“I’ve now traveled to every country in the world. It took two years to get a visa to the last country, Syria, which came a week before my 40th birthday. It was a trip of ‘happy tears and sad tears’ to see Syria rebuilding amid the ongoing conflict.”
—Stefan Krasowski C’02 W’02
1930s | 1940s | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s
We Want to Hear from You
email [email protected]
Mail The Pennsylvania Gazette, 3910 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104-3111
Please include your school and year, along with your address and a daytime telephone number. We include email addresses only when requested or obviously implied.
Deadlines 7/15 for the Sep|Oct issue; 9/15 for Nov|Dec; 11/15 for Jan|Feb; 1/15 for Mar|Apr; 3/15 for May|Jun; and 5/15 for Jul|Aug.
1940s
1949
Theo Brandow Ar’49 writes, “After reading of the activities of others in the Gazette these many years, I thought I’d pass along some of ‘me’ while there is still a ‘me.’ After receiving a national achievement award from Marquis Who’s Who in America for my work in architecture, I thought I’d hop to it. I graduated from Girard College in 1943 and joined the US Navy, spending World War II on a small naval gas tanker berthed in Brazil, where I had an opportunity to study and fall in love with the country’s buildings, its architecture. Upon discharge in 1946, I entered the University of Pennsylvania School of Architecture. I completed a five-year program in three and a half years with a large group of vets. I served an apprenticeship with the architect Oskar Stonorov and started my private practice in 1955. My early work involved subdivision housing throughout the eastern US, England, and Australia. Some work published in architectural and consumer magazines garnered some awards, my designs in Erdenheim and Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania, among them. New projects included apartment buildings, site planning for large mixed residential and commercial buildings, and hotels. A slow period took me to Los Angeles to work on hospital planning and project direction for RBB Architects. I studied sculpture at UCLA at night. I returned to Philadelphia after three years to work on the Rittenhouse Towers on Rittenhouse Square and the redesign of the Benjamin Franklin Hotel interior, now the Ben Franklin House at 9th and Chestnut Streets. Upon retirement, I turned to sculpture, exhibiting in New Hope, Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia, and Harrisburg. Some first awards were received, along with lots of old-age fun. As my equally busy wife, Dr. Simma Brandow, also enters retirement after years as a college professor, we now head to a retirement community, looking forward to our 75th year of marriage and our 94th year of life. It has been great!”
1950s
1951
Leonard Hayflick C’51 G’53 Gr’56 has been a professor of anatomy at the University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine since 1988. He is best known for his research in cell biology, aging, virus vaccine development, and mycoplasmology. In 2017, he published “The Role of the WI-38 Cell Strain in Saving Lives and Reducing Morbidity” with S. J. Olshansky in the journal AIMS Public Health, about a cell strain he developed. He writes, “From 1960 to the present, the WI-38 strain has been used worldwide to manufacture human virus vaccines. These vaccines have averted 198 million cases of poliomyelitis, measles, mumps, rubella, varicella, adenovirus, rabies, and hepatitis A in the US and 4.5 billion cases globally.”
1954
Harry Bernhard W’54 writes, “Larry Levey C’54, Don Wachs C’54, and I are members of the ROMEOs (Rockaway’s Old Men Eat Out). This august group is made up of graduates of Far Rockaway High School (FRHS) in the Queens borough of New York. FRHS was in existence for over 100 years, producing three Nobel Laureates in the sciences. Unfortunately, it was shuttered in 2011. The ROMEOs have been meeting for the last 15 years for leisurely luncheons at waterside vistas during the months of October through May every year. All of us live in Palm Beach County, Florida. Most of us live in Palm Beach Gardens. Attendance is nearly perfect even as our numbers have diminished from 15 to five. We resist the lamentations of the last decade of life for happier subjects. That is covered in our only ground rule, ‘No organ recitals.’ We have no rules about disagreements. They are left at the door. We do not wallow in our national dilemma. Our color is purple. The tones of the gatherings are never less than amusingly comfortable, sometimes riotous. If you arrive with a problem, it is odds on that you will leave with a solution. I have to wonder about the invisible hand that brought our parents to one of the most remote sections of New York City and 80 years later finds us clustered in the comfortable world of the Palm Beaches.”
1957
Paul L. Gross W’57 writes, “As the president of Sigma Alpha Mu fraternity and a member of the Houston Hall board and a member of the Friars Senior Society, I was obviously a very active member of the student body. Gayle and I were married at the end of my junior year at Wharton, and in our first year of marriage we had a wonderful time in Philadelphia. We now look back after 63 years of marriage, having built a family of 11 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren, in addition to our three children. My business career consisted of only one job, where I was the founder of an insurance brokerage firm, which I only recently sold. Much of our success in marriage and in business I attribute to the foundation that I received at the University of Pennsylvania, in addition to the inspiration of my fraternity brothers whom we still meet with once every five years. Gayle and I look forward to the next reunion of our fraternity class.”
1960s
1961
Eugene F. Elander G’61 writes, “I recently relocated to Belmont Shore in Long Beach, California, thanks to a young grandson and other family nearby. I studied graduate economics while teaching introductory economics courses at Wharton from 1959 to 1963. I also did postgraduate study at Columbia Pacific University, designing a new economic system I named Cooperatism, which includes all parties to economic transactions in decision-making. I’ve authored nine books in various genres, including a self-help primer, Empowerment: Taking Charge of Your Life (CreateSpace, 2014), and my most recent book, My Many Miracles (Lang Book Publishing, 2018). I serve as adjunct business and economics faculty for Brenau University’s online program, based in Gainesville, Georgia. My wife and I divide our time between Southern California and her homeland of Gotland, Sweden.”
1962
Steve Stovall W’62 ASC’63 writes, “On September 22, I completed a sprint (short) triathlon in 2:06:12. I finished 34 out of 37 competitors. Not too shabby for a 78-year-old, if I do say so myself. The closest competitor to me in age was 65. The last tri I did was five years ago: I swam 800 yards, biked 12.4 miles, and ran 3.1 miles. I still run 10 or so races each year, always with ‘Penn’ on the front of my shirt.”
1963
Bill Boggs C’63 ASC’64 has written a comic novel, titled The Adventures of Spike the Wonder Dog, to be published in the spring of 2020. According to Publisher’s Weekly, “Bill is a four-time Emmy Award-winning TV host of shows including Midday Live, NBC’s Weekend Today in New York, and the Food Network’s Bill Boggs’s Corner Table. The story, the publisher said, follows the exploits of Spike, an English bull terrier and TV and social media sensation with a heart of gold and a wickedly politically incorrect sense of humor.”
Celebrate Your Reunion: May 15–17, 2020
1965
Dale Richard Perelman WG’65 has authored New Castle’s Kadunce Murders: Mystery and the Devil in Northwest Pennsylvania (The History Press, 2019), a story of a Satanist and a serial killer in a small western Pennsylvania town.
1966
Andrew H. Cohn C’66 has been named president of the Volunteer Lawyers Project of the Boston Bar Association (VLP), the grantee of the US Legal Services Corporation for Greater Boston. Andrew writes, “VLP has a staff of 37 and over 1,200 pro bono volunteer attorneys delivering a full range of civil legal assistance to indigent and vulnerable populations. I continue consulting to Longwood Medical Energy Collaborative (LMEC), the energy and utility consortium of Harvard Medical School and its five affiliated hospitals and research institutions: Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston Children’s Hospital, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and Joslin Diabetes Center. I’m also teaching a course at the Harvard Institute for Learning in Retirement.”
1968
David Taylor Johannesen W’68 writes, “I’ve published two novels in recent years—Falcons and Seagulls, a Utah Tale and Tales of Love and Valor, Two Novellas—along with two collections of short stories—Boston Casualty and Last One Close the Gate. I met my wife, Julia Bradford CW’71, at Penn and our children, Christian and Helen, are now a Viacom media executive, and restaurateur and sommelier, respectively.”
1969
John T. Williams WG’69 was appointed by Governor Larry Hogan to the Board of Directors of the University of Maryland Medical System, effective July 1, 2019.
1970s
Celebrate Your Reunion: May 15–17, 2020
1970
Gordon Beggs C’70 L’73, clinical professor emeritus at Cleveland-Marshall College of Law, writes, “I joined 300 current and former law professors in signing an open letter urging that impeachment proceedings against President Donald Trump W’68 go forward in the US House of Representatives. I’m retired and living in Tucson, Arizona, where I enjoy playing antique golf with hickory shafted clubs. I also serve on the Penn Tucson alumni organizing committee and have booked flights and a hotel to attend my 50th undergrad reunion in May 2020.”
Dr. Steven Mollov C’70 writes, “I recently retired from obstetrics after 41 years of practice and nearly 5,000 deliveries. I continue to provide gynecologic care in Newburyport, Massachusetts. In addition, I’ve published three novels, Private Practice, Date of Confinement, and Special Delivery, fictionalized accounts of a private ob-gyn practice in northern New England, drawing on my own experiences of many years in practice.”
Jim Zucker W’70 see Jordan Zucker C’97.
1971
Julia Bradford CW’71 see David Taylor Johannesen W’68.
Howard Brod Brownstein C’71 W’71, CEO of the Brownstein Corporation, has been named a fellow of the American Bar Foundation, a global honorary society of lawyers, judges, and law faculty. Although Howard does not actively practice law, he maintains his admissions to the bars of Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and Florida, and he currently serves as vice chair of the Corporate Governance Committee of the American Bar Association’s Business Law Section. Howard is also on the boards of Renew Financial, P&F Industries, and Merakey, a nonprofit provider of education and human services to individuals with special needs.
George Francis Edward W’71 has been appointed to the Northwest Senior Services Board (NWSSB) by the Whatcom County (WA) Executive’s Office. The NWSSB advises local government on senior and long-term care services, planning, coordination, and management.
Thomas Lera GCP’71 has received the 2019 Luff Award for Distinguished Philatelic Research from the American Philatelic Society (APS). Thomas is a retired research chair at the Smithsonian National Postal Museum, where, as APS notes, “he demonstrated significant initiative and management skill in establishing [it] as the world’s foremost center for philatelic forensic research.”
M. Stuart Madden C’71 has published Tort Law and How It’s Tied to Our Culture (Dorrance, 2019). He writes, “The book is a socio-legal history of the norms, customs, and eventual private laws of the civil remedies for wrongs, or Tort, the most dynamic field in the Common Law. Whether in an unwritten lesson of a myth, or folktales, or rendered as written law, Tort Law reflects a culture’s super-ego, a guide to what individuals ought to forego doing in the interest of a community’s safety, dignity, and prosperity. It is written for legal historians, social scientists, lawyers, and others wanting a better understanding of this sprawling body of law.”
Pastor Jack Narvel ASC’71, state director of the Carolinas for Grace Fellowship International Network, writes, “I have just published my first book, Like Eating Jelly with Chopsticks. I believe my fellow Penn graduates will enjoy reading it. The book is written about how many believers make life harder on themselves than Daddy God intended. God wishes to bless us, not to curse us. It is also about finding our personal identity in Christ. The book is available as a Kindle or softcover book. I believe you will enjoy the stories and humor, even if you are not a believer.”
1972
Gil Rothenberg C’72 received the Attorney General’s Mary C. Lawton Lifetime Service Award in October 2019. In November 2019, he retired from the US Department of Justice after working there for over 44 years, the last 15 years serving as chief of the Tax Division’s Appellate Section. Gil is an adjunct professor of law at American University’s Washington College of Law, where he has taught tax courses for over 35 years, and George Mason University’s Antonin Scalia Law School.
1973
Roger Belcher C’73 writes, “I’ve faithfully scanned the Alumni Notes for years hoping to find something from my buddies from the Class of 1973. Was thrilled to find in the Sep|Oct 2019 edition a note from Bruce Rice C’73 to ‘the 1969 third-floor Butcher guys.’ Hey, Bruce! Still alive and kicking! I retired in April 2016 after a 40-plus year career with our dearest Uncle Sam. During my last seven years, I served as district director of the Federal Black Lung program for Kentucky and all of our southeastern states. I married my childhood sweetheart, Sheila, in 1972, and we still share the same space, and air, and excitement (for each other) today as we did 47 years ago! We live in Pikeville, Kentucky—the eastern part of the state, just next to the westernmost border of Virginia. Hoping that health and good luck holds so that we can visit Penn’s campus for our next—can it be … 50th?!—reunion. Dig up that freshman directory!”
Arnold M. Eisen C’73 has announced he will retire as chancellor of the Jewish Theological Seminary at the end of the 2019–2020 academic year. He will remain as a full-time member of the faculty.
Dr. Michael Goldstein C’73 writes, “I am writing this Alumni Note in response to the one recently posted by Bruce Rice, my third-floor Butcher roommate. Hey Bruce! It was great to hear from you! Congrats on your retirement! I have been trying to find you on the internet, but you are nowhere to be found. I am living in Connecticut with my wife, Rebecca, working for the Veteran Health Administration’s National Office for Prevention, and teaching at Brown’s medical school. I am in close touch with Larry Bremmer C’73, another third-floor Butcher guy, and he is in touch with several others. Write to me at [email protected] so we can connect and share Penn stories.”
Jill Haber Pallone CW’73 G’76 GEd’77 writes, “I’m living in Lugano, Switzerland, and I’m pleased to report that my new book of poetry, I Am Not Myself Today, has been published and is now available worldwide on Amazon in both paperback and kindle editions. It can also be ordered from bookstores in the US and abroad.” Jill wrote a remembrance of the author Philip Roth for the Gazette’s Sept|Oct 2018 issue [“Alumni Voices”].
David D. Schein C’73 has been promoted to associate dean at the Cameron School of Business at the University of St. Thomas in Houston. He writes, “In September, I was a featured speaker at the National Federation of Pachyderm Clubs’ 2019 Biennial Convention held in Galveston, Texas, where I spoke about my book, The Decline of America: 100 Years of Leadership Failures. I also had an opportunity to discuss the book at my high school reunion in Norfolk, Virginia.”
Barbara Sestak CW’73 see Jeff Schnabel GAr’90.
Bohdan D. Shandor W’73 writes, “I was elected president of the Ukrainian American Bar Association (UABA) at the association’s 42nd annual conference, titled ‘The Tenacity of Ukraine’s Democracy: Overcoming Obstacles and Aggression,’ held at the US Capitol on November 1–2, 2019.” Bohdan invites alumni contact at [email protected].
1974
Ron Klasko L’74, managing partner at Klasko Immigration Law Partners LLP, was named to the Philadelphia Business Journal’s 2019 “Best of the Bar” list. Ron was recognized for his contributions to employment-based immigration, including successfully spearheading nationwide litigation challenging government denials and delays.
Celebrate Your Reunion: May 15–17, 2020
1975
Dr. Edward C. Halperin W’75 received the 2019 Joseph Wharton Social Impact Award from the Wharton Club of New York. Edward is a pediatric radiation oncologist and the chancellor/CEO of the New York Medical College of the Touro College and University System.
1976
Aldonna Ambler SW’76, president of the international firm Ambler Growth Strategy Consultants, has received the Institute of Management Consultants’ Lifetime Achievement Award. The award committee cited Aldonna’s “48 years of consulting, helping over 800 privately held companies to achieve accelerated growth with sustained profitability, with 93 percent repeat business.”
Richard Rampell WG’76 has been appointed to the advisory board of Princeton University’s Benjamin H. Griswold III, Class of 1993, Center for Economic Policy Studies. Richard is managing principal of the public accounting and advisory firm MBAF’s Palm Beach, Florida, office.
1978
Dr. Gary V. Gordon GM’78, owner of Main Line Rheumatology and chief of the rheumatology unit at Lankenau Medical Center, announces that Main Line Rheumatology is now called Main Line Rheumatology & Osteoporosis.
1979
Joyce Zonana G’79 Gr’85 has published her first translation, Henri Bosco’s 1948 novel Malicroix, due out in February.
1980s
Celebrate Your Reunion: May 15–17, 2020
1980
Melanie Katzman C’80, a psychologist and executive coach, has written Connect First: 52 Simple Ways to Ignite Success, Meaning, and Joy at Work (McGraw-Hill, 2019). From the publisher’s press release: “People are naturally wired to connect with each other, but in today’s workplace we stare at our phones, listen to our earbuds, and accumulate followers and likes instead of relationships. With great detriment to our fulfillment and results, we’ve forgotten how, when, and why to connect with people. …[Connect First offers] actionable ways to better connect with people as humans—and the science behind why that’s the secret to making our work more rewarding and productive.”
Bill McKeever WG’80 writes, “I wrote a book about sharks called Emperors of the Deep: Sharks—The Ocean’s Most Mysterious, Most Misunderstood, and Most Important Guardians. Greenpeace calls it a ‘must read,’ and we teamed up to promote the book across the country. Nearly 100 million sharks are killed every year, and yet last year only four people were killed by sharks. These animals are crucial to the health of the oceans as apex predators, and we need to protect them. In addition, I disclose new scientific discoveries recently unearthed about such shark species as makos, tigers, and great whites. The book is available at Barnes & Noble and on Amazon. It’s a great gift for people who love the ocean.”
1981
Ronn Jenkins GrEd’81, a longtime diving coach at West Chester University, was celebrated in October at the school’s homecoming festivities with the unveiling of a renovated pool area, now named the Dr. Ronn Jenkins Diving and Aquatics Center.
Baldev Lamba GLA ’81 see Marie Busterna Lamba C’84.
1982
Ruthlyn Greenfield-Webster Nu’82 writes, “This past July, I represented Team USA and competed at the 2019 North and Central American and Caribbean World Masters Association Regional Track & Field Championships, which were held in Toronto, Canada, July 18–21. I won gold in the women’s triple jump, but it did not come easy! I had sustained a left foot planter fasciitis injury while driving up to Canada from New York and had to scratch myself from my 100-meter and 200-meter dash events! That also meant that I was not eligible to compete for Team USA in the sprint relays. I couldn’t walk for the first two days, but the team trainers worked on me all four days and helped me to be able to at least ‘attempt’ competing on the last day in my specialty event, the triple jump. I had entered the event on a whim despite not jumping in six years due to knee issues and with no preparation for jumping in my training leading up to the competition. Thankfully, I was able to push through the pain and jumped well enough to win the gold medal and leave the championship as the 2019 Triple Jump Regional Champion (age group Women 45-49)!” At Penn, Ruthlyn was a track and field standout who graduated with program records in the indoor and outdoor triple jump. She was inducted into the Penn Athletics Hall of Fame in 2017.
1984
Jill Krutick W’84 writes, “I have made an interesting transition from finance to the world of art. After a 17-year career on Wall Street as a highly ranked equity analyst covering the entertainment and leisure time industries and six years in the media world, I have become a full-time artist! This year I am having three museum exhibitions and gallery shows too!” Jill’s most recent solo museum exhibition was at the Yellowstone Art Museum in Billings, Montana, from November 7 through January 5.
Marie Busterna Lamba C’84 writes, “I’m excited to share that my newest picture book, A Day So Gray (Clarion Books, 2019), illustrated by Alea Marley, just came out and is available everywhere books are sold. Kirkus Reviews said it has ‘a positive, almost magical way of seeing and appreciating the world.’ I am a literary agent at the Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency in New York. My husband, Baldev Lamba GLA ‘81, and I live in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, and have two daughters, Adria Lamba C’12 and Cari.”
Richard Niesenbaum C’84 Gr’92, a professor of biology at Muhlenberg College, has published two books about sustainability. Most recently, he authored Sustainable Solutions: Problem Solving for Current and Future Generations (Oxford University Press, 2019). He also coauthored In Exchange for Gold: The Legacy and Sustainability of Mining in Las Juntas de Abangares, Costa Rica with Joseph E. B. Elliott (Common Ground Publishing, 2018).
1986
Steven M. Cohen W’86 recently published a book, Leading from Within: A Guide to Maximizing Your Effectiveness Through Meditation. Steve writes, “My wife, Stefanie Levine Cohen C’86 G’86, and I have cofounded Meditation4Leadership, a nonprofit organization on a mission to communicate the broad range of benefits of meditation practice and to teach the art of meditation through innovative programs to business, nonprofit, and community organizations. Stefanie is a writer whose short fiction and essays on moments of connection can be found at stefanielevinecohen.com. I am a partner at Morgan Lewis & Bockius LLP, where I chair their global emerging business and technology legal practice. We have three daughters: Jessica, Maddie, and Lizzie.”
1988
AKaiser C’88, a poet, scholar, and translator, has published glint (Milk and Cake Press, 2019). Her debut collection is a cowinner of the inaugural Milk and Cake book prize for poetry.
Nancy Davis Kho W’88 writes, “My book The Thank-You Project: Cultivating Happiness One Letter of Gratitude at a Time was published by Running Press in December. The Thank-You Project tells the story of the year I wrote thank-you letters to 50 people, places, and pastimes that had shaped, inspired, and helped me become the person I am (including those written to a slew of Penn friends). Using my own story as a springboard and the emerging science of happiness to understand why gratitude letters work, the book gives practical, funny, and reassuring guidance to readers who may want to start their own Thank-You Project.”
1990s
Celebrate Your Reunion: May 15–17, 2020
1990
Dr. Luis J. Fujimoto D’90 GD’93 has been invested as Knight of the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes and of Malta.
David J. Glass C’90 has been named managing partner of his firm, Enenstein Pham & Glass LLP. He writes, “The firm has offices in Los Angeles; Orange County, California; Las Vegas; San Francisco; Philadelphia; and New York, and concentrates on civil litigation, family law, and real estate and transactional law.” David is chair of the family law department and resides in Los Angeles.
Jeff Schnabel GAr’90 has been named director for the School of Architecture at Portland State University in Oregon. He writes, “Penn is well represented on our faculty with Barbara Sestak CW’73, Margarette Leite GAr’90, and Juan Heredia GFA’03 Gr’08.”
1991
Alexandra Horowitz C’91 recently published Our Dogs, Ourselves: The Story of a Singular Bond (Scribner, 2019). Alexandra is a professor at Barnard College, Columbia University, where she teaches seminars in canine cognition, creative nonfiction writing, and audio storytelling. She also serves as head of the Dog Cognition Lab at Barnard as a senior research fellow.
Tonia Lee C’91 WG’96 has launched a marketing and communications agency, Smackdown Digital. She writes, “Smackdown is a digital agency that offers digital, content, and public relations solutions to corporations, nonprofits, and governments. We specialize in helping organizations elevate brand and engagement through original content. I’m excited to enter this next phase of my career where I’m able to offer jobs and economic opportunities in digital.”
Teresa A. Nardontonia GNu’91 has earned a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) from Walden University. She writes, “I successfully defended my capstone project, ‘Evaluation of Shared Governance Implementation at a Community Hospital,’ and submitted it for publication.”
1992
Sherwin Gluck EAS’92 writes, “I’m proud to announce the publication of my second book, Private Good Luck. It is my father’s memoir, written by me in his voice, based on a large collection of letters, papers, documents, photos, artifacts, and interviews that I will be donating shortly to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, DC. My dad, a religious Jew from Czechoslovakia, had just turned 17 when he arrived in the US in February 1940. Not yet a citizen, he joined the US Army in 1943 with one purpose in mind: to save his family. He became a citizen in North Africa and fought as a frontline combat soldier in Italy through the fall of Rome in June 1944. Shortly thereafter he was sent to France as an MP, and then to Germany. My dad returned to the US in time for his 24th birthday only to learn that 22 of the 23 immediate family members that remained in Czechoslovakia had been murdered by the Nazis. Private Good Luck is available on Amazon.”
1994
Liz Goldman C’94 writes, “I’ve been featured in a three-part, 38-minute documentary that can be found on YouTube, titled Silent No More. Produced by The Athletic, the film calls attention to childhood sexual abuse and the therapeutic relationship of two survivors. I can be reached at [email protected].”
Omolola “Lola” Ogunyemi GEng’94 Gr’99, associate professor of preventive and social medicine at Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, has been elected a Fellow of the American College of Medical Informatics (ACMI). Each year, new fellows are elected by current ACMI fellows in recognition of at least a decade of “significant and sustained contributions to the field of biomedical informatics.”
Bill Sullivan G’94 Gr’97, a professor of pharmacology, toxicology, microbiology, and immunology at the Indiana University School of Medicine, writes, “I received my PhD in cell and molecular biology from Penn in 1997, working in the laboratory of Dr. David Roos in the department of biology. I am writing with the news that I have recently published the book Pleased to Meet Me: Genes, Germs, and the Curious Forces That Make Us Who We Are (National Geographic Books, 2019). The book explores the hidden biological factors that shape our personality and behavior. It received a highly favorable review in the New York Post and has been featured in National Geographic, Discover, COSMOS, and The Scientist. I have made many radio and TV appearances related to the book, including segments on The Doctors, Doctor Radio, Top of Mind, and Fox & Friends.”
Celebrate Your Reunion: May 15–17, 2020
1995
Steven H. Kleinstein EAS’95 has been promoted to a tenured full professor at the Yale School of Medicine. His research area is computational immunology.
1996
Allen J. Oh L’96, an attorney in Minneapolis, writes, “I’m excited to announce the opening of Avocado Legacy Center PLLC to help my clients in Minnesota and Michigan protect their legacies through thoughtful and comprehensive estate planning.”
1997
Sarah Strauss Gr’97 has been appointed full-time professor at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, in the Interdisciplinary and Global Studies Division.
Jordan Zucker C’97 has published a cookbook, One Dish—Four Seasons: Food, Wine, and Sound—All Year Round (Home Sauce Publications, 2019). She writes, “Each dish has a winter, spring, summer, and fall version, and each recipe has a wine and music pairing. My father, Jim Zucker W’70, contributed to the wine pairings. My mother, Betti Zucker (a Syracuse alum but we won’t hold it against her), contributed to the recipes. We are going on an extensive tour to support the launch.”
1998
Teresa Calendrillo Fuller Nu’98 writes, “After a 20-year career in nursing leadership, I was recently promoted to vice president of patient care services at Hartford Healthcare, Northwest Region, Charlotte Hungerford Hospital. Prior to this appointment, I was working in a number of nursing leadership and quality leadership positions at the same organization.”
Alli Feldman Weiss C’98 writes, “My husband, Mike Weiss, and I are thrilled to announce the birth of our second daughter, Ella Scarlett Weiss. Ella arrived on July 22 (our wedding anniversary), at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York. Ella joins big sister Jenna Parker, age nine, who is very excited to have a little sister and has been doing a great job helping with the baby. We live in New York, where I work in human resources at BDO, and Mike is a booking producer at MSNBC.”
2000s
2001
Cary Hollinshead-Strick G’01 Gr’08, an associate professor of comparative literature and English at the American University of Paris, has published The Fourth Estate at the Fourth Wall: Newspapers on Stage in July Monarchy France (Northwestern University Press, 2019).
2002
Oliver Benn C’02 writes, “Life is moving very quickly this year. On September 22, I married the love of my life, Kate Benn, in Philo, California, in a ceremony with family and friends from across the world in attendance, including best man Luca Mangini W’02, Siobhan Nolan Mangini W’03, Brett Greenberg C’02, Kojo Minta C’02, and Alexis Sclamberg L’09. After taking our honeymoon in November in Uruguay, we will be moving from San Francisco, where I have lived for almost 17 years, to Kate’s hometown of San Diego. I will become director of philanthropy and social impact for the San Diego Jewish Community Foundation, and I’m excited to connect with any alumni in the San Diego area.”
Stefan Krasowski C’02 W’02 writes, “I’ve now traveled to every country in the world. It took two years to get a visa to the last country, Syria, which came a week before my 40th birthday. It was a trip of ‘happy tears and sad tears’ to see Syria rebuilding amid the ongoing conflict. I started my career in multinational insurance in China after graduating from Penn, having spent semesters abroad in Shanghai and Hong Kong. I’m now based in Seattle and speak at conferences on international business, travel, and maximizing frequent flyer programs and rewards credit cards. I run the Facebook group Every Passport Stamp, a community of travelers interested in the world beyond the headlines and the mainstream.” Stefan welcomes alumni contact at [email protected].
2003
Juan Heredia GFA’03 Gr’08 see Jeff Schnabel GAr’90.
Risa Small Wolf C’03 writes, “My husband, Josh, and I are thrilled to announce the birth of our daughter, Tamar Sara, on October 23. She joins big sibs Shira (seven), Isaac (six), and Leora (three). We live in Baltimore, where I’m an assistant professor of pediatric endocrinology at Johns Hopkins Hospital and Josh is a colorectal surgeon at LifeBridge Health.”
2004
Alexander Eisenschmidt GFA’04 Gr’08, an architect, writer, and professor of architecture at the University of Illinois at Chicago, has published The Good Metropolis: From Urban Formlessness to Metropolitan Architecture (Birkhäuser, 2019). He writes, “Funded by the Graham and the Getty Foundation, the book interrogates the productive tension between the modern city and architectural form. For upcoming lectures, exhibitions, or publications, see www.AEisenschmidt.com or follow on Twitter @EisenschmidtA or Instagram @eisenschmidt_a.”
Celebrate Your Reunion: May 15–17, 2020
2005
Blair Kaminsky C’05, a partner at Holwell Shuster & Goldberg LLP, has received the Euromoney Legal Media Group’s Rising Star Award for the Americas in the category of Commercial Litigation. She represents both individuals and corporations in litigation and investigatory matters.
Tom Kurland C’05 writes, “My wife, Kacie Lally, and I welcomed our second son, Charles William Kurland-Lally, on September 10. Big brother Theo was excited to welcome Charlie to our family’s home in New York, where Kacie and I both continue to practice law (I’m at Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler LLP, and Kacie works at the New York City Criminal Court). Our whole family is looking forward to attending my 15th reunion in May.”
Kayla Metzger CGS’05 Gr’12, a registered patent agent with a doctoral degree in neuroscience, has joined the intellectual property law firm Panitch Schwarze Belisario & Nadel LLP in Philadelphia.
Kristie Thomas SPP’05 GrS’11, associate professor of social work and MSW curriculum director at Simmons University, has won the 2019 Early Career Excellence in Teaching Award from SAGE/American Evaluation Association. In her submission, Kristie wrote, “Being a professor is my dream job, because it allows me to do all the things I love: educate, mentor, conduct research, and engage thoughtfully in multiple communities. I am constantly striving to make the content directly relevant to students’ goals, interests, and passions.”
2007
Rachel Aronson C’07 and Taylor Dykes C’07 welcomed their son, Elliott Aronson Dykes, on August 8. Rachel writes, “Elliott was greeted by a joyful posse of Penn alumni, including his grandfather Michael Aronson W’78, his aunt Elise Aronson WG’17, and his uncle Stephen Morrissey C’12 L’16.”
Laura Duvall C’07, assistant professor of neuroscience at Columbia University, won the Blavatnik Regional Award for Young Scientists in the Life Sciences category. According to the press release from the Blavatnik Family Foundation and the New York Academy of Sciences, “Dr. Duvall’s discovery of two key molecules in mosquitos that inhibit blood-feeding and breeding has worldwide implications for controlling mosquito populations and the spread of diseases such as dengue and Zika.”
Keelin Mone Evans C’07 and Garreth Evans-Gaspar EAS’07 write, “We are thrilled to announce the birth of our daughter, Cameron Mone Evans, on September 12. We look forward to bringing her to campus to see where we met 16 years ago!”
Rachel Friedman C’07 writes, “I married Nathaniel Lawson on September 21 in Birmingham, Alabama. Penn alumni joining in the celebration were Eitan Danon C’07 and Kathryn Brown Heller C’07. Nate is a graduate of Tulane, and he and I live in Birmingham. I practice in the financial services litigation group at the Birmingham-based law firm Burr & Forman LLP, and Nate is the director of the biomaterials division and an assistant professor of clinical and community sciences at the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Dentistry.”
2010s
Celebrate Your Reunion: May 15–17, 2020
2010
Jordan Brehove WG’10 married Amanda Baldauf on May 25. Jordan writes, “The sun shined on our outdoor wedding in Centerport, New York. In attendance were over two dozen Penn alumni, including Mike Kramer WG’10, Jason Semine L’10 WG’10, Eddie Serrill WG’10, and Jeff Henretig WG’09, who were in the wedding party. Arthur Gravitz WEv’49 was the senior alumnus in attendance and danced with energy through the night alongside the 200-plus attendees.”
Alina Rybakov Levi C’10 has joined Blank Rome as an associate in the law firm’s Consumer Financial Services Group. She works in the firm’s New York office.
Nakita Reed GAr’10 GFA’10, an architect, has joined the Baltimore office of Quinn Evans as an associate. Nakita works on preservation, restoration, and adaptive use of historic buildings, with a focus on sustainable strategies in design and construction.
2012
Adria Lamba C’12 see Marie Busterna Lamba C’84.
2013
Shawn Shafiei W’13 see Nishat Shahabuddin C’14 D’18 Gr’18 GD’20.
2014
TaYou Gordon Huang LPS’14 writes, “Yixiu Grace Zheng LPS’14 and I are expecting our first child just before our fifth anniversary. We can’t wait for our baby Moses sometime late January 2020.”
Nishat Shahabuddin C’14 D’18 Gr’18 GD’20 married Shawn Shafiei W’13 on September 22, in Brooklyn, in the presence of friends and family. The wedding party included Michelle Leong EE’13, Michael Ro C’11, Andrew Lum C’12, Vincent Nguyen W’15 and Thang Thai LPS’13. Other Penn alumni in attendance included Rajit Malhotra C’12 W’12, Jenny Fan W’12, Amanda Young C’12, Margaret Wang C’13, Sydney Mbachu C’13, Peps Bengzon C’13, Priya Srinivasan C’13, Priyanka Varma C’14, Aelita Parker C’14, Jane Leung Nu’15 GNu’19, Dyana Wing So C’16, and many others.
Zack Weiner C’14 is cofounder of Overtime. He writes, “Overtime is a sports network for Gen-Z that reaches tens of millions of people. We have 100 employees and are based in Brooklyn.” Zack, who is 27, was listed on Forbes’ “30 Under 30” list in 2018.
Celebrate Your Reunion: May 15–17, 2020
2015
John A. McCabe LPS’15 writes, “My new book, Tracks Through Our Lives (Pearl S. Buck Writing Center Press, 2019), is a collection of Philadelphia-based stories told by two Penn graduates and a girl who was a Wharton School student. The stories are connected to the lead character, Danny Fisher, a Philadelphia journalist. The narrator is a high school history teacher with his degree from Penn. The Wharton School girl is Danny’s girlfriend from first grade. Danny Fisher is a syndicated newspaper man. He can tell us stories from anywhere on the globe, and he does. Most stories are hometown-centered, and each one appears at stop on the Market–Frankford elevated train system. For example, the story at 2nd Street is a racially biased and revealing Mummers tale.”
2016
Dave Kussell C’16 is founder of Tee Up, a golf apparel brand. He writes, “We officially launched on September 20 and had a pop-up store in New York at 198 Allen Street. The product we launched was the Tee Up Jogger 101, a new style of pants for the golf course. The available colors are black, navy, and chino sand. The long-term plan is to build an American-made (manufactured in Massachusetts) golf brand that exists at the intersection between golf and streetwear. For more information on the brand please visit: www.teeupstore.com/shop.”
2018
Daniel C. Epstein L’18 has joined the business law firm Flaster Greenberg in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. Prior to joining the firm, he served as a law clerk for Hon. Mitchel E. Ostrer in the Superior Court of New Jersey, Appellate Division. He has also served as a judicial intern for Hon. Andrea L. Rocanelli in the Superior Court of Delaware.