Class Notes

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1950s

NICHOLAS PILEGGI, ’56, is a renowned journalist, author and screenwriter. Pileggi co-authored the screenplays for iconic mob films Goodfellas (1990) and Casino (1995), which celebrated their 30-year and 25-year anniversaries in 2020. More recently, he served as an executive producer for The Irishman (2019), which was nominated for 10 Academy Awards, including best picture.

1960s

DR. JOE MACHNIK, ’64, longtime FIFA match commissioner, is the soccer rules analyst for FOX Sports international soccer broadcasting. Dr. Machnik is also the founder and president of No. 1 Soccer Camps, which has trained over 100,000 players across the country over the last 44 years. In 2017, U.S. Soccer inducted Machnik into the National Soccer Hall of Fame as a “Builder” for his contributions to the game.

DR. STAN PELOFSKY, ’62, is a five-star neurosurgeon in Oklahoma City with 54 years of experience. He served as a physician in the Vietnam War and was also awarded the Ellis Island Medal for his work in the neurosciences. Dr. Pelofsky holds memberships in many medical associations including the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, serving as its president 2001-2002, the Congress of Neurological Surgeons, the American Medical Association, the Oklahoma State Medical Association, the Oklahoma Neurological

Dr. Stan Pelofsky

Society, the Oklahoma City Surgical Society, the American College of Surgeons, the Royal Society of Medicine, London, England, and the North American Spine Society.

JUDITH HEUMANN, ’69, an internationally recognized leader in the disability community, published her first book, Being Heumann: An Unrepentant Memoir of a Disability Rights Activist. The book received praise from global icons, including Sheryl Sandberg and Hilary Clinton. Heumann served as special advisor for international disability rights at the U.S. Department of State from 2010-2017.

1970s

IRENE NATIVIDAD, ’71, is president of the Global Summit of Women. Natividad was the first Asian American woman to lead a national political organization in the United States as chair of the National Women’s Political Caucus. She also served as chair of the Coalition for Women’s Appointments for the presidential administrations of George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama.

JORGE PÉREZ, ’72, founder and chief executive officer of Related Group, made South Florida Business Journal’s prestigious list of Ultimate CEO’s for 2020. Pérez also ranked on Forbes Billionaires 2020 list. Nicknamed the “Condo King,”

Pérez founded Related Group in 1979, which has built and managed more than 100,000 condominium and apartment residences over the past four decades.

STEVEN HOROWITZ, ’78, earned a 2020 Leaders & Achievers Award from Providence Business News for his 22 years as president and chief executive officer at Saint Elizabeth Community, a leading nursing and rehab center in Rhode Island. The organization experienced exponential growth under Horowitz’s leadership.

DR. BILL SCHUTT, ’78, professor of biology at Long Island University, scripted his third TED-Ed video entitled “How Blood Transfusions Work.” The video gained over 250,000 views in the first ten days. Dr. Schutt has scripted two other videos for TED-Ed, which gained more than 5.5 million combined views and ranked in the site’s top ten most watched videos of the year for 2018 and 2019.

LESTER OWENS, ’79, serves as head of operations for Wells Fargo & Company. Owens joins Wells Fargo from Bank of New York Mellon, where he was global head of operations. Prior to that, he spent three decades as an executive at J.P. Morgan, Deutsche Bank, Citi and Bankers Trust. (Read more on p. 11)

1980s

DR. BRETT GREENKY, ’80, a premier joint replacement surgeon in the United States, is president of Syracuse Orthopedic Specialists. He also serves as the co-executive director and founder of Operation Walk Syracuse, a not-forprofit volunteer medical services organization that provides free surgical treatments for patients in developing countries and in the United States.

MICHAEL OZANIAN, ’81, serves as executive editor at Forbes. Since joining the publication in 1997, Ozanian has created sports team valuation and actor return-on-investment databases at Forbes. He is also the co-host and managing editor of Forbes’ SportsMoney, a two-time New York Emmy Award winning television show on the YES Network.

JOHN TRIZZINO, ’81, was appointed executive vice president, chief business officer and chief financial officer at Novavax, a global biotechnology company widely identified as a leading candidate to develop a vaccine for COVID-19. Novavax won the largest-ever investment, a grant of up to $384 million, from the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, a global coalition aiding COVID-19 vaccine development. Additionally, the Department of Defense awarded Novavax a $60 million contract to help manufacture its coronavirus vaccine candidate. FRED GAUDELLI, ’82, Emmy-Award winning executive producer of NBC’s Sunday Night Football, will be inducted into the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame. Gaudelli, who has collected 24 Emmys during his 30-year run producing primetime NFL games, enters with eight other members in the Class of 2020, including Charles Barkley, James Brown and Phyllis George. Gaudelli has produced six Super Bowls, including Super Bowl XLIX, which still ranks as the mostwatched program in U.S. TV history with an average of 114.4 million viewers.

Fred Guadelli

DR. JOSEPH ANNELLI, ’83, founded Practical One Health Solutions after retiring from the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Veterinary Services. He was the senior advisor for Agriculture and Health Systems (One Health Coordinator) and director of the One Health Coordination Center. He has 32 years of experience covering a broad range of international and domestic public health and animal health disease eradication programs and policy development.

JERRY SCHIANO, ’83, is chief executive officer of Spring EQ, a mortgage lending startup based in Philadelphia. Prior to founding Spring EQ, Schiano founded New Penn Financial in April 2008 and grew the company to over 2,000 employees in 150 offices across the country.

ABDUL MUKTADIR, ’84, is the founding chairman and managing director of Incepta Pharmaceuticals, the second largest drug manufacturer in Bangladesh. In May, Muktadir delivered an inspiring address to the Class of 2020 at Long Island University.

SANDRA ALTINÉ, ’86, was named vice president, workforce diversity & inclusion at Facebook. Prior to joining Facebook, Altiné was the managing director of global diversity and inclusion for Moody’s. She is a board member of Coro NY, a premier leadership training organization in New York City, and sits on the advisory board of The Families and Work Institute. (Read more on p. 8)

DIETER WEINAND, ’87, was appointed chairman of the board of directors at Replimune Group Inc. (REPL), a biotechnology company developing oncolytic immuno-gene therapies. Weinand was formerly the executive vice president of Primary Care and a member of the executive committee at Sanofi, a global leader in healthcare. Prior to that he was the president of the pharmaceuticals division and member of the management board at Bayer AG. He has also held executive positions at Pfizer and Bristol Myers Squibb.

DON MCKENNA, ’88, ’97, was appointed as president of Penn State Health Hampden Medical Center, a 300,000-square-foot, acute care hospital in Hershey, Pennsylvania scheduled to open in 2021. McKenna previously served as president and chief executive officer of Jupiter Health in Florida. Prior to that, he spent 10 years as the president and chief executive officer of St. Mary’s Health Care System in Athens, Georgia.

Don McKenna

CYNTHIA MCCAULEY, ’88, was appointed chief executive officer at St. Mary’s Medical Center and The Palm Beach Children’s Hospital. McCauley previously served as chief administrative officer. South Florida Business Journal recognized her as one of the “25 Most Influential Business Women in South Florida.”

1990s

JONATHAN SLAYBAUGH, ’90, was named a Principal of the Year by the School Administrators Association of New York State. Slaybaugh, principal at the Birchwood School in the Clarkstown Central School District, won the 2020 K-12 Building Principal Award.

SHARON SARSEN, ’91, head coach of Lakeland High School’s varsity girls field hockey team, will be inducted into the New York State Public High School Athletic Association’s Hall of Fame. Sarsen is the winningest varsity field hockey coach in New York State history as well as the secondwinningest varsity girls lacrosse coach in the state. WAYNE A. STONE, ’92, senior executive in the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, is a Recanati-Kaplan Senior Fellow at Harvard University. He formerly served as acting inspector general for the Intelligence Community. Stone has earned numerous honorable distinctions over the course of his decorated career in the Intelligence Community, including the Meritorious Presidential Rank Award, a National Intelligence Exceptional Achievement Medal and a National Intelligence Medallion. (Read more on p. 9)

ANNA HAMILTON, ’92, ’95, is the chief executive officer for Jamaica Freight & Shipping Limited. Jamaica Freight & Shipping is a leading shipping company in the Caribbean and the exclusive port agent for West Indies Alumina Company.

PATTY BARRON, ’92, director of family readiness for the Association of the U.S. Army, was sworn in as member of the Defense Department’s Military Family Readiness Council. The 18-member council provides recommendations on family programs, policies and plans, meeting at least twice a year to monitor and evaluate programs.

LINDA BEIGEL SCHULMAN, ’94, was named the 2020 "Woman of Distinction" by Suffolk County Legislator Susan A. Berland. Schulman was instrumental in the passage of the "Red Flag Law" in Florida, which calls for the removal of firearms from people deemed by a court to be a present danger to themselves or others. She advocated for a similar law in New York that has been regarded as the most comprehensive gun safety legislation in the country.

PHIL BILDNER, ’95, a New York Times bestselling author of numerous books for kids, published his latest book A High Five for Glenn Burke. Bildner is also the founder of The Author Village, an author booking business, and winner of a Golden Kite Award from the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators.

FELICIA THOMAS-WILLIAMS, ’96, principal at West Middle School, was named a 2020 New York State Secondary Principal of the Year by the School Administrators Association of New York State. The annual award recognizes a member the association who has succeeded in providing high-quality learning opportunities for students, as well as demonstrating exemplary contributions to the profession.

SHEILA ENRIQUEZ, ’96, managing partner & chief executive officer of Briggs & Veselka Co., the largest independent CPA firm in Houston and the third largest in Texas, earned recognition on Houston Business Journal’s list of 2020 Most Admired CEOs. Enriquez was previously featured on the cover of Houston Business Journal and has been recognized as a 2019 Business Journal National Finance Influencer and 2020 Breakthrough Women by The Greater Houston Women's Chamber of Commerce.

PARAG DESAI, ’96, was named executive director at Wagh Bakri Group, a globally recognized name in tea exports and retail. Desai spearheads sales, marketing and export departments for the group and is an expert tea taster and evaluator. Founded in 1892, Wagh Bakri Group is now one of the leading packaged tea companies in India.

KEVIN G. MURPHY, ’96, is senior vice president and chief financial officer for Signature Healthcare, Southeastern Massachusetts’ premier local provider of quality, personalized medical services. Murphy has 40 years of experience in the healthcare industry, including executive positions at New York-Presbyterian Hudson Valley Hospital, Richmond University Medical Center and White Plains Hospital Center.

DR. AMOL MATHARU, ’98, ’10, is chief scientific officer at Aprecia Pharmaceuticals. Aprecia is the world’s first and only FDA-validated, commercial scale three-dimensional printing pharmaceutical manufacturer.

BRIAN C. TURNER, ’98, was named assistant director of the Operational Technology Division at FBI Headquarters in Washington, D.C. Turner served in the U.S. Army for nearly a decade and also taught at West Point before joining the FBI as a special agent in 2002.

SEAN MUZZY, ’99, is president, North America at Matterkind, a new audience engagement company within Interpublic Group, one of the “Big Four” advertising agencies. Muzzy joined Interpublic Group in 2018 to lead help launch Matterkind, formerly known as Cadreon. Prior to that, he spent nearly two decades in senior leadership positions at Ogilvy, including chief product & platform officer, worldwide. (Read more on p. 13)

2000s

MICHAEL OKON, ’00, ’03, an award-winning and bestselling author of multiple genres, won a 2020 Feathered Quill Book Awards for his novel Monsterland. The Association of Independent Authors named the Feathered Quill awards one of the best award programs for independent authors.

DR. ALISON CLARK, ’01, was named Principal of the Year by the School Administrators Association of New York State. Clark, Principal at Plainview-Old Bethpage Central School District's Stratford Road Elementary School, was named the 2020 New York State Elementary Principal of the Year.

ERIC BITETTO, ’01, founder of Semper Fortis Financial, LLC, was recently selected as Top Financial Professional of the Year 2020 by the International Association of Top Professionals for his outstanding leadership and dedication to the industry. The award is given to individuals based on their professional accomplishments, academic achievements, leadership abilities, longevity in the field, other affiliations and contributions to their communities.

HOWARD HUTTON, ’03, is founder and president of GDA Hockey, one of the top family-advisor groups in North America, delivering over $3 million in scholarships to GDA players and families. He is a former ice hockey head coach, with experience at the NCAA, college club, and high school levels. Prior to becoming a full-time head coach, Hutton worked for Radio Disney as promotions director. At the time, he was the youngest broadcast director in the country.

DR. KATRINA LOHAN, ’04, was appointed senior scientist at the Marine Disease Ecology Laboratory within the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center. Dr. Lohan specializes in parasite tracking and previously worked within the Department of Entomology at the National Museum of Natural History.

MARIE DONNELY, ’05, was named interim assistant superintendent for business at Hewlett-Woodmere School District. Donnelly will oversee the business, human resources, transportation, food service, facilities, security, technology and nursing staff. She will also be responsible for the preparation and implementation of the annual budget.

ALIQAE GERACI, ’08, has been named the new director of the Walter P. Reuther Library and Archives of Labor and Urban Affairs at Wayne State University in Detroit. A former public librarian and union researcher, Geraci is a public library advocate and an active member of Local 1321 Queens Library Guild.

Aliqae Geraci

2010s

SHANTÉ BASSETT, ’11, ’15, was named president & chief executive officer of Global Tassels, an international nonprofit founded in 2014. Global Tassels provides college education opportunities for underprivileged youth with leadership qualities living in the developing world and supports local community-based organizations with programs related to poverty reduction.

DR. CLAUDE JOSEPH, ’12, is minister of foreign affairs of the Republic of Haiti. Joseph previously served as chartered ambassador to Argentina. Prior to joining Haitian diplomacy, he served as a professor of public policy at LIU.

Dr. Claude Joseph

NASHEET WAITS, ’12, renowned drummer, composer and educator, has joined the New England Conservatory's Jazz Studies Department. Waits is widely known for his performances and recordings with a jazz greats including Antonio Hart, Geri Allen, Greg Osby, Marc Cary, Andrew Hill, Wallace Roney and many others. His father is legendary percussionist Frederick Waits, who played with Ella Fitzgerald, Sonny Rollins, Max Roach and McCoy Tyner.

JUSTIN TOPA, ’13, joined the Milwaukee Brewers 60-man roster. Prior to joining the Brewers, Topa was a member of the Texas Rangers organization. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2012.

DENISE HERNANDEZ-FIGUEROA, ’13, was named chief nursing officer at Coral Gables Hospital, a premier acute-care facility in South Florida. She previously served as director of emergency services at Palmetto General Hospital in Hialeah, Florida.

STEFANI SASSOS, ’16, leads The Nutrition Lab at the Good Housekeeping Institute, part of Hearst Magazines. The Nutrition Lab is one of seven testing spaces in the Good Housekeeping Institute. It aims to provide consumers with evidence-based nutrition content and recommendations to help readers make informed food choices and live healthy lives.

ALEX LYNN, ’17, released her new project Alex the Astronaut, which was featured on NPR’s “All Songs Considered.” Lynn created demos in her dorm as a student-athlete on the LIU women’s soccer team. She was recently tapped as one of “Australia's most powerful and important songwriters” by Pilerats.com. KORA FEDER, ’17, released a new single “In a Young Person’s Body” that was named a “Protest songs on the Rise in 2020” by Austin 360, part of The Austin American-Statesman. Feder’s music has earned over 600,000 plays on Spotify, spent four months in the top albums on US Folk Radio Charts, and garnered praise from NPR, The Washington Post, The Sacramento Bee, Houston Music Review and more.

NINI FAN, ’17, ’19, co-founded MaMome, a health technology company that focuses on clinical application towards maternal-child health. The app provides novel maternal microbiome testing through patented technology and is currently collaborating with OB/GYN clinics. Last year MaMome won the European Innovation Academy’s highest prize of “Top Startup” and earned admission into ELabNYC, the largest life science accelerator on the East Coast.

ALECIA MUWONGE, ’18, adjunct professor of pharmaceutics and industrial science, co-authored a paper that was published in Current HIV Research. The study analyzed chemical design changes caused by resistance associated mutations in combination antiretroviral therapy, used to suppress viral loads in HIV patients. Muwonge also serves as associate researcher at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

DR. RITA LANGDON, ’19, dean of the School of Professional Studies, wrote her dissertation on the pedagogical use of mobile devices in the college classroom. The findings from Dr. Langdon’s study were the subject of a cover story in this month’s Campus News, entitled “Smartphones in the classroom: How much is too much?”

2020s

DR. ZSOLT KULCSAR, ’20, chief of rheumatology and physician lead at White Plains Hospital in New York, served as the featured guest of Rheum Advisor On Air, a podcast from Rheumatology Advisor. Dr. Kulcsar discussed the evolution of telemedicine and what the future may look like for the management of rheumatologic conditions.

PAIGE BONAVITO, ’20, broke into the national discourse thanks to her honors thesis "Exploring the Scott Peterson Case." The thesis has been widely cited in academic circles and was featured on the popular crime podcast Crimeficionados. Bonavito is currently working toward her Master of Science degree in criminal justice.