Class Notes

Did you get a promotion? Get married? Receive an award? Expand your family? Write a book? Meet a personal goal? Chat with a fellow alum about the good old days? We want to hear from you and your WPI classmates do, too! Tell us your latest news and it may appear in Class Notes—it’s a great way to reconnect with your fellow alumni: classnotes@wpi.edu.

Edwin Eugene Aldrin Sr., the father of astronaut Buzz Aldrin of moon-landing fame and an aviator in World Wars I and II, was featured in a Telegram & Gazette article on “Worcester’s Notable Graduates.”

John Margo reports that he is in contact with fellow class member Schuyler Keating. John shared that he retired from ExxonMobil in 1986, living for 30 years in Venezuela. He transferred to Houston, Texas, a few years before his retirement and now lives in a senior facility with Betty, his wife of 68 years. He would like to get in contact with other members of the Class of 1950. 

Dick Davis worked in engineering and marketing at Monsanto St. Louis until 1983, then returned to school from 1990 to 1994, graduating magna cum laude. He is a licensed chiropractor and acupuncturist; he practiced in St. Louis, Mo., and the surrounding area until 2021. He and his wife, Susan, live on a rural Missouri farm while enjoying nature.

Jack McHugh now lives in Naples, Fla., with Joy, his wife of 66 years. He hopes to connect with WPI classmates in the Naples area.

Len Lamberti writes, “I published my first book, Embellished Prose: Fifty Years of Collected Writings. A memoir of sorts—told through poems and vignettes—it is meant to resonate warmly with friends and family and entertain new readers. I think some of my WPI classmates and colleagues may find it of interest.”

James Bagaglio writes, “At the Ecotarium’s A Night at the Museum fundraiser, I was honored for my volunteer work before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Stan Sotek completed his career at Raytheon in the fall of 2022, having worked there full-time as an engineer for 37 years. His last assignment was in manufacturing test engineering at the Missiles and Defense Division of Raytheon Technologies Corporation. Prior to that, Stan worked as an engineer for Anderson Power Products, a business unit of High Voltage Engineering Corporation in Burlington, Mass.

Jeff Webber writes, “The third book in my series (about an engineer being transported accidentally to a medieval(ish) world where magic is real) was released this past August. The first book was released in December 2021 and the second in September 2022. I am currently working on book four. The titles (in order) are Enimnori: Arrival, Enimnori: Discovery, Enimnori: Challenge, and Enimnori: Crisis. Enimnori is the name of the city near which the main character appears after being accidentally summoned by a powerful but very young magician in a panic. The city deals heavily in iron mining and steel production, therefore ‘Enimnori’ is ‘Iron Mine’ spelled backwards (I thought it was funny).”

Robert Desourdis has been included in Marquis Who’s Who for his nearly 50 years of professional excellence in systems engineering, radio and wireless telecommunications, and technical collaboration. This honor selects individuals who have made noteworthy contributions to their fields. He serves as a collaboration consultant, master solution architect, and editor for NOVA Science Publishers’ Homeland Security Series for Desourdis Collaboration, which provides services to businesses that cater to governmental needs in the Department of Defense and homeland security domains. He has also created or contributed to 20 different books; his most recent focused on lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Robert Hart, a WPI trustee, was honored for his philanthropy by The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles. He is the founder, CEO, and president of TruAmerica Multifamily, a Los Angeles-based multifamily investment firm that specializes in the acquisition and renovation of large apartment properties across the United States. He devotes his time to a wide variety of charitable organizations and has raised tens of millions of dollars to better his community. He also received the 2022 Outstanding Philanthropist Award, the 2017 City of Hope Spirit of Life Award, and the 2009 Humanitarian Leadership Award. 

Steve Rusckowski has been named to the Tenet Healthcare Corporation Board of Directors. He will serve as a member of the Human Resources Committee and Quality, Compliance, and Ethics Committee. Tenet Healthcare Corporation is a multinational healthcare services organization based in Dallas. Steve is the former chief executive officer and president of Quest Diagnostics, a position he held from 2012 until 2022. He also served as chairman of the board for Quest from January 2017 through March 2023.

Brad Traver is the former Petrified National Forest Park superintendent and has had a new Triassic reptile species named after him and his wife: the Puercosuchus traverorum. The reptile was first discovered in 2014 in the Blue Mesa area of Arizona and is believed to resemble a Komodo dragon. Brad provided much support to the paleontology program at the park. 

George Tobin was recently recruited by Brycetech Space and Engineering, a federal contractor headquartered in Alexandria, Va., as a senior procurement officer and subject matter expert. He returns to the same department he retired from after 22 years of federal service. He also spent 15 years with AT&T and IBM Global Services in a number of capacities. He says, “I’m excited to be working on the successor to COVID-19 Operation Warp Speed within the department, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Coordination Operations and Response Element, H-CORE.” He and his wife, Jane, reside in Maryland—about 45 minutes from Washington, D.C.—and are active in church activities, car events, gardening, running, golf, and visits to their new granddaughter as often as possible.

Martin Rowe is the senior technical editor of 5G Technology World, a site “for engineering adding wireless connectivity to devices and for engineers working on the wired and wireless aspects of 5G networks,” according to the site Engineers Garage.

Bradford Drury writes, “I retired from surgery 10 years ago and am now an artist and illustrator. My new book, called A is for Anchor: B is for Boat, is available on Amazon. My 33-foot Nonsuch sailboat is my studio for my fine art and illustrations. This boat has carried my family and me, plus two dogs and a hermit crab (named Hermione), up and down the East Coast. I’m hoping those with children in their life will enjoy sharing the beauty and humor of the boating life.”

Bernard Gutmann was appointed to the board of Enovix, a California-based manufacturer of silicon-anode lithium-ion batteries. He has over 40 years of experience in the semiconductor industry, holding various financial leadership roles. He most recently was the executive vice president and chief financial officer and treasurer of ON Semiconductor. “Enovix has an incredible opportunity to be an industry leader in a space that is in desperate need of innovation,” he writes. “I look forward to working with the management team and guiding the company into an industry-leading global corporation.”

George Aghjayan wrote an article for The Armenian Weekly, titled “Genealogy: ‘Useful in the Toolkit of Genocide Education.’” He is the director of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) Archives and a member of the ARF Central Committee of the Eastern United States. As a retiree, he focuses on Armenian-related research and projects, especially on the demographics and geography of western Armenia. He is a frequent contributor to The Armenian Weekly. 

Nancy Pimental was featured in a Telegram & Gazette article, “Worcester’s Notable Graduates.” She is one of the writers of South Park, the adult animated sitcom, and she succeeded Jimmy Kimmel as co-host of the Comedy Central game show Win Ben Stein’s Money.

Pascale Fung was featured in the Telegram & Gazette article “Worcester’s Notable Graduates.” She is the director of the Center for AI Research at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. Her research focuses on building intelligent systems that can understand and empathize with humans, according to the article. 

Bill Noel was a contributing author for the ABL Advisor article “Factoring Finance: A Solid Anchor in Economic Storms.” He is the chief product officer at Solifi, which develops software for financial institutions and equipment-leasing companies. He has over 30 years of experience in business and operational strategy across software electronics, semiconductor, and industrial products industries, specializing in business and operational strategy, innovation management, and product development.

Shawn Markham joined the Board of Trustees of Corning Museum of Glass. Her career at Corning Incorporated spans 32 years and she was recently named a corporate fellow. About her new role, she says, “By nature and by training, I tend to be a very practical and pragmatic person. We are always having to make choices on priorities in life, even when it comes to art. Using skills from the engineering world, I hope to help guide decisions as there is still room for feelings and ideas to be captured in the selection processes. And specifically, from a science perspective, how can we help someone think about glass or STEAM careers differently through a display in our Innovation Galleries.”

Rear Admiral John W. Mauger led the U.S. Coast Guard search for the Titan submersible when it went missing on a voyage to view the Titanic wreckage in June 2023. Prior to serving as rear admiral, he was the assistant commandant for Prevention Policy, responsible for the development of standards promoting marine safety, security, and environmental stewardship.

Shelby Walker was appointed as senior vice president and general counsel for Korro Bio, a leading RNA editing company focused on the discovery and development of novel genetic medicines. In her role, she leads Korro’s legal organization including intellectual property, corporate governance, and compliance functions, according to the announcement. She has over 20 years of experience serving as general counsel for several biomedical engineering companies. “Korro is a leader in the RNA editing space and has assembled a top-notch team driven to translate the company’s foundational science into groundbreaking therapeutics for both rare and prevalent diseases,” she said in the announcement. “I am thrilled to join Korro at such an exciting time for the company and the field of genetic medicine.”

Henna Karna was featured in an article by Net News Ledger, which detailed her career path and achievements. She was named as one of the top five global leaders in Insurtech by Insurance Network News. She has also received a slew of accolades, including ELITE Power Women, CELENT Model Insurer, and ACORD Top Women Executives. Her career has been the focus of articles in Forbes, Leaders Edge, and Carrier Management. She earned an MBA from MIT Sloan while also completing her master’s in applied mathematics and her doctorate at the University of Massachusetts.

Karen (Hirst) Spaleta writes, “I graduated this spring with a PhD in geosciences from the University of Alaska Fairbanks. My thesis, titled ‘Developing new geochemical analytical methods and evaluating the potential for tellurium and bismuth extraction from existing gold mines,’ was about finding solutions to the world’s pending critical minerals supply crisis. I continue to work as the deputy director of the Alaska Stable Isotope Facility at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, where I specialize in measuring strontium isotopes to reconstruct how animals move around their habitat. Some days I get to work on woolly mammoths and other days on a sculpin (a type of fish) the size of my thumb.”

Narayan Gangadhar (MS) was appointed as CEO of 5paisa, an online stockbroker based in India. He is a former senior executive at Google, Uber, and Amazon with over two decades of experience. “5paisa.com was the original disruptor in Indian broking industry and democratized equity investing for millions of Indians by offering a great platform at affordable fees,” he said. “I am happy to be a part of the legacy and excited about the accelerated digital transformation journey ahead.”  

Naveen Selvadurai was featured in the Telegram & Gazette article “Worcester’s Notable Graduates.” He co-founded the popular location-based social networking app Foursquare. 

Conn Doherty joined Collins Aerospace as vice president and general manager of BMC2 & Autonomy Solutions. He manages Collins’s command and control autonomy platforms. He is the former vice president of strategic campaigns at Raytheon Intelligence & Space. 

Phil Surgen was featured in an article by Speedway Digest for his work as a NASCAR engineer and crew chief for Trackhouse Racing driver Ross Chastain. He is based at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, N.H. 

Katherine Tromp was named interim dean of Northeast Ohio Medical University College of Pharmacy. She joined the university as the senior associate dean for the College of Pharmacy. Previously, she served as the associate dean of the Florida Pathway and associate professor for the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine School of Pharmacy in Bradenton, Fla., where she oversaw the progression of 500 students and supervised 25 faculty members.

Priya Jayachandran is a director at Pfizer in Boston. Her published papers can be found in Nature and New England Journal of Medicine. She also produced a paper with Dr. Rada Savic of the University of San Francisco and Uppsala University in Sweden called “Computer Simulation of Drug Interaction in Humans and Pharmacometrics.” 

Birk Birand is co-founder and CEO of Fero Labs, which secured $15 million to reduce manufacturing emissions with artificial intelligence. Fero Labs is an AI-driven manufacturing process optimization software company. He said, “The industrial sector is notoriously hard to decarbonize, and hardware solutions like carbon capture and storage come with a hefty price tag and daunting implementation process. White-box AI software requires no capital expenditure and can be quickly implemented. This means companies can immediately start reducing emissions and quantify emissions reduction more accurately with easy-to-understand dashboards and reports. Tangible proof of impact is a crucial part of the sustainability journey.”

Jillian Kaplan was featured in the Dell Technologies article “Four Employee Influencers to Follow at Dell Technologies World.” As head of global telecom thought leadership, she said, “Sustainability is a huge focus for me this year. I always love the ‘Technology for Good’ theme, and I think over time [as an industry] the focus on sustainability has come and gone a few times. However, this time I believe it is here to stay—and with my focus being Telecom—which has massive data centers and is building its edge and cloud right now—we need to come together to build a better future. I am excited to see this focus come to life and stay at the forefront.”

Kellie Moulin became the principal of Westerly High School in Westerly, R.I. She has more than 20 years of experience in Massachusetts schools, including as a math teacher, as department head, and as assistant principal of South High School in Worcester. “I am thrilled about the opportunity to be the principal at Westerly High School,” she said in an article in the Westerly Sun. “WHS has such a rich history of tradition and academic excellence, it is an honor to work with the staff, students, and community members. I have been visiting Westerly and am very impressed with the friendly and supportive community. I am looking forward to the coming school year.”

Fioleda Kesseli was named chief technology officer of a Duke University capital partner, medical device start-up company Resolute. She formerly served in executive roles at Duke and at Viamer Biosciences. 

Rebecca Coppa was interviewed for an article by Coastal Review about the Erosion and Sediment Control program in North Carolina and the threat of erosion. She is a sediment education engineer and teaches various community groups about erosion and erosion mitigation through various educational programs. “The environment has always been something I’ve been passionate about, and my passion for environmental education, getting learners of all ages outdoors, and letting them learn through play, has only grown these past few years as I’ve been learning so much myself as I am pursuing my North Carolina Environmental Education Certificate,” she said in the article. “And as that passion has grown, I’ve made a conscious effort to bring the Enviroscape, soil or water or other things that the students can touch and play with if I can’t get the students outside. Because the more the students interact with the lesson and materials, the more I see them lighting up, becoming interested, and hopefully remembering what they learned for years to come.”

“Because my IQP and MQP included the challenges that sometimes come from working with groups of people, each was very much a learning opportunity for me—teaching me how to collaborate and make friends with a wide breadth of interdisciplinary and multi-faceted peers. The value of WPI’s project-based learning is not only that students got to work on cool and impactful projects, but also that we needed to work well with others. I don’t know where I’d be without WPI’s support of not only student projects but of students themselves. WPI’s project-based curriculum became the framework of my craft, but the beautifully welcoming and accepting campus community became the foundation of my vocation.”

Although Joshua has earned a lengthy list of community awards, ranging from the Worcester Business Journal’s Power 50 (2023), and Pride Magazine LGBTQ Leaders Under 40 (2020), they remain humble, saying their most joy-giving moments come from seeing their work positively impact peoples’ lives, especially when parents ask them questions or for help in understanding their children’s experiences around diversity, equity, and inclusion. “My hope is that our community and our world become a place where everyone has the opportunity to thrive, and that the unique diversity of every individual is what gives us strength to become a truly united nation.”

Dan Dorfman writes, “Over the past couple of years, I’ve worked with an architect’s office to plan out a shipping container house that I plan to live in, which is designed with maximum sustainability and upgradeability in mind. I’m very proud of the vision that’ll be realized. It’s taking place in Quaker Hill, Conn.”

Beyond academics, WPI prepared Vass for her career in other ways as well. “At WPI, I learned early to be comfortable being the only female on a project, to be sure my voice is heard, and to stand up for myself,” she says. “Outside of my MQP, the classes I took for my concentration in biomechanics have been the most important for me. They introduced me to my desired field and gave me the background I needed to be successful.”

Tyler Nickerson is the co-founder of start-up Linguistic Systems, Inc., which aims to help students of English, Japanese, and Chinese jump from intermediate to advanced language learning. The start-up raised $850,000 and is building an artificial intelligence platform for immersive language learning. According to the Boston Business Journal article, “The basic idea for Linguistic’s software is letting students choose the materials they want to learn from and using AI to build a learning experience around that content.”

John Walser (MS) was promoted to assistant chief with the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department in Pennsylvania. He has served in various leadership roles in the fire and rescue sector over the last 20 years. He is also a principal member of two National Fire Protection Association technical committees.