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Berrisford Boothe ’83 Encourages ‘Artmaking’ in All Forms An associate professor of art at Lehigh University, Berrisford Boothe ’83 believes being a professional painter, printmaker, and installation artist gives him credibility in the classroom. He is represented by galleries in New York City and Philadelphia. He has mounted 10 solo exhibitions and been part of more than 60 group exhibitions nationwide. His work is part of public and private collections nationwide and in South America. Boothe’s career has been presented in Fine Artist’s Guide to Marketing and Promotion and Halima Taha’s Collecting African American Art, and Robert Wuthnow's Creative Spirituality: The Way of the Artist.
Apr 23, 2008
Gift Adds to Reunion Excitement for Class of ’88
Elizabeth Freebairn ’88 was inspired to help with her class reunion by organizer Rachel Nelson Moeller ’88, associate director of career services. Freebairn and the Class of 1988 also will be giving the Lafayette community a gift that will help future classes. “I am very excited about our Reunion Gift this year,” she says. Moeller suggested that the class establish a Class of 1988 Internship Stipend. “The fund will provide financial support for students participating in unpaid internships or ones with high lodging and transportation costs. And part of [Moeller’s] job responsibilities are to manage this fund. We know all the money we raise will be put to good use,” Freebairn says.
Apr 11, 2008
Class of ’83 Has Its Dancing Shoes Ready
When class Reunion co-chair Ellen Poriles Weiler ’83 arrives on campus for Reunion, point her toward the dance floor and get out of her way. “I just love being on campus,” says Weiler, who danced for three hours straight at her last Reunion. "It's a way to see friends and I’m excited to bring my son. The Reunion chairs and College staff make every effort to make sure all your needs are met. There will be plenty of time to engage intellectually, take classes, meet with classmates, as well as free time to see what’s going on around campus. It can be as action-packed or laid back as you want it to be. All you have to do is show up with a great attitude and have a good time."
Apr 03, 2008
Kimberly Rakow McChesney ’85 Finds Peace after Parkinson’s Diagnosis Kimberly Rakow McChesney ’85 will speak at the April 4-5 Council of Lafayette Women Conference about her battle with Parkinson’s since being diagnosed with the disease three and a half years ago. She will talk through her journey in an interactive way and discuss some of the obstacles she ran into. She will discuss her initial reaction to her diagnosis and how she began to deal with the harrowing disease. McChesney believes it’s possible to prevent the depression and loneliness that can result from such a diagnosis. “My message is going to be very spiritual and very religion centered because that’s where I found my help,” she says.
Apr 01, 2008
Richard Osifchin ’86 Impacts Healthcare Issues For Richard Osifchin ’86, the best part of his job is that he gets to apply his knowledge of chemical engineering and chemistry to help people battle tough healthcare issues. He is a director in global pharmaceutical commercialization for Merck & Co., Inc. in New Jersey. He manages the research pilot plant facilities that support clinical product development and chemical process development for new active pharmaceutical intermediates, the active ingredients in drugs. Recently, he was part of a team that received the Presidential Green Chemistry Award for the synthesis of the active ingredient in Januvia, a drug Merck launched last year to help lower blood sugar levels in patients with type-2 diabetes.
Mar 21, 2008
Fighting Breast Cancer One Mile at a Time Economics graduate Sandy Kazinski '85 has dedicated much time to the fight against breast cancer, participating in five 60-mile fund-raising walks for the Susan Komen Foundation, most recently one in San Diego last November. She has raised $70,000. "I decided to do this because the statistic of one in seven women getting breast cancer scares me, and because we haven't found a cure yet," she says. "It's one of the easiest things I can do to help this fight." Kazinski, who works at financial firm UBS as a director in the global talent management group, trains extensively for her three-day walks, logging 700-800 training miles.
Mar 11, 2008
Wynne A. Whitman ’86 Will Address Wants, Wishes and Wills at CLW Conference Author and lawyer Wynne A. Whitman ’86 will explain how women can take responsibility for their financial, legal, and physical health at the Council of Lafayette Women Conference April 4-5. While she believes that it is critical for all women to look into estate planning and to have wills and trusts made, she also maintains that there are other important documents that should be considered, including Powers of Attorney, Health Care Proxies, and Living Wills. She will discuss all of these documents at the conference. Whitman says that she is looking forward to the entire program and that if she can convince one woman to plan for her future, she’ll feel a real sense of accomplishment.
Feb 28, 2008
A Love for Juggling Roles and Clients
Whether she’s hanging on the back of a motorcycle racing around a track at 120 mph, chronicling a delicate surgical procedure, cheering from the sidelines at her daughter’s field hockey games, or working up a sweat at a cardio kickboxing class, for Renáe Schneck Biale ’82, it’s all about balance. As president of RCB Communications, she juggles multiple roles and a broad range of clients. At the April 4-5 Council of Lafayette Women Conference, she will speak in a panel discussion on “Discover Your Inner Entrepreneur.” Other on the panel will be Karen J. Fried ’84, president of TLI Games; Jennifer C. Cortner ’85, president of EFX Media; and Elise Nappi ’87, co-founder of Planet Mom T-Shirts.
Feb 27, 2008
Ellen Poriles Weiler '83 Will Serve Up Cooking Tips at CLW Conference Ellen Poriles Weiler ’83 will speak at the April 4-5 Council of Lafayette Women Conference on "Love at First Bite – Exceptional Summertime Cuisine for Sun, Surf, and Sand." "I think people will be inspired to cook some great meals while spending minimal time to prepare them. I hope to captivate my audience with such mouth-watering recipes as shrimp kebobs with jalapeno-lime marinade and grilled curried mangoes with coconut sorbet and toasted coconut," she says. Weiler encourages alumnae “to attend this conference because they deserve a break from work and family to focus on themselves and spend some quality time on themselves. A trip back to campus may just be the restorative mini-vacation they need.”
Feb 14, 2008
Jeff Morrill ’89 Changing World One Electric Scooter at a Time As chief marketing officer at Vectrix Corp., Jeff Morrill ’89 has the opportunity to influence not only the way people travel, but also the impact they have on the environment. The company develops and sells electric two-wheel vehicles. He was on College Hill recently to deliver a Vectrix motor scooter to a local customer who is the first woman in the U.S. to own one. The 456-pound vehicle reaches a top speed of 62 miles per hour and can accelerate from 0 to 50 miles per hour in 6.8 seconds. It has an average range of 40 to 60 miles, with a maximum range of 68 miles, on a single charge. “The exciting part of my role is the ability to make a difference every day for the business, employees, consumers, and the environment,” he says.
Jan 02, 2008
Lawyer Mychal Wilson '89 Assists Actors and Others When the movie credits scroll by, you’ll find the name of actor and film producer Mychal Wilson ’89 listed under one additional role: attorney. He helps actors, film producers, and studio execs navigate the increasingly difficult legal waters. "A lot of artists know the creative side, but can’t understand the business side of the industry," he says. He founded MindFusion Law, a burgeoning Los Angeles firm that resolves legal issues unique to entertainers. Wilson and David Portlock ’88 wrote, produced, directed, and acted in a critically acclaimed 1996 film, The Spartans, a Sundance Film Festival entry. They also made The Gristle, which played regularly on HBO, Cinemax, and BlackStarz.
Dec 21, 2007
Mary Stengel Austen ’86 Finds Niche as CEO of Tierney Communications
Mary Stengel Austen ’86 is president and CEO of Tierney Communications, a Philadelphia-based public relations, marketing, and advertising firm she co-founded with Brian Tierney in the mid-1980s. For Austen, the appeal of public relations and advertising lies in the variety of the clients who seek her services. Her firm’s accounts range from IBM, Johnson & Johnson, and McDonald’s to the Wharton School, Philadelphia Orchestra, the Pennsylvania Tourism Office, and oil companies. Tierney’s specialties include working with celebrities in advertising, including James Earl Jones for Verizon, Julia Louis-Dreyfus for Commerce Bank, Ray Charles for the Pennsylvania Lottery, and Eric Clapton and Johnny Cash for Martin Guitar.
Dec 07, 2007
Renee Becton Strickland ’82 Launches Consulting Firm Five years ago, Renee Becton Strickland ’82 retired from the Air Force as a colonel following a 20-year military career that included serving as deputy program manager of a cutting-edge technical intelligence program. She was ready to relax a bit and spend more time with her twin daughters. But now, she is often busier than ever, thanks to family commitments, volunteer work, and what she terms a “part-time job” as founder and chairman of the board of Edge Consulting, Centreville, Va. She plays a key role in the firm’s long-term planning and in maintaining its culture. “We created and want to sustain an environment where everybody functions as a family,” she says.
Dec 05, 2007
Thompson '86 Battles Infertility in Cancer Survivors Young women who survive cancer with the help of chemotherapy or radiation often experience a bittersweet victory. Many are left infertile by the lifesaving treatment – unable to bring new life into the world. Winston E. Thompson ’86 is working to provide more options to these women. He heads the Cooperative Reproductive Science Research Center at the Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta, where he also teaches cellular, molecular, and reproductive biology and embryology as a member of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
Dec 05, 2007
Pet Expert Charlotte Reed '86 Reaches Owners Around the World with Insights
Millions have seen pet expert Charlotte Reed '86 on The View and Inside Edition, on CBS and worldwide networks like BBC-1, CNN, and Telemundo, plus dozens of regional news and lifestyle programs. "Getting on television and getting celebrity clients changed my life," she says. Reed writes for Dog Fancy and Cat Fancy magazines and is a contributing editor for Pet Business, a pet industry trade publication. She's been quoted in The Wall Street Journal, Boston Herald, and Chicago Tribune, plus numerous other dailies. Always on top of the market, she blogs at “Pets Are My Business,” an analysis of pet news, opinions, and trends. July 2007 saw the release of her book Miss Fido Manners Book of Dog Etiquette.
Nov 14, 2007
Football Brings Together Lafayette Couple
Nov 02, 2007
Angel Mendez ’82 Named Visionary Achiever of the Year by Latino IT Group
Angel Mendez '82, senior vice president of worldwide manufacturing at Cisco, has received the Visionary Achiever of the Year Award from the Latinos in Information Sciences and Technology Association. The honor recognizes his "commitment to excellence in corporate America" and contributions to expanding opportunities for Hispanics in the information technology industry. Mendez’s work with Latino youth has been extensive. He also is a member of the board of directors at a Silicon Valley nonprofit dedicated to deploying innovative coaching and career development programs for low-wage earners. He was instrumental in developing and advocating for Conexion at Cisco, which provides Latino Cisco employees mentors and other professional development opportunities.
Oct 22, 2007
Super-Volunteer Ellen Poriles Weiler '83 Has Spent 23 Years Serving College
Ellen Poriles Weiler ’83 is chair of the Alumni Council’s Volunteer Committee and this year’s recipient of the Alumni Association’s Woodring Volunteer of the Year Award. The Alumni Association previously honored her with the William E. Greenip Jr. '44 Award in 1996, which recognizes an active alumni chapter officer for achievements beyond his or her faithful carrying out of regular officer assignments; the Clifton P. Mayfield '09 Outstanding Young Alumni Award in 1998; Chapter Event Chairperson of the Year in 2002 and 1993; and Chapter of the Year for the Philadelphia Alumni Chapter in 2004, when she served as president.
Oct 01, 2007
Bhavana Sontakay Boggs '86 Named Senior Counsel of Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company recently appointed Bhavana Sontakay Boggs '86 vice president and senior counsel of the hotel chain’s legal department. Over the past several years, she has served as a primary legal adviser to the company on a broad range of labor and employment matters. "What I really enjoy about my job is that there is no such thing as a typical day," she says. "One moment, I can be negotiating a contract for a restaurant concept with a celebrity chef, and the next moment reviewing a press release announcing a new spa at one of our hotels. I negotiate and draft contracts for our hotels, clubs, and residences and provide them with legal advice on operational issues. I also work closely with our marketing and brand teams on new initiatives."
Aug 13, 2007
Len Ostroff ’89 Spins Success Story as Web Company CEO
Rovion CEO Len Ostroff '89 is leading a company that has developed a groundbreaking way to humanize web content. It enables web sites to come alive with video images of people that move and talk on the screen with no video player or disruption to static content. "Our clients are diverse, including companies like NASCAR.com, Reynolds and Reynolds, The Miami Heat, Atlantic Records, and TV and broadcast groups," says Ostroff. Rovion partnered with NBC to deliver an interactive feature to drive online awareness for 'Where in the World is Matt Lauer?' on the Today Show. "Media companies tend to have creative projects and that makes our job even more exciting," says the economics and business graduate.
Aug 08, 2007
