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Danielle DeVita '04 is Senior Account Manager at New York PR Firm Danielle DeVita ’04 is a senior account manager at the boutique PR firm Novita in New York City. Serving the architectural and interior design fields, Novita is owned by Christine Abbate ’85. “My main project is Ceramic Tiles of Italy,” says DeVita. “It is a private client that also works with the trade commission. I do everything from press releases, to pitches to lifestyle magazines, to planning trade shows. We have a trade show coming up in New York for Ceramic Tiles of Italy. I basically become the project manager and create a catalogue, set up the venue, and work with the architects and press. My experience abroad gave me a cultural background that has helped me in the professional world with international clients.”
Nov 21, 2009
In Pursuit of a Ph.D.
Nov 11, 2009
An Event Planner for Television
As an intern at CNBC, Kara Boodakian ’07 never expected to be running through Times Square in a dress and heels with a football in her arms. “We were working on a show called Fast Money,” explains Kara, now a CNBC productions manager. “The first week I was there, the guest for the show was a pro football player. Right before we aired, my executive producer turned to me and asked if we had a football prop for him. Of course we didn’t. My boss handed me her credit card and I went sprinting out of the building into a Toys R Us. I had completely forgotten which team he played for. I took my chances, grabbed a football, and sprinted like a wide receiver back to where they were filming."
Nov 06, 2009
Alexandru Balan '03 Makes Breakthrough in Body-Imaging Technology
A man in a hoodie and baggy jeans robs a liquor store. He points a shotgun at the clerk. An overhead security camera records the scene, but because of the man’s loose-fitting clothes, cops can’t tell much about him. He flees into the night, never to be seen again. Or maybe so, thanks to technology created by Alexandru Balan '03, a graduate student at Brown University, and his professor, Michael Black. The two have created a program that uses complex algorithms and a database of scanned body images to estimate gender, height, weight, and even the chest and waist sizes of clothed, moving figures in videos. Balan was inspired by tackling criminal cases with police in Rhode Island and Virginia. His efforts earned a commendation by the chief of police of Henrico County, Va.
Oct 26, 2009
Chris Meredith '02 Leaves ABC Family for More Challenges at AOL After five years at ABC Family, Chris Meredith '02 made the decision of a lifetime, jumping to the digital frontier at AOL's Advertising.com. “I made a huge jump from TV,” he says. “I liked ABC, but there was little room for promotion, and I decided I wanted to challenge myself and move to a brand new world.” Meredith works in the Publisher Services Department. “I manage a large roster of Comscore Top 500 online publishers including major newspapers, TV networks, and ISP (Internet service provider), gaming, and social media sites. We work with the publishers to monetize their discretionary ad inventory by filling ad space with our network of advertisers.”
Oct 19, 2009
Blake Costanzo '06 Continues to Excel in NFL
Oct 11, 2009
NFL Linebacker Blake Costanzo '06 Excels on Special Teams In the second game of the season, Blake Costanzo '06 blasted into the legs of the opponent returning the game's opening kickoff. The player lost control of the football and Costanzo fell on it, giving his Cleveland Browns a great start to their game against the Denver Broncos. Last year, the linebacker led the Buffalo Bills in special teams tackles. He turned in an incredible performance against the Kansas City Chiefs, making six tackles and forcing two fumbles. "He led the team in tackles that day and he only played on the coverage teams," said Bills special teams coach Bobby April. "I've never seen a player make six tackles on special teams in one game, ever. I’ve never even heard of it. It was a real feat."
Oct 11, 2009
Dan Sharp '07 Works on Critical Safety Standard
Dan Sharp '07 works with volunteers on safety standards as staff secretary for the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. "Though I am far younger and less experienced than these highly accomplished volunteers, the approachability of the Lafayette faculty helped me develop the confidence to interact effectively with them, which is the best part of working at ASME," he says. "These men and women possess decades of engineering and industrial experience. Working with them provides me with a wonderful opportunity to gain insights into multiple areas of mechanical engineering. I cannot think of another entry-level job that would allow me to interact with so many influential people. I correspond with presidents, vice presidents, and high-level engineers of major companies."
Sep 14, 2009
'He Had a Tear in His Eye'
Aug 28, 2009
Jeff Silvan '07 Gaining Attention for high-profile IBM project As a business consultant for IBM’s Global Business Services, Jeff Silvan ’07 is making a lot of friends. He also is earning the attention of some corporate hotshots as he helps a major southern California utility company revamp its geographic information system. "I am working on a rather high-profile project within IBM that garners quite a bit of attention from the executives,” says Silvan. “On [IBM global communications sector managing partner] Bill Battino’s visit, he actually took the time to stop and introduce himself and talk to me about the project...I found it very impressive that someone in his role with such a giant corporation would take the time to chat with someone who is quite a bit lower on the food chain.”
Aug 19, 2009
Dartmouth Medical School Features Art of Chiquita Palha De Sousa '08
The Summer 2009 issue of Dartmouth Medicine features Chiquita Palha De Sousa ’08, a second-year student at Dartmouth Medical School, and “Sisters,” a painting she created as part of her senior art project at Lafayette. The painting “depicts a young girl, orphaned by AIDS, fetching water to care for herself and her younger sister, whom she is carrying on her back,’” she explains in the article. “‘I tried to portray sadness, but determination and hope, as she keeps her chin up bravely and walks determinedly to the river.’” In 2008, DeSousa, who earned a B.S. in biology and an A.B. with a major in art, was one of 35 recipients of a Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Graduate Scholarship worth up to $50,000 per year.
Jul 27, 2009
Trial experience Helps Prepare Dana Gambro '07 for Leap to Law School Being amidst courtroom action during a trial isn’t a typical experience for a paralegal. But Dana Gambro '07, a paralegal with Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton and Garrison LLP in New York City, stood out from the crowd and worked closely with attorneys at trial. She was head paralegal for her team in a major trial involving a partnership dispute within a very large and successful hedge fund. "The Paul Weiss team was arguing the case in the Delaware Chancery Court, so I spent about three weeks in Delaware organizing materials for court and being on call for the attorneys in case anything came up, which at 3 a.m. something often did,” she says. Attorneys needed her to organize documents and prepare materials on short notice.
Jul 16, 2009
Lindsay Bryant Researches Companies Internationally
As an EXCEL Scholar, Lindsay Bryant ’07 conducted research on modeling convertible bonds with Professor Qin Lu. She also conducted an honors thesis under Lu on pricing credit default obligations while creating a model in the Mathematica computer program. The former Division I track & field athlete is putting that experience to use as a credit analyst at Bloomberg LLP, where she researches the corporate and capital structure of companies internationally. She also is primary trainer for the firm's capital structure product. "Without a doubt, my experience at Lafayette influenced my ability to present new research and procedures to my colleagues effectively and confidently," she says.
Jun 24, 2009
Rachel Gallagher '07 Improves Opportunities for Women at Law School As president of the Women’s Law Caucus at Rutgers University School of Law-Camden, Rachel Gallagher '07 works with other executive board members to improve opportunities for women at our school and in our community. "The Women's Law Caucus has given me a forum to continue growing as an activist, a journey I began at Lafayette," she says. "Going to school in a place like Camden, N.J., is rich with opportunities to serve. Working with this organization has been my outlet to give back to the people who live here. We are working on an initiative to encourage networking through community service events, inviting alumni to join us on a variety of projects, and building students' communities and professional relationships side by side"
Jun 18, 2009
Art Director Jena Newman '04 Works with Subway, Dannon, and Perdue
When Jena Newman ’04 leaves her office for the day, she doesn’t necessarily take work home with her. But sometimes, to her delight, she can’t avoid encountering it. "I am constantly able to see the work my team and I have created,” says Newman, senior art director at Catapult Marketing in Westport, Conn. “I can open a Sunday paper and see one of our ads. When I go to the supermarket, I can see our designs on the shelf next to the products. I can visit friends in various cities and point out something in a Subway Restaurant that I helped create weeks earlier. That is amazingly gratifying for me.” Newman oversees multiple projects, manages a team of art directors, and perhaps most importantly, sells ideas to clients like Dannon and Perdue.
Jun 12, 2009
Adventures in State Bailouts
Jun 11, 2009
Sarah Smedley '07 Works with Corporate Giants, Rockers, and Former Tennis Great
Sarah Smedley '07, an assistant account executive at the Taylor public relations firm in New York, has been working with corporate clients like Staples and pharmaceuticals giant GlaxoSmithKline. She engaged alternative rock band Maroon5 in a marketing campaign for Mars Inc. A big part of her job is reaching out to news media and TV talk shows to convince them to discuss her clients, their programs, and the topics that matter to them. As part of her work with GlaxoSmithKline, Smedley is engaged in an effort to promote awareness of prostate disease among men older than 50. The program has seen its spokesman, former tennis star John McEnroe, take to daytime television talk shows and direct viewers to a web site GlaxoSmithKline maintains.
Jun 03, 2009
Covering Hip-Hop Culture and More at The Source
Michael Ahene ’08 is a contributing writer for The Source, a magazine about hip-hop music, culture, and politics, and Beyond Race, which covers music and entertainment from a progressive perspective. He previously served an internship at the New York City office of The Source. “Getting into the city for an interview is as easy as a short walk down the hill and hopping on a Trans-Bridge bus,” he says. He has written about the Israeli/Hamas conflict, the state of the job market, a full-page article on eco-tourism in Ecuador, an article profiling several hip-hop-related clothing lines and their contribution to what’s defined as hip-hop fashion, and an article about advancements in HIV/AIDS prevention and research.
Jun 01, 2009
Tripp Williams ’06 Returning to Political Arena
Tripp Williams ’06 works for Rep. Rick Larsen in Bellingham, Wash., as staff assistant, helping with projects and research and interacting with government agencies on behalf of constituents. He also conducts research and writes reports of his own, fields incoming constituent comments, and helps organize mail flow. "I interned with Rep. Larsen in Washington, D.C., between my junior and senior years," he says. "The experience was invaluable." Previously, Williams found exciting options in New York City, including a position as marketing editor at architecture firm STV Inc. "Lafayette's location is a tremendous asset," he notes. "There is a vast number of alumni in New York available for questions and career consultation."
May 22, 2009
Directing Traffic for a TV Network
A student internship at NBC Universal in New York City enabled Kim Nieskens '07 to land her first job at Women's Entertainment Network (WE). "It helped me make several connections in the business, and several of my colleagues [at WE] worked there," she says. "An internship in the city opens up a ton of doors; it gives you an edge over the person from Indiana who worked at the college's TV station." Nieskens interned in the promotions department of Universal Film. "Being able to have an internship in New York City was invaluable to me," she says. "It's the media headquarters of the East Coast. Having experience at a major broadcast network in New York City really helped me land my first job."
May 01, 2009
