17 minute read
Class Notes
1950s
Karl Zender ’59, PhD
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Davis, California
Karl has published a scholarly book comparing his two favorite authors, Shakespeare and Faulkner: Selves and Others, through Louisiana State University Press (2021). A Professor Emeritus of English at the University of California, Davis, Karl began his unlikely career with a bachelor’s degree in physics from Case Institute of Technology. He went on to earn a master’s in English from Western Reserve College and his doctorate in English from the University of Iowa. Karl has published three other scholarly books, two on the fiction of William Faulkner and the other on the plays of William Shakespeare.
1960s
Robert Herbold, MS ’66, PhD ’68
Phoenix, Arizona
Bob in July was appointed to the Arizona Board of Regents, which establishes policy for the state’s public institutions of higher education. He is the managing director of The Herbold Group, an operations and strategy consulting business, and president of The Herbold Foundation, which provides scholarships to graduate students in engineering and computer science. Bob earned his master’s in mathematics and doctorate in computer engineering at Case Institute of Technology and became COO of Microsoft.
Alexander Ho ’67
Bridgewater, New Jersey Alex is the new chief marketing officer for Terminix, a leading provider of termite and pest control services. Previously, he was the chief marketing officer for Cleveland’s American Greetings Corp., where he was responsible for the “World’s Toughest Job” campaign. Alex began a distinguished career in the marketing world with a chemistry degree from Case Institute of Technology. raise money for Ohio Cancer Research. The couple performed their waltz routine twice during the November event. Suzie, a past president of the Case Alumni Association and current Case Alumni Foundation Board member, is an 18-year breast cancer survivor.
Marianne (Booms) Szabo ’67
Dallas, Texas
Marianne is the Principal at Ancestor Sleuther and a genealogist with a focus on Germany, Norway, and Slovakia as well as the states of Ohio, Alabama, California, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, South Carolina, and Washington. Previously she was Field Sales Engineer, Fuel Cell Technologies, for W.L. Gore & Associates. Marianne earned her bachelor’s degree in physics from Case Institute of Technology.
Shair Ahmad, PhD ’68
San Antonio, Texas
Shair was honored in a special issue of the international math journal Nonlinear Analysis in December 2020 to commemorate his retirement and 85th birthday. He served as managing editor and later editor-in-chief of the journal while teaching mathematics at universities, including the University of Texas at San Antonio. Shair earned his doctorate in mathematics from Case Institute of Technology.
1970s
John Bertko ’71
Pacific Grove, California John is a winner of the 2021 Distinguished Alumni Award from the College of Arts and Sciences at CWRU. As chief actuary for Covered California, he led the mathematical modeling that helped the state’s health insurance marketplace respond to the pandemic. Previously, he helped implement the Affordable Care Act before retiring from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. John earned his bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Case Institute of Technology.
Susan Nagorney ’76
Pepper Pike, Ohio Susie and her husband, Frank Nagorney ADL ’72, participated in a dance marathon at South Park Mall in Strongsville, Ohio, to
Steven Hegedus ’77, PhD
Newark, Delaware
Steve led a project to install a state-of-theart solar energy array at the University of Delaware that will be used for education and research. As a professor of electrical and computer engineering at UD, he specializes in photovoltaic research and applications. Steve earned his bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Case Institute of Technology.
1980s
Sally Kline, MS ’83, PhD ’86
Cambridge, Massachusetts Sally is the head of materials science at Genetech-Roche and a widely recognized leader of science-based innovation in the biopharmaceutical and chemical industries. Previously, she was director of materials science at Amgen. Sally earned master’s and doctorate degrees in polymer science at Case Institute of Technology. She shares her insight as an alumni advisor to the Polymer Initiative of Northeast Ohio (PiNO), a conference run by graduate students in the Department of Macromolecular Science and Engineering.
Richard Simons ’83
Rochester, New Hampshire Rich has been named Senior Vice President and General Manager of Laars Heating Systems, a division of the Bradford White Corporation, a manufacturer of commercial, residential, and industrial water heating systems. In January, he was appointed to the board of directors
of the American Boiler Manufacturers Association. Rich earned his bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Case Institute of Technology.
Ranu Jung, MS ’86, PhD ’91
Fayetteville, Arkansas Ranu is the founding Executive Director of the Institute for Integrative and Innovative Research at the University of Arkansas, the state’s flagship institution. Supported by the Walton Family Foundation, the institute aims to expand the scope of discoveries made by UA researchers and move them to the marketplace. Previously, Ranu chaired the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Florida International University. She earned her advanced degrees in biomedical engineering at the Case School of Engineering.
Vincent Schoenig ’87
Morrisville, Vermont Vince has been named Executive Vice President and Senior IT and Operations Officer for Union Bank, a fullservice bank headquartered in Morrisville. Previously, he was the chief information officer at Old Point National Bank in Hampton, Virginia. Vince began his career in IT strategy and financial planning with a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Case Institute of Technology.
Hang Loi ’88
Woodbury, Minnesota Hang was honored by the Society of Asian Scientists and Engineers with its Career Achievement Award at its national conference in November. A chemical engineer, she is the Global Supplier Relationship Manager for 3M and an advocate for women in STEM.
Dan Dunkers ’89
Mount Airy, Maryland
Dan has joined Versant Health, a national managed vision care company, as senior vice president and chief information officer. Previously, he was the vice president of information technology at Johns Hopkins Healthcare. Dan earned his bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Case Institute of Technology.
Michael Hill, MS ’89, PhD ’92
San Diego, California
Michael is the Global Head, Science & Technology and Innovation, at Science Innovations LLC, which partners with medical technology companies to bring therapy and technology innovations to market. Before joining the company in 2019, he worked at Medtronic for 27 years, rising to the position of Vice President of Science & Technology and Innovation. Michael earned his master’s and doctoral degrees in biomedical engineering at Case Institute of Technology.
1990s
John Skabardonis, PhD ’90
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania John was recognized by the Industrial Designers Society of America in 2021 for dedicating his “time and talents this year to the betterment of our Society and advancing the industrial design profession through information, education, community, and advocacy.” John leads Technical Marketing for North America at Covestro. He earned his doctorate in chemistry at Case Institute of Technology.
Bethanie (Hills) Stadler ’90, PhD
Shoreview, Minnesota Bethanie will serve as General Co-Chair of Intermag 2023, the annual conference of the IEEE Magnetics Society, in Sendai, Japan. She is a Professor and Associate Head of Electrical & Computer Engineering at the University of Minnesota, where she also holds the CS&E Distinguished Professorship. A fellow of the Materials Research Society, Bethanie earned her bachelor’s degree in metallurgy from Case Institute of Technology and her doctorate at MIT.
Marla Perez-Davis, PhD ’91
Strongsville, Ohio
Marla was named the 2021 Engineer of the Year by the Hispanic Engineer National Achievement Award Corp. As director of the NASA Glenn Research Center, she leads its missions and 3,200 employees. A chemical engineer, Marla is the first Puerto Rican-born woman to lead a NASA space center. She earned her doctorate in chemical engineering from Case Institute of Technology.
Fabian Bigar ’93
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Fabian was appointed CEO of MyDigital, the government’s effort to make Malaysia a regional leader in the digital economy and attain inclusive, responsible, and sustainable socioeconomic development. Previously, he was Undersecretary of Policy and International Relations at Ministry for Health Malaysia. Fabian earned his bachelor’s degree in biology at Case.
Staffan Pehrson, MS ’93
Varnamo, Sweden
Staffan has been named President and CEO of Bufab, an international trading group and supply chain partner, effective February 2022. Previously, he held executive positions with the Nefab Group and the Ericsson Group in Sweden. Staffan
earned his master’s degree in Systems & Control Engineering at Case and an MBA from Stockholm School of Economics.
Ranjan Kejriwal, MS ’94
Springboro, Ohio
Raj was appointed to a nine-year term on the Wright State University Board of Trustees by Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine. He is the founder and president of AARIS, a Dayton provider of tubular, pipe, and bar products to global manufacturers. Raj earned his master’s degree in materials science at Case and a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Bihar in India.
John Jakovcic II ’96
Roswell, Georgia
John has been promoted to Chief Technology Officer at MedRisk, the nation’s largest managed care organization dedicated to the physical rehabilitation of injured workers. Previously he was senior vice president of technology at the firm. John earned his bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering from the Case School of Engineering.
Shouresh Amir-Tahmasseb ’96, MBA ’03
Solon, Ohio
Shouresh has been named the Americas Head of Engineering for ABB’s Energy Industries Division, which is based in Cleveland. He joined the global technology company nearly 25 years ago as an engineer, soon after earning his bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Case and his MBA from Weatherhead. Shouresh is the former chair of the board of the Home Repair and Resource Center in Cleveland Heights, a nonprofit that helps residents to repair and maintain their homes.
Terry Collier ’97, PhD ’02
Cedar Park, Texas Terry was named one of the TOP Ten Blacks in Tech in 2021 by the Black Business Journal of Austin, Texas. He’s the Vice President for Research & Development for the Electrical Markets Division of 3M and an accomplished engineering executive. Terry earned his bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering from the Case School of Engineering and followed that with a doctorate in materials science.
2000s
Tim Peshek ’01, MS ’03, PhD ’08
Cleveland, Ohio
Tim has been named Chief of the Photovoltaics and Electrochemical Systems Branch at the NASA Glenn Research Center, where he started in 2017 as a research electrical engineer. Tim is a former research assistant professor of materials science at the Case School of Engineering. He earned three physics degrees at Case, including his doctorate in semiconductor physics.
Lori Knous, MSE ’02
Dover, Ohio
Lori is the new General Manager of the Akron materials testing laboratories of Smithers, where she oversees a team of experienced testing engineers, chemists, and technicians. Previously, she was Senior Director of Business Development at Alpha Technologies. Lori has nearly 30 years of experience in materials and metallurgy, including 16 years in operations leadership.
Matthew Macewan ’04, MD, PhD
St. Louis, Missouri
Matt is the founder and Chief Science Officer at Acera Surgical, a soft tissue repair company born from his research into nanofibers and patient-focused innovation. He shared his journey as part of the CWRU Entrepreneurship Speaker Series in September. Matt earned his bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering from the Case School of Engineering and his medical and doctorate degrees from Washington University in St. Louis.
Alex Yakubovich ’07
San Francisco, California Alex was inducted into the Mayfield Hall of Fame of Mayfield (Ohio) City Schools and the Mayfield Schools Foundation. As a student at Case, he co-founded ONOSYS, one of the world’s first online restaurant ordering platforms, and went on to co-found Scout RFP with classmate Stan Garber. Scout was sold to Workday for more than half a billion dollars. Alex, a mechanical engineer, now runs one of the segments of Workday.
Penny Walter, MS ’08
Atlanta, Georgia
Penny was recognized by Plastics News as one of the Women Breaking the Mold in 2021. She’s the Supply Chain Leader for North America at the Coca Cola Company, where she is helping to lead recycling and sustainability efforts.
2010s
Marcin Citak ’11, MEM ’12
Bellevue, Pennsylvania Marcin joined Mursion, a maker of virtual reality training simulations, as a senior client engagement manager. Previously, he was a management consulting manager for Accenture. Marcin earned his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and his master’s in engineering management from the Case School of Engineering.
Piper Fernwey ’11
Clifton, Ohio
Piper is coordinating a task force that aims to create a Climate Action and Sustainability Plan for Yellow Springs, Ohio. She hopes the plan becomes a model for how communities can respond to
climate change. Piper earned her bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering from the Case School of Engineering and has spent much of the past decade planning and managing sustainability programs at colleges and universities.
Taneisha Deans ’12, PhD ’17
Detroit, Michigan
Taneisha is a research and technology engineer in polymers and the ARTC Lab Manager at DSM Engineering. She earned her bachelor’s degree in polymer science and engineering at the Case School of Engineering. Boosted by the Envoys program, she went on to earn her doctorate in macromolecular sciences.
Eddie Massey III ’13
Atlanta, Georgia
Eddie is a research scientist at Georgia Tech Research Institute and the chief roboticist for Carbon Origins, a Case-connected startup aiming to make robots commonplace. As the founder and executive director of Kids Code Too, he has helped to teach coding skills to hundreds of youth from rural and underserved areas of South Carolina, where he grew up. Eddie earned his bachelor’s degree in applied mathematics and computer science at Case.
Peter Dixon ’14
Minneapolis, Minnesota Peter is the new chief engineer at Carbon Origins, a Case-connected startup aiming to make robots commonplace. Previously he was a flight systems engineer at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. He earned his bachelor’s degree in aerospace and mechanical engineering at Case and his master’s in space engineering at the University of Michigan. A private pilot, he’s an assistant safety officer with the Civil Air Patrol.
Evan VanderHoff ’14
Tucson, Arizona Evan has joined Raytheon Missiles & Defense as a Senior Mechanical Engineer. Previously he was the Design Engineering Lead at Amphenol Borisch Technologies. Evan earned his bachelor’s degree in aerospace and mechanical engineering at Case.
Han Xu ’14, PhD
Boston, Massachusetts Han joined Harvard Medical School as an Education Fellow in its Therapeutic Sciences Program. Previously, she was a post doctoral research fellow in the Harvard School of Dental Medicine. Han earned her doctorate at Boston University and her bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering at Case, where she was president of the Labre Homeless Outreach Ministry.
Arielle Bloostein ’16
Redmond, Washington Arielle joined Google as a software engineer and now describes herself as a Noogler. Previously, she was a software engineer for Amazon. She will receive her master’s degree in 2022 in computer science from the Case School of Engineering.
Jesse Gadley PhD ’16
Newark, Ohio
Jesse is a Senior Engineer of R&D at Owens Corning. He joined the company after earning his doctorate in materials science at the Case School of Engineering. He shares his insight as an alumni advisor to the Polymer Initiative of Northeast Ohio (PiNO), a conference run by graduate students in the Department Macromolecular Science and Engineering.
Terrence Mathis ’16
Cleveland Heights, Ohio Terrance focuses on marine renewable energy as a project engineer at PMI Industries in Cleveland. He earned his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering at the Case School of Engineering, where he was an engineer coach and math tutor for the Envoys program.
Shuang Zhao, PhD ’16
Kokomo, Indiana
Shuang is a radar systems engineer for Aptiv, formerly Delphi Automotive. She is developing advanced radar signal processing algorithms for autonomous vehicles. Fluent in English and Chinese, Shuang earned her doctorate in Systems and Control Engineering at Case, where she has offered her skills as a research volunteer.
Quentin Baker ’17
Lakewood, Ohio
Quentin is a research and design engineer at Lincoln Electric, where he supports the development of retail and commercial welding equipment. He earned his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering at Case. In his free time, he enjoys playing the saxophone.
Richard has joined Apple as a materials engineer. “I help create beautiful coatings in ways previously unimaginable,” he says. Previously he was a process engineer for Ionbond IHI Group and a researcher at the NASA Glenn Research Center. An immigrant from Ghana, Richard earned his master’s degree in materials science and engineering at Case.
Elvis Cudjoe, PhD ’17
Strongsville, Ohio
Elvis is a Senior Research and Development Engineer at PolyOne, where he works for the Color, Additives, and Inks business unit. He earned his doctorate in macromolecular science and engineering
at Case. Every MLK Day since 2013, Elvis has staged polymer science demonstrations for children and their families at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History.
Khailing Neoh ’17
Simpsonville, South Carolina Ling covers 11 states as Territory Manager and VMI specialist for Parker Hannifin. She earned her bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering at Case, where she was a member of Kappa Alpha Theta sorority and was named to the Homecoming Royalty court.
Marlena Praprost ’17, MS ’18
Denver, Colorado
Marley is a research engineer for the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colorado, where she develops and analyzes models of the national building stock to evaluate the impact of energy conservation measures. She earned her degrees in mechanical engineering at Case, where she was a ThinkEnergy Fellow with the Great Lakes Energy Institute.
Sam Guadagnino ’18, MS ’19
Portland, Oregon
Sam joined Under Armour as a biomechanics analyst. He conducts biomechanics testing on footwear and apparel to develop future products. Sam earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in biomedical engineering at Case, where he was a member of the varsity track and field team.
Turner Montgomery ’18
Boston, Massachusetts Turner has been promoted to Senior Field Service Engineer at Neocis, a robotics company focused on dental surgery. Previously, he was product manager for the Ventilator Project, a volunteer effort by engineers to help solve the ventilator shortage at the start of the coronavirus pandemic. He earned his bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering at the Case School of Engineering.
Shelby Ovrom ’18 Seattle, Washington
Shelby is a hardware development engineer at Amazon Lab126. She recently played a role in the development of the Halo Band, Amazon’s first wearable health and wellness band. Shelby earned bachelor’s degrees in electrical and computer engineering at the Case School of Engineering, where she was a student assistant for DELPP, the Division of Engineering Leadership and Professional Practice.
Anshul Dhingra ’19
Chicago, Illinois
Anshul is an analyst at Accenture focused on strategy and consulting in the healthcare field. He earned his bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering at the Case School of Engineering, where he was a Michaelson-Morley Scholar.
Aaron George ’19 Cleveland, Ohio
Aaron is founder and COO of SupplyNow, a startup that provides a procurement platform for the restaurant industry and allows clients to explore market prices using auction technology. He earned his bachelor’s degree in civil engineering as an international student from the United Arab Emirates. In October, SupplyNow was invited to compete in Shark Tank 2021 at the Youngstown Business Incubator.
Matthew Trowbridge ’19, MS ’20
Newburyport, Massachusetts Matt is a Research Associate in the Science and Technology Division of the Institute for Defense Analyses, a nonprofit corporation that operates federally funded research and development centers addressing U.S. security and science policy. He earned his Case degrees in mechanical engineering.
2020s
Muriel Hook ’20
San Diego, California Muriel is a software engineer at Qualcomm, one of the world’s leading innovators in wireless technology. She earned her bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering at the Case School of Engineering, where she was a member of the Case Rocket Team and a recipient of the George J. Goudreau Sr. ’25 Scholarship from the Case Alumni Association.
Yeji “Wendy” Kim ’20, MS ’21
Chicago, Illinois
Wendy is a structural engineering associate at Sargent & Lundy, a firm that provides engineering and business consulting for new and operating power plants. She earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in civil engineering at Case, where she was a graduate teaching assistant.
Rebecca Lalk ’20
Los Alamos, New Mexico Rebecca, an intern at Los Alamos National Laboratory, plans to pursue her doctorate in materials science and engineering at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, beginning this fall. She was awarded a prestigious National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship, which supports outstanding graduate students in STEM disciplines who are pursuing research-based advanced degrees. Rebecca earned her bachelor’s degree in physics at Case, where she was a member of the Symphonic Winds and a founding member of the Women in Physics and Astronomy Club.
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