“I have been a supernumerary in 31 productions at the San Diego Opera since 2001.”
—Richard “Dick” W. Bridy W’69
1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s
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1953
Janet Lubowitz Kronfeld C’53 turned 95 in July, shares her daughter Linda Kronfeld C’78, a retired senior philanthropic advisor at Penn. Janet is also the mother of Julie Kronfeld C’82 and the grandmother of Natalie Gay C’12. At her birthday party, Linda shared some words about her mom, including these: “You still grocery shop and cook for yourself—and prepare your meals by plugging into your phone whatever you have in your fridge to get a recipe. You work on your strength and balance—your trainer has told you that you are in better shape than some of his 70-year-old clients. And, cane in hand, nobody can book it faster out of the Kimmel Center the minute the last orchestra note has been played. You read voraciously. … Your memory is still firing on all cylinders. … You are engaged with the world. … You are still making new friends. … You are one for the record books!”
1963
Judy Alpert Goffman Cutler CW’63 GEd’64 writes, “After more than 50 years spent discovering, collecting, and championing the work of America’s great illustrators, I have published a memoir reflecting on that journey.” Her new book is titled Reframed: How Seeing Value in Overlooked Art Changed My Life. Judy, who is also founder of the National Museum of American Illustration in Newport, Rhode Island, says, “Looking back, I never could have imagined that a lifelong passion for an overlooked field of American art would lead to the founding of [this museum] and help bring renewed recognition to artists such as Norman Rockwell, Maxfield Parrish, J. C. Leyendecker, N. C. Wyeth, Jessie Willcox Smith, and so many others.” From the press materials: “Judy’s memoir is an inspiring story of curiosity, perseverance, and an unwavering belief in the value of art that others had forgotten. Through remarkable discoveries, lifelong friendships, and decades of determination, she recounts how she challenged the art world’s dismissal of illustration and helped restore America’s great illustrators to their rightful place in the history of American art.”
1964
Deborah Elwell Arfken G’64, professor emerita of political science and public service at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, received a distinguished alumni award from the College of Wooster this May. She is also the coauthor of “Findings and Practical Guidelines for Interim Leaders,” a study of 24 interim CEOs in the Chattanooga, Tennessee, region, published in S.A.M. Advanced Management Journal in 2024. The article was reframed and published in May 2026 in Blue Avocado, an online magazine for nonprofit organizations (see tinyurl.com/Arfken2). Deborah is an active member of the Rotary Club of Chattanooga and serves on the board of directors for WTCI-PBS and the Erlanger Hospital Advancement Council.
Capt. Robert W. Boyce EE’64 reflects, “After four amazing years in the NROTC unit at Penn, I received my bachelor’s degree in May of 1964 and was advised that I had to complete a third midshipman cruise, which I missed between my freshman and sophomore years. Recognize that I had already been accepted in the US Navy’s nuclear submarine program, but off I went on a cruise that visited western European ports and allowed me to qualify as an Engineering Officer of the Watch. I returned to Penn and was commissioned as an ensign in the Navy on July 27 and got married on August 1. I spent the next 26 years in various assignments including six years in command of two submarines (Sea Devil and Florida). I then spent 10 years in the nuclear industry, including as plant manager of the Limerick (PA) Generating Station and director of quality assurance. When I was told I would have to move to Chicago, I retired and taught AP physics, chemistry, and calculus at Malvern Prep for 16 years and Archbishop Carrol for five years. Throughout these three careers I was guided by my mentor, Dr. Joseph Bordogna [“Obituaries,” Mar|Apr 2020]. I am now enjoying the benefits of retirement with my complex family, wives Loretta for 31 years and Cheryl for 28 years, nine children, 19 grandchildren, and 13 great-grandchildren. I look forward to a forthcoming book (Up from the Wrong Side of the Tracks), as the son of 5th- and 6th-grade-educated parents who can succeed in the greatest nation in the world.”
Ruth Fine GFA’64 has a solo art exhibition at the Bryn Mawr College Library, on view through late December 2026, with an opening celebration on September 9, from 4 to 6 p.m. Included are prints, drawings, paintings, and illustrated books.
Wayne A. Rebhorn C’64 graduated summa cum laude with a BA in English from Penn in 1964, got a PhD in comparative literature from Yale in 1968, and became a professor of English at the University of Texas (UT) in 1968, where he taught until 2020. At UT, he was named the Celanese Centennial Professor of English in 1987 and the Vacek Chair in English in 2018. In 1990, he was awarded the Howard R. Marraro Prize for the best book on Italian literature in the preceding two years, presented by the Modern Language Association of America for his book Foxes and Lions: Machiavelli’s Confidence Men (Cornell University Press). In 2014, he was honored with a prize from the PEN Center USA for the best literary translation published in the preceding year, for his translation of Giovanni Boccaccio’s The Decameron (W. W. Norton & Company). Throughout his career, Wayne was granted fellowships from the American Council of Learned Societies and the Guggenheim Foundation, and he was invited to lecture at several universities and meetings of learned societies throughout the US, France, Germany, and Italy.
Stuart Resor C’64 writes, “Dear classmates: It was sad a while back to see no Notes in our Class of 1964 column. But it’s much sadder to sense the loss of the Class, particularly the guys, to early old age or just fading out. Also to see the obituaries, mostly the guys. I left Penn in May of 1964 and did not miss the cold and blustery winters. But as I began my Harvard graduate studies in architecture, I encountered a much colder, more brutal winter up there. The Penn architecture program had prepared me very well for the next phase of my education, with courses in perspective drawing, drafting and lettering skills, and overall concept and design skills. The Harvard students coming into the graduate school had little to none of these skills. The Cambridge winter was fierce and unrelenting, and I was very pleased to get out of that and on to California as my new home. Now Bonnie and I are in Suffolk, Virginia, to be closer to family. Not too bad of a winter here! I would love to hear from classmates. Or just put more Notes in our column.”
David B. Zwirn C’64 L’67 writes, “In the spring of 1964, I took Professor Ray Abrams Gr1931’s fine course on the Family (Soc. 4). One day, a female student complained that women were not allowed to wear slacks in the library, while the men could enter totally unkempt. A man in the back called out, ‘You’re lucky you get in at all.’ Ten years later, I was a graduate student at the University of Virginia. When a history professor heard that I had gone to Penn, she exclaimed, “The University of Pennsylvania—that’s the school where women can’t wear pants to the library!’ I trust things have improved since then.”
1966
Bruce Endy C’66 writes, “After graduating Penn, I went on to law school. I spent my legal career representing working people, first in the Neighbor Legal Services program and then as a union-side labor lawyer. When I retired in 2014, I decided it would be fun to write about some of the many people who walked into my office after being fired for one reason or another.” In Saving Harry: Justice, Work, and Unions, Bruce writes about some of the many cases he tried, labor unions in general, and their place in society.
1967
Susan Evans Hertz GNu’67 writes, “I went to Penn Nursing for my master’s degree in psychiatric nursing from 1965 to 1967. I would love to get in touch with my classmates from that program.” She invites alumni contact at [email protected].
Bobbi Penneys Susselman Laufer CW’67 is celebrating “44 years selling travel all over the world” and specializes in very remote destinations. If you’d like to join her tiny group (with a maximum of 6–8 people) to east Greenland and Iceland in September 2027, contact her at [email protected].
Sidney Perkowitz Gr’67 writes, “In 2024, I reported to Alumni Notes that I had received an award for my popular science writing and outreach. I’m happy to announce, and grateful, that my writing career continues to flourish, most recently in four new books: A Degree in a Book: Physics (published 2026); The Essential Book of Quantum Physics (forthcoming 2026); A Science Panorama: Essays on Science, and on the Scientists We Know—or Should (forthcoming 2026); and a second edition of my book Hollywood Science: Movies, Science, and the End of the World, in print since 2007 (forthcoming 2027). I can be reached through my website, sidneyperkowitz.net.”
Steve Schorr W’67 has been named one of the San Diego County’s Volunteers of the Year for 2026. He writes, “After retiring from a career as a chief financial officer for several companies, I began working for the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office Volunteer Patrol. To date, I have logged over 8,000 hours patrolling the cities of Encinitas, Solana Beach, Del Mar, and Rancho Santa Fe, California.”
1968
Dr. Neal Kassell C’68 M’72 GM’79, founder and chairman of the Focused Ultrasound Foundation, has received the inaugural Lifetime Impact Award from the International Society for Therapeutic Ultrasound. The award honors individuals whose work has fundamentally shaped the development, adoption, and global impact of focused ultrasound. He was profiled in the Gazette’s May|Jun 2022 issue for his work with the foundation.
Peter Strick C’68 Gr’72 has been elected president of the Society for Neuroscience for a three-year term. Peter is chair of the Department of Neurobiology at the University of Pittsburgh Medical School. He has previously been elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the National Academy of Sciences.
1969
Katie Barney GEd’69 is the author of a new book, Nantucket: Coming Home. Katie spent almost every summer growing up on Nantucket, Massachusetts, where her parents met in 1944 and both sets of grandparents lived. She writes, “Growing up back then included carefree days on the beach, bicycling, meeting interesting people, and being with family.” Katie found out her Mayflower ancestors’ families were the first English settlers on the island in 1659. Her family later got into the whaling business and many of the historic homes were built by them. Eliza Starbuck Barney (1802–1889), noted suffragette, abolitionist, and genealogist, was Katie’s great-great grandmother. In the book, Katie reminisces about growing up on the island and also its history. She adds, “One of the things I so enjoyed about writing this book was looking back on my time at Penn and some of the fabulous friends I made. They are all mentioned in the book, but all have left us sadly, including Leila “Taffy” Griswold CW’69, John Lathrop C’69, and Tom Bispham C’67.”
Richard “Dick” W. Bridy W’69 lives in Cardiff by the Sea, California, and is an active commercial real estate investor, developer, asset manager, expert witness, and a former Marine Corps Officer. Recently, he has ventured into the realm of writing poetry with two books, Poetry of the Human Condition and Are You a Grumpy Old Man? He writes, “I have been a supernumerary in 31 productions at the San Diego Opera since 2001. In 2015, three weeks after the Great Earthquake in Nepal, I ventured solo to Kathmandu and took on the task of building a temporary school in the Himalayan foothill Ramechhap District, a part of Bagmati Province. In my spare time, I accrued two master’s degrees and a doctorate, cycled over 27,000 miles, and skied at 37 resorts in the United States, Canada, and Europe. While at Penn, I was a DEKE [Delta Kappa Episilon fraternity] with those relationships still active after six decades. Ginny and I have been married for 53 years and have two successful and well-educated children and four talented grandsons. Classmates can contact me at [email protected].”
Joseph H. Cooper W’69 L’72 shares that his perspective on the novel and film Captains Courageous was featured in the May 2026 issue of the Kipling Society’s triannual journal, in an article titled “A Grand Banks Route in Pursuit of Livelihood, Rescue and Reform: Rudyard Kipling’s Voyage into Cod-Fishing.” The journal’s editor wrote, “This number opens, unusually, with a lively dialogue between an enthusiast for Captains Courageous and a young grandson, who knows little about Kipling but is willing to learn. Their conversation, including an illuminating comparison of the book with the 1937 film, brings out the book’s strengths.” The article was excerpted from Cooper’s forthcoming picture book How’d They Do That? Grandparents Answer Questions About Pursuits and Routes, due out this winter. Also excerpted from the book is Cooper’s appreciation regarding Sir Ernest Shackleton’s 1914–1916 Antarctic expedition, which was published May 28 by The Naval Review. The editor’s note reads, “Through an imagined Socratic dialogue, the author conveys to the younger generation the heroism of Shackleton’s rescue of the Endurance crew in August 1916.”
Jeffrey J. Greenbaum W’69, an attorney at Sills Cummis & Gross, has received the 2026 Daniel J. O’Hern Award, presented by the New Jersey Commission on Professionalism in the Law (a cooperative effort of the New Jersey State Bar Association, the New Jersey judiciary, and New Jersey’s law schools). This award honors an attorney who is a well-respected member of the legal community and exhibits integrity, competence, high ethical standards, career achievement, and service to the bar and/or community. Jeffrey is chair of the Class Action Practice Group at Sillis Cummis & Gross, where he has worked since 1977.
1971
Terence Patterson SW’71 shares that he has resided in San Francisco since graduating from Penn. He was assigned as a captain in the Medical Service Corps at the Presidio of San Francisco and served as a lieutenant commander in the US Public Health Service in Seattle and Washington, DC. He obtained his doctorate in counseling psychology at the University of San Francisco and was a tenured professor there from 1990 to 2019, where he directed two doctoral programs in psychology and served as the chair of the Institutional Review Board for the Protection of Human Subjects. He also was an instructor at UC San Francisco and served as president of the APA Society of Couple & Family Psychology and the Northern California Association for Family Therapy. He has authored numerous professional articles and book chapters, and most recently coauthored Real World Couple Therapy with Cognella Publishing. He is currently practicing as a licensed California psychologist and a Board-certified couple and family psychologist in San Francisco. He is married and has one daughter and one grandchild. He says he remains “a proud Quaker” and is “grateful for all the doors Penn has opened” for him.
1972
Jody Rubin Pinault CW’72 G’79 Gr’83 see David Pinault G’81 Gr’86.
Dr. Harold Pincus C’72, professor of psychiatry and health policy and management at Columbia University and also the codirector of Columbia’s Irving Institute for Clinical and Translational Research, reports that the Irving Institute has been awarded a seven-year, $75 million Clinical and Translational Science Award from the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences at the National Institutes of Health. This year also marks the 20th anniversary of the Irving Institute. Harold writes, “This grant helps us develop better methods for tracking exactly which scientific programs are working, and just as importantly, which ones aren’t, so we can make our research more efficient and impactful.” He also shares that he and his wife Ellyn Roth CW’74 “were recently blessed with three grandchildren!”
Deborah R. Willig CW’72, a managing partner at the Pennsylvania labor, employment, workers’ compensation, and family law firm Willig, Williams & Davidson, has been named a 2026 Pennsylvania Super Lawyer by Super Lawyers in the category of Employment & Labor. In addition, she has once again been named among the Top 50 Pennsylvania Women Attorneys, Top 100 Philadelphia Attorneys, and Top 100 Pennsylvania Attorneys by Super Lawyers.
1973
Abigail Schade Gary CW’73 a retired copywriter, has published a new novel, Too Many Mothers, which she cowrote with three friends. Abigail explains, “Each of us wrote in the voice of one of four daughters who have the same father but two different mothers. The crisis they face when their father announces he’s marrying again brings out secrets and resentments that have been festering for decades.”
1974
Geoffrey L. Greif SW’74, professor emeritus of social work at the University of Maryland, has published Interracial Marriage: How Diverse Couples Navigate Relationships in a Divided Time with Columbia University Press. The book is based on interviews and surveys with close to 600 people in mixed marriages. He gave a book talk at the Philadelphia Free Library in June. It is his 17th book.
Michael E. Jones WG’74, a professor emeritus in the department of digital media and legal studies at the University of Massachusetts Lowell, has coauthored a new book with Michael Caballes, titled What Art Is Now: Creativity in the Age of AI, from Bloomsbury Publishing. From the press materials: “This thought-provoking book examines how artificial intelligence is reshaping the way we define, create, and experience art. Blending philosophy, law, neuroscience, and cultural history, the authors investigate how AI challenges traditional notions of authorship, originality, and artistic value.”
Tony McKinley C’74 writes, “My recently published Glimpses of Gibbon I: Reader Guide to The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire is written for the intellectually curious of all ages who have always wanted to enjoy this classic work of literature and history. My book is an invitation to dive into the wisdom and wonder of Edward Gibbon’s The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. This reader’s guide is designed to invite you to read the original work by recounting some of the highlights of each chapter and providing you with generous samples of Gibbon’s brilliant writing. Glimpses Vol. 1 begins with Gibbon’s chapter 1 on the ‘Five Good Emperors—98–180 A.D.,’ and ends with chapter 38, where he declares the Empire’s ‘total extinction in the West’ after 476 A.D. The book is available on Amazon in paperback, e-book, and audiobook.”
Ellyn Roth CW’74 see Dr. Harold Pincus C’72.
1975
David F. Borbas Nu’75 has been hired as vice president of research and head of data management for Abcuro, located in Newton, Massachusetts. He writes, “Abcuro is advancing first-in-class programs in autoimmunity and cancer in which highly cytotoxic immune cells play a critical role. After working in critical care for more than 20 years, I was able to start working in drug development, involving a lot of biotechnology compounds and gene therapy. It is a wonderful way to engage with the scientific community and patients as we search for cures and help for diseases. I continue to enjoy working and living in San Francisco. I have lived there since 1975 and have been married since 1984. It would be great to hear more from other classmates!”
Linda Stern Kass PT’75 has released her fourth novel, World News from Waverley High. The story takes place at a midwestern urban high school during one school year, 1969–1970, told through the eyes of a precocious teenager named Lena Rosen. The book “chronicles the spirit and soundtrack of that volatile year for Lena and her classmates as they wrestle with baffling questions about identity, belonging, and purpose, made more urgent by war and the fight for social justice,” explains Linda. She adds, “As the owner of an independent bookstore, Gramercy Books, I’d so appreciate if those who wish to purchase a copy do so from their local independent bookseller.” Her author tour includes stops in Columbus, Cleveland, the Chicago area, and East Hampton and West Nyack, New York. Linda’s previous three novels (Tasa’s Song, A Ritchie Boy, and Bessie) are also historical fiction.
1976
Diane Young Uniman C’76 is an attorney-turned-author, motivational speaker, and blogger under the name of Princess Diane von Brainisfried, where she writes a “‘tongue-in-chic’ happiness lifestyle blog from a funny princess point of view.” She reports that she recently published her second book, Blessings Without Stressing! Jewish Home Celebrations Made Easy for Interfaith and Jewish Families. She writes, “It’s a warm, funny, and welcoming guide to Jewish home celebrations created especially for interfaith families and anyone who’s ever felt like a fish out of water at a Jewish holiday table.” Diane’s first book, Bonjour Breast Cancer—I’m Still Smiling! … Wit, Wisdom & Optimism for Beating the Breast Cancer Blues,won several awards, including the Independent Author Network Book of the Year Award for Outstanding Nonfiction. She has also been published in Chicken Soup for the Soul. Diane is a certified positive psychology life coach and a certified Laughter Yoga leader, and she earned a certification from Yale in the Science of Well-Being. She loves giving wellbeing seminars for corporations, healthcare organizations, and community groups. Diane has also written several screenplays and musicals that have been performed Off-Broadway and at the Lincoln Center and New York Fringe Festival. In her spare time, she enjoys “reading, singing opera, studying French, and cooking tasty vegetarian meals for family and friends.” Diane shares that she is a “wife and proud mother of two sons and grandmother of five,” and she recently “received the title of Dame from the ancient Royal House of Savoy.”
1978
Linda Kronfeld C’78 see Janet Lubowitz Kronfeld C’53.
1979
Scott Reisfield C’79 has authored a new biography with a feminist lens, Greta Garbo and the Rise of the Modern Woman. He writes, “The book tells the story of how and why Garbo became an exemplar to women regarding romance, sex, and independence. Using new research and family resources, a powerful and consequential Garbo is revealed.”
1981
David Pinault G’81 Gr’86, professor emeritus of religious studies at Santa Clara University, has authored his third novel, Earth Dragon Run: A Spiritual Entertainment (Ignatius Press), on wildlife trafficking in Africa and Southeast Asia. The story is inspired by animal rescue work he undertook together with his wife, Jody Rubin Pinault CW’72 G’79 Gr’83. Author Michael Norton called it “a vastly entertaining thriller. Imagine The Magnificent Seven set in present-day South Africa and Cambodia, where a ragtag band of heroes find themselves in a deadly battle of wits against one of the most powerful manifestations of evil in today’s world.”
1982
Julie Kronfeld C’82 see Janet Lubowitz Kronfeld C’53.
Dr. Jeffrey McGovern C’82 is the author of a new book, titled Holy and Medical Men and Women of the Catholic Church, which contains reflections on saints who have worked in the medical field. He continues to work in pulmonary and sleep medicine for Allegheny Health Network in Erie, Pennsylvania. He writes that his five daughters “are in possession of their sheepskins,” and he and his spouse Kathleen O’Malley McGovern GNu’90 welcomed their two grandchildren this year, Maxwell and Nora.
1983
Henry C. Oviedo GEE’83 shares that he emigrated to the US in 1977 to escape General Augusto Pinochet’s military dictatorship in Chile. He joined SEPTA in 1979 as a transportation engineer, where he worked for 15 years. SEPTA paid for his studies at Penn. Henry writes, “Now, at this point of my life, I am happy, healthy, and still very strong at 91 years old.” Remembering his time at the Moore School of Electrical Engineering, he shares, “Dr. Chen and Dr. Foley were the most important teachers, providing us the technical learning for the difficult system engineering courses. They were extraordinary teachers who guided us through difficult subjects on high mathematics and complex electrical circuits studies.” Henry enjoys his retirement in Maryland and has written a short novel about life in the Chilean nitrate mines, which he says is “almost my biography.”
1984
Andy Beaulieu EAS’84 W’84 has self-published a humorous, full-length novel, The Trouble with Tiki. He writes, “When a prop tiki statue on the movie set of a Don Beachcomber biopic sends young aspiring actor Gilley Martin spiraling through time, he must navigate three generations of his family’s chaotic history and resolve some complex trouble he caused decades before his own birth—all while crafting the perfect Zombie cocktail. It’s available on Amazon in print and Kindle, under my author pen name ‘Andy Richard’ (mine has too many notes).”
Judy Sandler C’84 has released her debut memoir about her son’s descent into severe mental illness, titled What Kind of Mother: A Reckoning. From the publisher, West Virginia University Press: “The book chronicles Sandler’s initial denial of her truth, her painful awakening to mental illness in her family, and her eventual acceptance that she cannot save her son—only he can save himself.”
1986
Jean Chatzky C’86 writes, “I’ve got a new book coming out September 8. The Forever Paycheck takes aim at that moment in time where we stop earning and have to ask ourselves: What now? What happens after we’ve shoved money into our retirement accounts for decades and have to deal with trying to make the money last as long as we do? The answer, it turns out, is really complicated. Spending is not just hard tactically (and the landscape of the markets combined with required minimum distributions, Medicare penalties, and the desire to take care of people and causes we love makes it so). It’s also a bit of a nightmare psychologically, particularly for people who were taught never to spend their principal, but even for those who weren’t. Flipping the switch to spending after saving for 40 years or more is so hard that many retirees simply aren’t doing it. They’re living less well than they could as a result. I spent the last two years puzzling out a solution that I think makes sense. It’s not the same for everyone of course. It’s nuanced, based on the personality and resources of the reader. But it’s the roadmap I’m going to follow if and when retirement ever comes for me.” Jean is a financial journalist and founder of HerMoney Media, which aims to improve women’s financial literacy and wellness. She was featured in our May|Jun 2019 issue (“Jean Chatzky’s Money Story”).
Bruce John Riddell GLA’86 is pleased to announce the publication of his third science fiction novel, Mermaine: The Second Wave. He writes, “It’s a magically spun tale of intrigue on the Maine coast that pits Mainers against alien beings and mermaids in an epic battle to save Humankind. Read it closely and you may even glean a strong environmental moral with the story.”
Sarah Rosenson L’86 is the author of the newly released Fan Fiction on the Book of Genesis: A Guide to Close Reading of and Creative Writing on the Bible, published by Cherry Orchard Books, an imprint of Academic Studies Press. In the book she discusses questions left open in the first book of the Bible, and includes questions for the characters in the stories, which can serve as prompts for conversations or creative writing. She writes, “It is perfect for anyone interested in reading Bible stories through a new and creative lens, people who enjoy creative writing and want to challenge themselves to write fan fiction/midrash on the Bible, and people who teach classes on the Bible and want ideas for discussion topics and questions.” Find out more on her website, sarahsclass.net.
1987
David L. Richter W’87 EAS’87 L’92 recently left his position as executive vice president and partner with Atwell, following its sale to a private equity firm, and he has since been named CEO of BE&K Building Group, a general contractor based in North Carolina.
1988
Ellen M. McCabe Nu’88 GNu’91 Gr’19, an assistant professor at Hunter College’s Hunter-Bellevue School of Nursing, has been named a 2026 Academy Fellow by the American Academy of Nursing. She and her cohort of nurse leaders were “recognized for their substantial contributions to improving health outcomes and … are poised to continue transforming health and health care for years to come,” according to the press materials.
1989
Dr. Steven Scherer GM’89 see Erich Sirkowski CGS’07.
1990
Lara Nichols C’90, an energy regulatory attorney, has joined Troutman Pepper Locke’s Energy Regulatory Practice Group as a partner in the Charlotte, North Carolina, office. Lara is a former senior vice president at Duke Energy.
Kathleen O’Malley McGovern GNu’90 see Dr. Jeffrey McGovern C’82.
1991
Scott Kurashige C’91, a scholar, educator, and president of the James and Grace Lee Boggs Foundation, has authored a new book, American Peril: The Violent History of Anti-Asian Racism. From the publisher, University of California Press: “This probing account shines a new light on the problem of anti-Asian violence and inspires us to build lasting solidarity. … Written in the radical spirit of Howard Zinn, American Peril represents the culmination of thirty-five years of study and activism.”
Laurie E. Smith C’91 writes, “I’m delighted that my newest book, The Flow Habit: Creating Peace, Passion, Purpose, and Everyday Miracles, was recently published by Hay House/Penguin Random House and is now being translated into Chinese, Spanish, Swedish, and Slovene! I’ve been enjoying speaking, writing, and teaching workshops on all things related to the flow state, and spreading the idea that following our passions is the key to emotional well-being and success.”
1993
Norberto A. Garcia L’93 shares that he was “sworn in on May 14 as president of the New Jersey State Bar Association for the 2026–2027 term, becoming the first foreign-born president in the association’s history.” Norberto is a partner at Blume, Forte, Fried, Zerres & Molinari, and he previously served as president of the New Jersey State Bar Foundation, which promotes law-related education and public understanding of the legal system. A certified civil trial attorney, he has been recognized as a New Jersey Super Lawyer annually from 2013 to the present. In addition to his work with the New Jersey State Bar Association, he also previously served as president of the Hudson County Bar Association and was a trustee of that organization from 2000 to 2013, and he currently chairs the Hudson County Civil Practice Committee. He serves as a trustee of the Hudson County Bar Foundation and has been active in the Hudson County Inns of Court since 1996, where he previously served as a master. Among other accomplishments, he served on the New Jersey Supreme Court Office of Attorney Ethics, District VI Fee Arbitration Committee from 2004 to 2009, chairing it in 2009. From 2005 to 2008, he served on the Supreme Court Committee on Minority Affairs. He also shares that his twin sons, Alexander and Andrew, are entering their senior year at Wharton (Class of 2027).
1995
Bijal Choksi W’95 and Bonnie Davis have authored Still Human: How to Build Organizations Where Leaders and Teams Thrive with AI. Bijal and Bonnie are cofounders of HuWork, a leadership and organizational development firm that helps companies build cultures with a strong human edge. From the book’s description: “Through real-world examples, reflective insights, and actionable tools, Still Human helps leaders and teams understand when technology should enhance human capability and when human judgment, connection, and leadership must take the lead.”
Mike Singleton C’95 has published his first book, a children’s poetry book that helps kids build resiliency, optimism, and appreciation for others’ differences. He adds, “In addition, my coaching soccer career includes serving on a World Cup and a Gold Cup technical committee and having coached multiple youth soccer national teams.”
Eric Stock C’95 and Brooks Mackintosh C’95 report that they reunited with many Penn friends in New York to celebrate the opening of Gabriel (Rutman) Mann C’95’s new Broadway musical, The Lost Boys. Gabe and his bandmates in The Rescues wrote the music for the show, and they were nominated for two Tony Awards. The show received a leading 12 nominations in all. Also on hand were Aaron Frank C’94, Sean McGrath W’95, Harry Paschalidis C’95, Chris Prokop C’95, Steve Rosenberg C’95, Amon Seagull C’95 EAS’95, and Jamey Tesler C’95. Eric and Brooks write, “All alums are encouraged to see this great new show at the Palace Theater.”
1996
Kristin Havranek EAS’96 and two other scientists-turned-attorneys have cofounded an AI-native intellectual property (IP) law firm, Antheros Legal. From the press materials: “Built specifically for life sciences startups and the investors who back them, Antheros serves companies driving breakthroughs in therapeutics, medical devices, tissue and cell engineering, food technology, diagnostics, and digital health. Combining AI-powered workflows with deep sector expertise, the firm designs IP strategies that protect ideas and build defensible patent estates that move as fast as science does.”
Carin O’Donnell WEv’96, a shareholder at the law firm Stark & Stark, has been sworn in as president of the Pennsylvania Association for Justice for 2026–27. Carin concentrates her practice on wrongful death and other catastrophic injury matters, including construction accident cases, as well as institutional sexual assault cases.
Joanne Pasternack C’96 shares that she has “coauthored a children’s book with Pro Football Hall of Famer, San Francisco 49ers legend, and Ole Miss great Patrick Willis, featuring illustrations by Dustin Canalin. Patrick Willis: Journey to the Hall of Fame chronicles Willis’s improbable road from Bruceton, Tennessee, to Canton, Ohio, sharing a story of perseverance, purpose, and opportunity. Copies are available on Amazon and at patrickwilliscf.org/book. All proceeds support the work of the Patrick Willis Community Fund.” Joanne is president and CEO of Oliver+Rose, a consultancy focused on amplifying the voices of professional athletes around social impact and social justice. Her daughter, Kira Bardin C’30, joins Penn’s Class of 2030 this fall.
1997
Justin Ginnetti C’97 G’97 writes, “Last night, I dreamed that David Delaura [the late Avalon Foundation Professor Emeritus in the Humanities] had volunteered me to join him in providing a colleague with ‘10 pages of written feedback’ on something. At first, I was terrified: any former grad student of David’s knows that this means 10 single-spaced, exacting, insightful, and also very generous commentary based on a sustained engagement with the colleague’s text. Then I realized I was dreaming, and I took the moment to thank David for being such an extraordinary mentor and role model.”
1999
Patrick Shilling C’99 has been named global head of litigation, in addition to his current role as Americas general counsel, at UBS Group AG.
2000
Laura Nagle G’00 has released a new translation of the 1913 novel Confidences, by the Bolivian feminist poet Adela Zamudio. From the publisher, Bucknell University Press: “Now available in English for the first time, this translation captures the lyrical qualities of Zamudio’s prose as it vividly depicts how sexism, religious dogma, and prejudice prevented women from shaping their own destinies.”
2006
Edward “Eddo” Kim C’06 and Clara Lee are coauthors of a new cookbook, Korean Soups: Recipes for Soups and Stews That Nourish, Restore, and Delight (Workman/Hatchette Publishing). Eddo writes, “In this book, we want to bring people closer to Korean ingredients and food and invite them to learn more about how our culture and cultural stories are embedded into each dish.”
2007
Erich Sirkowski CGS’07 writes, “I came to Penn as an employee and left as an alumnus. Over five years on staff, I matriculated into the Master of Liberal Arts program, and studying neuroscience under Dr. Steven Scherer GM’89 remains my proudest professional accomplishment. He taught me to be accepting of all people, and to build redundancy into everything. Both lessons have outlasted the science alongside them. Penn also gave me an entrepreneurial reflex I never lost: to ask not just how something works, but what could be built from it. In industry, Merck gave me a foundation of scientific rigor, and at GSK I pioneered the complex in vitro modeling group. I left the corporate track in 2023, but a scientist doesn’t stop being one. I kept returning to a truth from my earliest biology lectures: that living cells are ultimately bound by basic physical constraints. This January, I founded AquaGen BioSolutions to test a different oncology framework. Rather than chasing tumors through endless genetic mutations, we target a cellular dependency that conventional therapies ignore. We are testing it first against the cancer with the worst outcomes, because if an idea is wrong, it should fail where failure is quickest to see. For now I am an army of one. I might fail, but I am moving forward anyway, the truest thing Penn nurtured in me. And I no longer want to do it alone. If this premise speaks to you, I would be glad to hear from you. This community shaped me, and I am hoping it will help me finish what it started.”
2009
Abby C. Emerson C’09 is the author of a new book coming out this fall, titled From Antiracism to Abolition: Professional Learning for Liberating Schools. According to the publisher, Harvard Education Press, the book is “a guide for school leaders, equity facilitators, and educators aiming to transform schools into truly equitable and liberatory spaces.” Abby also shares that she is transitioning to a new role as assistant professor of childhood education at Hunter College, CUNY starting in the fall.
2011
Apurv Gaurav GFA’11 was issued a US Patent titled “Deterministic offline code remediation with ledger-verified replay and template-based patch generation.” Apurv writes, “The work focuses on deterministic code remediation, replay verification, template-based patch generation, and ledger-backed auditability for AI-assisted software workflows. [My] broader work focuses on AI trust infrastructure, enterprise reliability, AI governance, and safer AI-assisted systems.”
Jessica M. Goldstein C’11 has released her debut novel, Retro, from Penguin Random House. She writes, “Retro is about a struggling, down-and-out actress who gets a job as a ‘Time Travel Agent’ at a start-up that takes wealthy tourists on vacations to the past.” On October 8 at the Kelly Writers House, Jessica will be in conversation with Anthony DeCurtis “whose Arts and Pop Culture writing seminars I took as a student and guest-lecture every semester as an alum,” she adds. Jessica is a longtime journalist who reports culture pieces for The New York Times, The Washington Post, Marie Claire, and Vulture, among others, and writes satire for McSweeney’s Internet Tendency, including “a most-read piece about our fair university and the college admissions bribery scandal” (see tinyurl.com/JGoldsteinMcSweeney).
2012
Natalie Gay C’12 see Janet Lubowitz Kronfeld C’53.
2013
Simone Stolzoff C’13 is an author and journalist who has released a new book, How to Not Know: The Value of Uncertainty in a World that Demands Answers. From the publisher, W. W. Norton & Company: “From our careers to our politics to our personal lives, the future is unknown. … [This book] will help you prepare for and even appreciate the uncertainty that surrounds us.” Stolzoff was featured in the article “In the Balance” in the Jan|Feb 2023 issue of the Gazette.
2019
Ioannis Rutledge GEng’19 writes that he is “proud to announce the launch of Rutledge & Co. Real Estate, a boutique brokerage serving clients across all of New York.” After several years in the industry, Ioannis drew on his systems engineering background to build a firm “centered around transparency, responsiveness, and thoughtful client service—applying the same analytical rigor and problem-solving mindset [I] developed at Penn to navigating one of the world’s most complex real estate markets. Penn taught me how to think in systems. Real estate is ultimately about understanding interconnected moving parts—markets, people, timing—and finding the most efficient path to the right outcome for my clients.” Ioannis welcomes connections from fellow alumni.
2020
Elizabeth Agege C’20 has authored a debut novel under the pen name Elizabeth Ese. A Drop of Color will be published by Scholastic in November. From the publisher: “[This] is a powerful coming-of-age story about Black girlhood, identity, friendship, betrayal, first love, and the burden of trying to thrive in environments that refuse to fully see you.” The novel is based on Elizabeth’s own experiences as a Nigerian American teenager, and the experiences of many young women of color she interviewed around the world.
Manasi Gandhi GL’20 and Dr. Mark Sikov M’21 were married on June 21 in Newport, Rhode Island.
2021
Dr. Mark Sikov M’21 see Manasi Gandhi GL’20.
2022
Meghan Garrity Gr’22 has published a new book, Mass Expulsion: The Politics of Forced Population Removal, with Oxford University Press. From the press materials: “[The book] examines why and how governments expel … when and where expulsion occurs, who is targeted, and what regimes are most likely to expel.” Meghan is an assistant professor of international security and law at George Mason University.
2023
Chris Bittinger GrEd’23, an assistant professor of practice at Purdue University and a corporate trainer, has released a new book, The Practice of Authentic Coaching: Models, Skills, and Organizational Applications, published by Kendall Hunt. From the book’s description, it will help readers “unleash the transformational power of coaching in your organization by developing the one instrument that matters the most: yourself.”
