Alumni

Alumni Class Notes

2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001 | 1999 | 1996 | 1995 | 1993 | 1992 | 1991 | 1990 | 1989 | 1983 | 1981 | 1980

Class of 2009

Antonio Plascencia, Jr., MPP’09, recently accepted a policy analyst position with the Los Angeles Unified School District in the Office of the Superintendent. (01/2010)

Class of 2008

Herb Bowsher, MPP’08, and his wife Charlynne happily announce the birth of their daughter Madelyn Cervantes Bowsher. When she was born on July 27, 2009 at Chicago’s Northwestern Memorial Hospital, she weighed 6 pounds and 8 ounces. (01/2010)

Class of 2007

Rachel Currans-Sheehan, MPP’07, was recently appointed Executive Assistant at the Department of Health Services, where she will oversee external relations for the Secretary’s Office and serve as a top policy advisor on legislative and policy matters. (01/2010)

Neil Danberg, MPP'07 was recently profiled on Education Pioneer's website. In the article, Danberg discusses his summer fellowship at the California Charter Schools Association and his current job at the Office of Management and Budget. (10/2008)

DeAndrea Gumbs, MPP'07 is working at the City of New York's Department of Youth and Community Development. (5/2008)

My'Ron McGee, MPP'07 was quoted on importance of education in an article on the role of young voters in the 2008 election, published in Black Enterprise. Read the article. (10/2008)

Kristopher Natoli, MPP'07 is a current student at Boston University School of Law and expects to graduate in 2010. (5/2008)

Scott Nelson, MPP'07 has taken a new job as Senior Application Definition Analyst with id8. (5/2008)

Class of 2006

Richard T. Page, MPP'06, has been selected to join the Tulane Law Review, based on his winning submission to the journal's 2009 summer write-on competition. He is scheduled to receive a joint JD/MBA degree from the Tulane University Law School and Freeman School of Business in May 2010. (9/2009)

Roopa Seshadri, AM'06, is a senior research specialist at Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago. She has recently been named one of the organization's experts in the areas of: access to health care and outcomes in vulnerable populations, applied statistical theory, quantitative research methods, and use of public databases. (8/2009) more >>

Sandeep Ahuja, MPP'06 has been invited to speak at the World Health Organization's 2009 Stop TB Partners Forum in Rio de Janeiro. Held every five years, the conference is attended by 1,100 delegates plus health ministers and experts from over 50 countries. One of nearly 15 TB experts to speak during the conference, Sandeep will discuss Operation ASHA's model of tuberculosis treatment.
Operation ASHA's strategy has been included in the compilation of international best practices in TB treatment, which will be released at the inauguration of the conference by the president of Brazil. Ahuja writes, "Once this document becomes public, every one working for TB patients will know about Operation ASHA and its model." (02/2009)

The HDFC Bank has granted one million rupees ($21,000) to Operation Asha, founded by Sandeep Ahuja, MPP'06. (01/2009)

Phylicia Lyons, MPP'06 addressed attendees at the White House Summit on Inner-City Children and Faith-based Schools on April 24, 2008. (5/2008) more>>

Nicole Naurath, MPP'06 recently had an article published by the China Business Review. Entitled "Urban Optimism," the article discusses the growing entrepreneurial spirit of China's younger generation. (9/2008)

Alexis H. Ward, MPP'06 has been promoted to vice president of Barbary Coast Consulting, a boutique public affairs firm located in San Francisco. (3/2009)

Class of 2005

Karolina Arias, MPP'05 will be a legislative affairs advisor at the Treasury Department's Community Development Investment Fund. She's looking forward to catching up with old classmates in DC. (3/2009)

Tamara Robinson, MPP'05 has been touring the country with C-SPAN's Campaign 2008 bus engaging students in the political process. (5/2008) more>>

Class of 2004

Karla Avila, MPP'04 has moved to New York City where she is the Program Manager for Latin America and the Caribbean with Episcopal Relief and Development. (5/2008)

Greg Diephouse, MPP’04, has moved to Washington, DC, where he works as Confidential Assistant to the Assistant Secretary for Administration at the United States Department of Agriculture. (01/2010)

Audrey Eisenberg, MPP ’04, rappelled from the roof of Chicago’s 27-story Wit Hotel in October to raise awareness and support for Respiratory Health Association of Metropolitan Chicago programs and research. (01/2010)

Alexandra Forter Sirota, AM/AM(SOC)'04 is the Director of Policy and Research at Action for Children North Carolina, a leading statewide nonprofit committed to improving the lives of North Carolina children and families. (5/2008) more>>

Class of 2003

Amanda Alpert Knight, MPP'03 is the Chicago Executive Director of RISE, a national non-profit organization that is focused on attracting and retaining high quality teachers in schools in low income communities in San Francisco and Los Angeles. Chicago is RISE's first expansion. (5/2008)

Class of 2002

Yazmin Osaki, MPP'01 and Phil de Imus MPP/MBA'02 joyously announce the birth of their first child, Paulo Luis de Imus. Paulo was born on October 5, 2008, in Washington, DC, at a healthy 6 lbs, 10 oz and 19 inches. Mom is currently on leave from her job as special assistant to the deputy to the vice chairman of the FDIC, while dad is back to work as a financial sector expert at the International Monetary Fund. (01/2009)

Class of 2001

The Rev. Teresa K. Mithen, MPP'01, married Mr. Jonathan C. Danieley at Christ Church Cathedral in St. Louis, Missouri on September 26, 2009. The Rev. and Mr. Teresa and Jonathan Danieley continue to reside in St. Louis, where Teresa serves as the rector of St. John's Episcopal Church and Jonathan is a computer programmer analyst at Washington University School of Medicine. Adil Moiduddin, MPP'01 was there for the ceremony and festivities, along with fellow U of C graduates Jenny Olaya, Christopher Nelson and Laura Youngberg. (10/2009)

Class of 1999

Robert Coulter (MPP/MBA'99) passed the Rhode Island and Massachusetts bar exams after graduating last May as valedictorian of Roger Williams University School of Law. He is now an associate with Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge LLP in Providence. (11/2008)

Joi B. Dozier, MPP'99 was promoted to the rank of captain in the United States Air Force. (6/2008) more>>

Class of 1996

Jonathan Kaplan, MPP’96, has accepted a new position at the State Department as special assistant to Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Ellen O. Tauscher. (9/2009)

Rudy Lohmeyer. MPP/MBA'96 writes, "Starting on May 16th, I will be taking a several month leave of absence from the State Department. My family and I will be in Sweden spending some long overdue time with our extended family and look forward to returning to Washington in the fall." (5/2008)

Class of 1995

Rachel Warner Forward, MPP’95, recently moved to Towson, Maryland and co-wrote an op-ed published in The American, a magazine published by the American Enterprise Institute, about how little the stimulus bill has done to get people back to work. (01/2010)

Class of 1993

Phil Clement, AM’93, was recently featured on B2B magazine’s Top Marketers of 2009 list. Clement has served as CMO of Chicago-based Aon Corp. for the last four years and will be putting together a team to implement the company’s new Manchester United jersey sponsorship plan. (01/2010)

Derek Okada, AM'93 and Wendy Okada of Rancho Palos Verdes, CA have announced the birth of our new daughter, Ashlyn Alexis Akari Okada, who was born on August 7, 2008. Ashlyn weighed 7 pounds 11 ounces and measured 19.5 inches. (9/2008)

Class of 1992

Brian L. Colbert, AM'92 writes, I returned to the U.S. from Turkey on January 1, 2007 (yes over a year ago). From February 2003 until June 2006, I was an assistant professor teaching in the International Relations Department and the Graduate Program of European Studies at the Izmir University of Economics. I taught several courses including international law and political theory and also helped graduate students write thesis projects. While living abroad, my girlfriend and I traveled extensively throughout Turkey, the Middle East, North Africa, Madagascar, Southeast Asia, and the Indian subcontinent. We were married in Tuscany in June 2006 and traveled for a 6-month honeymoon. I am currently president of Broadband Mechanics. BroadbandMechanics produces People Aggregator, a white-label social networking platform which provides Facebook/MySpace features to existing websites. I am currently based in San Fransisco. (6/2008)

Class of 1991

Peter Brandon, PhD'91, recently returned from Australia to take an endowed chair at Carleton College, the Broom Chair in Social Demography in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology. He returns to undergraduate teaching and research after spending three years at the Australian National University as an Australian Research Council Professor studying family change in Australia, North America, the United Kingdom, and Europe. Brandon married Ellen Unruh, who worked at the Harris School. They have two sons Conor, age 9, and Quinn, age 7, who both like to compare cricket with baseball. (5/2009)

Desiree Chen, AM'91, has been named managing director of public affairs at Elmhurst College (Elmhurst, IL) in the school's new Office of Communications and Public Affairs. (7/2009) more>>

Alfredo Gómez, MPP'91 received the 2008 Minorities in Public Policy Studies (MIPPS) Minority Annual Alumnus Award at a dinner presentation with SSA's African American (AASA) and Latino Student (LSA) Associations during Alumni Weekend. (6/2008)

Kerry Lee Lacko, MPP'91, passed away in May of 2008. Prior to her death, she had been at the Illinois Department of Human Services as a public service administrator. She leaves her husband Steven L.; children Devin (Elena) Lacko and Meghann (Benjamin) Lacko Kaplan; granddaughter Mia; mother Harice (the late Ron) Leavitt; siblings Brandon (Ann Quinn) Leavitt, Jody (Scott) Muka, Robin (Bill Campbell) Leavitt, Denise Leavitt and Jonathan (Andronicka) Leavitt; and many nieces and nephews.

Reika Suzuki, AM'91 writes she has been working as a lawyer since April 2000. She represented the families of the fishermen on the Japanese boat, Ehimemaru, with which the U.S.S. Greenville collided. Currently, she working both on a class action case of drug-induced casualties of anti-cancer agent called 'Iressa,' as well as other cases of option and securities dealings. She mainly represents the plaintiffs. (5/2008)

Class of 1990

W. Britt Gwinner (MPP/MBA'89) and Valerie Gwinner (MPP'90) will move to Peru in January with their younger son, Addison, who is now 14. Their elder son, Jeremy, is in his first year at the University of Puget Sound, majoring in biology. Britt works for the International Finance Corporation as the Principal Housing Finance Specialist for Latin America and the Caribbean. Valerie will continue her public health policy analysis and evaluation work for Altarum Institute. Separately, her publisher has asked her to produce a new addition to her series of travel guides, "Peru With Kids." They have plans for Andean trekking, Argentine skiing, surfing, and eating a lot of ceviche. (11/2008)

Thomas Lee, AM'90 is putting the finishing touches on his first book, to be published in mid-2009 by Jossey-Bass. The working title is Mind the Gaps: Credibility and the Three Voices of Leadership. Drawing on Tom's experiences as a political journalist, corporate speechwriter, and consultant to management teams at companies such as Pfizer, Harley-Davidson, FMC, John Deere, and Royal Dutch Shell, among others, the book will offer a systematic process and hardnosed discipline for building and maintaining a leader's credibility with followers. (9/2008)

Sylvia Puente, AM'90 has started a new job as executive director of the Latino Policy Forum in Chicago. (1/09)

Class of 1989

Class of 1983

Alesia Booth, AM'83, was recently nominated to a board position with the organization, Women Impacting Public Policy. She will co-chair the Technology/Telecom committee for a two-year term. She is currently employed with IBM's Systems and Technology Group, managing global business strategy and technical enablement for independent software vendors partnering with IBM in the telecommunications industry marketplace. (05/2009)

Class of 1981

In January, Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter appointed Terry Gillen, AM'81, as Senior Advisor to the Mayor for Economic Development (5/2008)

Class of 1980

Dr. Karen Cramer, AM'80, writes, "I have lived and taught in Dubai for the past 20 years, always for the ruling family, but also in various educational institutions. I am working and living in [the palace of] Sheikh Mohammed, ruler of Dubai, and am responsible for supervising projects of college and university students. My students are either Sheikh Mohammed's own kids and/or their friends." (05/2009)

Harris School Alumni

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