Antony E. Champ, PhD ’63
Crozet, Virginia
Antony was named the 2020 Distinguished Graduate Alumnus of the Year by the College of Arts and Sciences at CWRU. He and his wife, Edie, run White Hall Vineyards in Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains. Antony earned his doctorate in chemistry from Case Institute of Technology and enjoyed a successful career in the chemical industry as a scientist and entrepreneur. Upon retirement, he became a vintner. An emeritus trustee of CWRU, he established a graduate fellowship fund in memory of Professor J. Reid Shelton, his doctoral advisor and a leading rubber chemistry researcher.
Bruce Banks ’64
Olmsted Township, Ohio
Bruce, the most patented researcher in the history of the NASA Glenn Research Center, was inducted into the 2020 class of NASA’s Inventors Hall of Fame. He has developed and patented numerous innovations in electric propulsion technology, including a method of hydroforming ion optics that enabled ion thrusters to be used to keep commercial telecommunications spacecraft in their orbits. Bruce earned his bachelor’s degree in physics at Case Institute of Technology and began inventing for NASA in 1966. Today, he’s a senior physicist for NASA contractor Science Applications International Corporation.
Stephen Becker, MS ’74, PhD
Los Alamos, New Mexico
Steve, an astrophysicist, is president of the Pajarito Astronomy Club in Los Alamos and has presented shows at the local planetarium on a variety of astronomical topics. He is a Scientist Level 5 and a Los Alamos National Laboratory Fellow at Los Alamos National Laboratory, where he has worked for 37 years. A private pilot, Steve’s hobbies include flying aerobatic planes.
John Peppler ’84
Cleveland Heights, Ohio
John in 2021 will celebrate his 15th year as Education Lab Manager at ASM International, the world’s largest organization of materials scientists and engineers. He leads training classes emanating from ASM’s headquarters in Geauga County. (Find information on courses at www.asminternational.org/learning/courses). John earned his bachelor’s degree in metallurgy from Case Institute of Technology
Jeffrey Wilcox ’86
McLean, Virginia
Jeff is the Vice President for Digital Transformation at Lockheed Martin. He shared insight into leveraging emerging digital technologies in a recent online presentation sponsored by the Veale Center for Entrepreneurship at Sears think[box]. Jeff earned his bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering from Case Institute of Technology. He is a senior member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.
Christine Wolak ’87
Dublin, California
Chris, a software architect for Oracle, is embracing the Agile and DevOps revolution by diving into containerization of microservices. “I’ve moved around geographically in my professional career but one thing has remained constant — it’s always been for enterprise scale software development.” Her adventure began with a bachelor’s degree in computer engineering from Case Institute of Technology.
Aarti Chandna MS ’88
Atherton, California
Aarti was a featured speaker in October in an investing seminar sponsored by the Veale Institute for Entrepreneurship at Sears think[box]. Her topic, “Investing in Entrepreneurial Ideas with an Impact focus” offered insight from her position as a board member and partner in the Silicon Valley Social Venture Fund.
Hang Loi ’88
Woodbury, Minnesota
Hang was honored by the Society of Women Engineers at the WE20 Virtual Conference in November for two patents she attained for a primer layer for multilayer optical films. The innovation protected by these patents are found in LCD mobile phones and TVs, making them brighter and smaller. Hang is the Global Supplier Relationship Manager for 3M’s consumer electronics business. She earned her bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Case Institute of Technology while earning a bachelor’s degree in music (piano) from CWRU.
Mark Zettler, PhD ’88
Indianapolis, Indiana
Mark joined the Board of Directors for Cultiva LLC, a provider of food-grade biofilms used in agricultural markets. He is president of AgroAdvisors International and a principal consultant with NGT BioPharma Consultants. Mark earned his doctorate in chemistry from Case Institute of Technology
Rohit Kashyap, MS ’95, PhD ’00
San Antonio, Texas
Rohit joined MiMedx Group, a company focused on advanced wound care and emerging biological therapies, as executive vice president and chief commercial officer. He has more than 20 year’s experience in the medical device sector. Rohit earned his master’s and doctorate degrees in biomedical engineering from the Case School of Engineering.
Tshilidzi Marwala '95, PhD
Johannesburg, South Africa
Tshilidzi discussed entrepreneurship and the startup culture in transitioning economies as part of the Open Class series of the Veale Institute of Entrepreneurship at CWRU. He’s the Vice Chancellor of the University of Johannesburg and a trustee of the Nelson Mandela Institute. Tshilidzi earned his bachelor’s degree in a mechanical engineering at Case and his doctorate specializing in artificial intelligence and engineering from the University of Cambridge.
Feno Monaco ’95, MD
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Feno is a pain management physician at Keystone Pain Consultants in Pittsburgh. He earned his bachelor’s degree in computer engineering at Case and later earned his medical degree at CWRU School of Medicine.
David Hinkle ’96, MD
New Orleans, Louisiana
David, an ophthalmologist, has joined the faculty of the Tulane University School of Medicine and assumed the newly-created Dabezies Endowed Chair in Ophthalmology. Previously he was an associate professor at West Virginia University School of Medicine. David earned his bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering from Case.
Sandra Oh Lin ’97
Sunnyvale, California
Sandra, the founder and CEO of KiwiCo, in September was featured in How I Built It, the popular NPR podcast that explores entrepreneurs and their motivations. She described how Kiwi Crate, a subscription service that delivers science and art kits to kids, scrambled to meet demand during the pandemic. Sandra earned her bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Case and went into the e-commerce business with companies like PayPal. Her company, launched in 2011, was inspired by her efforts to find enriching projects for her children.
Vanessa Maier ’97, MD
Shaker Heights, Ohio
Vanessa, a family doctor and the medical director of the MetroHealth School Health Program, began her career with a mechanical engineering degree from the Case School of Engineering. She was featured Nov. 6 in the Women of Wonder series sponsored by the Alumni Association of CWRU and the Flora Stone Mather Center for Women.
Sujata (DeChoudhury) Day ’01
Studio City, California
Sujata made her full-length film directorial debut with Definition Please, a movie about a spelling bee champion whose life didn’t unfold as expected. The film won the Narrative Award at San Francisco’s Center for Asian American Media Fest 2020. Sujata, an actress and screen writer, earned her bachelor’s degree in Systems & Control Engineering from Case. She worked briefly for Accenture before following her heart to Hollywood.
Jason Bradshaw ‘02
Kirtland, Ohio
Jason is the Director of Design and Engineering at Sears think[box], the innovation center at CWRU, where he helps students to build innovations and realize their maker dreams. He earned his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering at the Case School of Engineering.
Marcie Finney, MS ’02
Westlake, Ohio
Marcie, the Executive Director of the Cleveland Cord Blood Center, has been elected to the Board of Directors of the Cord Blood Association, one of the industry’s foremost organizations. She has helped lead the industry conversation on topics such as driving cord blood usage through research and development, to cord blood banking in the era of Covid-19. Marcie earned her master’s degree in chemistry at Case.
Kathryn (Bauer) Kamp ‘02
Dayton, Ohio
Kathryn has been named the North American Environmental Director—Air Programs for Cargill. She joined the agribusiness giant in 2016 as an environmental advisor after positions at DuPont and Dow Chemical. Kathryn earned her bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering at Case.
Scott Bindel ’04, MEM ‘05
Northfield, Ohio
Scott was named to the 2020 class of “40 under 40” business leaders by Crain’s Cleveland Business. He’s a project executive at the Gilbane Building Company in Cleveland, where he has led many impactful building projects, including Goodyear’s world headquarters and the expansion of the Cleveland Museum of Art. Scott earned his bachelor’s degree in civil engineering and his master’s in engineering management at Case.
Steve Cerveny ’04, MS ’08
Raleigh, North Carolina
Steve was named to the 2020 class of “40 Under 40” business leaders in the Raleigh-Durham region by the Triangle Business Journal. He’s the founder and CEO of Kaleido, a blockchain service provider. Previously, he spent 14 years at IBM, where he left as the program director for blockchain. Steve earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in computer engineering at Case.
Andrew Stewart ’04
Huntington Woods, Michigan
Andrew has been installed as an equity partner at Exchange Capital Management in Ann Arbor, where he serves as the firm’s chief investment officer. He earned his bachelor’s degree in systems engineering from Case.
Michael J. Fu, MS '06, PhD '11
Mayfield Heights, Ohio
Michael, an Assistant Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at the Case School of Engineering, received a National Science Foundation Early Career Award of $549,000 to continue his research into using electrical stimulation to help stroke victims regain muscle movement. He does the bulk of his research in stroke rehabilitation at MetroHealth System, where he is a staff scientist. Michael is also an investigator for the Cleveland FES Center. He earned his master’s and doctorate degrees in electrical engineering.
Hillary Emer ’07, MSE ’07
Cary, North Carolina
Hillary has accepted the position of Senior Director of Business Systems at Intelerad Medical Systems, a Montreal-based medical imaging software provider. Previously, she was Director of Strategic Programs, Business Analytics and Systems at Relias Learning. Hillary earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mechanical engineering at Case. She serves on the Board of Directors of the Case Alumni Association.
Matthew Iorio '08, MS'12
University Heights, Ohio
Matt is the manager of clinical affairs at Neuros Medical, a Cleveland startup working to develop an implantable medical device for treating chronic pain. Previously he served as a science and technology researcher at NineSigma and worked for CWRU’s Technology Transfer Office. A champion of Cleveland’s entrepreneurial community, Matt earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in biomedical engineering.
Eric Diller '09, MS ’10, PhD
Toronto, Canada
Eric is the Dean’s Catalyst Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Toronto, where he is developing wireless micro-scale robots to be used in human surgery. His work was featured in a recent episode of Robohub, a podcast exploring robotics research. Eric earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mechanical engineering at Case, where he was president of Sigma Nu fraternity.
Andrew Freyer ’09
Denver, Colorado
Andrew, an associate in the Denver law offices of Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, has joined the board of directors of the Clyfford Still Museum. The Denver museum is focused on the legacy of American painter Clyfford Still. Andrew, a specialist in intellectual property law, earned his bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Case.
Aishwarya Arjunan ’10
Chicago, Illinois
Aishwarya was named the 2020 Distinguished Young Alumna of the year by the College of Arts and Sciences at CWRU. For the past decade, she has assisted the university in its outreach to prospective students as an Alumni Admission Ambassador. She also serves on the board of directors of the Alumni Association of CWRU. Aishwarya, a genetics specialist, is a faculty member in the Northwestern University Genetic Counseling Program. She earned her bachelor’s degree in biology from the College of Arts and Sciences.
Brandon Wenning ’10, PhD
San Diego, California
Brandon started a new role as a senior scientist at Roswell Biotechnologies, a life-sciences start-up that is developing molecular electronic chips to read and sequence DNA. Previously he was a senior chemist for the Dow Chemical Company in Massachusetts. He earned degrees in engineering and chemistry at Case, where he was a member of the Case Symphonic Winds.
Erin (Hollinger) Gdaniec ’12
Twinsburg, Ohio
Erin, a manufacturing engineer for Parker Hannifin, volunteers as an assistant coach for the Varsity Women’s Basketball Team at CWRU. She has much to share. Erin was an Academic All-American for the Lady Spartans while earning her bachelor’s degree in macromolecular science and engineering.
Joel Carr, PhD ’13
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Joel, a polymer scientist, is the U.S product team leader for Braskem America, a major polypropylene producer. Plastics News named him a Rising Star for developing new polypropylene copolymers. Joel earned his doctorate in macromolecular science and engineering at Case, where he was a PhD student of Professor Eric Baer and a Charles Reed Fellow.
Sarah Corwin ’13, PhD
Atchison, Kansas
Sarah has been named Principal Scientist at MGP Ingredients, a leading producer of distilled spirits and specialty wheat proteins and starches in Kansas. She has taught courses on food product and presented at national and international symposia on agricultural biological engineering. Sarah earned her bachelor’s degree in biology at Case and her doctorate at Purdue.
Kate Hart ’14
Cleveland, Ohio
Kate is a singer/songwriter who performs in the Cleveland area and a systems engineer for Echogen Power Systems. She earned her bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering at Case, where she was a member of Engineers Without Borders and the Swing Club. Her folk album, 2018, resulted from her effort to write one song every week in 2018.
Valencia Williams ’14
Alexandria, Virginia
Valencia joined the board of directors of the Case Alumni Association. She’s a management consulting manager at Accenture Federal Services, where she started as a technical analyst in 2014. Valencia earned her bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering at Case and was chapter president of the National Society of Black Engineers.
Nikhil Krishnan '16, MD
Cambridge, England
Nikhil is one of 88 students from around the world—and the third in CWRU history—to earn the prestigious Gates Cambridge Scholarship, continuing a tradition that gives the Department of Physics something to crow about. All three CWRU winners have physics degrees. Nikhil went on to earn a medical degree from the CWRU School of Medicine. As a Gates scholar, he will study as a PhD candidate in physics at the University of Cambridge beginning this fall.
Derek Slovenec, MS ’16, PhD ’19
Hinckley, Ohio
Derek is a Senior Engineer at the Equity Engineering Group, where he’s a member of the Mechanical & Structural Engineering Team. On October 15, 2020, he delivered an online presentation on earthquake engineering for EEG that addressed how to mitigate risk for buildings and other structures subject to seismic events. Derek earned his master’s and doctorate degrees in civil engineering from Case.
Nihar H. Chhatiawala ’17, MS ’18
Santa Monica, California
Nihar started a PhD program in Policy Analysis with the RAND Corporation at the Pardee RAND Graduate School in California. Previously, he was a technical solutions engineer for Epic, which he joined soon after earning his master’s degree in physics and entrepreneurship. He was a ThinkEnergy Fellow at the Case School of Engineering.
Deepa Chhetri, MS ’18
Seattle, Washington
Deepa is a software development engineer for Amazon. She earned her master’s degree in computer and information sciences at Case, where she was a graduate teaching assistant.
Corey Kopchak ’18
Rochester, New York
Corey joined the design engineering team of Abtex LLC, which designs and produces abrasive filament deburring brushes. He earned his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Case.
Sarah Deng ’19
Liverpool, New York
Sarah is an electrical engineer for Lockheed Martin in Syracuse. She earned her bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering at Case, where she was a member of the Case Amateur Radio Club–KE8IKD.
Phoebe Huang ’19, MS ’20
Norwood, Massachusetts
Phoebe joined Siemens Healthineers’ Operations Leadership Development Program this summer after completing the Masters in Engineering Management program at Case. She earned her bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering, with a concentration in environmental engineering. Phoebe was a member of the Case Engineers Council and president of the Asian American Alliance at CWRU.
Brianna Lemon ’20
Cleveland, Ohio
Brianna has accepted a position as a software engineer at JP Morgan Chase. She earned her bachelor’s degree in computer science from Case as well as a bachelor’s degree in marketing. As a member of the Spartan volleyball team, she became only the sixth player in program history to record 1,000 kills.
Emily Long ‘20
Washington D.C.
Emily has started a new position as a biomedical engineer at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Previously, she was an Edison Engineering Intern at GE Healthcare. Emily earned her bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering at Case, where she was active in the Global Health Design Collaborative
Marques Manta ’20
Baltimore, Maryland
Marques joined the medical device company Sonavex as an operations and product development associate as a member of the 2020 class of Venture for America, which recruits college grads to work for emerging startups and early-stage companies in about a dozen U.S. cities. Marques earned his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering at Case, where he played varsity soccer and was active in Camp Kesem as a counselor and Teen Coordinator.
@2020 Case Alumnus Magazine
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