Class Notes

College/Arts, Sciences & Engineering

1950

Madeline Goldstein Haft ’57M (MS) hosted a minireunion at her home in Lexington, Massachusetts, in June. From left to right are Rika Sarfaty Spungin, Madeline, Ruth Saltzburg Aisenberg ’51, and Marcia Paley Camac ’51. All four women grew up in Rochester, and have remained friends since college.

1951

Ruth Saltzburg Aisenberg (see ’50). . . . Marcia Paley Camac (see ’50).

1956

Donald Messina ’57 (MA) sends an update. He’s been a high school teacher since 1957, teaching social studies, English, and driver education. He’s been at Aquinas Institute in Rochester since 1993. In addition to his teaching, he works on many hobbies and interests. Since his mother’s death in 2001, he’s focused on classical conducting and volunteering logistical and administrative help planning concerts in a variety of venues. He’s particularly proud of his work arranging musical performances at St. Andrew’s Church and later, at St. Michaels Church. “I created a special City East Parishes concert in 2010, inviting choirs from St. Stanislaus and St. George Churches, the Germania choir and the Italian American Community Center choir, for which I created a special finale. I wrote new lyrics of a religious theme for Verdi’s ‘Va pensiero’ choral work from his opera Nabucco. At the end of the concert, all four choirs were together as one at the foot of the altar to sing the new lyrics as I conducted. Next, everyone in the audience was given a copy of the new lyrics, and I had everyone stand and join the combined choruses in singing a repeat as I led. A very beautiful and memorable climax.”

1965

Barry Libin sends an update. A member of the Milton Society of America as well as the Dramatists Guild, he’s written a novel, The Mystery of the Milton Manuscript (Urim Publications), in which an Oxford University student’s investigation into his professor’s death reveals the enigma of Milton’s Paradise Lost. Barry has also written a play, The Triangle, based on the 1911 Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire, and a musical, The Fiftieth Floor! He has also contributed lyrics to Bring Them Peace: A Song for Haiti.

1966

Linda Chalmer Zemel ’68W (MA) has written Cousins, a picture book for children ages three to eight. Linda teaches in the communications department of SUNY Buffalo State College and edits and publishes the literary journal Person, Place, Thing.

1968

Dale Dapkins has written a new work of self-described social science fiction, Blue Moon (Whiz Bang Publishers).

1970

Nancy Heller Cohen ’70N has written Hanging by a Hair (Five Star), part of her Bad Hair Day mystery series, as well as Warrior Lord (Wild Rose Press), part of her Drift Lords paranormal romance series.

1971

Dan Kirschenbaum has written Athlete, Not Food Addict: Wellspring’s Seven Steps to Weight Loss (New Horizon Press). Dan is a sports psychologist and professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Northwestern University. . . . Leslie Neustadt has published a collection of poetry, Bearing Fruit (Spirit Wind Books). She was assistant attorney general for the state of New York before taking an early retirement “after being diagnosed with an incurable form of blood cancer,” she writes. “I have not worked for many years, but have taken up writing poetry and making visual art.” As for the proceeds from her book, a poetic memoir, Leslie writes: “I am donating the entire purchase price of the book to various not-for-profits that do cancer research, provide patient support, address child abuse or provide expressive art therapy.” Leslie speaks widely, exhibits her work, and maintains a website, leslieneustadt.com. . . . Clayton Press is a partner in Linn Press art advisory services. He’s the editor and a contributing author of Love Story: Anne and Wolfgang Titze Collection (Verlag für moderne Kunst). The book accompanies the premiere exhibit of the collection of international contemporary art. The exhibit takes place through October 5 at two venues of the Belvedere in Vienna, Austria: Winter Palais and 21er Haus.

1972

Carl Filbrich has written a novel, The Heavenly Casino (Five Star Press).

1975

Andy Sternlieb writes that he graduated in May—on his 61st birthday—from Teachers College, Columbia University, with a master of arts degree in education policy.

1976

Ira Kaplan, a managing partner of Benesch Attorneys in Cleveland, received a 2014 ORT America Jurisprudence Award from the Northeast Ohio chapter of the organization ORT America. ORT is derived from the Russian Obschestvo Remeslenovo i Zemledelcheskovo Trouda, which is translated as “Society for Trades and Agricultural Labor.” The organization was established in 1880 by Russian Jews, with support from Czar Alexander II, to establish trade and agricultural schools and model farms to help lift fellow Russian Jews out of poverty. ORT America helps raise funds for schools and programs around the world. The organization’s jurisprudence award is given annually to “individuals who have made significant and lasting contributions to the legal profession.”

1977

Ira (Randy) Kulman has published a book, Playing Smarter in a Digital World: A Guide to Choosing and Using Popular Video Games and Apps to Improve Executive Functioning in Children and Teens (Specialty Press). Randy is a clinical psychologist near Providence, Rhode Island, and founder and president of LearningWorks for Kids, an educational technology company that uses video games and other digital tools to teach executive functioning skills to children and teens.

1978

Ira Lichtenstein writes that he’s published a novel, Chief of Diamonds (CreateSpace), based on the life of Alexander Joy Cartwright Jr., a member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and often cited as the “father of modern baseball.”

1979

Bob Bly writes that his book The Emancipation of Abraham Lincoln XL-3000 and Other Stories (CreateSpace) won Honorable Mention at the 2014 New York Book Festival. . . . Wayne Sebastianelli ’83M (MD), ’88M (Res), the director of athletic medicine at Penn State, won the Joe Torg Award from the Philadelphia Sports Medicine Congress. The award was created to recognize Philadelphia-area orthopaedic surgeons who focus their careers on treating athletes, and play a significant role in education and research related to orthopaedics.

1980

Jon Cesare (see ’56 Graduate).

1982

Neil Halin (see ’84).

1983

Neil Mairs ’84S (MBA) has been named treasurer of the board of trustees for Hospice of Rapidan in Culpepper, Virginia. Neil is also president of the firm Solutions Recruiting and coaches soccer. . . . Deborah Paone writes: “I graduated in May with a doctor of public health degree, a program of the health policy and management department in the Gillings School of Global Public Health at the University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill. Faculty recognized my efforts to produce honors level work with a Deniese May Chaney Fellowship. My interdepartmental major at Rochester, gerontological issues in community health, is still relevant to my work. Thank you, U of R, for an excellent educational foundation.” . . . Gary Stockman has been named chief marketing and communications officer at the Falls Church, Virginia, based information technology firm CSC.

1984

Lisa Cohen has published a science fiction novel, Derelict (Interrobang Books). In addition, she writes that last September, “Neil Halin ’82 and I celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary. We’re looking forward to being empty nesters once our youngest heads off to college in the fall. Looking forward to seeing my classmates from ’84 at our upcoming reunion!” . . . Gretchen Lowe has been named principal deputy director and chief counsel of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s enforcement division. In previous roles at the commission, Gretchen investigated and prosecuted cases of manipulation and false reporting of global benchmark interest rates, natural gas price indices, and other instances of manipulation and violation of trade practices and internal controls. . . . Marnie LaVigne ’92 (PhD) has been named CEO of Launch NY, a Buffalo-based nonprofit she helped to found in 2012 to support new businesses with high growth potential. Previously, Marnie was the associate vice president for economic development at the University at Buffalo.

1985

Laura Aiuppa (see ’56 Graduate). . . . Jeff Newmark has been named interim director of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate Heliophysics Division. Jeff has been at NASA headquarters since 2009.

1986

Tim Dunne ’87S (MBA) has coauthored a book, Never Be Closing: How to Sell Better Without Screwing Your Clients, Your Colleagues, or Yourself (Portfolio). Tim is a consulting partner at the firm ThinkX, leading workshops and participating in conferences around the world. His workshops include “The Humility of Leadership,” “Busting Assumptions,” and “Structured Creativity for Entrepreneurs.”

1987

Ashley Johnson has been named technical director for the Department of Navy division that provides energetics research, development, testing, evaluation, support, and disposal to the Department of Defense. The division is called the Naval Surface Warfare Center Indian Head Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technology Division.

1988

Capt. Jerome (Jerry) Zinni is commanding officer of the newly established Forward Deployed Regional Maintenance Center in Naples, Italy. The center sustains and provides technical assistance and repair of naval ships and crafts, as well as diving and salvage coordination for the care of underwater ships, hull cleaning, and emergency salvage operations. Before his appointment as commanding officer at the new center, Jerry was director of operations and executive officer for the Supervisor of Shipbuilding, Conversion and Repair in Bath, Maine. In that role, he oversaw design and construction of several Navy ship classes at shipyards across the country.

1989

Marianne Seidman Cohen has been named executive director of the Wakefield (Massachusetts) Area Chamber of Commerce. Marianne has experience in marketing, consulting, product development, sales, management, and event planning. She’s served as vice president of marketing and product development for Mannersmith Etiquette Consulting, founded by Jodi Rubtchinsky Smith ’90, and as event planner, director of corporate membership and marketing, and director of visitor services and promotions for the USS Constitution Museum in Charlestown, Massachusetts. Marianne also volunteers for the Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts, the Phi Sigma Sigma Foundation, and the University’s Meliora Club of Boston.

1990

Jodi Rubtchinsky Smith (see ’89).

1991

Barry Lederman ’95S (MBA) has been named vice president and chief financial officer of Eisai Inc., the Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey, subsidiary of the Tokyo-based pharmaceutical company Eisai Co. Barry is also a longtime volunteer with the Boy Scouts of America, serving as an assistant scoutmaster and a member of the board of the Northern New Jersey Council of the Boy Scouts of America.

1992

Christina Zassenhaus Randolph has joined the St. Louis, Missouri, law firm Thomson Coburn as a partner in the health care practice group.

1995

Nick Sivakumaran, senior directing instructor at New York Film Academy Los Angeles, has cowritten the book to a musical, Beyond Sight. The musical, which debuted at Hollywood’s Stella Adler Theatre last spring, tells the story of an ROTC cadet blinded in combat in Afghanistan. The cadet returns home to the United States to reintegrate into society as a blind person. The musical was produced by CRE Outreach, a Los Angeles nonprofit whose goal is to empower at-risk youth, military veterans, and the visually impaired through the performing arts. The cast included several blind actors and military veterans.

1996

Lawrence Bice has joined the law firm Phillips Lytle as an associate. He specializes in telecommunications law, with an emphasis on land use and zoning issues, and works out of the firm’s Buffalo and Rochester offices. . . . Rod Bugarin writes: “I’ve officially started my EdD in higher education at the Morgridge College of Education at the University of Denver. I’d love to meet Rochesterians who enjoy Breckenridge’s slopes and who can give me confidence to go down a black diamond run.” Rod adds that he’s kept in touch with Satya Reddy. Satya welcomed a daughter in June. Rod writes: “Now a father of two raising a family in New Orleans, he also founded Louisiana Cornea Specialists in Covington, Louisiana.”

1997

Michele Spilberg Hart writes: “After 10 years running an association management business focused on medical groups, I’ve begun two new ventures: partnering with an independent publisher to edit their mini-monographs in the complementary and alternative medicine field; and teaching yoga, with a focus on restorative yoga.” She keeps a website and blog at www.effortandeaseyoga.com. . . . Anthony Russo has been named group market manager for Sun Life Financial and assistant vice president for the firm’s Mid-Central territory, which includes Ohio and Tennessee.

1998

Jeremy Saks has joined the law firm Schulte Roth & Zabel as special counsel in the New York City office. He’ll focus on mergers and acquisitions, private equity investments, and corporate governance. . . . Lisa Staffieri Wrisley has been named senior vice president and senior compliance and risk officer for Fidelity Bank, a community bank in Leominster, Massachusetts.

1999

Mark Ferrandino ’00 (MS) has been named chief financial officer of Denver Public Schools. He’ll finish out his current term as speaker of the Colorado House of Representatives, which ends in January. Mark was bound by term limits and unable to run for reelection.

2000

Kristine Stellato ’01 (T5) (see ’10).

2001

Siobhan Foley has been nominated by Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick as an associate justice of the Plymouth Juvenile Court. Siobhan has been supervisor of the juvenile crime unit in the Norfolk County District Attorney’s Office since 2010. . . . Megan Greenfield ’08S (MBA) has been named executive director of the Technology Alliance Group for Northwest Washington. The group, based in Bellingham, Washington, is a nonprofit that advocates for local technology businesses and professionals.

2002

Malik Evans has been named to the new position of business growth manager at ESL Federal Credit Union, the credit union founded by George Eastman in Rochester in 1920. Malik was most recently a vice president and branch manager at M&T Bank. He has also served as president of the Rochester City School District’s board of education for the past six years, and will finish out his remaining term, which ends in 2015. . . . Joanne Wu ’06M (MD), ’10M (Res) was featured as a “Woman to Watch” in the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle in June. Joanne is a rehabilitation physician at Unity Hospital in Rochester. During her residency, she trained to become a yoga teacher, and now teaches yoga at Aerial Arts of Rochester. She also became board-certified in integrative and holistic medicine, and is certified as a holistic health coach by the Institute for Integrative Nutrition in New York City. She’s a Medical Center alumni board member, spin instructor, triathlete, marathoner, and member of the Monroe County Medical Society’s Integrative Health Committee.

2003

Niladri Ghoshal writes: “I was selected as one of Albany Business Review’s 40 Under 40 for 2014 for my work as owner and vice president of marketing for Polyset Co. in Mechanicville, New York.” Niladri adds that he was joined by several Rochester classmates at the awards luncheon. Pictured from left to right are Blaise DiBernardo, Niladri, Colleen Mooney, and Justin Birzon.

2005

Christian Pulcini, a fourth-year medical student at Tufts University, has been named a 2014 Massachusetts Medical Society Scholar. Scholars are recognized for “outstanding academic performance and community involvement.” As a medical student, Christian was inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society and was the medical student chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics. He’ll do his residency in pediatrics at the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh.

2006

Adam Begley and his father have been building a whiskey distillery in Pittsford, New York, for the last three years, and released their first product in the spring. “The market for craft spirits is accelerating,” Adam writes. “Our business is O’Begley, and we specialize in producing Irish-style whiskey.” O’Begley maintains a Facebook page with pictures of the distillery. . . . Julia Watson and Ian Haffer married last March at the Four Seasons Hotel in Boston. Standing behind Ian and Julia are (from left to right) Jessica Brandeis, Ray Finocchio, Stacey Fox, Lindsay Dahlben ’07, Nicholas Melendez ’08W (MS), Jeffrey Leslie, Nicholas Grow, John Jimenez, Stephanie Lovett ’07S (MBA), Julia Keltz, Isaac Standish ’04, Debra Orringer, Alexandra Sims Freedman, and Olivia LaBoda ’05. Also present but not pictured was Kimberly Elson ’05.

2008

Lauren Alessi and Rana Pedram traveled to Peru in March and sent a photo from Machu Picchu. Lauren is on the left and Rana is on the right.

2009

Arielle Camp (see ’10).

2010

Diana Hartnett Reska sends a photo and an update. She writes that she, Arielle Camp ’09, and Kristine Stellato ’00, ’01 (T5) graduated in May from the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine.

2011

Aaron Sperber ’11E sends an update. He and Jamal Moore ’12E, who were both members of the YellowJackets a cappella group, have founded a five-member vocal pop group called the Exchange. They’ve released a music video for their new single, “Kerosene.” Aaron writes that the five members of the group met in Los Angeles in 2011 as performers and competitors in NBC’s The Sing-Off. “This past spring, we were the opening act for the Backstreet Boys on their 32-city European tour. On this tour we performed songs from our new EP, The Good Fight, that marks our first step into music with instrumental backing, branching out from our a cappella roots.”

2012

Marcus Williams has been named general manager of the Hampshire Mall in Hadley, Massachusetts. Marcus worked most recently as a revenue analyst for the mall’s owner, Pyramid Management Group.