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.

He is professor emeritus from Northeastern University, where he teaches courses in science fiction, horror fiction, detective fiction, and fiction writing. He also teaches at fiction-writing workshops at conferences in America and Europe. His novels have been translated into 16 languages and three have been optioned for movies. For more info, visit: www.garybraver.com.

Richard Formato co-authored two novels that were published in 2023. Node Riders is a science fiction story about the discovery of gravitational nodes for exploring the universe. After solving the mystery of node physics, the protagonists figure out how to use nodes to travel anywhere in the universe and to any point in time. Milo: A Murder Mystery chronicles the rise and fall of a prominent and narcissistic criminal lawyer in Manhattan. A retired registered patent attorney, Formato is a Life Senior Member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and sits on the editorial board at two journals, International Journal of Swarm Intelligence and Advances in Electrical and Computer Engineering.

Scott Wilson writes, “SAE brothers Dave Andersen, Dave Gradwell, and I, and our spouses, have been meeting every month or so for lunch at local eateries in the Baltimore/D.C./Annapolis areas and staying caught up on the latest on grandchildren, general gossip, and remembrances. Much fun. Wish we had started earlier.”

Anthony (Tony) Leketa writes, “In October I was selected to chair the Safety Committee of the National Academy of Construction (NAC) at its annual meeting in Boston. NAC honors outstanding construction industry leaders and shares their collective experiences and expertise to help the nation by improving the construction industry (naocon.org). The Safety Committee is actively engaged with a number of initiatives designed to improve safety in construction. Presently, the construction industry leads all other industries in annual on-the-job fatalities. Exciting opportunity for one who has spent the majority of his professional life in the construction industry.”

Gregory Barnhart writes, “I am teaching an afterschool STEM class in basic electronics and computer coding to seventh and eighth graders here in Cave Creek, Ariz. The class is sponsored by Kiwanis and the Cave Creek Museum. I am on the museum’s Board of Directors and am the lead guide at the museum’s Gold Mining Experience. Our museum has the only working 10-stamp ore crusher located in its original mining district, which we operate twice a month.”

Ben Katcoff writes, “I married Robin Cushner on December 10, 2023, at the Grand Lodge in Hunt Valley, Maryland. Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity brothers David Winer ’71 (and his wife, Barbara) and Rick Teitelman ’71 (and his wife, Carol) attended the wedding. Robin and I are now living in Pikesville, Maryland.” 

Jonathan Barnett, MS ’76, PhD ’89, writes, “I’m proud to announce the expansion of Basic Expert, a company I co-founded in 2018 with Jonathan Duler, into the UK market. Basic Expert, known for its exemplary fire safety and forensic engineering services in Australia and New Zealand, is now set to extend its expertise to the UK, reflecting my commitment to global safety standards. As one of the pioneering professors of fire protection engineering at WPI, my transition from academia to industry encapsulates my dedication to applying theoretical knowledge to real-world challenges. This expansion not only symbolizes the growth of Basic Expert but also my profound impact on the field, marking a significant chapter in my illustrious career.”

David LaPré, a WPI trustee, was named to the Board of Directors of Calidi Biotherapeutics, a California-based clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company that incorporated in 2021. “Calidi Biotherapeutics has assembled a world-class team of leaders and advisors with the expertise and skills needed to deliver effective allogeneic stem cell therapies to patient populations with few effective treatment options,” LaPré said in an article in BioSpace. “I look forward to guiding Calidi’s team and helping them improve operational excellence as they mature their organization.” LaPré currently heads DGL Advisors, a consulting firm that advises biopharma companies. Previously, he spent more than two decades as a senior executive in technical operations and supply chain management with companies in the United States and Switzerland. 

Robert Cummings writes, “I am honored to have been elevated to fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) as of Jan. 1, 2024, with the citation ‘for leadership in power system disturbance analysis and standardization of power system protection and reliability.’ The IEEE Fellow Committee annually recommends a select group of recipients for elevation to IEEE Fellow. Less than 0.1% of voting members are selected annually for this member grade elevation.”

Wes Wheeler has been named executive chair of the board at BioTouch, a company that provides logistics and kitting for outsourced medical supplies around the world. “Wheeler has held the positions of CEO, president, and chair across five distinct public and private companies,” according to an announcement from BioTouch. “Demonstrating a breadth of leadership experience, his professional journey has been marked by successfully guiding companies through transformation while simultaneously laying the groundwork for future growth.”

Robert Hart, a WPI trustee, is the host of a new monthly podcast called Building Better Communities. The podcast is a project of TruAmerica Multifamily, a firm that owns and operates multifamily housing units around the country. Hart is the founder, president, and CEO of TruAmerica, the 25th largest apartment owner in the United States, according to the National Multifamily Housing Council. In the first episode of the podcast, Hart spoke with William Lindsay, co-founder and senior managing partner of real estate investment firm PCCP, about the changing landscape in the commercial real estate market. The podcast is available on YouTube and on the TruAmerica website.

Tim Andrews has joined the law firm Manatt, Phelps & Phillips as a national advisor focused on using technology innovations like artificial intelligence. Andrews has extensive experience helping companies from a range of industries—including health care, biotech, and digital media—to embrace new technologies. “Having worked with many professionals across Manatt throughout my career, I have always admired the Firm’s commitment to helping clients navigate and implement technology as an integral part of their business strategy,” said Andrews in an announcement. “I am delighted to reconnect with this wonderful team of legal and consulting colleagues to continue helping these clients—many of which are trailblazers in this area—stay ahead of the curve and be leaders in innovation.”

Gary Almeraris has been honored with an Outstanding Achievement Award by The Moles, a national organization for professionals working in the heavy construction industry. An active member of The Moles since 1989, Almeraris served as the organization’s president in 2021. He is currently vice president of operations for Skanska USA Civil and has spent his nearly 50-year career in heavy construction working on tunnel projects, according to an announcement in Tunnel Business Magazine. 

Lu Anne Green was appointed chief operating officer at MicroCare, a company that formulates and manufactures powerful cleaning fluids and tools. Green will oversee manufacturing and logistics in all of MicroCare’s Connecticut-based locations. She has more than two decades of experience working with operations, logistics, and supply chain management and has held leadership positions in multiple industries. 

John Kelly was named chairman of the Wakeman (CT) Boys & Girls Club Board of Trustees. “Wakeman, an organization I strongly believe in, provides amazing oppor-tunities to children in Bridgeport and Fairfield. I look forward to working with Sabrina [Smeltz, Wakeman BGC CEO], her team, and the Board to build on the great successes of the past, and to develop new programs that enable young people to become future leaders,” Kelly said in an announcement in Fairfield’s HamletHub.com. A member of the Wakeman trustees since 2018, he retired in 2022 as vice president of quality operations and environment, health, and safety at Pfizer, where he had worked for 40 years. 

George Oliver, a WPI trustee, was one of the panelists at “The Future of Climate, Sustainability and Clean Energy: A Conversation with Global CEOs” during the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Oliver is chairman and CEO of Johnson Controls, a global building technology company that specializes in sustainable smart buildings; he also chairs Business Roundtable’s Energy and Environment Committee. According to a Business Roundtable announcement, Oliver and the other CEOs who participated in the UN event discussed how technology can be harnessed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and how a successful global energy transition will depend on reliable clean energy supply chains.

Jay Cormier was featured during an episode of On Tech and Vision a podcast that explores how people with vision loss can use technology to help make their lives better. During the episode, titled “Developing Big Ideas: Product Testing and Iteration,” Cormier discussed the impor-tance of large-scale beta testing with a diverse population. “The retina is like a thumbprint. Every retina is different, every vision impairment is different. How do you test the range of how all of those could interact with the device for that person?” said Cormier, who is president and CEO of Eyedaptic, a company specializing in vision-enhancement technology.

Maureen McCaffrey, a WPI trustee, has been named to the Boston Real Estate Times list of Outstanding Women of Commercial Real Estate for 2024. McCaffrey is director of the MIT Investment Management Company (MITIMCo), which oversees the investment of MIT’s endowment, retirement, and operating funds. She is responsible for MITIMCo’s planning and development of several mixed-use real estate projects in Kendall Square totaling more than 3 million square feet. According to an article in the Boston Real Estate Times, “McCaffrey’s efforts aren’t limited to her work with MIT. In June, she was named 2023–2024 President of CREW Boston at a pivotal time when the chapter is working to promote diversity through strategic growth.”

Jim Goodell spoke on a panel titled “Leveraging Artificial Intelligence for Talent Development in Government” during an event hosted by the Association for Talent Development. Goodell is the director of innovation at Quality Information Partners, a Virginia-based education consulting firm where he oversees development of the federally sponsored Common Education Data Standards. In that role he also co-facilitates the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s T3 Innovation Network and Architecture Development for the Jobs and Employment Data Exchange. The panel explored ways government agencies might leverage AI to acquire, develop, and retain employees. 

Joe Mitchell has been named assistant general manager of Westfield Gas & Electric (WGE), one of the largest municipal utility companies in Massachusetts that offers gas, electricity, and fiber-optic internet. Prior to this appointment, Mitchell worked as the community relations manager for Eversource. “With my last position being with a very large investor-owned utility company, I am very happy to be part of the Westfield Gas and Electric/Whip City Fiber team,” he said in an article in MassLive. “I find the people that work for this municipal utility really care about their community and the important part the G&E plays in it.”

Mark Willingham is the new chief executive officer of Headwall Photonics, a company based in Bolton, Mass., that designs and manufactures precision hyperspectral imaging systems for a range of applications, including remote sensing. Prior to the Headwall appointment, Willingham was vice president and general manager of Dover Motion. He also served as an officer in the U.S. Navy and is a Gulf War Veteran. 

Peter Griffin has been named senior vice president of operations for medical technology company Imperative Care. He brings to the role more than 35 years of experience manufacturing and developing products, in addition to strategic supplier management. Prior to joining Imperative Care, Griffin was group vice president and chief procurement officer at Insulet Corporation, a company that makes and sells medical devices for people with diabetes. 

Loan Ngo writes, “I recently changed jobs and moved to Henkel Adhesive Technologies to head the Safety, Health, Environmental, and Quality functional groups for North America. What’s great is that I met Debora Duch ’91, who also graduated from WPI; it’s a pleasure to work alongside a WPI alumna.”

Brian Tarbuck has joined the Board of Directors at Maine’s Kennebec Savings Bank. He currently serves as general manager of the Greater Augusta Utility District and as commissioner of the New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission. According to an article on CentralMaine.com Tarbuck also sits on the Maine Board of Licensure of Water System Operators, is past president of the Maine Water Utilities Association, and vice president of the Kennebec Valley YMCA board.

Steve Vassallo published an article in Forbes making the case for why a human-centered approach is not only helpful but necessary for the future of artificial intelligence. “Thoughtful, deliberate design and product thinking will be key for humans to harness AI’s full power and ensure that it works in harmony with our values and goals,” Vassallo writes in the article, “Why Generative AI Needs Design.” He continues, “For all their impressive abilities, generative AI models are a far cry from being reliable enough for most real-world applications. This gap between ‘gee whiz!’ demos and dependable deployments is what technologists refer to as the ‘last mile’ problem. Just as self-driving cars blunder on busy streets, AI models struggle with inconsistency, bias, and a tendency to hallucinate. In creative contexts, these features may be harmless or even welcome. But in business, finance, medicine, and other high-stakes use cases, anything short of 99.9% accuracy is often unacceptable. Innovative design of human-AI systems can help manage these last-mile risks while the technology continues to mature.” Vassallo is a general partner at Foundation Capital, a venture capital firm that focuses on fintech, enterprise, and crypto companies.

Lisa Goyer has been named vice president in the Environmental Division of Pare Corporation, a planning, engineering, and permitting company based in Rhode Island. Goyer is a registered Professional Engineer in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island and a certified water system operator in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. She previously worked as an engineer at Pare from 2015 to 2020. 

Aswin Phlaphongphanich (MS) was featured in an article in The Nation Thailand highlighting a new partnership between Siam Commercial Bank (SCB) and DeeMoney, the money-transfer platform that Phlaphongphanich founded and runs. The partnership will make it easier for workers from Myanmar who live in Thailand to send money home. “These individuals annually wish to send money back home, totaling more than USD 1.33 billion…. Our aim is to empower them to transfer money securely through the DeeMoney application, eliminating the reliance on brokers as seen in the past,” Phlaphongphanich said in the article. 

Mert Aktar has been named to the board of directors at ReAlta Life Sciences, Inc., a Virginia-based clinical biotech company that develops anti-inflammatory drugs to address rare life-threatening diseases. Aktar serves as CEO of biotech company Peran Therapeutics and sits on the board of the University of California, Los Angeles, Technology Development Corporation. In addition to his undergraduate degree from WPI, Aktar holds an MBA from MIT Sloan School of Management and a master’s in engineering management from Tufts University. He has more than two decades of experience bridging science and business in pharmaceuticals and biotechnology.

Kristin Connarn is now office managing partner in the intellectual property, media, and technology practice for international law firm Hogan Lovells. According to an announcement in Legal Desire, “Connarn joined the firm in 2019, bringing an extensive background in biotechnology and cancer research and a knowledge of the complex regulatory landscape for life sciences clients. Additionally, she serves as a member of the Hogan Lovells Life Sciences Leadership Team, and co-chair of the Cell, Tissue, and Gene Therapy (CTGT) working group.”

James “Andy” Lynch, MS ’04, is CEO of Fire Solutions Group, a consulting company that he founded in 2013. His expertise as a fire protection engineer was cited in an article in Waste Advantage magazine summarizing the first updates in more than 40 years to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) emergency response regulations. Lynch is a member of the Salamander Honorary Fire Protection Engineering Society; the National Fire Protection Association; the Society of Fire Protection Engineers; the National Fire Sprinkler Association; and the International Association for Fire Safety Science.

Kate Rush has been named executive vice president and chief operating officer of Androscoggin Bank. “I’m proud to join a company with 150 years of experience serving the businesses and people of Maine. … Further, as both a mutual and a benefit corporation, this company truly values people and clients and employees are at the forefront of every decision we make,” Rush said in announcement from the bank. Before her tenure with Androscoggin Bank, she held leadership positions at Tilson Technology Management and Bangor Savings Bank.

Rajas Warke was featured in a Q&A in News Medical, where he discussed the real-life impact of industry-wide challenges to extracting nucleic acids. In addition, Warke spoke about how he is working to mitigate those challenges as the head of the Molecular Biology & Virology Division at HiMedia Laboratories. He explained that because DNA or RNA extraction is the first step in any biotechnology-based lab analysis, it’s vital to have fast and reliable ways to extract nucleic acid. HiMedia has developed a magnetic extraction method that “when combined with automation … significantly reduces manual errors and saves time compared to other methods,” Warke said. To that end, he added, HiMedia is developing point-of-care testing (POCT) technology, which automates the entire extraction process.

Amanda Kimball, MS ’04, was elected president-elect to the Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE) Board of Directors. As noted in an announcement in Facilities Safety Management, Kimball is executive director of the National Fire Protection Association’s Fire Protection Research Foundation, where she leads strategy and performance of several research programs, including those that address fire detection and signaling, building and life safety, hazardous materials, electrical safety, fire suppression, warehouse storage, firefighter health and safety, wildfire, and emerging technologies. An SFPE member for 20 years, she has served on the Board since 2017, and previously led the SFPE’s New England Chapter. 

Justin MacEachern is now vice president at Gilbane, leading the global construction and development company’s Massachusetts and northern New England offices. The move is a return to Gilbane for MacEachern, who worked there for 10 years before becoming director of construction at Boylston Properties in 2018.

Amy Prange was honored at the 2024 Outstanding Women of Commercial Real Estate gala, hosted by the Boston Real Estate Times. Prange is WS Development’s vice president of development for Seaport, the large mixed-use development project dubbed “Boston’s newest neighborhood.” In a Q&A following the announcement of her honor, Prange said, “It is still unusual to find women in development in leadership positions. I hope that by existing here, I can help inspire other women to pursue a path in commercial real estate to further support the advancement and parity of women in this field.”

Amanda Tarbet is the research manager at the SPFE (Society of Fire Protection Engineers) Foundation, where she supports the Foundation’s research initiatives, distributes research outcomes, and manages academic partnerships. Before moving to the SFPE Foundation, Tarbet worked for 10 years as an academic librarian. She earned her master’s degree in library and information science from Simmons University in 2012.

Vishal Sunak (MS) was the featured guest during an interview on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, hosted by IPO Edge. Sunak is the founder and CEO of LinkSquares, a company that develops AI-powered contract management software used by legal teams around the world. During the interview, he spoke about how AI can greatly improve the efficiency of corporate legal departments. According to a Yahoo! Finance article highlighting the interview, Sunak “is widely recognized as a thought leader in the legal technology space, where he has worked tirelessly to improve outcomes for legal teams, while elevating their visibility within the enterprise.” 

Caryn MacDonald is a project manager at Fuss & O’Neill, a civil and environmental engineering firm with offices in New York and New England. With nearly a decade of experience doing environmental consulting and construction project manage-ment, MacDonald will focus on Fuss & O’Neill’s environment and facility services business line. This will allow the firm to expand its environmental remediation services in northern New England. 

Kamal Mohamed (MS) received the Melvin Williams Jr. Legacy Award at the recent Black Engineer of the Year Award STEM Conference in Baltimore. Currently a senior systems engineer at General Dynamics Electric Boat, Mohamed has held a variety of professional roles throughout his career, having previously worked as software engineer, systems engineer, and project manager. According to an article in the US Black Engineer, Mohamed’s “contributions to the field of STEM have been significant, with several notable achievements to his name. He has been recognized for his work on various projects, including the Virginia Class Submarine Program, where he played a crucial role in developing advanced systems and technologies.” 

Corrine Nawn has published an article in Med Device Online about expected growth and anticipated innovations in the robotic surgery industry. Nawn is a senior consultant at Back Bay Life Science Advisors, where she specializes in medical devices and digital technologies. Previously, while completing her PhD in biomedical engineering at the University of Texas at San Antonio and UT Health San Antonio, she developed battlefield medical devices at the U.S. Army Institute of Surgical Research.

Dominic Chang is part of the research team that recently published new images of the black hole at the center of galaxy Messier 87 (M87*). A PhD candidate at Harvard University, Chang is also a member of the Massachusetts-based Black Hole Initiative and the Event Horizon Telescope Collaboration, an international project that captures images of supermassive black holes. The new M87* images, which show a bright ring surrounding the black hole, are significant because they confirm earlier observations of this black hole. “The first image of a black hole looked so similar to the mathematical predictions that it almost seemed like a fluke,” Chang said in an announcement about the finding and in a subsequent New York Times article. “Getting the opportunity to make new tests using new data, with a new telescope, and seeing the same structure is a crucial confirmation of our most significant conclusions.” 

Grace Gerhardt was the speaker at the Zonta Club of Quaboag Valley’s January celebration of aviation pioneer Amelia Earhart. Gerhardt serves as senior supervisor in Pratt & Whitney’s legacy commercial engines unit, where she leads a team of more than 30 mechanics and inspectors. At the same time, she is completing her master’s degree in systems engineering at WPI. Zonta International is a global service organization that works to make the world a better place for women and girls. Every January the organization celebrates Earhart, who was a member of the Boston and New York chapters. In an article in MassLive, Zonta’s acting co-president Karen Keough-Huff celebrated Gerhardt’s achievements: “Grace’s experiences as a woman in a male-dominated field and the success she has had are an inspiration for young women and women of all ages.” 

Aidan Freeburg co-authored an article in Food Engineering magazine titled “Lasers Speed Food Preparation While Slashing Energy Consumption.” In the article, Freeburg described a set of experiments conducted in a laser oven at IPG Photonics, the Massachusetts-based company where he is a laser applications engineer. Freeburg’s team was able to bake peanut butter cookies in the laser oven at a lower temperature and for less time than the recipe instructed. This is possible, he explained, because “Laser light is highly directable so that only the fixed target area is illuminated. Thus, little energy is wasted heating the surroundings, including the underlying substrate. The intense radiation quickly brings the target to its baking temperature. Infrared cameras monitor the surface temperature, forming a closed loop control with the laser to ensure the process temperature window is never exceeded.” Freeburg then added this important addendum: “While the speed and energy-saving advantages are obvious, we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention that all onlookers were fully satisfied when the cookies were tasted.”

Michele Tantillo Sinopoli (MBA) chaired the American Heart Association’s 2024 Central Massachusetts Heart and Stroke Ball, an annual event that raises money for and celebrates heart-healthy efforts throughout the region. Sinopoli is the chief medical officer for St. Vincent Hospital in Worcester and MetroWest Medical Center. 

Rediet Merra Tegegne was named one of BostInno’s 25 under 25 for 2023. In addition to working full time at the biotech company Quanterix, Tegegne is head of operations for Rooted Living, a Boston-based startup that makes granola from whole-food ingredients and uses fully compostable packaging. Thanks in large part to Tegegne’s efforts, Rooted Living has gone from selling exclusively online direct-to-consumers to being stocked in stores around Boston and Cambridge and becoming an official supplier for the B.Good location in Northeastern University’s dining hall.