In 2023, Simon and Schuster published his biography, Taking on Big Pharma: Dr. Charles Bennett’s Battle, authored by Julius Getman and Terri LeClerq. The book covers his research in identifying 50 of the most serious pharmaceutical-adverse drug reactions in the setting of hematology and oncology. Charles shares that the Buehler Endowed Chair was awarded by Penn President J. Larry Jameson, who was dean of the Feinberg School of Medicine at the time. The audiobook is read by actor Stephen Lang, who appears as Colonel Quaritch in James Cameron’s Avatar franchise. Two Oscar-winning producers, Al Ruddy and Grey Fredrickson, assisted Charles in completing a movie based on the book. Charles is particularly focused on oncology, having been treated for his own prostate cancer in 2006, which was diagnosed just as he received his first endowed chair.
J. Noel Hubler C’81 G’95 is the author of a new book, Race and the Politics of Fear: A History of an American Oligarchic Construct. He writes, “This book traces the oligarchic construction of race from its creation in the Colonial period and through a study of four major figures. James Madison helped formulate the Constitution to provide protection for the Southern oligarchies and was a founder of the Democratic-Republican party dominated by Southern interests. John C. Calhoun’s theory of the concurrent majority provided a blueprint for the South’s political strategy in the Jim Crow era. Ben Tillman redefined race primarily as a feeling as an excuse for the South’s violent oppression of the Black community. Ronald Reagan retooled the traditional racist myths and made them palatable to a national audience.”
1982
Martin Kimel C’82 writes, “At the end of May, after years of work, the book I coauthored with my late father, The Pessimist’s Son: A Holocaust Memoir of Hope, was published. While the book is written for a general audience, I am honored it has been acquired by many leading academic libraries, including the Wiener Holocaust Library (London), Harvard, Yale, Stanford, Princeton, Penn, NYU, Rice, McGill, the University of Toronto, the University of Texas–Dallas, and Auburn University at Montgomery.” More information can be found at martinkimel.com.
Zenos Frudakis FA’82 GFA’83, a sculptor known for his public monuments and portrait statues [“Sculpting a Life Story,” Nov|Dec 2024], has created a 10-foot bronze statue of Muhammad Ali—the nation’s largest of the boxer and civil rights activist—in downtown Lewiston, Maine. The work depicts the young Ali in a moment of poised triumph and “reflects Ali’s grace, strength, and moral courage,” Zenos said in a statement. “He was a true original—a man who stood firm in his convictions and inspired the world through his words and actions as much as his fists.”
Derek van der Tak C’82 and Kimberly Haas C’79 were married on October 11, with their three daughters and their partners in attendance. Derek is a pianist and music educator, having taught in Friends schools for many years. Kimberly is a journalist and, since 2019, serves as a staff writer for Hidden City Philadelphia. Prior to that, she worked in radio at WHYY, as the founding executive producer of the program Echoes, and as music director of WXPN. The couple lives in Philadelphia.
1983
Dr. Stan Savinese C’83 has been promoted to full professor of medicine at Penn’s Perelman School of Medicine. Stan is the medical director of Penn Medicine Hospice.
1984
Julie Dobrow ASC’84 Gr’87, a professor at Tufts University and director of its Center for Interdisciplinary Studies, has written a new book about two activists whose marriage challenged the gender and racial norms of their time. Love and Loss After Wounded Knee: A Biography of an Extraordinary Interracial Marriage, comes out from NYU Press in November.
R. May Lee C’84 has been appointed president of the Olin College of Engineering. Previously, she was vice president and chief strategy officer for institutional impact at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
Scott MacDougal WG’84 see Jody Schuhart C’80 WG’84.
1985
Matthew Elliott GAr’85, a principal at Elliott Architects, was one of the 200 architects included in Forbes magazine’s 2025 list of America’s Top Residential Architects.
1986
David Blatte W’86, class president, writes, “Greetings ‘86ers! We want you! We are kicking off our 40th Reunion (yes … our 40th!) and looking for classmates to help with the planning. Also why not join our Class Board as well? What better way to stay involved with Penn and our class than to be a Class Board member? Lots of perks!” David asks fellow classmates to reach out at [email protected], adding, “Don’t be shy!”
Keith Moskow GAr’86, a partner at Moskow Linn Architects, was one of the 200 architects included in Forbes magazine’s 2025 list of America’s Top Residential Architects.
1987
David L. Richter W’87 EAS’87 L’92 shares that he “achieved another milestone on the path of lifelong education,” earning his sixth degree, an MS in civil engineering from Columbia University. David was also recently promoted to executive vice president, chief growth officer, and chief legal officer at Atwell, a national engineering and construction firm.
1988
Cynthia McVay G’88 WG’88, an artist, writer, and frequent contributor to the Gazette, has authored her first book, A Field of My Own: A Memoir of Place. From the book’s description: “As a single working mother, Cynthia sought a weekend escape from New York City, a piece of green, a place to call her own. One blustery winter day, she falls in love with a meadow and her life is forever altered. She renovates the modest cottage, builds a pondish-pool, creates pollinating, native gardens from orphans and strays, learns to forage and runs the tractor. A decade in, as architect and general contractor, she moves an enormous 180-year-old hand-hewn Amish barn to the property to make her sustainable home.” In August, Cynthia gave a reading from her book at an event jointly hosted by PennNYC and Wharton Alumni Club New York. More information is available at whartonny.com.
Toby Usnik GEd’88 and Samir Kanuga have coauthored a new book, Connecting the Dots: Building Your Network and Legacy. From the description, “This book delves into the art of networking across generations, teaching readers how to engage with anyone and build strategic relationships that resonate with their life’s purpose.”
1989
John Budd W’89 has been named the CEO of the Oklahoma Department of Commerce, after working in philanthropy for three years. He writes, “This is my second stint in government service. After overseeing state operations during the pandemic, I’m looking forward to focusing on creating growth and opportunity for Oklahomans.”
1990
Dr. Louis Marion C’90 D’94 G’94 received an award for clinical excellence at Noris Medical’s Global Implant Conference in Tirol, Austria, where he presented his techniques in implant dentistry for survivors of oral cancer. He currently works at two offices: in Center City Philadelphia at 15th and Locust and at the Dental Partners of 5th Avenue in New York’s Upper East Side. He recently attended his 35th Reunion at Penn, noting the “wonderful festivities.” Louis invites alumni contact at [email protected].
Dr. Christopher A. Troianos GM’90 was the keynote speaker at the 2025 annual meeting of the Society of Cardiovascular Anesthesiologists, which had over 1,400 registrants from across the world. The title of his talk was “The Importance of Physician Leadership in Today’s Healthcare Challenges.” Christopher serves as the Enterprise Chair of Anesthesiology at Cleveland Clinic and is a past president of the Society of Cardiovascular Anesthesiologists and the National Board of Echocardiography.
1991
Virginia Adams O’Connell G’91 Gr’01 is author of a new book, Remission Quest: A Medical Sociologist Navigates Cancer (Temple University Press). From the book’s description: “As a medical sociologist, Virginia Adams O’Connell long studied the healthcare system and people navigating illness. Then, in 2019, she confronted her own reality of being diagnosed with primary bone lymphoma. … Remission Quest chronicles how the reality of living with cancer changed her perspective on what she had studied.”
1995
Rachel Levy C’95, executive vice president of motion picture music for Universal Pictures, has been invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
David C. Mays EAS’95 is the 2025 recipient of the Charles R. O’Melia Distinguished Educator Award, presented by the Association of Environmental Engineering and Science Professors “for sustained and outstanding teaching and research contributions and inspirational mentoring” as an associate professor in the Department of Civil Engineering at the University of Colorado Denver (CU Denver). The path leading to this award began over 30 years ago in West Philly, where he worked as a physics tutor at Penn and volunteered as a fourth-grade reading tutor for the School District of Philadelphia. These experiences led him to Teach for America, where he taught high school drafting in St. Martinville, Louisiana. That experience inspired his graduate studies at the University of California at Berkeley, which led to his current engagement at CU Denver, where he recently finished his 20th year. David notes he “would be delighted to guide anyone curious about a career of teaching, research, and service,” and he can be contacted at [email protected].
Dan Schorr C’95 G’95 recently released his second novel, Open Bar, about a high-profile sexual misconduct scandal at a prominent university. Open Bar is based on Dan’s experience as a former New York sex crimes prosecutor and current sexual misconduct investigator and hearing officer at his firm Dan Schorr, LLC. More information is available at danschorrbooks.com. He writes, “The Penn English department greatly inspired me to pursue my dream of writing fiction, and I’m incredibly grateful for the wonderful professors and classmates I had at Penn.”
Mike Singleton C’95 has released a book of children’s poetry, titled Poetry Party. From the book’s description: “Each story explores important life lessons celebrating differences, embracing kindness, building confidence, and finding courage in everyday challenges.”
1996
Lieutenant Commander (LCDR) Jeff Krilla G’96 was awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Medal by the US Navy “for his extraordinary heroism on December 25, 2015,” when he “saved the lives of three individuals caught in a dangerous ocean rip current in Miami Beach, Florida,” according to the press release. This medal is the highest non-combat decoration awarded for heroism by the US Navy. “According to the award citation, LCDR Krilla, while spending time with his wife on Christmas Day, witnessed three tourists being pulled out to sea by strong currents. Without hesitation and with no regard for his own safety, LCDR Krilla immediately plunged into the water and battled the intense waves for 45 minutes, swimming hundreds of yards offshore to reach the children in distress, towing them to safety.”
1997
Kara Blond C’97 has been named the director of the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service and Smithsonian Affiliations. In this role, she will oversee efforts to share Smithsonian content through traveling exhibitions, foster collaboration among partner museums and cultural organizations, and expand unique learning experiences nationally.
1999
Signe Cohen Gr’99 and Rabia Gregory, both professors of religious studies at the University of Missouri-Columbia, are coeditors of a new book, Confluences: Religion, Health, and Diversity in Missouri. From the book’s description: “Contributors to this volume explore connections between religious affiliation, race, gender, ethnicity, epidemiology, and attitudes towards health and medicine in Missouri from the nineteenth century to the present day.”
Anita Mastroieni GGS’99 GrEd’10 retired from Penn after 30 years, most recently as associate vice provost for Graduate Education. She writes that she “misses the students and Penn colleagues, but not the daily commute!”
Luretha McClendon Tolson C’99 has joined Halloran Sage as a partner in the law firm’s New Haven, Connecticut, office.
2000
Kunal Bajaj EAS’00 GEng’00 W’00, cofounder and CEO of CloudExtel, was recently featured in a Business India cover story (May 22, 2025). In the article, Kunal reflects on his journey from Penn to founding India’s first full-stack network-as-a-service company, and the evolution of India’s digital infrastructure landscape. It can be read at tinyurl.com/KunalBajaj.
Melanie Redmond Richter C’00 recently accepted a position as the associate executive director of the George and Mary Kremer Foundation, a Florida-based nonprofit that provides Catholic elementary schools nationwide with tuition assistance grants for children from financially challenged families. Additionally, Melanie renewed her Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy (CAP) designation from the American College of Financial Services and serves on the board of the Association of Fundraising Professionals–Greater Philadelphia Chapter as its treasurer.
Larry Wiltshire EAS’00 has been appointed to the board of directors for the Mann Center. Larry is managing partner at Eastmond Parker, a boutique management consulting firm with expertise in bank regulation.
Philip Yoon C’00 has been elected as chair of the House of Delegates for the Pennsylvania Bar Association (PBA), the rulemaking authority of the PBA. The chair presides over the House meetings throughout the year and serves as an officer of the PBA’s Board of Governors. The position is for a two-year term.
2002
Scott R. Elkins G’02, CEO of Zeus Fire & Security, has won the EY Entrepreneur of the Year 2025 Award for the Greater Philadelphia region from Ernst & Young LLP. From the press release: “A second-generation fire and security entrepreneur, Scott built Universal Atlantic Systems into a thriving business before leading its acquisition and becoming the founding CEO of Zeus in 2022. Since then, he has transformed Zeus into one of the fastest-growing, tech-enabled life safety companies in the nation, completing 17 acquisitions, doubling profits, and expanding to nearly 800 employees across seven hubs.”
2005
Sherri Hope Culver CGS’05, a professor of instruction at Temple University and director of the Certificate in Children’s Media, has published a new report, “The Quality Question: Why Children’s Media Must Aim High” (https://centermil.org/2024/10/16/new-research-report-released/). In addition to teaching, Sherri also directs the Center for Media and Information Literacy and hosts the podcast Kids Talk Media.
Rita Axelroth Hodges C’05 GEd’15 GrEd’24, associate director of Penn’s Netter Center for Community Partnerships, and history professor emeritus Michael Zuckerman C’61 have edited a new book together, published by Penn Press, Community-Engaged Scholarship: Reflections from Netter Center Alumni. [Read more about the history of the Netter Center in “Ode to Ira,” Jul|Aug 2023.]
2010
Molly Johnsen C’10, a Vermont-based writer and teacher, is scheduled to publish her debut poetry collection, Everything Alive, in October.
2015
John A. McCabe LPS’15 has written a new novel, Reiko and the Visitor: Can Two People, One Irradiated in Nevada, the other in Hiroshima, Meet and Transform Us All?
2018
Peter Kong GEng’18 is the author of a new book, Snowbound: A Pressland Adventure. From the book’s description: “Intrepid researcher Mirana Orbelian will stop at nothing to uncover a mythical plant that could heal her dying father. But when her Himalayan expedition is ambushed, she’s forced to ally with Alex Pressland—a rogue ex-military pilot with a shared history that haunts them both. Together, they face ruthless Soviet commandos, deadly blizzards, and betrayal.”
2020
Anne Trumbore GrEd’20 has published her first book, The Teacher in the Machine: A Human History of Education Technology. She shares that the book uncovers “the surprising history of education technology and its political, financial, and social impact on higher education and our world.” She adds, “Penn’s journey in online learning and my own intersect directly with this history. I was hired by Wharton in early 2015 to start Wharton Online to help expand Penn and Wharton’s reputation as early leaders in the online learning space. While leading Wharton Online, I also earned my EdD from GSE. Those experiences, and the questions they raise, are woven throughout the book.”
2021
Erika T. Lin G’01 Gr’04 has been awarded an American Council of Learned Societies Fellowship for her book project on the birth of theater in Shakespeare’s holidays. An associate professor at the CUNY Graduate Center, she was one of 62 scholars selected from a pool of over 2,300 applicants.
2022
Rowana Miller C’22 has written her first young adult novel, Secrets of the Blue Hand Girls, described by the publisher as “a propulsive secret society thriller that is unapologetically queer, irresistibly twisty, and directly questions powerful institutions with a creatively treacherous plot.” A past winner of Penn’s President’s Engagement Prize, Rowana is the founder and executive director of Cosmic Writers, a nonprofit that provides creative writing education for kids and teenagers [“The Unexpected Entrepreneurs,” Sep|Oct 2024].
Emilio Martínez Poppe GCP’22 GFA’22, an artist who works for New York City’s department of cultural affairs, exhibited his first large-scale public art installation May 23–June 11 in Philadelphia’s City Hall courtyard with Mural Arts Philadelphia. Civic Views celebrates “the city’s municipal employees and their diverse perspectives on Philadelphia through poetic documentation of their office windows,” Emilio writes. “I actually began working on Civic Views in 2021 when I was a fine arts and city planning dual degree graduate student at Penn, first exhibiting the work in my MFA thesis exhibition.” More information and links to news coverage of the project can be found on his website, emiliomartinezpoppe.com.
2024
Ted Demiris W’24 see Bruce Olster W’72.
2025
Dominique J. Carroll G’25, a partner at the law firm Fox Rothschild, has received the 2025 Professional Lawyer of the Year Award from the Garden State Bar Association. From the press release: “The award recognizes attorneys who are respected by colleagues for their character, competence, and exemplary professional behavior.” Dominique focuses his practice on intellectual property litigation involving patents, trademarks, and copyrights.
