Mixed Media

Worlds Wide

Matt White and the Super Villain Jazz Band’s Worlds Wide (Ear Up Records, 2017) is the sophomore release from trumpeter and composer Matt White, M.M. ’06, D.M.A. ’11, who is also an assistant professor of music at Coastal Carolina University in South Carolina.

Code Noir

The 12 original tunes on Code Noir (Afrasia Productions, 2017), the 15th album from Frost Distinguished Alumna and critically lauded vocalist Carmen Lundy, B.M. ’80, encompass jazz, blues, Brazilian samba, and pop sounds, along with “the many emotions that are prevalent in this country right now,” she notes.

Rehab Reunion

Grammy Award-winning singersongwriter-pianist Bruce Hornsby, B.M. ’77, brings a folksier sound to his 20th album, Rehab Reunion (Universal Music, 2016), on which he plays dulcimer with his band, the Noisemakers, backing him up on washboard, organ, fiddle, and mandolin, as well as guitar and bass. There’s even a fun paean to Hornsby’s UM stomping grounds, “M.I.A. in M.I.A.M.I.”

Poisoned

First-time author Alan Bell, B.B.A. ’76, J.D. ’79, recounts his harrowing journey from unexplained illness to recovery and activism in Poisoned: How a Crime-Busting Prosecutor Turned His Medical Mystery into a Crusade for Environmental Victims (Skyhorse Publishing, 2017). The founder of the nonprofit Environmental Health Foundation, he continues to warn against the dangers of environmental toxins.

Woman Walk the Line

In Woman Walk the Line: How the Women
in Country Music Changed Our Lives (University of Texas Press, 2017), Nashville-based pen-slinger Holly Gleason, A.B. ’85, edited over two dozen personal essays paying tribute to groundbreaking country artists—from Loretta Lynn and Dolly Parton to Shania Twain and Taylor Swift.

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Mike Johnson, B.B.A. ’82, M.B.A. ’83 (bottom), shows his love for the U while skydiving with an instructor over
Tennessee on July 8.

Email a high-resolution photo that shows you living your passion to [email protected], subject line: ’Cane in the Act.

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Mixed Media

Hair to the Queen!

When financial expert Tamara Beliard Rodriguez, B.B.A. ’01, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2014, she struggled to find a way to speak about it with her young daughters. She published Hair to the Queen!, an illustrated children’s book, in 2016 to help other families begin the conversation in a light-hearted but fearless way.

Before I Do

In her first book, Before I Do: A Legal Guide to Marriage, Gay and Otherwise (The New Press, 2016), gay rights attorney Elizabeth F. Schwartz, J.D. ’97, covers practical considerations as well as rights and implications all couples should address before tying the knot, such as name changes, getting a license, taxes, insurance, Social Security, and more.

By Silent Majority

Robert Buschel, A.B. ’91, practices criminal litigation and flies compassion missions as a private pilot in real life. In his first novel, By Silent Majority (Post Hill Press, 2016), he takes on the emerging scandals of a popular and effective U.S. president in the wake of a domestic terrorist attack.

The Impossible Fortress

In his debut novel, The Impossible Fortress (Simon & Schuster, 2017), Jason Rekulak, M.F.A. ’95, publisher at Quirk Books by day, has conjured a love letter to the 1980s through teenage nerd Billy Marvin, who falls in love at the dawn of the computer revolution.

Snowbirds

Writer Crissa-Jean Chappell, B.S.C. ’97, M.F.A. ’99, Ph.D. ’03, set her fourth young adult novel, Snowbirds (Merit Press, 2017), in Florida during the “Rumspringa” rite of passage of Amish teens Lucy and Alice. As they explore the temptations briefly allowed them, Alice disappears, and Lucy’s search for her begins amid a veil of secrets.

The post Mixed Media Spring 2017 appeared first on University of Miami: Miami Magazine.

It was a classic tale of love at first flight. Chris Mazur, B.M. ’08, first set foot on an ultimate Frisbee field as a UM student. Just over a decade later he was crowned Ultiworld’s Offensive Player of 2016, and last June helped Team USA take mixed-division gold at the World Ultimate Guts Championships in London (pictured playing Slovakia). The Frost School graduate has managed to balance an award-winning career as a commercial music producer (often working with fellow ’Cane Andy Lykens, M.M. ’05) with the life of a pro athlete since 2012. Mazur, 31, relocated last year from New York City to Dallas after being traded to the undefeated Dallas Roughnecks, winning a professional title with the team in the American Ultimate Disc League. He is now team captain.
Photo: Jolie J Lang/UltiPhotos

Email a high-resolution photo that shows you living your passion to
[email protected], subject line: ’Cane in the Act.

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Mixed Media

A Quien Quiera Escuchar

Two UM alumni played big roles behind the scenes of Ricky Martin’s A Quien Quiera Escuchar (Deluxe Edition), which won a 2016 Grammy for Best Latin Pop Album. Its producer was Julio Reyes Copello, M.M. ’00, an award-winning producer, composer, and pianist, and the founder of Art House Records. Carlos Fernando Lopez, B.M. ’12, worked as an arranger, engineer, and performer on the album, whose title in English means To Whoever Wants to Listen.

Alaska’s Greatest Outdoor Legends

Doug Kelly, A.B. ’77, recounts the adventures of the 49th state’s leading bush pilots and journalists, biologists and wildlife guides of the 20th century in Alaska’s Greatest Outdoor Legends: Colorful Characters Who Built the Fishing and Hunting Industries (University of Alaska Press, 2016), named the “Best Outdoor Book” of 2016 by the Southeast Florida Press Association.

Lights Out

Ben Everard, A.B. ’06, cofounder of Grey Matter Productions, is one of the executive producers behind the summer horror flick Lights Out (Warner Bros. Pictures, 2016). Directed by Swedish filmmaker David F. Sandberg, based on his short film of the same name, the action revolves around a pair of siblings who try to solve the mystery of terrifying events taking place in the dark and a frightening entity with an unhealthy attachment to their mother (Maria Bello).

A Pioneer Son at Sea

In A Pioneer Son at Sea: Fishing Tales of Old Florida (University Press of Florida, 2016), noted marine biologist and conservationist Gilbert L. Voss, B.S. ’51, M.S. ’52, captures the excitement of his early days spent fishing on both coasts of the peninsula during the Great Depression and World War II, during the era of rum runners, murderers, Conchs, and wealthy industrialists. Robert S. Voss edited the manuscript for his father, a long-time UM faculty member who died in 1989.

The post Mixed Media Fall 2016 appeared first on University of Miami: Miami Magazine.

Samuel H. Gruber is the founding director of the Sharklab in South Bimini Island, Bahamas.

Rafael Lima wanted to witness up close the critical role sharks play in our ecosystem. The School of Communication lecturer got his chance during an open water shark dive at the Bimini Biological Field Station Foundation (also known as the Bimini Sharklab), launched in 1990 by alumnus Samuel H. Gruber, B.S. ’60, M.S. ’66, Ph.D. ’69, an emeritus professor at the Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science.

A newly released biography, Shark Doc, Shark Lab: The Life and Work of Samuel Gruber, explores the scientist’s drive to understand and protect one of the most revered yet misunderstood predators in the world. As Gruber once told National Geographic Explorer: “If people understand the great importance and critical role of sharks in the sea as well as the plight of these top predators I believe the fear and loathing for sharks would disappear and shark conservation would be a slam dunk.”

All funds generated from the sales of the book, written by Jeremy Staff0rd-Deitsch and sponsored by Save Our Seas Foundation, will go toward rebuilding the 26-year-old Bimini Sharklab in Bimini, Bahamas, into a hurricane-proof, environmentally friendly field station.

Below is Lima’s account of swimming with the sharks:

This all happens in an instant. The gash of a mouth yawns open.
The upper and lower jaws unhinge and the gums fold back over the jawbone. Rows of pearl-white triangular teeth appear in neat semi-circular rows. The muscular body flexes, accelerating the shark faster than you thought possible for an animal the size of a Mazda Miata. The mouth continues to curl back as though the shark is beginning to peel itself backwards from the snout; the expression now the familiar angry snarl of spiked teeth and bullet nose.

Shark behavior expert ‘Doc’ Gruber began studying lemon sharks at UM 50 years ago. Matthew D Potenski

You notice the tip of the dorsal fin as it breaks the surface is leaving tiny tornadoes of bubbles as the shark writhes towards you. One small eye (its pupil slit, like a cat’s) stares unblinking and emotionless.

A chunk of bait fish floats a few inches above your mask, directly in your line of vision, drifting slowly down. He’s going to grab that piece of fish, you tell yourself. How did the chum get so close to me?

You have just enough time to pull your head back as ten feet of muscle propelling an open mouth full or razor teeth snaps closed less than a foot from your face. You close your eyes, turn your head, and feel the compression wave as the shark’s jaws snap, expelling water through its gills.

You open your eyes in time to see the gills of the shark billow open, spitting out bits of chum, and the familiar tiger stripes of the animal flashing by. The tail fans languidly and you see the shark drifting down, away into the blue at the limit of your vision.

Now there are maybe 15 other sharks circling, swooping, leaving trails of bubbles as they break the surface and dive toward you one by one.

Clambering up the dive ladder of the small outboard boat, you are greeted by a gray-bearded man wearing a long-sleeve khaki shirt, torn shorts and a bandana sitting with his feet on the helm of a small power boat. This is “Doc Gruber” (as he’s known to his students). Samuel “Sonny” Gruber, B.S. ’60, M.S. ’66, Ph.D. ’69,  is an emeritus professor at the Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, and director of the Bimini Biological Field Station, as well as a council member of the Bahamas National Trust. Suffice it to say that if anyone can be called the shark guru it’s Doc Gruber.

Asked whether swimming so close to this many sharks isn’t a little dangerous, Gruber replies, “We’ve been doing this dive for 30 years, and we haven’t had one bite yet. They are not the monsters everyone thinks they are. They are interested in the food—not you.”

And there lies the heart of Doc Gruber’s philosophy and approach to the animals he’s studied and protected for close to four decades. They are not the vicious man-eaters everyone thinks they are. He invites alumni and others to get wet and witness this underwater scene—chum in the water and 20 animals circling and feeding.

BIMINI SHARKLAB

Students and volunteers keep the Sharklab populated.

Known as the Gateway to the Bahamas, the small islands of Bimini are located less than 50 miles from Florida. Bimini’s warm, clear waters flow from the Gulf Stream up onto the Great Bahama Bank. These waters have made Bimini a world-famous destination for big game fishing, scuba diving, and shark research.

In 1990 Gruber founded the Bimini Biological Field Station (also known as Bimini Sharklab) on the island of South Bimini as a place for him and his students to carry out field research on sharks full-time. He still owns and operates it as a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization.

The Sharklab offers volunteers the opportunity to get in-depth experience in many aspects of marine field biology, as well as become familiar with the workings of a remote field station. It depends on the efforts of the thousands of dedicated volunteers from all over the globe who have visited since its launch more than 25 years ago.

TEAM EFFORT

Shark ecotourism in the Bahamas generates $70 million per year and not one shark is killed. The same income can be generated for decades to come, shark experts like Gruber say. On the other hand, shark fishing may generate a large income for a couple of years, and then it comes to a halt when the population is depleted. The result is annihilation and the loss of the species forever, with untold environmental consequences. Sharks (like many bony fish) cannot reproduce fast enough to accommodate any level of extraction. They are slow-growing, long-lived animals who reach maturity at a late age and have few offspring. Ecologically, removing sharks from healthy reef systems will bring about the demise of these marine systems, which are the mainstay of the Bahamian economy: tourism.

In March 2011, Doc Gruber and the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation joined forces with the Ministers of Agriculture and Fisheries, Environment and Tourism in a bid to create a shark protected zone. Gruber, Harvey, and other concerned organizations responded to the threat of commercial harvesting of shark fins to Asia. The Bahamas National Trust and the PEW Environmental Group lobbied the government for protection of Bahamas sharks.

On July 5, 2011, it was announced by the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries that an amendment to the fisheries law now makes it illegal to target, catch, sell, import, or export sharks within the Bahamas 200-mile exclusive economic zone. The Bahamas has become a shark sanctuary, thanks in no small part to the work of Doc Gruber.

You can read more about Gruber’s contributions to the U at miami.edu/magazine.

SHARK WEEK APPETIZER

UM shark researcher Neil Hammerschlag attaches an underwater camera to a tiger shark during filming for a Nat Geo show. Matthew D. Potenski

Alumnus Neil Hammerschlag, Ph.D. ’10, also has been studying, sampling, tagging, and tracking sharks for years as part of his work as research assistant professor at the Rosenstiel School and Abess Center for Ecosystem Science & Policy.

Director of the Shark Research & Conservation Program at UM, Hammerschlag is an expert on the ecology and conservation of sharks. He also oversees a popular outreach program that involves citizen science shark-tagging trips and collecting data that contribute to shark conservation efforts.

Hammerschlag is featured in a National Geographic program—Mission Critical: Sharks Under Attack—which debuted May 22 and airs again on Sunday, May 29 at 10 a.m. ET.

In the program, Hammerschlag places a special camera “crittercam” on the dorsal fin of a tiger shark, providing a shark-eye view of the swimming predator. This is part of Hammerschlag’s ongoing research on the behavioral ecology of tiger sharks in the Bahamas.

Read more about his work at miami.edu/magazine.

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Citizen ’Cane

Livin’ La Vida Sofía

Photo: Amanda Julca

Raquel Sofía’s road to a Latin Grammy “Best New Artist” nomination last year began when she was just 7, singing and writing songs about boys she had crushes on.

In between, she discovered jazz and, later, a like-minded cadre of musically “obsessed” peers at the University of Miami. She supported herself as a wedding singer and then sang backup for Juanes and Shakira before becoming a breakout indie star with one of Sony’s first digital recording deals, measured in streams and views instead of simply album sales.

Sofía, B.M. ’09, grew up listening to an eclectic mix—James Taylor and the Beatles, Bob Marley and Juan Luis Guerra. Then, at 15, she says, “I fell in love with jazz. I don’t know where or how or why, but all of a sudden I discovered it and I wanted to be Ella Fitzgerald.”

That led her to the Phillip and Patricia Frost School of Music—“one of the best things that happened to me,” she says.

“When you’re in high school and you want to be a music major, especially in a small town like Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, you’re more than likely the only one. So I always felt like I was different,” she continues. At UM, “you’re surrounded for the first time in your entire life by people like yourself. You’re surrounded by other musicians who want to do this.”

Sofía’s break came about three years after graduation, when the Colombian rocker Juanes hired her as a backup singer for his “MTV Unplugged” tour.

She seized the opportunity and returned to her writing roots. “And as soon as I switched from English to Spanish, things just started growing and just sounded more natural. I found my own voice. And it all started happening right then.”

She launched a YouTube channel that got her noticed. By the following summer, she was opening for Juanes on tour.

That led to her first EP, Te Odio Los Sabados (I Hate You on Saturdays), including the single “Agridulce,” which has grossed over 11 million streams and made her a Spotify “Artist To Watch.” In 2015, Sofía returned to her alma mater to perform at Festival Miami. Her repertoire included tunes from her first album, Te Quiero Los Domingos (I Love You on Sundays), which debuted last June at No. 1 on iTunes Latino’s “Top Latin Albums” chart.

“Raquel is one in a million,” says Sony A&R Manager Isabel DeJesus. “Without a doubt, we are witnessing an icon in the making.”

—Carlos Harrison

The post Livin’ La Vida Sofía appeared first on University of Miami: Miami Magazine.

Board of Directors Executive Committee

Alumni Trustees

Doyle Beneby, M.B.A. ’97
Susan Lytle Lipton, A.B. ’67, J.D. ’70
Michael “Pete” Piechoski, B.B.A. ’76

Directors

Guillermo de Aranzabal Agudo, M.B.A. ’84
Taghreed Al-Saraj, B.F.A. ’99, M.S.Ed. ’01
Suzanne M. Block, A.B. ’81
Cristie A. Carter, B.S.C. ’95
Victoria A. Colon, M.B.A. ’98
Santiago Corrada, A.B. 86, M.S.Ed. ’91
Jose Felix Diaz, A.B. ’02
Jorge Duyos, B.S.I.E. ’85, M.S.I.E. ’88
Bill J. Fisse, B.B.A. ’75, M.B.A. ’77
Martin J. Ganderson, B.B.A. ’73
Cynthia Hudson, A.B. ’84, M.A. ’97
Brian L. Itzkowitz, B.B.A. ’90
Noelia Moreno, B.B.A. ’86, J.D. ’89
Robert J. Munch, A.B. ’73
Kourtney Ratliff, B.B.A. ’03
Spencer B. Weinkle, B.S.C. ’07
Doug Weiser, A.B. ’78, J.D. ’82

Young Alumni Leadership Council Representative

Vance Aloupis, B.B.A. ’05, J.D. ’08

Faculty Representatives

Manuel A. Huerta, M.S. ’67, Ph.D. ’70
Shawn Post, B.Ed. ’73, M.Ed. ’74, Ph.D. ’78, Delegate, Faculty Senate

Student Representatives

Brianna Hathaway, Student Government
Casey Rea, Alumni Ambassadors

Alumni Network

’Canes Communities

Atlanta John Fenton, B.B.A. ’80, M.B.A. ’82, [email protected]
Austin Dayna Chettouh, A.B. ’78, M.B.A. ’81, [email protected]
Boston Michaela Hennessy, B.A.M.A. ’14, [email protected]
Brazil Ric Scheinkman, ’01, [email protected]
Broward County Daniel Markarian, B.S.Ed. ’86, M.S.Ed. ’89, [email protected]
Charlotte Jason Wilson, B.S.E. ’98, [email protected]
Chicago Brian Kidder, B.S.E.E. ’03, [email protected]
Cincinnati Marc Bouche, B.Arch. ’84, [email protected]
Cleveland Diego Perilla, B.S. ’06, M.P.A. ’10, M.B.A. ’12, [email protected]
Colombia Oscar Paez, B.B.A. ’03, M.A. ’05, [email protected]
Dallas Bryan Dolgin, B.S.C. ’97, [email protected]
Denver Alicia Montoya, A.B. ’05, [email protected]
Detroit Joshua Lopez, A.B. ’10, [email protected]
Houston Edward Perry, B.M. ’07, [email protected]
Indianapolis Danielle Bruno, B.S.B.A. ’10, [email protected]
Jacksonville Catherine Lewis-Tubre, M.S. ’98, [email protected]
London Maria Newstrom, B.Arch. ’09, [email protected]
Los Angeles Emerson Davis, B.S.C. ’08, [email protected]
Louisville Clifford “Dean” Furman, A.B. ’90, [email protected]
Middle East Reyadh Al-Rabeah, B.S.I.E. ’87, [email protected]
Nashville Ben Bruno, B.M. ’07, [email protected]
New Jersey Jennifer Smith, B.B.A. ’94, [email protected]
New York Michael Gohari, J.D. ’01, [email protected]
Orlando Adrian Burrowes, M.D. ’00, [email protected]
Palm Beach County Jordan White, A.B. ’05, [email protected]
Philadelphia Annette R. Ponnock, A.B. ’07, [email protected]
Phoenix Jason Hutzler, J.D. ’10, [email protected]
Portland Jason Gershenson, A.B. ’07, [email protected]
Richmond Molly R. Manuse, B.S.C. ’08, [email protected]
San Francisco Samantha Ku, B.B.A. ’10, [email protected]
Sarasota Sam Waldron, B.S. ’09, [email protected]
Savannah Eugene Bloom, M.D. ’60, [email protected]
Seattle Jordan Louie, ’07, [email protected]
Southwest Florida Barbara Woodcock, A.B. ’08, [email protected]
Spain Jaime Escalante, B.B.A. ’93, M.B.A. ’11, [email protected]
St. Louis Ethan Silverman, B.B.A. ’01, [email protected]
Tampa Stuart Bromfield, A.B. ’09, [email protected]
United Kingdom Gustavo Pifano, B.B.A. ’08, [email protected]
Washington, D.C. Rachel Papeika, B.S.B.E. ’05, J.D. ’09, M.S. ’09, [email protected]

Special Interest Groups

Black Alumni Society Cynthia Cochran, B.B.A. ’01, M.P.A. ’06, [email protected]
Band of the Hour Debbie Baker Robinson, B.B.A. ’84, [email protected]
LGBTQ Judson Dry, B.B.A. ’07, [email protected]
Public Health Alumni Association Daniella Orihuela, B.S.B.E. ’11, M.P.H. ’14, [email protected]
UM Sports Hall of Fame Gerard Loisel, B.S. ’76, [email protected]

School and College Groups

College of Engineering Tamara Ali, B.S.I.E. ’04, M.B.A. ’06, M.S.I.E. ’09, [email protected]
School of Law Edward Shohat, A.B. ’69, J.D. ’72, [email protected]
Miller School of Medicine Vicky Egusquiza, A.B. ’83, M.D. ’87, [email protected]
School of Nursing and Health Studies Sonique Sailsman, B.S.N. ’00, [email protected]
Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science Peter Chaibongsai, A.B. ’00, M.A. ’07, [email protected]

Alumni records of the University of Miami are kept strictly confidential. Directory information is released only to other members of the alumni community unless an alumnus or alumna has requested complete privacy. On a very limited occasion and only at the approval of the UM Alumni Association Board of Directors, directory information is shared with outside vendors who are in a joint relationship with the University. Should you not wish to release your name to any outside vendor and/or other members of the UM alumni community, please notify the Office of Alumni Relations in writing at P.O. Box 248053, Coral Gables, Florida 33124-1514.

For more information, call 305-284-2872 or 1-800-UMALUMS, or go to miami.edu/alumni

The post Alumni Leadership appeared first on University of Miami: Miami Magazine.

Citizen ’Cane

Out of This World

When the time comes, Elisa Mallis, B.S. ’95, will be decked out in a full space suit, carrying a picture of her husband and two young sons, as she rockets upward at three times the speed of sound, above the Karman Line to the edge of space.

For Mallis, the highlight of this hour-long voyage will be the 15 minutes she’ll spend at the apex, suspended in zero gravity, observing her home planet 340,000 feet below.

Having lived on several continents during her 42 years, she’s used to shuttling between worlds. Growing up, Mallis split her time between her native Miami and her parents’ native Greece. And she has long used outer space as a metaphor in her work, helping leaders of government and multinational organizations learn to thrive in an increasingly complex environment.

Her “global mindset” training program resonated with XCOR, a commercial space flight enterprise, which included Mallis in its Founder Astronauts group, the first 100 individuals who will travel in their craft 103 kilometers above the Earth.

“For years I have used this perspective of looking at the Earth from space to help broaden our mindset and solve problems in a different way,” says Mallis, who is based in Beijing as head of executive development and coaching at Management Development Services.

Now, with XCOR’s prototype “pretty much complete,” Mallis expects she could be ready for liftoff sometime in 2017, by which time XCOR engineers and pilots, its Pioneer group, will have made test flights up to 60km.

“We’re currently waiting through a rigorous testing and safety process,” she notes.

Her training has already included a flight simulator in Holland called Desdemona and an aerobatic ride in a Slingsby aircraft to simulate G-force acceleration and zero gravity.

“All of that went very well so far,” she says.

At the University of Miami, Mallis majored in psychology and biology before earning advanced degrees in organizational and counseling psychology at Columbia University. A management consultant who has worked in New York, London, Australia, and, for almost a decade, Asia, she views space as the next great horizon for unlocking creative solutions to our environmental predicament.

“We’re one human race, and it’s going to be collaboration that will help us save ourselves and our precious planet,” she says. “We should also be working toward broader possibilities for our long-term evolution. I believe we do have the potential to be more than a single-planet species.”  

See Mallis training in the Mojave.

—Robin Shear

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Citizen ’Cane

Harnessing Emoji Mania

Emojis have become so popular that the Oxford Dictionaries 2015 word of the year wasn’t a word at all. It was 😂.

Courtesy Emogi

One person who knows exactly how popular emojis are is Travis Montaque, B.B.A. ’14. Instead of joining an investment firm after majoring in finance at the U, he invested in his own startup, Emogi, which developed and trademarked the Emotion Engine, a proprietary technology that allows consumers to express their feelings by clicking on the wide range of smiling, sad, pensive, and angry emoji faces and symbols used in text and email messages.

This year Forbes magazine recognized Montaque, 23, on its national list of “30 Under 30 in Marketing & Advertising” for his innovative approach to helping brands and publishers measure the effectiveness of their online advertising.

“We are the first company that allows brands to elicit and understand emotion in real time with a high degree of accuracy,” says Montaque, who recently announced a partnership between IBM and his New York company with 20 employees. Emogi also partnered with Kargo, the largest mobile marketplace for premium mobile brand advertising, to introduce emoji-enriched advertising in mobile.

Raised in South Florida, Montaque began working at a Chik-fil-A restaurant at 15. By 19 he was managing two locations with $7 million in revenue and 120 employees. But rather than continue in the fast-food industry, he enrolled at the School of Business Administration, founding the University’s Economics Club and becoming vice chair of the Dean’s Undergraduate Advisory Board and a Titan on the school’s Hyperion Council, which consults with businesses in disadvantaged communities.

In his sophomore year, Montaque launched Splyst, a social media platform to deliver Internet content to users based on their interests.

“I had an opportunity to pursue a career in finance but decided to go my own way,” he says, adding that Splyst evolved into Emogi as he realized the need to improve the effectiveness of digital advertising.

“Rather than click or ignore ads, we integrate emojis into the content to give consumers an opportunity to express their feelings and increase brand engagement,” he explains. “Advertisers can use those responses to learn consumer preferences so they can retarget and deliver ads with greater relevancy.”

Being ahead of the emoji curve gives Montaque plenty to 😃 about.

“In my career, I’ve gone from food to finance to technology to marketing,” he says. “I like exploring new fields and capitalizing on new opportunities.”

—Richard Westlund, M.B.A. ’83

Read more about Montaque in The New Yorker.

The post Harnessing Emoji Mania appeared first on University of Miami: Miami Magazine.

Email Class Notes to [email protected].

Beatrice F. Cayzer, A.B. ’46, published her 18th book, The Secret Diary of Mrs. John Quincy Adams (The Grumpy Dragon, 2013).

Eris Stevens Floyd, B.B.A. ’47, has been retired since 1986 from the National Bank of Georgia. She lives in Georgia.

G. Holmes Braddock, A.B. ’49, M.Ed. ’53, was featured in The Miami Herald and The New York Times for his extensive history of attending Miami Hurricanes football games, missing just 12 out of the last 431 home games over the past 69 seasons.

E. Leonard Rubin, A.B. ’56, J.D. ’59, a copyright, trademark, entertainment law attorney, and former vice president, general counsel, and corporate secretary of Playboy Enterprises, Inc., has opened LRubinLaw firm in the Chicago area. An arbitrator, a certified mediator, and an adjunct professor at John Marshall Law School, he is also immediate past president of the Copyright Society of the United States, Midwest chapter.

A. Jay Cristol, A.B. ’58, J.D. ’59, Ph.D. ’97, chief judge emeritus of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Florida, received the 2015 American Bankruptcy Institute William L. Norton, Jr. Judicial Excellence Award. He recently made a $2 million commitment to the University of Miami School of Law to create the Judge A. Jay Cristol Endowed Chair in Bankruptcy.

Kenny Schneider, A.B. ’60, is an artist, filmmaker, and educator who lives and works in La Veta, Colorado. His large public art commissions include pieces at the Palm Beach and Miami international airports, the award-winning Fire House Project for the Seattle Arts Commission, and the Buell Children’s Museum in Pueblo, Colorado. 

Joseph Leniado-Chira, B.M. ’61, active for more than four decades as conductor of 11 professional symphony and chamber orchestras, operas, ballets, and brass ensembles, has composed over 41 works performed all over the world by leading musicians. He earned 19 medals in music competitions, five conducting scholarships and fellowships, including an RCA-Rockefeller conducting fellowship grant at the American Symphony Orchestra League’s Asilomar Institute Project, the Harvard Dictionary of Music Award, and the VFW Award in Music, as well as recognition from the Connecticut State Legislature and the Town of Greenwich, Connecticut.

Leon J. Hoffman, A.B. ’61, enjoys his practice of psychology in Chicago, specializing in individual and group psychotherapy. As a lifelong chamber music cellist and former member of the Miami Symphony, he thrives on his ensemble involvement around the world. He also writes articles and letters for lay and scientific journals, including the Chicago Tribune and Chicago Sun Times. He is delighted to keep hearing from UM-connected colleagues. 

Richard N. Friedman, A.B. ’62, J.D. ’65, popularly known as the “Singing Attorney,” had his third music album, Red Carpet, released by U.S.A. All-Star Music. It includes his renditions of 13 Academy Award-winning songs.

Rodolfo R. Rodriguez-Oliva, B.S.E.E. ’63, was elected to the National Academy of Engineering for inventions to analyze blood and separate blood components that enable widespread clinical therapies. He is chief scientific officer and founder of Advanced Animal Diagnostics, Morrisville, North Carolina. 

Jerold S. Greenfield, B.S. ’65, ran a private optometry practice in the Miami/Fort Lauderdale area for nearly 30 years. He has authored three books in the Dark Angel trilogy: The Eye Doctor, Dark Angel (2011); The Rectification Committee, Dark Angel II (2013); and The Guardian, Dark Angel III (2014). He practices optometry in Pensacola, Florida, where he lives with his wife and granddaughter Olivia. 

Leeomia Minnis Kelly, B.M. ’66, is a reverend, piano instructor, and composer who has performed with the Greater Bethel A.M.E. Choir in Miami. As a UM music student, she received the National Music Honor Society Award and Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society Award.

Thomas R. Spencer Jr., A.B. ’66, J.D. ’69, a Miami lawyer, co-authored Recent Trends in National Security Law 2015 (Thomson-Reuters).

Russ D. Jobson, B.B.A. ’68, a senior vice president at Colliers International in Atlanta, Georgia, is president of the Georgia chapter of the Society of Industrial and Office Realtors. He recently represented RaceTrac Petroleum in its headquarters relocation to Atlanta.

Cami Hofstadter, M.C.L. ’71, has published the reference book The Foreign Consuls Among Us: Local Bridges to Globalism (Seagreen Press, 2015).

Robert J. Colombo Jr., B.B.A. ’72, was appointed by the Michigan Supreme Court to his second two-year term as chief judge of Michigan’s largest court, the Third Judicial Circuit Court (Wayne County).

Robert A. Dulberg, J.D. ’72, celebrated his 25th anniversary as a mediator certified by the Supreme Court of Florida. He is also certified as a mediator in the Southern District of the U.S. District Court.

David M. Goulet, A.B. ’72, has retired and closed his business of 25 years. He was an adjunct professor for nine years in the Department of Business and Information Technology at Glendale Community College and was a Glendale City Council member for 12 years. A past president of several community organizations who helped bring the first Super Bowl to Glendale, he now devotes his time to writing.

Robert “Rhyno” Rhynearson, B.B.A. ’72, purchased Zoo World, a small zoo in Panama City Beach, Florida, with his two daughters.

Robert J. Kavlock, B.S. ’73, Ph.D. ’77, deputy assistant administrator for science in the Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Research and Development, was a finalist in the Partnership for Public Service’s Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medals “for his efforts to transform how the EPA tests the toxicity of industrial and household chemicals, dramatically increasing the number that are assessed for potential health risks, while reducing the cost, time, and need for animal studies.” His achievements were profiled in The Washington Post.

William P. Burns, J.D. ’74, of Hawaii, self-published the autobiographical book Soundtrack.

Jerry M. Markowitz, J.D. ’74, co-founder and managing shareholder of Markowitz, Ringel, Trusty & Hartog P.A., was appointed to the board of directors of the American Bankruptcy Institute for a three-year term.

Patricia M. Byers, B.S. ’75, M.D. ’80, professor of surgery at the Miller School of Medicine, a faculty member in the Division of Trauma Surgery and Surgical Critical Care, and Jackson Memorial Hospital South’s trauma medical director and chief of surgical nutrition, received the Florida Department of Health Injury Prevention Section’s Injury Prevention Award. She is principal investigator for the Motorcycle Education and Injury Prevention Program: Survive the Ride.

Lourdes Perdomo, A.B. ’75, exhibited the visual arts show “State” at Georgia Perimeter College Clarkston Campus.

Timothy Patten, B.B.A. ’76, M.B.A. ’78, wrote his first book, Money, Family, Murder (TMP Novels, 2014), a thriller partially set in Miami. He lives in Irvine, California, with his wife, Kathy.

Michael “Pete” Piechoski, B.B.A. ’76, UM Alumni Association trustee, was named chair of the USA Bobsled and Skeleton organization’s board of directors.

Raymond Angelo Belliotti, M.A. ’76, Ph.D. ’77, is the author of Why Philosophy Matters: 20 Lessons on Living Large (Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2015).

Alan Matarasso, M.D. ’79, was elected vice president of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. He practices in New York City.

Jeff Coopwood, B.F.A. ’79, the voice of the Borg in Star Trek: First Contact (“Resistance is futile”), appeared at the 2015 Official Star Trek Convention, on TV’s Major Crimes, and in the 2016 movie Gods of Egypt.

Carlos Halley Jr., B.B.A. ’80, a vice president with FirstBank Florida, was appointed to a three-year term on the board of The Florida Bar Foundation.

Matthew E. “Matt” Rubel, M.B.A. ’80, a UM President’s Council member, was named president and CEO of Varsity Brands.

Charles M. Burkett, M.D. ’81, of Radiology Associates of Daytona Beach in Florida, was inducted as a Fellow in the American College of Radiology.

Thomas Kirchhoff, B.Arch. ’81, launched Palm Beach-based Kirchhoff & Associates Architecture in 1994, specializing in high-end residential with award-winning designs. His team includes associate Betsy Rossin, B.Arch. ’86. His wife of 35 years is

Carol Passanisi-Kirchhoff, B.S.Ed. ’81. Their daughters are Nicole Kirchhoff, B.S. ’05, and Catherine Kirchhoff, B.Arch. ’08.

Kristian Truelsen, M.M. ’81, was cast as Peter John Friar in the world premiere musical adaptation of The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz at the Segal Centre for Performing Arts in Montreal, Quebec.

Henry N. Butler, J.D. ’82, was named the fifth dean of the George Mason University School of Law. Previously he was executive director of George Mason’s Law & Economics Center.

Marcia Silvers, J.D. ’82, an attorney in Coral Gables, was named to the Super Lawyers magazine list of “Top 50 Florida Women Lawyers.”

David Ake, B.M. ’83, returned to UM’s Frost School of Music as a professor of musicology and chair of the Department of Musicology.

Edith G. Osman, J.D. ’83, shareholder at Carlton Fields Jorden Burt in Miami, received the Daily Business Review Professional Excellence Lifetime Achievement award.

Jeffrey Sloman, J.D. ’83, former U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Florida, has formed the Miami law firm O’Quinn Stumphauzer & Sloman.

Geisha J. Williams, B.S.I.E. ’83, a UM President’s Council member, was promoted to president, Electric Operations, at Pacific Gas and Electric Company.

Abigail Price-Williams, J.D. ’84,was unanimously approved by Miami-Dade commissioners as Miami-Dade County attorney. She is the first black woman named to that role.

Jorge L. Alonso, A.B. ’88, is a U.S. District Court judge for the Northern District of Illinois. Before being confirmed by the U.S. Senate to his current appointment, he was an associate judge of the Circuit Court of Cook County from 2003 to 2014.

Spencer M. Aronfeld, B.B.A. ’88, J.D. ’91, founder of Aronfeld Trial Lawyers in Coral Gables and the Attorney Breakfast Club networking group, created the nonprofit Lawyers to the Rescue to help individuals and communities in need after natural disasters. Named a Florida Super Lawyer for the past six years, he speaks regularly at seminars and conferences, like the Maritime Law Association of the United States spring 2015 event.

Jackie Nespral, A.B. ’89, anchor of NBC6 News in Miami, received the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Silver Circle award for her career excellence and more than 25 years of contributions to the television industry.

Jonathan D. Reich, M.S.B.E. ’89, M.D. ’92, left private practice as a pediatric cardiologist after 17 years. He has taken a position at the Food and Drug Administration in Washington, D.C., as a medical officer in charge of regulating pacemakers and defibrillators. He’d love to hear from his classmates, jdreich(at)hotmail(dot)com.

Carlos J. Martinez, J.D. ’90, Miami-Dade County public defender, was appointed as a liaison to the Florida Bar’s board of governors and has been honored for his commitment to “diversity and economic, family, and social stability” by the Theodore Roosevelt Gibson Memorial Fund’s board of directors.

Diana Brooks, B.S.C. ’91, co-CEO of VS Brooks Advertising in Coral Gables and immediate past board chair of Feeding South Florida, won the American Red Cross South Florida Region’s Sara Hopkins Woodruff Spectrum Award for Women in the volunteerism category and the Women’s Fund Miami-Dade’s Mujeres Giving Back Award in the talent category.

Daniel Tarman, J.D. ’91, was named chief communications officer and a senior vice president at eBay after eight years as executive vice president and global head of corporate communications at PIMCO.

Beth Cohen, B.M. ’92, is a vocal coach in Miami who was selected to tour with the classic rock band Boston as a singer-keyboardist-rhythm guitarist.

Gary S. Lesser, J.D. ’92, managing partner of Lesser, Lesser, Landy & Smith, received the Anti-Defamation League’s 2015 Palm Beach Jurisprudence Award.

Joe Sullivan, J.D. ’93, was hired as chief security officer at Uber. Previously he was chief security officer at Facebook.

Thomas “Tom” Balcom, B.B.A. ’94, M.B.A. ’00, of 1650 Wealth Management, was appointed chair of the executive board for the Lauderdale-by-the-Sea Chamber of Commerce.

Jonathan Brooks, B.S.C. ’94, is a Miami-based artist whose skull images have appeared on the TV series The Vampire Diaries.

Lisa S. Lullove, A.B. ’95, J.D. ’02, an associate in the West Palm Beach office of Roig Lawyers, has been appointed by the Florida Bar to serve on the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit Grievance Committee “D” through 2017.

Marc M. Camille, M.A.L.S. ’96, vice president for enrollment management and communications at Loyola University Maryland, was invited to participate in the Council of Independent Colleges’ yearlong Executive Leadership Academy.

Grace Grau, B.S.N. ’96, instructor in the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Nursing, was named an associate of the American College of Cardiology. She is enrolled in UAB’s Doctor of Nursing Practice program with a research focus on the best time to treat women with non-chest pain myocardial infarction.

Carlos Lopez-Cantera, B.B.A. ’96, Florida’s current and first Hispanic lieutenant governor, received the 2015 Distinguished Alumni Award from the Independent Colleges and Universities.

Beverly J. Mayo, B.B.A. ’96, of Jacksonville, Florida, retired as an administrative assistant at the University of Florida College of Pharmacy, where for 15 years she had proudly displayed her University of Miami diploma.

Doyle N. Beneby, M.B.A. ’97, a University of Miami alumni trustee, was honored by the Keystone Policy Center for his “groundbreaking work collaborating with clean technology firms and other partners to create jobs, reduce carbon emissions, and support energy-efficiency projects in Texas” as president and CEO of San Antonio’s CPS Energy. Last October Beneby left CPS to become CEO of New Generation Power International, a Chicago-based renewable energy company.

Crissa-Jean Chappell, B.S.C. ’97, M.F.A. ’99, Ph.D. ’03, earned a Florida Book Award bronze medal for her third young adult novel, More Than Good Enough (Flux Books, 2014).

Charlotte Cosner, M.A. ’97, who earned her Ph.D. in Atlantic history at Florida International University, published her first book, The Golden Leaf: How Tobacco Shaped Cuba and the Atlantic World (Vanderbilt University Press, 2015).

Rosa-Alicia Lopez, B.B.A. ’97, chief marketing officer at Greenspoon Marder Law, was selected to serve on the Broward Health Foundation’s board of directors.

Humberto Reboredo, B.B.A. ’97, Boca Raton, Florida, office of Yip Associates, was promoted to managing director and named Head of Tax, Americas at Credit Suisse.

Deanna “Dee” Voss, M.S.Ed. ’97, was named dean of undergraduate admissions at Nova Southeastern University.

Sandra M. Ferrera, J.D. ’99, opened SMF Law in Coral Gables and continues to practice in the areas of real estate, corporate, and title matters.

Evan Goldman, J.D. ’99, recipient of PNC Bank “Non-Profit Staff Leader of the Year” Award in 2015, is the CEO of the HANDY Scholars program, which prepares South Florida youth from foster, relative, and non-relative care for educational success. HANDY (Helping Abused, Neglected and Disadvantaged Youth) reports that 95 percent of its participants graduate from high school, with 100 percent of those graduates continuing their education. Alumna Suzanne M. Driscoll, A.B. ’86, J.D. ’89, a partner at Shutts & Bowen LLP, is on the board of directors for HANDY, which received the 2016 “Organization of the Year” at the 6th Annual South Florida Community Care Network Non-Profit Academy Awards.

Allison Holbrook, A.B. ’99, is pursuing her Master of Library and Information Science at Kent State University, where she received a scholarship award for academic excellence. She is a Children’s Services library associate at Rising Sun Branch Library in Cecil County, Maryland.

Paul Mora, M.B.A. ’99, was promoted to president after five years at SkillStorm, a technology service company headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Rebekah Bernard, M.D. ’99, a family physician in private practice in Estero, Florida, wrote How to Be a Rock Star Doctor: The Complete Guide to Taking Back Control of Your Life and Your Profession, self-published on Amazon.

Sandra Narayanan, B.S. ’99, M.D. ’01, a stroke and interventional neurologist, was promoted to associate professor in the departments of Neurosurgery and Neurology, Wayne State University School of Medicine.

Mouhsine Benjelloun Zahr, M.B.A. ’99, mentions his UM experiences in his nonfiction book, My Weight Versus Me, which he self-published on Amazon last year. In 2014 he launched Benjelloun Pictures and wrote a script for Le Choc Des Generations (The Clash of Generations), a Moroccan feature film comedy.

Chad Perlyn, M.D. ’00, attending plastic surgeon on the medical staff at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital and chief of the Division of Plastic Surgery for Florida International University College of Medicine, was elected president of the Greater Miami Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons. 

Maria McGarrity, Ph.D. ’01, professor of English at Long Island University, has published Allusions in Omeros: Notes and a Guide to Derek Walcott’s Masterpiece (University Press of Florida, 2015).

Bill Sommer, B.M. ’01, a drummer based in Atlanta who studied jazz performance at UM, is co-author of the young adult novel A 52-Hertz Whale (Carolrhoda Lab, 2015). He also wrote the screenplay for Tony Tango, winner of Best Feature Film at the Chicago Comedy Film Festival. He has an M.F.A. in creative writing from the Rainier Writing Workshop at Pacific Lutheran University.

Brian Bandell, B.S.C. ’02, released his second book, Famous after Death (Silver Leaf Books, 2015), a Miami-set murder thriller.

Michael D. Dwyer, A.B. ’02, assistant professor of media and communication at Arcadia University in Glenside, Pennsylvania, published his first book, Back to the Fifties: Nostalgia, Hollywood Film and Popular Music of the Seventies and Eighties (Oxford University Press, 2015).

Scott R. Karp, B.B.A. ’02, M.S.Tx. ’04, is a senior associate in the Boca Raton, Florida, office of Yip Associates.

Christina Alexander, M.M. ’03, appeared as Joanne in a Miami production of the musical Rent, performed her solo show Hate! An American Love Story at the Miami Theater Center’s SandBox, and served as musical director for Tarell Alvin McCraney’s Choir Boy at GableStage.

Jenna Arnold, B.S.Ed. ’03, won Verizon’s Powerful Answers $1 million competition in the health care category for 2014 for ORGANize (organize.org), the database technology- and marketing-based project she cofounded to make it easier for individuals to register as organ donors.

Zachary N. James, J.D. ’04, was promoted to of counsel at Meland Russin & Budwick, the Miami law firm he joined in 2011.

Eric W. Ostroff, J.D. ’04, was promoted to partner at Miami law firm Meland Russin & Budwick, which he joined in 2010. 

Jessica Piha, B.S.C. ’04, is the head of media relations at Seattle-based tech startup Porch.com.

Simran Singh, J.D. ’04, produced the movie Where Hope Grows, released nationwide in 2015.

Hunter Stephenson, B.S.C. ’04, is co-writer and a producer of the feature film Hot Sugar’s Cold World (Amplify, 2015) about electronic musician Hot Sugar. It screened at the SXSW Film Festival in Austin, the BFI London Film Festival, and the New York Jewish Film Festival, among others, and earned honorable mention for Best Feature at Hot Docs in Toronto. It can be seen on Netflix and at http://noisey.vice.com/hot-sugars-cold-world.

Ali Iyad “Yado” Yakub, J.D. ’04, married Margaret Brennan in Washington, D.C. Major Yakub is a judge advocate in the Marine Corps, stationed at the Pentagon.

Rob Barry, B.S. ’05, a reporter for The Wall Street Journal, was part of a team that won a Pulitzer Prize for a series of articles exposing abuses in the Medicare system.

Michael Delgado, B.B.A. ’05, a foreclosure defense specialist, joined the Law Offices of Daryl L. Jones, PA in Miami.

Jesse Flowers, M.B.A. ’05, joined Center State Bank as Palm Beach County community president.

Luis Fernando Manrique, B.B.A. ’05, a former UM tennis player, coached Jean-Julien Rojer to the 2015 Wimbledon Gentlemen’s Doubles Championships in England.

Morgan Fraser Mouchette, B.A.I.S. ’06, associate at Blank Rome LLP, was elected to a three-year term on the board of directors of the New York Women’s Bar Association. She concentrates her practice in matrimonial matters and is committed to pro bono service.

Jessica Wallace, B.S.Ed. ’06, earned her Ph.D. in kinesiology at Michigan State University and joined Youngstown State University as an assistant professor.

Hannah DeLetto, B.B.A. ’07, married Bryan Mochizuki in Roslyn, New York. Both work for the Clinton Global Initiative.

Valerie “Val” Gibbons, B.S.C. ’07, is an integrated project manager at Zehnder Communications.

Josh Rubens, J.D. ’08, and Richard Segal, J.D. ’08, were both promoted to partner at Miami-based Kluger, Kaplan, Silverman, Katzen & Levine.

John Sparks, M.B.A. ’08, was recognized as a Top 100 Social Media Power Influencer of 2015 by StatSocial.Com and as one of The Top 50 Most Valuable Social Media Influencers, 2015 by General Sentiment. An adjunct professor at the University of North Texas teaching courses in online journalism, he published the book 365 Ideas to Go from Good to Great on TWITTER! (2015). Last August Sparks served as keynote speaker at a Dallas-Fort Worth ’Canes Tweet-up networking event.

Mike Battaglia, B.S. ’09, Sean Murphy, B.S.B.E. ’09, M.D. ’13, and Amanda Zelman, B.M. ’11, launched Triomi, a portable 12-lead EKG startup company that was one of 10 health care startups selected to the Techstars seed accelerator, which awards $120,000 to the most promising startups entering its program, for which it accepts less than 1 percent of applicants.  

Joshua Rosen, B.B.A. ’09, married Rachel Glickman in Oceanside, New York. He is a brand manager at Osem USA, an exporter of kosher foods, in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey.

Christina Ruby, A.B. ’09, who earned her master’s degree in international relations from the City College of New York, married London native Daniel Cleary May 20, 2015 in New York City. They look forward to attending ’Canes games together.

Julie C. Stroh, M.A.L.S. ’09, was named associate vice president of Alumni Relations and executive director of the University of Central Florida Alumni Association.

Stanley Linder, B.S.Ed ’11, graduated from Nova Southeastern College of Osteopathic Medicine and was accepted to an internal medicine residency at Broward Health Medical Center in Fort Lauderdale.

Thomas “Tom” Saul, B.B.A. ’11, is an analyst for Tonkinson Financial in Miami.

Whitney Valins, M.D. ’11, married Terence Perez Tan in a ceremony that incorporated Filipino and Jewish traditions. Valins was the chief resident of dermatology at New York-Presbyterian/Columbia hospital before joining the private practice TriBeCa Park Dermatology in New York City.

Andrew J. Blitman, B.A.M.A. ’12, M.P.S. ’14, spoke at Books & Books in Coral Gables about his second book, The Blitman Anthology, a self-published collection of poems, quotes, and essays chronicling life lessons culled from his college experiences.

Trevor J. Lee, B.B.A. ’12, a New York City-based financial services professional, climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro to raise money and awareness for the global water crisis through water.org.

Laura Suarez, B.S.C. ’12, was promoted to multimedia/Hispanic outreach specialist at BoardroomPR in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Timothy Bow, J.D. ’13, an associate with Markowitz, Ringel, Trusty & Hartog P.A., was elected to the board of directors of the Bankruptcy Bar Association for the Southern District of Florida.

Daniela Delgado, B.S. ’13, received a Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowship for New Americans to support work toward her degree in medicine at Harvard Medical School, where she is a student.

Victoria S. Humphrey, B.S. ’14, Miss Pasco County Fair in 2015 and Miss Coral Gables in 2014, was named Miss Winter Park 2016 in the Miss Florida pageant. As part of her platform, she began a charity called Apples 4 Education, which donates school supplies and gently used SAT and ACT prep materials to Florida schools in need. She is applying to medical school.

Tim Warren, M.F.A. ’14, creative director and partner at Artex Productions, won a finalist award at the New York Festivals’ International Advertising Awards and two Gold ADDYs at Miami’s local American Advertising Awards for a Johnnie Walker brand commercial he created as part of his UM master’s thesis.

Marc Schaevitz, M.B.A. ’15, an associate with Goldman Sachs, was appointed to the board of directors at Communities in Schools of Miami.

In Memoriam*

Legacy of Service Excellence and Equal Rights

Rita Deutsch, M.A. ’76, longtime associate dean of student academic services in the University of Miami College of Arts and Sciences, began teaching courses through the Department of English, the Women’s and Gender Studies Program, Judaic Studies, and the American Studies Program in 1980. She served as associate dean in the Office of Student Academic Services for 30 years, earning numerous prestigious awards, including the inaugural Rita Deutsch Spirit of Excellence Award. Deutsch, who retired in 2013, also served on the Foote Fellows program steering committee at its inception in 2002. She was a three-time past president of the UM Women’s Commission. She loved classical music, the American songbook, and Broadway musicals. Her dream to become a Radio City Hall Rockette was never realized, but she performed in many Ring Theatre shows. Deutsch died August 4 at 83.
 

Trustee Left Enduring Mark on Community

University of Miami trustee Stanley Arkin, B.B.A. ’53, a lifelong Hurricane, civic leader, and volunteer who chaired the board of governors at Bascom Palmer Eye Institute’s Anne Bates Leach Eye Hospital from 1995 to 2015, passed away August 22 at 82. As president of Arkin Construction, Arkin built parts of Mount Sinai Medical Center, the Miami Beach Hilton, and the Miami Beach Jewish Community Center, among other projects. He formed Arkin Consulting after retiring, working on projects such as the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts, Braman Management, and Jungle Island. He was also a Miami Beach City Commissioner from 1984 to 1991. He was predeceased by his wife of 56 years, Jill, with whom he had three sons, including Bradley Arkin, B.B.A. ’84. Donations in Arkin’s memory may made to Bascom Palmer Eye Institute.

We diligently research each name in the “In Memoriam” section. If you spot an error, please notify us at [email protected] so we can correct our records.

Elaine A. Fischer, A.B. ’40, M.Ed. ’61
Neil Hawkins, B.Ed. ’40
Mary L. Horn, A.B. ’40
Lynn B. Paskewich, A.B. ’40
Selma Phillips, A.B. ’40
Herbert Potash, A.B. ’40
Anna F. Smith, A.B. ’40
Elizabeth M. Wylie, A.B. ’40
Jerome S. Bass, A.B. ’41
Lawrence M. Kaplan, B.B.A. ’41
Hedwig L. Winans, A.B. ’42
Thelma A. Hall, B.M. ’43
Rita Lefkort, A.B. ’44
Helene M. Ramos, A.B. ’45
Fred Faulkner, B.S. ’46
Donald G. Kuhl, B.B.A. ’47
Myril S. Love, A.B. ’47
Charles H. Parker, B.B.A. ’47, J.D. ’50
Edward Ruzomberka, B.B.A. ’47
Paul J. Apt, B.B.A. ’48
Frederick S. Grossberg, J.D. ’48
Mack Nichols, B.B.A. ’48
Albert L. Rosen, B.B.A. ’48
John A. Samuelson, B.B.A. ’48, M.A. ’49
Charles F. Carpenter, B.B.A. ’49
Alfred M. Deuel, B.B.A. ’49
Alvin C. Hudson, B.Ed. ’49
Jack M. Pincus, B.B.A. ’49
Robert I. Shandloff, B.S.I.E. ’49
Hector Silvestre, B.S.E.E. ’49, B.S.M.E. ’49
Frank C. Stokes, B.S. ’49
Arthur E. Sweet, J.D. ’49, M.B.A. ’55
Earnest A. Beasley, M.B.A. ’50
Chester B. Beattie, B.B.A. ’50
Howard L. Byrnes, B.S.E.S. ’50
Clyde W. Cimarik, B.B.A. ’50
John B. French, B.B.A. ’50
John A. Giaquinto, B.Ed. ’50
Helene N. Goodman, A.B. ’50
Howard E. Higgins, B.B.A. ’50
Kay W. Kroepsch, B.B.A. ’50
Arlene S. Levinson, A.B. ’50
Calvin H. Long, B.S. ’50
Lucius W. McClellan, B.Ed. ’50
Fred M. McGilvray, B.S.E.S. ’50
Donald R. Miller, B.B.A. ’50
Clive Shrader, B.S.C.E. ’50
Leon D. Slepow, B.S.M.E. ’50
James E. Tomerlin, B.Ed. ’50
Joseph Wisniewski A.B. ’50
Molly K. Adams, B.Ed. ’51
Carol Alexander, A.B. ’51
Richard E. Boddy, B.S.M.E. ’51
Thomas M. Courtney, B.B.A. ’51, J.D. ’59
Howard C. Dickerson, B.B.A. ’51
Alan H. Drake, A.B. ’51
Walter R. Greenwell, B.B.A. ’51
Nelda R. Josepher, B.Ed. ’51
Robert M. Kane, B.B.A. ’51, M.B.A. ’53
Lillian M. Kern, A.B. ’51
John P. Mandly, B.B.A. ’51
Walter E. Margicin, A.B. ’51
Douglass M. Phillips, B.B.A. ’51
Ellen E. Power, A.B. ’51
Samuel L. Saady, J.D. ’51
Faye L. Landrum, A.B. ’52
Kenneth H. Lynn, B.S.C.E. ’52
Charles A. Nugent, J.D. ’52
Thomas V. Parise, B.S. ’52
Glen E. Smith, J.D. ’52
Elizabeth K. Talbott, B.S.N. ’52
Thomas E. Todd, B.S.M.E. ’52
John F. Vucetich, B.B.A. ’52
Jerome R. Barnes, B.M. ’53
Franklin D. Brown, B.B.A. ’53
Philip S. Eby, A.B. ’53
Phyllis R. Foster, B.B.A. ’53
William C. Irvin, J.D. ’53
Mary E. Jackson, B.B.A. ’53
Joyce Kleinberg, A.B. ’53
Giles W. Nolan, B.B.A. ’53
Joseph J. Pasquini, B.B.A. ’53
Ernst Rosenkrantz, B.S.A.E. ’53
Bruce E. Silvers, B.S.E.E. ’53
Elting L. Storms, J.D. ’53
Howard J. Tyson, B.B.A. ’53
Barbara A. Walker, B.B.A. ’53
Paul S. Archambault, A.B. ’54
Stanley H. Arkin, B.B.A. ’54
William Bikoff, B.B.A. ’54
William C. Cosgrove, B.B.A. ’54
Elmer Debrei, B.B.A. ’54
Charles M. Demos, J.D. ’54
Jack E. Diamond, B.S. ’54
Robert A. Dyer, A.B. ’54
Marvin B. Guberman, J.D. ’54
Edwin F. Heyer, B.S.C.E. ’54
Alan B. Hochman, A.B. ’54
Richard P. Hoffman, B.Ed. ’54
John S. Langer, B.S. ’54
Armando Maraio, J.D. ’54
Raymond A. Polizzi, A.B. ’54, M.D. ’63
Thomas A. Serena, B.B.A. ’54
Theodore C. Slack, A.B. ‘54
Edward J. Stys, B.B.A. ’54
Ralph R. Dowling, B.B.A. ’55
John Krain, B.B.A. ’55, J.D. ’57
Lawrence B. Leiter, B.B.A. ’55
Gary O. Morehouse, B.B.A. ’55
Thomas J. Noto, B.S. ’55
Alan Sigman, B.B.A. ’55
Sam Bloom, B.B.A. ’56, J.D. ’56
Alfred A. Hall, B.S.I.E. ’56
Robert M. Hinkelman, B.S.C.E. ’56
Gretchen S. Waterbury, A.B. ’56
Stephen J. Avrach, B.B.A. ’57, J.D. ’65
James T. Baggs, B.B.A. ’57
Howard H. Bennett, J.D. ’57
Suzanne F. Butterfield, A.B. ’57
Brian C. Deuschle, B.B.A. ’57
Sam G. Distefano, B.B.A. ’57
Stuart B. Elias, B.B.A. ’57
Philip H. Fink, B.M. ’57, M.M. ’58, Ph.D. ’73
Nelson Hanover, A.B. ’57
Barbara L. Holtzman, A.B. ’57
Dorothy F. Jasiecki, A.B. ’57, D.C.T. ’72
Rhoda C. Lerman, A.B. ’57
Patricia A. McDonald, B.S.N. ’57
Joseph T. Meyer, B.B.A. ’57, J.D. ’63
Carlos J. Muxo, B.Ed. ’57
Judith S. Polak, B.Ed. ’57
George B. Satz, B.B.A. ’57
Alan J. Serrins, M.D. ’57
William R. Bean, B.S.A.E. ’58
Joseph G. Brusco, B.Ed. ’58
William M. DeLong, B.B.A. ’58
Anthony A. Fernandez, M.D. ’58
Mary A. Gotfraind, A.B. ’58
Marlyne M. Kaplan, B.Ed. ’58, J.D. ’81
Joseph N. Lococo, B.B.A. ’58
Philip H. Mann, A.B. ’58, M.Ed. ’61
Donald L. Miller, B.S.E.S. ’58
Russell C. Riegler, B.B.A. ’58
Harold Songdahl, B.B.A. ’58
Andre E. Storfer, B.B.A. ’58
John B. White Sr., B.B.A. ’58, M.B.A. ’60, J.D. ’62
Johnny Bouras, B.B.A. ’59
Joseph T. Calay, B.S.M.E. ’59
Alan Caruba, A.B. ’59
Duane A. Franceschi, A.B. ’59
Wendell C. Heaton, M.D.
Irwin L. Hollander, B.B.A. ’59
Morton Shapiro, M.A. ’59
Clifford J. Simpson, B.S.A.E. ’59
Patricia A. Sullivan Jones, A.B. ’59, M.S.Ed. ’80
Daniel A. Wilhelm, M.D. ’59
Alfed C. Bowen, M.D. ’60
Jay R. Brenner, B.S. ’60
Edmond J. Gong, J.D. ’60
Theodore H. Keith, B.B.A. ’60
Jacob C. Muscanera, B.M. ’60, M.M. ’61
Ellard V. Nunnally, A.B. ’60
Barbara H. Pezzino, B.B.A. ’60
Robert W. Rivenbark, J.D. ’60
Abner I. Salkin, A.B. ’60
Panayotis P. Siatis, B.S.E.E. ’60
Robert L. Carter, M.D. ’61
Barth H. Goldberg, B.B.A. ’61, J.D. ’64
Jerold Locke, B.Ed. ’61, M.Ed. ’69
Russell D. McGovern, M.S. ’61
Joseph W. Pavese, A.B. ’61
Gordon J. Shannon, M.D. ’61
Edward Belin, B.S.E.E. ’62
John M. Dunn, B.Ed. ’62
Edgar L. Joines, M.Ed. ’62
Margaret M. Roper, A.B. ’62
Robert W. Stahl, B.B.A. ’62
Marvin I. Tamarkin, B.B.A. ’62
Lewis H. Buzzell, B.Ed. ’63
John A. Corrigan, B.B.A. ’63
Morton Kronengold, B.S. ’63
Neil Matheson, B.B.A. ’63
Christine V. Mudge, B.Ed. ’63
Robert C. Mumby, M.D. ’63
Clarence W. Pahnke, M.B.A. ’63
Robert B. Smith, B.S.E.E. ’63
Charles E. Gutke, B.Ed. ’64
Aristides Martinez, B.S.M.E. ’64
John A. Ritz, B.S.E.E. ’64
June M. Ashton, B.Ed. ’65
L L. Burch, B.B.A. ’65
James J. Cerniglia, B.B.A. ’65
Susan M. Hangge, B.S.A.E. ’65
Irwin R. Katz, B.B.A. ’65
Melvin A. Rubin, B.B.A. ’65
Cesar E. Serrano, B.S.C.E. ’65
Sheila R. Velaney, M.Ed. ’65
Elaine D. Weiss, B.Ed. ’65
Bonnie E. Butt, B.Ed. ’66
Esther L. Enriquez, B.S. ’66
Charles K. Ragland, B.Ed. ’66
J’Neese A. Strozier, A.B. ’66, M.A. ’72
David R. Vogt, B.B.A. ’66
Edward J. Waldron, B.B.A. ’66
Peter M. Cogen, A.B. ’67, J.D. ’70
Caridad L. Del Valle, C.T.P. ’67, M.Ed. ’73
Julia Gurri, C.T.P. ’67
Fredric M. Hitt, J.D. ’67
Gerald H. Kratz, B.S. ’67
Michael S. Spiegel, M.S. ’67, Ph.D. ’74
Merrill A. Yarbrough, B.B.A. ’67
Lemmie Deliford M.Ed. ’69
Stephen T. Downey, A.B. ’69
Allan L. Folkins, B.B.A. ’69
Elia E. Garcia, B.Ed. ’69
Jarrett T. Jordan, B.B.A. ’69
Bruce R. Kessler, B.B.A. ’69
John C. LoZito, M.D. ’69
Janet R. Moreau, B.M. ’69
Robert E. Rieck, A.B. ’69
Jose L. Sacerio, B.S.E.E. ’69, M.S. ’72
John S. Snodgrass, M.S. ’69
Geoffrey B. Lynch, B.Ed. ’70
Michael J. McHugh, M.Ed. ’70
Neil A. Palent, A.B. ’70
Robert F. Siegmund, Ph.D. ’70
James B. Vass, B.Ed. ’70
Richard C. Warwick B.S.E.E. ’70
Donald M. Allen, M.D. ’71
Karla K. Layden, A.B. ’71
Mary M. Miller, B.S.N. ’71
Santiago E. Miranda, B.B.A. ’71
Ralph Molinary, A.B. ’71, J.D. ’80
Robert D. Murphy, A.B. ’71
James G. Nealis, M.D. ’71
Regina R. Peterson, A.B. ’71
Gerard C. Sabatino, B.B.A. ’71
Jesse H. Stevenson, B.Ed. ’71
Thomas S. Wilson, J.D. ’71
James V. Avery, A.B. ’72
Peter D. Cashore, A.B. ’72
John M. Cassel, B.S. ’72, M.D. ’78
Joseph M. Colpitts, B.Ed. ’72
Michael B. Mendelson, B.S.C.E. ’72
Robert W. Schwalb, B.B.A. ’72
Georgina M. Vital B.S. ’72
Thelma S. Harris, B.C.S. ’73
Abraham Kredi, B.B.A. ’73
Oliver A. Parker, A.B. ’73, J.D. ’76
Ethel M. Raddon, A.B. ’73
Carol A. Sherman, B.F.A. ’73
James R. Stephens, M.Ed. ’73
Maria I. Zanetti-Alonso, A.B. ’73
Nancy Appleton, J.D. ’74
Linda L. Farmer, M.S. ’74, Ph.D. ’77
Michael D. Kimball, A.B. ’74
Robert F. Craver, M.A. ’75
Ofelia M. San Pedro, B.S.I.E. ’75, M.B.A. ’79
James R. Ballinger, M.D. ’76
Monte W. Bernstein, M.D. ’76
Robert J. Papeika, B.S.S.A. ’76
Marc S. Kaminer, A.B. ’77
Rae Koshar, C.N.P. ’77
Florence A. Smith, Ph.D. ’77
Paul P. Creech LL.M.E. ’78
Richard P. Haleck, B.Arch. ’78
Rosalind Kahn, M.S.N. ’78
Helen L. Kohen M.A. ’78
Oswald B. Levermore, B.B.A. ’78
Deborah L. Cole, M.S.Ed. ’79
Karen A. Seykora, A.B. ’79
Robert E. Westerfield, Ph.D./M.D. ’79
James R. Bitterman, B.B.A. ’80
Dean F. Cornwell, Ph.D. ’80
Regina C. Fernandez, B.C.S. ’80
Darcy Heagy, B.S.N. ’80
Zenaida I. Lara, M.S.Ed. ’80
Louis E. Rovere, B.S. ’80
Luella P. Saunders, M.S.Ed. ’80
James C. Wilmot, B.Arch. ’80
Mark J. Edelson, A.B. ’81
Delfin A. Molins, B.S.C.E. ’81
Vickie M. Horn, B.S. ’82
Jeffrey M. Jones, B.S.M.T. ’82
Robert W. Bottorff, A.B. ’83
Frank L. Denoff, M.D. ’83
William N. Krause, M.B.A. ’83
Dana R. Smith, B.S.Ed. ’84
Roy L. Ferree LL.M.E. ’85
Joseph S. Masucci, B.S.M.E. ’85
Gail E. Rasmussen, M.D. ’87
Annie B. Baker, A.B. ’91
Ruth M. McIntosh, Ph.D. ’91
Patricia K. Powell, M.D. ’91
Janie F. Rodriguez, B.S.N. ’91
Tamara F. Fox-Meyerson, B.B.A. ’92
Laura H. Heinzel, M.S.N. ’93
Frantz L. Tassy, B.S.C.E. ’94
Monty G. Williams, B.B.A. ’94
Leonore G. Senfeld, Ph.D. ’95
Richard R. Cochran, J.D. ’96
Steven D. David, M.F.A. ’98
Sambamurthy Subramanian, J.D. ’98, M.B.A. ’02
Oscar Sandez, M.S. ’99
Michael B. Williams, M.D. ’99
David A. Lairson, M.A. ’01
Rosemary D. Goldman, J.D. ’02
Christina Lindemann, LL.M.C.L. ’03
Charles J. Samborsky, M.B.A. ’07
Charlie B. Hernandez, B.S.A.E. ’09
Cosette A. Meerbott, M.S.Ed. ’09
Stefano F. Rotati, A.B. ’09
Tigran Sarkissian, B.B.A. ’10
Gloria Floreani, M.S.Ed. ’14

The post Class Notes Spring 2016 appeared first on University of Miami: Miami Magazine.

When U.S. Attorney Wifredo “Willy” Ferrer, A.B. ’87, walked into the kindergarten class, many of the youngsters shrieked with delight and swarmed him in a group hug. “Kids jumping up and down when you give them a book—that’s exactly what we want,” says the Hispanic National Bar Association’s Latino Lawyer of the Year who launched his pre-K reading program as part of a Violence Reduction Partnership in 2011. Volunteers read to 900 kids monthly and have distributed more than 11,000 books in 20 “hotspot” South Florida schools. Read more at miami.edu/magazine. Email [email protected], subject: ’Cane in the Act. Photo: Andrew Innerarity

The post ’Cane in the Act Spring 2016 appeared first on University of Miami: Miami Magazine.

Mixed Media

How to Be a Redhead

Sisters Adrienne, B.B.A. ’09, and Stephanie Vendetti, B.B.A. ’11, have capitalized their howtobearedhead.com blog and Rock It Like a Redhead beauty tour with How to Be a Redhead (Page Street Publishing, 2016), a colorfully instructive guide for hair care, makeup, fashion, and more.

Boniato

This nightmarish horror flick set in a Florida migrant community turned out to be a dream come true for its creators when it was selected to screen at the 2016 Sundance film festival. Brothers Diego, B.S.C. ’09, and Andres Meza-Valdes, B.S.C. ’09, were co-directors (Andres also co-wrote the script). Cory Czajkowski, B.S.C. ’07, co-produced, and Shawn Sutta, B.M. ’09, and Adam Robl, ’07, composed the music for Boniato (Borscht Corp., 2015). The short was also an award winner at the Diabolique International Film Festival, the Toronto After Dark Film Festival, Fright Night Horror Weekend, and Freakshow Film Festival.

Selling War

During his quarter-century military career, retired Major Steven J. Alvarez, B.S.C. ’92, commanded an Army public affairs detachment and was the public affairs officer for several general officers and presidential appointees, including David Petraeus after the U.S. military invasion of Iraq. Alvarez’s first book, Selling War: A Critical Look at the Military’s PR Machine (Potomac Books, 2016), describes what he calls “the failed communications efforts of the U.S. military.”

Newsies

Joey Barreiro, B.M. ’12, is starring in the North American tour of Disney’s hit musical Newsies. Barreiro, who graduated from UM the year the Tony Award-winning show debuted on Broadway, plays Jack Kelly, the leader of the newsboys who go on strike against publishing titans Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst in 1899 New York.

The post Mixed Media Spring 2016 appeared first on University of Miami: Miami Magazine.