“I’ve fulfilled a lifelong dream and written a children’s book.”
—Elyse Sitner Barroway W’90
1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s| 2020s
We Want to Hear from You
email gazette@ben.dev.upenn.edu
Please note, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Gazette offices are closed until further notice and we cannot retrieve daily postal mail. Email is preferred.
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.
1951
Burton J. Greenwald W’51 writes, “After graduation I attended Navy Officer Candidate School (OCS) in Newport, Rhode Island, and served for three years in the Navy at sea with the Atlantic and Mediterranean fleets. For more than 60 years, I have been active in the mutual fund industry as CEO of two major management companies and as founder and CEO of a management consulting company with a distinguished roster of domestic and international clients. I was a longtime member of the board of governors of the Investment Company Institute, where I served as chairman of the Industry’s Public Information Committee. I currently serve as an independent director of a cluster of Franklin Templeton Funds, where I plan to step down at year end 2021. I lost my loving wife of 60 years four years ago and I miss her every day. Fortunately, our three children, seven grandchildren, and one great-grandchild provide great support and a source of ongoing love and comfort. I would enjoy hearing from classmates and friends. Feel free to email me at bgreenwald@aol.com.”
Celebrate Your Reunion, May 13–16, 2022!
1952
Jeanette Brener Axelrod Ed’52 writes, “I am 90 years of age, the mother of eight children (two daughters and six sons), and to my knowledge the first manufacturer of natural cat and dog food. As a result of two of my sons being slow learners, and the fact that we lived in a wealthy Main Line community that had no special education programs, I embarked on a course of work. The only interests that my special sons shared with me was a love of animals and children. Since the baby birth boom in 1975 had plummeted, it seemed natural to manufacture pet food. The times called for natural food and I chose to extend that concept to pet food. I called my product Mother’s Natural Pet Food. The concept immediately exploded. Within a few years the boys were making two tons of pet food weekly. I opened my first store October 8, 1976, and in short order we were selling the pet food along the East Coast. My story was written in the July 2, 1985, issue of Family Circle magazine. After 18 years of constant work, I sold the business to three investment attorneys who, after a year, walked away. Their planning was to get these products in all stores in America. At that time, premium pet food was only sold in pet shops or by veterinarians. Both sons are gainfully employed. I am now living in a retirement community, Lions Gate, in Voorhees, New Jersey.”
1954
Lois Pulver-Krop SW’54 writes, “I’m excited to be celebrating my 90th birthday, as well as my 67th wedding anniversary to a Penn Stater. I recently published my first book, Family Hour, Family Power: The Road to Family Unity. I am still working and enjoying every moment.”
1956
Irene Sofian Herman CW ‘56 writes, “The Canine Companions Facebook Page featured a poem that I wrote about my hearing service dog, Butterfly. It was written while I was part of a poetry circle sponsored by the Senior Friendship Center of Sarasota, Florida. It is titled ‘No Greater Love’: It was loss that brought us together / A void I thought could never be filled / But you sat with your head cocked and looked at me / Your huge brown eyes deep pools of compassion and understanding / My beautiful Butterfly – whose name symbolizes change, hope and love / Delivered that message to me by placing your paw on my hand. / A nudge from your cold pink nose forced me to see that beauty and hope abound / Your dignified demeanor and puppy playfulness brought a smile I thought I had lost. / I thank you, my guardian angel, for all the love that you give / And for leading me back to the sunlight that I thought had forever dimmed.”
1958
Rev. Glenn J. Fisher C’58 writes, “I have been elected a director of the Norfolk and Western Railroad Historical Society in Roanoke, Virginia. As the author of 16 articles in the society’s news magazine, The Arrow, I was the keynote speaker at their last convention in 2019. I also write for four other railfan magazines and am the author of the book Life Is Like a Mountain Railroad: A Model of the Spiritual Journey. Having served 41 years in the ordained ministry of the United Methodist Church in eastern Pennsylvania, I’ve been retired for 21 years. I live with my wife of 61 years, Sunny, in Cornwall, Pennsylvania. I’m a third generation Quaker, with my daughter, Linda, being a fourth.”
1960
E. Gerald Riesenbach W’60, senior counsel at Cozen O’Connor, has been recognized by the Legal Intelligencer with a 2020 Professional Excellence Award in the Lifetime Achievement category.
1961
Curtis Pontz W’61 has published The Stranglehold: How to Break the Palestinians’ Unyielding Grip on the Middle East Peace Process (Dorrance Publishing). He writes, “The book examines the impactful topic of whether the establishment of the modern State of Israel was justifiable and just, my reasoning being that if the Palestinians can be convinced of the justifiability and justness of Israel’s creation, they will abandon their long-standing rejection of Israel’s legitimacy and right to exist. I argue that eliminating the real obstacle to a resolution of the conflict, i.e., the unwillingness of the Palestinians to accept Israel’s presence in the Middle East, will open the door to a pathway to an enduring peace agreement. The book is available at DorranceBookstore.com, Amazon.com, and Barnes&Noble.com.”
Celebrate Your Reunion, May 13–16, 2022!
1962
Steve Stovall W’62 ASC’63 writes, “After a 15-month break from racing due to the pandemic, I ran a 5K race on D-Day 2021 in Denver. I never stopped running and training, just didn’t race during that break. Meanwhile, turned 80, so I raced in a new age category. My time was an embarrassment, but I was fortunate enough to win first place in the 80-plus age group by three and a half minutes. There were four men in that category. Later, I celebrated July Fourth in the four-mile Liberty Run. Alas, I came in second in the 80-plus age group, but at least I was pleased with my finish time. As always, I wore a Penn shirt. Penn distance runners keep it up longer. I started running 50 years ago.”
1964
Lawrence Brody W’64 has joined the law firm Harrison & Held as senior counsel with a focus on estate planning. He works out of the firm’s St. Louis office.
Dr. Edward Rossomando D’64, professor emeritus at the University of Connecticut School of Dentistry, writes, “The Center for Research and Education in Technology (CRET), an educational nonprofit corporation of which I am president, was founded in 2004 to introduce innovative equipment and products into dental education. Through a rigorous selection process, CRET identifies a dental school for the award of an Innovation Center. Each award provides the school with more than $1 million in in-kind contributions of new emerging equipment and products. To date, CRET has awarded four dental schools Innovation Centers. CRET is pleased to announce the recipient of the 2021 Innovation Center is Lincoln Memorial University dental school in Knoxville, Tennessee. More information about CRET can be found at cretdental.org.”
1965
Charlie Dagit C’65 Ar’67 GAr’68 see Howard Freedlander C’67.
1966
Pamela Burke CW ‘66 has authored and coedited a new book with Patricia Caso, titled 20 Women Storytellers: Taking Action with Powerful Words and Images. She writes, “It follows my first book, 20 Women Changemakers: Taking Action Around the World. Storytellers is a compilation of inspiring stories from my website (thewomenseye.com) of documentarians, photographers, journalists, and broadcasters who are changing the world with their stories and photographs. We spotlight women driven by their passion to make a difference. You can find more information @womenstorytellersbook.com. The book is available on Amazon, bookshop.org, Barnes and Noble, and at local bookstores.”
Celebrate Your Reunion, May 13–16, 2022!
1967
Howard Freedlander C’67 writes, “I am happy to report that the Class of 1967 managed the COVID-imposed isolation by engaging in monthly Zoom calls beginning in August 2020. Beyond some substantive conversation, we asked two classmates, Arthur Sculley W’67 and Ron Bornstein W’67 L’70, who live in London, to discuss Brexit; Hon. Midge Rendell CW’69 talked about her decade-old efforts to teach civics in our schools; and we listened to a recent presentation by Charlie Dagit C’65 Ar’67 GAr’68 (husband of Alice Murdoch Dagit CW’67) about the renowned architect and Penn professor Louis Kahn Ar’24 Hon’71. The Zoom platform has been a unifying force during the pandemic, providing classmates (about 30 a call) a place to connect and reconnect. The conversations have been lively and animated. Classmates have been eager to talk about the personal impact of COVID, their families, their Penn experiences nearly 55 years ago, and their plans for the future. Communicating as part of a photo gallery is endemic to the Zoom culture. It’s been a necessary facet of our personal, professional, and nonprofit lives.”
Stanton Peele C’67 writes, “I’ve written a memoir that discusses my time at Penn, titled A Scientific Life on the Edge: My Lonely Quest to Change How We See Addiction.” From the book’s description, “Stanton Peele has created a very different kind of addiction book—a memoir of his tumultuous career in the addiction field interwoven with his personal life story. [His conception of addiction] has set him in opposition to the demonization of drugs. But he also opposes the ostensibly humane but actually disempowering notion of addiction as a disease. This wrongheaded idea views addiction as if it existed only in a person’s brain and body and not in the person’s mind and soul—and community.”
Dr. Stephen Permut C’67 was inducted as the 160th president of the Philadelphia County Medical Society on June 25. Steve is a tenured professor and former chair of the Department of Family Medicine and Community Medicine at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University.
Martin Seligman Gr’67, a Penn professor and director of the Positive Psychology Center, was awarded an honorary doctorate from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) on May 28. He also took part in an RCSI MyHealth Series guest talk, entitled “Positive Psychology, Agency and Human Progress,” which can be viewed at www.rcsi.com/myhealthlectures.
Warren B. Smith C’67 has written a new book, titled The Titanic and Today’s Church: A Tale of Two Shipwrecks. From the book’s description, it is “the story of two shipwrecks. One took place over a century ago; the other is in progress and is happening today. The similarities are astounding as they compel us to become more aware of our Spiritual Adversary’s schemes and devices (2 Corinthians 2:11), effectively ‘stand against’ them (Ephesians 6:11), and ‘come out from among them’ (2 Corinthians 6:17).”
1968
William W. Schwarze L’68, partner emeritus at the intellectual property law firm Panitch Schwarze Belisario & Nadel LLP, has been named among the 2021 Pennsylvania Super Lawyers.
1969
Dr. Eli Goodman C’69 writes, “On June 1, I received an official US Design Patent (US D921,104 S) for my previously trademarked punctuation mark, the rhetoricon—an entity that I first conceived approximately two years ago after reading a Reader’s Digest article that described 11 obscure, essentially never-used, but legitimate punctuation marks, such as the interrobang, acclamation point, and snark mark. My rhetoricon is suitable to mark the end of a sentence, phrase, statement, or comment that is both rhetorical and sarcastic, with or without a sense of double entendre. An example would be: What could be better than to be at once both rhetorical and sarcastic. An image can be seen on my website, eligoodmanmd.com.”
Stephen A. Spitz W’69 has joined the Pennsylvania-based law firm Saxton & Stump as senior counsel. He will continue to provide services to clients with his partner Irish “Ryan” Neville under the name Spitz & Neville in Charleston, South Carolina. Stephen focuses his practice on real estate, property, and equity.
1970
Kenneth L. Fredrickson L’70 writes, “Over the past x number of years (more than I care to remember) I have been researching for two books I have been writing. The first one, Killing Atheism: Powerful Evidence and Reasons to Believe Jesus, has been published by Wipf & Stock. This book was written for those who are struggling with their faith or trying to help others but cannot get around the problem of ‘If there is a God, why doesn’t he show himself?’ It bypasses traditional apologetics and powerfully shows that God does not hide. We offer secular evidence demonstrating that the story of Christ must be true. My website is www.killingatheism.com, for more information.”
Sandi Shustak Kligman MT’70 writes, “’70 is the new 50th! Forever, whenever … and our ‘whenever’ will be this May 13–16! Reunion cochairs Ted Gilmore W’70, Maureen Hare Luschini Nu’70 and I,along with class copresidents Nina Robinson Vitow CW’70 WG’76 and Tim Carson W’70, can’t wait to greet you in person but urge you to make hotel reservations now as Alumni Weekend 2022 will be huge with three sets of Reunion classes celebrating! Reunion information can be found on our class website (www.alumni.upenn.edu/1970). Book your hotel now—most have generous cancellation policies. Plan to come early (watch for details about a reception event on Thursday, May 12, that 1970 will be invited to) and stay through Monday, May 16, to gown up and march in the Commencement procession along with the other 50th Reunion classes of 1971 and 1972. Thursday and Sunday nights will be great times for private dinners with old friends, without missing ‘Drinks with the Sphinx’ on Friday night or our Union League ‘Bask in the Glow’ Saturday night gala. Please join our new Facebook Group, started by Ann Kent Cowen CW’70, ‘Penn Class of 1970—50th Reunion,’ for all the latest news.”
1971
Jack Narvel ASC’71 writes, “My first book, Like Eating Jelly with Chopsticks, is now available as an audiobook! I have narrated it myself. It is a compendium of my life story interwoven with illustrations from the Bible. A sample audio track is available from either chirpbooks.com or nookaudiobooks.com. Just search for the title. I think anyone, and particularly those of Christian faith, would enjoy listening to this story.”
Celebrate Your Reunion, May 13–16, 2022!
1972
Dr. Stephen Kramer C’72 writes, “I recently retired after 38 years of clinical practice as professor emeritus of psychiatry and behavioral medicine at Wake Forest Baptist Health Sciences in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. During my tenure I helped develop programs in forensic psychiatry and neuropsychiatry. Previously I retired after 25 years of service to the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. I continue with my work for the Joint Commission as field representative/physician surveyor, and as a topic editor for DynaMed, an EBSCO product. I’m enjoying my second term on the board of directors of the Winston-Salem Symphony, and grandparenting with my wife, Rochelle Prague Kramer CW’74 Gr’74, who also retired from the medical center as a reference librarian.”
1973
Lawrence Finkelstein W’73 L’76 writes, “I retired at the end of 2018 after 42-plus years at Blank Rome LLP (although I’m currently working there on a very part-time schedule). My wife Barbara and I were hoping to travel extensively and spend more time with our nine-year-old twin grandsons; obviously, the last year put a kibosh on those plans. I can report, however, that a number of Class of ‘73 classmates met remotely as an Organizing Committee to begin planning our 50th Reunion (to take place May 13-14, 2023), including Anita Sama CW’73, Wendella Fox CW’73 L’76, Bill Keller C’73, Mark Maas C’73, and Robert Drumheller C’73. Since then, more than a dozen classmates signed on. We’re eager to hear from classmates who have 50th Reunion ideas and energy to serve on outreach, communications, fundraising, programming, and social committees. We are planning to meet (virtually and hopefully in person) for meetings and many class events in advance of our reunion. As boosting attendance is job one, we need help finding contact info for those in the Class of 1973 for whom Penn has no email address or other contact info. Please send alumni news, and contact details, as well as your ideas and willingness to participate, to reunion@ben.dev.upenn.edu, and stay alert for more info and plans as they unfold.”
Dr. Samuel Forman C’73, a historian and Harvard University faculty member, has written a new nonfiction book, Ill-Fated Frontier: Peril and Possibilities in the Early American West. From the book’s press materials: “Ill-Fated Frontier is at once a pioneer adventure and a compelling narrative of the frictions that emerged among entrepreneurial pioneers and their 60 slaves, Indians fighting to preserve their land, and Spanish colonials with their own agenda.”
1974
Sanford M. Jacoby C’74, Distinguished Research Professor at UCLA, has written a new book, Labor in the Age of Finance: Pensions, Politics, and Corporations from Deindustrialization to Dodd-Frank (Princeton University Press, 2021).
Rochelle Prague Kramer CW’74 Gr’74 see Dr. Stephen Kramer C’72.
John Quelch WG’74, dean, vice provost, and professor at the University of Miami, has been awarded the Ellis Island Medal of Honor and received the Alumni Award of Merit from the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health.
1976
Joan Lipman Brown Gr’76, who holds the Elias Ahuja Chair of Spanish at the University of Delaware, was inducted into the Order of Don Quijote by the national Spanish honorary society Sigma Delta Pi and the national professional organization AATSP (American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese) in May. The award “recognizes exceptional and meritorious service in the fields of Hispanic scholarship, the teaching of Spanish, and the promotion of good relations between English-speaking countries and those of Spanish speech.” Brown was recognized for her “cutting-edge theoretical work on the canon” that has “shaped the identity and curriculum of Spanish and Latin American Studies,” as well as for her scholarship on Spanish author Carmen Martín Gaite, Spanish literature by women, and oral-language acquisition. Brown’s book Calila: The Later Novels of Carmen Martín Gaite was published by Bucknell University Press in April. She writes, “The book’s roots were planted at Penn in the mid-’70s, when I asked the late Spanish professor Gonzalo Sobejano a question that would shape my career: ‘Are there any great contemporary Spanish novels by women?’ I discovered the fiction of Spanish author Carmen Martín Gaite and wrote the first dissertation on her early novels, followed by the first book on her fiction. Martín Gaite—whom I called Calila—and I became close friends, and my book features letters and conversations between us over the course of 25 years.”
Michael P. Malloy L’76 writes, “I served as a member of the organizing committee and cohost for the 8th Annual International Conference on Business, Law, and Economics, sponsored by the Athens Institute for Education and Research. The conference took place in Athens, Greece—virtually—during May 3–4. On the first day of the conference, I offered welcoming remarks. I also presented a paper, entitled ‘Promises for the Future,’ that examines recent developments in contracts law involving the use of the theory of promissory estoppel as an alternative to traditional formal contract formation. This paper is drawn from a larger, book-length project on contracts law that will be published next year.”
Celebrate Your Reunion, May 13–16, 2022!
1977
Alex Sirotkin C’77, an attorney and businessman in Raleigh, NC, published his debut novel in January, The Long Desert Road, which, according to the book’s blurb, “explores timeless questions of our place in the universe through the lives of three unforgettable characters.” He writes, “I modeled the character of Lauren after my daughter Stephanie, a bipolar heroin addict, and to whom the book is dedicated. Stephanie died from an overdose just last year, on October 2. She was almost 27. I was the primary source of emotional and financial support for her for the last decade. When I started the novel in 2016, I was quite hopeful, even delusional perhaps, about my daughter’s prospects. So while the story contains some graphic violence, and otherwise depicts the grim life of a bipolar addict, it’s ultimately optimistic. I dreamed of releasing the novel to some acclaim, about which Stephanie and I would celebrate together. Instead, when the book was published this past January, it was bittersweet for me, even surreal. My novel is about addictions, certainly, but there’s so much more. I want people to read my book, most of all, because it says things that are important to me.” To learn more about the book, visit https://amzn.to/3eO2C1q.
1978
Creighton Meland Jr. W’78 has published COVID-19 Litigation: A Discourse on Nondelegation, Constitutional Rights and Statutory Interpretation, an analysis of pandemic litigation. It is available on Amazon.
Dr. Gary S. Moak C’78 writes, “I was promoted to associate professor of psychiatry at the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth where I direct the Geriatric Psychiatry Fellowship Program. I am a past president of the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry and author of Beat Depression to Stay Healthier and Live Longer: A Guide for Older Adults and Their Families (Rowman & Littlefield, 2016, 2018).”
1979
Rick Rosenberg W’79 writes, “I am pleased to announce that I was recently elected as chair of the board for Shalom Austin, the hub of Jewish life in Austin, overseeing the Jewish Federation, Jewish Family Service, the Jewish Community Center of Austin, and the Jewish Foundation. I am honored by this opportunity to give back to our community. In my day job, I am a managing principal for the real estate consulting firm DPFG Incorporated, assisting developers identifying financing solutions for their infrastructure and other public improvement needs.”
Judith Stellar Nu’79 received the Alumni Award for Clinical Excellence from Penn Nursing on May 14 in a virtual program.
1981
Michael Kelley C’81 has written a new novel, The Lost Theory. From the book’s description: “Sean McQueen, a staid, middle-aged NYU literature professor, is rattled when he receives a letter from his best friend, Dylan, claiming he’s discovered ‘the theory of everything,’ a revelation that promises to alter man’s view of existence and reconcile science with spirituality. After Dylan’s mysterious death, Sean vows to track down his friend’s now-missing scientific theory. … As Sean stumbles through this dangerous journey for a lost theory, he also pursues true love and rediscovers a primal desire for self-realization. Fans of mystery, magic, love, and explorations of self-discovery will relish this adventure overflowing with wit, intrigue, and redemption.”
John D. Woodward Jr. W’81, a Professor of the Practice of International Relations at the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies at Boston University, received the Pardee School’s 2021 Gintner Family Prize for Faculty Excellence, awarded for excellence in teaching and mentoring students. Since 2015, John has taught national security and intelligence courses at Boston University. He is a retired CIA officer and former Department of Defense official.
Celebrate Your Reunion, May 13–16, 2022!
1982
Robert Carley C’82, an artist based in Connecticut, writes, “A mix of my photos of flags from across the country and my homemade flags are on display at the Mattatuck Museum in Waterbury, Connecticut, through September 12. The exhibit marks my 20 years of photographing 9/11-inspired tributes across 45 states. In addition, two special flags were on display for July 4 at my local beach in Darien: one made of face masks and another of paint liners, rollers, and trays. For a year, I decided to save my used face masks and recycle them into face mask flags. The face mask flag celebrates our new freedom from many face covering mandates. Also, I will be having a book out soon, titled Liberated from the Flagpole, the Metamorphosis of the Flag Since 9/11.” You can read more about and see photos of Robert’s flag art in a profile that ran in the July 3 issue of Republican American, available online at bit.ly/2T2l6n6.
1984
Mark Wasserman W’84 writes, “I am looking for a fellow alum who is a labor attorney. I can be contacted at markwassermannyc@gmail.com.”
1985
Blaise Noto ASC’85 writes, “Since receiving my MA from Annenberg, I began my career in public relations and marketing, rising to executive vice president of worldwide publicity at Paramount Pictures. Taking a turn in my career, I moved to Maui and opened Blaise Noto & Associates, serving clients in the United States (I worked on a number of Mel Gibson productions) as well as doing business in China, Cambodia, and Thailand. Returning to the mainland in 2012, I taught briefly at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts before becoming assistant professor in communications at Barton College. I also am serving as chair of the Greater Chapel Hill area for the Penn Alumni Interview Program. I am active in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (a member since 1985), including judging for the Student Academy Awards and the Nicholl Fellowship in Screenwriting, as well as the Oscar pre-nomination judging process for a number of motion picture categories.”
1986
Betsy Sands WG’86, her husband Jeffrey Sands, and Jeffrey’s sister Deborah Sands Gartenberg, who are administrators of the George H. and Estelle M. Sands Foundation, received an Honorary Alumni Award from Penn Nursing.
Celebrate Your Reunion, May 13–16, 2022!
1987
Abigail Abrash Walton C’87 is the recipient of the 2021 William R. Freudenburg Lifetime Achievement Award from the Association for Environmental Studies and Sciences. This year, Abigail also joined the advisory board of Columbia University’s Center on Sustainable Investment.
1988
Jeanne Shen W’88 writes, “I joined the board of trustees of Noblis, an organization that provides scientific and technical solutions to the federal civil, defense, homeland security, and intelligence and law enforcement sectors. I look forward to working on strategic issues with my fellow trustees—especially in the areas of risk and human capital. Governance has been a topic of interest and study for the last several years. Last year I earned my directorship certification from the National Association of Corporate Directors and am glad that I have a dynamic setting to use it.”
1989
Sharon Farman Cooper C’89 has joined Cuddy & Feder LLP as partner in the Trusts, Estates, and Elder Law Practice.
Lolita Jackson EAS’89, former special advisor of climate policy and programs for the Office of the New York City Mayor, has been recognized by the UK Honours System. Lolita has been made an honorary Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) in recognition for her services to transatlantic business relations and climate diplomacy. Currently, she serves as executive director of communications and sustainable cities for Sustainable Development Capital.
Thomas Lambert C›89 has launched a new law firm, FLB Law, based in Westport, Connecticut, of which he is one of the managing partners.
1990
Elyse Sitner Barroway W’90 writes, “I’ve fulfilled a lifelong dream and written a children’s book, When I Grow Up. Its simple yet powerful message fosters thought-provoking discussions between children and those that love them. It is available on Amazon.”
Alycia Bischof Nu’90 GNu’95 GrNu’21 and Sherry Greenberg Nu’90 GNu’92 Gr’14 are coauthors of a paper in OJIN: The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, titled “Post COVID-19 reimbursement parity for nurse practitioners.” In addition, Alycia received the Alumni Spirit Award from Penn Nursing on May 14 in a virtual program.
Rachel Grace C’90 has been named chief people officer at ConcertoCare, a New York–based in-home care provider for adults and seniors with complex health care needs. In this role, Rachel will develop hiring and employee advancement solutions in support of ConcertoCare’s planned US expansion.
Alison Velez Lane L’90, CEO and director of the Campaign Train Group, has been named to the Daily Record’s 2021 listing of Maryland’s Top 100 Women. She was also one of 12 women who were inducted into the Circle of Excellence, receiving the award for a third and final time. Alison was profiled in a special magazine that was inserted into the May 14 issue of the Daily Record, available online at thedailyrecord.com/top-100-women.
Jonathan Ringel C’90 W’90 has joined Poston Communications, a public relations agency that serves law firms and other professional service firms, as senior vice president for content. Jonathan writes, “I moved to the agency after 26 years of reporting and editing news articles about the legal community for ALM Media. My tenure included two years in Washington, where I covered the US Supreme Court, and 16 years as managing editor of the Daily Report legal newspaper in Atlanta. I’d love to hear from any Penn alums and can be reached at ringel@postoncommunications.com.”
1991
Ezra Glenn C’91 was recently inducted into both the Boston Society of Film Critics and the Boston Online Film Critics Association. In addition to teaching a course on “The City in Film” at MIT, his writing on films and urbanism have appeared in Experience Magazine, WBUR’s The ARTery, Bloomberg’s CityLab, Bright Lights Film Journal, and the New York Observer, and he is the regular film reviewer for Planning Magazine.
Alyssa Goldstein Sepinwall C’91 has written a new book, Slave Revolt on Screen: The Haitian Revolution in Film and Video Games (University Press of Mississippi), described by the publisher as “a trailblazing book on the depiction of the Haitian Revolution in film and video games.” Alyssa is a professor of history at California State University San Marcos.
Celebrate Your Reunion, May 13–16, 2022!
1992
Lisa Scopa W’92 has been appointed chief financial officer of the Boston-based start-up Lovepop, which creates pop-up cards and gifts.
Eric Werwa MtE’92 has been appointed deputy assistant secretary for policy and environmental management within the Office of Policy, Management and Budget at the US Department of the Interior by President Joe Biden Hon’13. Previously, Eric served as chief of staff and legislative director for Rep. Deb Haaland, who is now Secretary of the Interior. He and his wife, Jenny, live in Washington, DC.
1993
Lisa Nass Grabelle C’93 L’96 and Kiera Reilly C’93 write, “We are already thinking about our 30th Reunion in May 2023. We invite anyone that is interested in helping us plan our reunion to join our already robust board. Contact us at lisagrabelle@yahoo.com or kiera1993@gmail.com. Stay connected with our class and learn about upcoming Zoom calls via our Class of 1993 Facebook group, or on Instagram @Penn_1993 and Twitter @Penn1993.”
Margaret Wilmoth Gr’93 received the Outstanding Alumni Award from Penn Nursing on May 14 in a virtual program.
1994
Douglas “Lefty” Leferovich C’94, a magician working in Las Vegas, was honored as the 2021 Magician of the Year from the Society of American Magicians Parent Assembly #1 of New York City in a virtual show streamed live from Las Vegas on June 22. Douglas writes, “The show opened with a video from Mr. Las Vegas himself, Wayne Newton, welcoming everyone to the 112th annual Salute to Magic show (the first time in 112 years that the show was not held in New York City). Then the first half of the show featured Murray Sawchuck and I doing some of our best tricks from the last 10 years on the Vegas Strip. Flying in from New York was the first vice president of the Society of American Magicians Parent Assembly #1, Sterling Lee, who presented me with a plaque and a 3D custom art piece to honor me as the 2021 Magician of the Year. This is truly an honor and a highlight of my life.” More information can be found at salutetomagic.com.
Pelayo Primo de Rivera WG´94 see Luis Ramon Redondo WG’12.
1996
Elizabeth L. Davis C’96 has recently been elected chair and president of Murphy & McGonigle, a boutique law firm specializing in financial services with offices in Chicago; Washington, DC; New York; Richmond, Virginia; and San Francisco. She joined the firm in 2018.
Falguni Desai W’96 has joined Microsoft in New York as a digital strategy advisor. She writes, “I’ll be focused on helping C-suite leaders at banking and capital markets clients on digital strategy and transformation. In my free time I continue to support marine and forest conservation groups. I look forward to reconnecting in the real world as things open up.”
Joseph Sciorra Gr’96 won the 2021 Working-Class Studies Association’s Studs Terkel Award for Single Published Article or Series, Broadcast Media, Multimedia, and Film in Media and Journalism for his online essay “Protesta Per Sacco e Vanzetti,” which he wrote for the Library of Congress’s National Recording Registry. The essay concerns a 1927 Italian immigrant recording that protested the then-pending execution of the anarchists Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti. In addition, Sciorra coedited a Festschrift to literary scholar Robert Viscusi, titled This Hope Sustains the Scholar: Essays in Tribute to the Work of Robert Viscusi (Bordighera Press, 2021).
Tish Squillaro CGS’96 has coauthored a new book with Timothy I. Thomas, HeadTrash 2: Dealing with and Overcoming Other People’s Junk. This follows their previous book together, HeadTrash: Cleaning Out the Junk that Stands Between You and Success. Tish is CEO of CANDOR Consulting, where she advises executives on how to clear up their “head trash,” which she and Timothy describe as the “thought patterns and emotional tendencies that hinder your ability to respond to business issues in a productive and professional way.”
Celebrate Your Reunion, May 13–16, 2022!
1997
Sam Chandan W’97 GEng’01 G’03 GrW’04 see Luis Ramon Redondo WG’12.
Mark Nevitt W’97 writes, “I owe a lot to Penn, which has been absolutely essential in helping me launch two incredibly diverse and rewarding careers (so far!). I arrived at Penn’s campus in 1993 with the goal of receiving a Penn degree and receiving a commission in the US Navy (I come from a family of military veterans). Following my graduation from Penn in 1997, I took the somewhat unusual post-Wharton path, bypassing Wall Street to attend Navy flight school. I served in the Navy for 20 years, first as an aviator and later as an attorney (JAG). Penn leadership had the foresight to allow its students to enroll in Navy ROTC on campus following the tumultuous Vietnam War period, where many Ivy League schools pushed ROTC off-campus or made it exceedingly difficult for prospective military officers to serve. This decision opened the door for students like me to receive a top-notch education at Penn and then take that degree in service of our nation. Following my Navy career, I returned to Penn’s campus to serve as the Sharswood Fellow at Penn Law from 2017 to 2019. This two-year fellowship was critical in helping me transition from the military to legal academia—quite a leap! Since leaving Penn, I’ve served as a professor of law at both the US Naval Academy and Syracuse University College of Law (where I am on the faculty now). I try to make my way back to Penn Law or Perry World House as much as I can for scholarly events. It truly speaks to Penn’s strong interdisciplinary approach that the University has been there for me throughout a diverse and incredibly rewarding professional journey in the military and academia.”
1999
John H. Walker Gr’99, an associate professor of anthropology at the University of Central Florida in Orlando, writes, “My colleagues and I just put out a new article in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, titled ‘Pre-Columbian Fire Management and Control of Climate-Driven Floodwaters Over 3,500 Years in Southwestern Amazonia.’” The story was picked up on several news sites and can be read at bit.ly/2THFBFs. It begins, “A new study … shows that pre-Columbian people of a culturally diverse but not well-documented area of the Amazon in South America significantly altered their landscape thousands of years earlier than previously thought.”
2000
Sheldon Fields Gr’00 received the Lillian Sholtis Brunner Award for Innovation from Penn Nursing on May 14 in a virtual program.
Dina Greenberg CGS’00 GGS’04 has written a new novel, Nermina’s Chance, which will be published on October 29. From the book’s press materials: “[It] reimagines the essence of family and plumbs the depths of a mother’s ardent connection to her daughter. Though a work of fiction, the book gives voice to Bosniak survivors who have long remained silent.”
Rudy Pakravan GAr’00 and Kristen Sidell GAr’00 founded Sidell Pakravan Architects in 2014. This year, Architectural Record has honored their firm as one of “10 emerging practices advancing issues of form, construction, sustainability, and community engagement” in its 2021 Design Vanguard awards. In particular, it was noted for its commitment to community outreach, as demonstrated by providing pro bono services for the city of Berkeley, California, by creating a “Parklets” template for local restaurateurs to build pop-up cafés during the COVID-19 pandemic. The article can be read in the Record’s June issue at bit.ly/3gV3eSO.
Anya Plutynski G’00 Gr’02, associate professor of Philosophy at Washington University in St. Louis, has won the 2021 Lakatos Award from the London School of Economics and Political Science. She won the award for her book, Explaining Cancer: Finding Order in Disorder. The Lakatos Award is given annually for “an outstanding contribution to the philosophy of science, broadly construed, in the form of a book published in English during the previous five years.” It includes a £10,000 (approximately $12,620) prize.
2001
Lt. Col. Ryan Little C’01 writes, “I recently returned from a deployment to Saudi Arabia, where I served as the senior attorney representing the US to the Saudi military as it responded to a series of attacks by Iran and its proxy forces. Currently, I serve as the chief of international humanitarian law for US Central Command, which commands all US forces across the Middle East and Afghanistan. Previously, I was deputy general counsel and assistant professor at the US Military Academy at West Point.”
Shayna Maskell C’01, an assistant professor at George Mason University’s School of Integrative Studies, writes, “My first book, Politics as Sound: Washington, DC, Hardcore 1978–1983, will be published by University of Illinois Press on September 28. The book explores the innovative and uncompromising hardcore punk scene in Washington, DC, which birthed a new sound and nurtured a vibrant subculture aimed at a specific segment of the city’s youth. Led by bands like Bad Brains and Minor Threat, hardcore in the nation’s capital unleashed music as angry and loud as it was fast and minimalistic. Politics as Sound tells the story of how a generation created music that produced—and resisted—politics and power. You can read more or get the book on Amazon or from UI Press.”
Celebrate Your Reunion, May 13–16, 2022!
2002
Regan Shields Ives GAr’02 has received her Accredited Learning Environments Planner designation from the Association for Learning Environments Commission on Educational Facility Planning. She currently serves as principal and K–12 Educational studio leader at Finegold Alexander Architects.
Megan O’Leary C’02 writes, “A few years after graduating from Penn, I found myself craving adventure, so I sold most everything I owned and bought a one-way ticket to the US Virgin Islands. I lived on St. Thomas for four years, working on boats and taking mental notes. After many years of writing, revisions, and editors’ notes, I just released a mystery novel, based on my experiences in the USVI. It’s called Into the Blue, and it’s currently available on Amazon.” Find out more at meganoleary.com/amazon.
2003
Eric Johnson L’03, the current mayor of Dallas, writes, “My wife Nakita and I welcomed our third child, Lela Reece Johnson, on May 21. Lela joins big brothers William (age seven) and George (age three).”
2005
Isaac Benzaquen WEv’05 see Luis Ramon Redondo WG’12.
Taylor Hamilton W’05 was quoted in two recent Forbes articles discussing the online investing app Robinhood. Taylor, an IT worker, made well over $100,000 in profits and paid off his student loans using the app. The articles are titled “How GameStop and an Army of Reddit Traders Exposed the Riskiest Market in Decades” (January 31, 2021) and “The Inside Story of Robinhood’s Billionaire Founders, Option Kid Cowboys and the Wall Street Sharks That Feed on Them” (August 19, 2020).
2006
Emily Baron Bernstein C’06 has been promoted to senior vice president of development at McCormack Baron Salazar, an affordable housing developer headquartered in St. Louis.
Lauren Weinstein C’06 and her coauthor Cathy Wasserman have released a new book, The Empowered Job Search: Build a New Mindset and Get a Great Job in an Unpredictable World. From the book’s description: “You’ll discover powerful tools to navigate every step of your job search, from setting up your daily schedule and clarifying your ideal work, to creating a one-of-a-kind resume and cover letter. … Our approach is based in both theory and practice: we draw on positive psychology, Buddhist principles, and Nonviolent Communication, as well as our leadership and career coaching work with thousands of clients.”
Jamila Justine Willis C’06, cochair of the law firm DLA Piper’s Consumer Goods and Retail sector and chair of its New York Restructuring practice, was named to Bloomberg Law’s inaugural “They’ve Got Next: 40 Under 40” list, highlighting up-and-coming attorneys across various practices.
2009
Sarah Kaminetsky Jonas C’09 writes, “Isaac Jonas and I are thrilled to announce the birth of our son, Joseph Micah, on March 9. Joseph joins his very excited big sisters Claire and Margot at our home in New Rochelle, New York. After a year of social distancing, we are so grateful that our family was able to celebrate Joseph’s birth with us, including uncles Dr. Josh Kaminetsky C’14 and Dr. Tzvi Jonas WG’19.” Sarah and Isaac work in Manhattan where Sarah is an attorney at Morrison Cohen LLP and Isaac is an investment analyst at Loews Corporation.
Dr. Rosemary Lelich C’09 D’14 has achieved board certification from the American Board of Orthodontics. She practices orthodontics at Family Orthodontics in St. Louis Park, Minnesota.
Celebrate Your Reunion, May 13–16, 2022!
2012
Luis Ramon Redondo WG’12 writes, “Two years ago I launched Pallantia Partners, a business venture that allows foreign investors to take part in the booming US single-family residence market while consistently bringing foreign investment to the US generating jobs in America. We buy portfolios of single-family homes in high growth secondary cities of the US where tech is booming (Austin, Charlotte, Raleigh, Nashville), rent them out to people working in tech/medicine/academia and then, after a period of five years, we sell them ‘as a block’ to large family offices (mostly international) or ‘aggregators’ (intermediaries) who then resell them to large pension funds such as CPPIB, CALPERS, etc. Our idea was born organically, in parallel to my day job, when I was a lawyer at Skadden in New York. I started investing personal money in US real estate during the 2008 crisis and started learning some tricks of the trade. One day, in the summer of 2018, after experiencing the tragic deaths of two Wharton classmates, I decided to leave my well-paid stable job and launch my own venture. During this exciting journey, I received lots of help from the Penn community. Penn professor Asuka Nakahara was one of the first ‘luminaries’ I consulted with before launching my business, and countless of alumni in the US (e.g., Sam Chandan W’97 GEng’01 G’03 GrW’04, dean of NYU’s Schack Institute of Real Estate) and abroad (e.g., Isaac Benzaquen WEv’05, founder of Ben Oldman Partners; and Pelayo Primo de Rivera WG´94, founder of Kefren Capital) opened their doors for me and either met up with me or invested with me or gave me valuable advice. I couldn’t have achieved what I have achieved if it weren’t for Penn and Wharton.”
Monica Rhodes GFA’12 was among 10 global leaders selected as a 2022 Harvard Loeb Fellow. According to the website, “Loeb Fellows are accomplished practitioners, influential in shaping the built and natural environment, whose work is advancing positive social outcomes in the US and around the world. … Fellows audit classes at the [Harvard Graduate School of Design] and throughout the vast network of Harvard and MIT.” Monica is director of resource management for the National Park Foundation. She also advises Penn’s Weitzman School of Design at the Center for the Preservation of Civil Rights Sites, helping to establish partnerships to advance the Center’s work.
Angela Wang Nu’12 GNu’17 received the Early Career Alumni Award for Excellence from Penn Nursing on May 14 in a virtual program.
2013
Stephen Fritz C’13 has joined Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP as an associate in the Litigation Practice Group. He works out of the firm’s Jackson, Mississippi, office.
2014
Dr. Josh Kaminetsky C’14 see Sarah Kaminetsky Jonas C’09.
Eric A. Santoli LPS’14 writes, “I recently found out that I am one of two artists who have been chosen for the Versailles Foundation’s Munn Fellowship Artist Residency Award, which will allow me to live and work for three months in 2023 at Claude Monet’s house and gardens in Giverny, France. I am planning to write a journal-style book about my experience in 2023 at Giverny. I am an artist and teacher currently living and working in northern New Jersey. More information can be found on my website, ericsantoli.com.”
2015
Johnna Marcus SPP’15, asenior addiction social worker at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, recently published an article about addiction in the Spring 2021 issue of Social Work Voice, published by the National Association of Social Workers (Massachusetts Chapter). Titled Logging on: Building a Clinical Alliance in Substance Use Disorder Treatment, it was also covered in the SP2 News online and can be viewed at bit.ly/3xqKbGX.
John A. McCabe LPS’15 spoke at a virtual author event hosted by the Bucks County (PA) Free Library on August 18. He is the author of a book of short stories, Tracks Through Our Lives: Stories Told on Philly El Trains, and a novel, The Girl in Japan: A Young Soldier’s Story, which centers on his studies of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
2016
Laura Soderberg Gr’16, assistant professor of English at the University of Southern Indiana, has authored a new book, Vicious Infants: Dangerous Childhoods in Antebellum US Literature. From the book’s press materials: “Vicious Infants offers a counterhistory of literary childhood as both perceived social threat and site of resistance, revealing that many children were not only cut off from family and society, they were also preemptively excluded from the rewards of citizenship and adulthood.”
Celebrate Your Reunion, May 13–16, 2022!
2017
Maureen “Molly” Hood GEd’17 writes, “Since I graduated, I created a mentorship program for teenagers, called Imaginarium. Our mission is helping students achieve confidence and practical advanced skills through student-led, passion-based learning, so they can start vocational careers with experience. You can find more information on our website, www.imaginariumhomeschooling.com.” Molly invites alumni contact at mhood@alumni.upenn.edu.
Allison Barnes Reichhold GNu’17 has been named a ANCC Magnet Nurse of the Year by the American Nurses Credentialing Center. The awards recognize “the outstanding contributions of clinical nurses in each of the five Magnet Model Components,” and Allison was honored under the Transformational Leadership category.
2019
Dr. Tzvi Jonas WG’19 see Sarah Kaminetsky Jonas C’09.
2020
Dave Liu LPS’20, a 30-year veteran of Wall Street and Silicon Valley, has written a new book, The Way of the Wall Street Warrior: Conquer the Corporate Game Using Tips, Tricks, and Smartcuts. From the book’s press materials: “Perfect for aspiring professionals climbing the corporate ladder, The Way of the Wall Street Warrior is a must-read guide for anyone in a highly competitive industry looking to get, and stay, ahead of the pack.”
2021
Jamie Chung Nu’21 received the Alumni Spirit Award for Graduating Students from Penn Nursing on May 14 in a virtual program.
