Class Notes are generated by personal submissions as well as by news releases, public announcements and LinkedIn postings. If you have news to share, please send your professional and personal updates to casealum@casalum.org.
Thomas K. Glasgow ’68
Rocky River, Ohio
Tom delivered a presentation on metallurgy to middle school students from Geauga County at ASM International headquarters in Novelty, Ohio, in November. According to the Geauga County Maple Leaf, he delighted the children with a tale of an ancient king’s death mask discovered in England and apparently crafted by metal workers more than 10,000 years ago. Recently retired from the NASA Glenn Research Center, Tom is a fellow of ASM and initiated a program rewarding teachers for introducing engineering concepts in elementary schools.
Arun Varshneya, MS ’68, PhD ’70
Vienna, Virginia
Arun has accepted an appointment as president of the Society of Glass Technology, which serves the scientific glass community worldwide. He is the first “overseas domiciled” president of a society based in Sheffield, England. One of the world’s foremost glass scientists, Arun is Professor of Glass Science & Engineering, Emeritus, at Alfred University and co-founder and president of Saxon Glass Technologies. In 2021, he received the Gold Medal award from the Case Alumni Association in recognition of his contributions to science and humanity.
Jim Treleaven ’69, MS ’77, PhD ’90
Glen Ellyn, Illinois
Jim received the Samuel Givelber ’23 Award for fellowship at Homecoming 2022. He and his wife for years have hosted summer send-offs at their home outside of Chicago, sending first years off to Case, and Jim volunteers his time to many boards and committees on campus. He is president and CEO of Via Strategy Group, a business consultancy.
Edward Evers ’70
Sacheon, South Korea
TimenEd is helping South Korea build its first generation fighter jet as a technical advisor to KAI, the South Korean aerospace and defense company. Back in Texas, he’s a systems integration specialist for Lockheed Martin, where he has worked on the F-16 and F-35 programs. Ed earned his bachelor’s degree in mathematics at Case Institute of Technology.
Chi-Foon Chan, MS ’74, PhD ’77
Los Altos, California
Chi-Foon received the Gold Medal award from the Case Alumni Association at Homecoming 2022 in tribute to his contributions to the nation’s technology industry. A computer engineer, he helped build Synopsis into a world leader in microchip design as COO and eventually co-CEO. Recently retired, Chi-Foon enjoys traveling with his wife, a concert pianist, and spending time with his children and grandchildren.
Rebecca Williams ’79, MBA ’93
Apex, North Carolina
Becky is a leadership consultant and executive coach for REALM Leadership, where she shares insights gleaned from more than 35 years in global marketing and business development. Previously, she was President of the Aerospace and Defense Industry Group of Lord Corp. and President of the company’s Asian Pacific Region. She earned her bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering.
Richard Simons ’83
Ambler, Pennsylvania
Rich has been named senior vice president of product strategy and product marketing at Bradford White Corporation, an American manufacturer of water heaters, boilers, and storage tanks. He joined the Bradford White family in 2016 as vice president and general manager of Laars® Heating Systems. Rich earned his bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Case Institute of Technology.
Barbara Myers Sampson ’84
Hartville, Ohio
Barbara started a new position as Group Leader for Material Characterization at The Timken Co. She began her career at Timken after earning her bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering at Case Institute of Technology and rejoined the global manufacturer seven years ago.
Brian White ’87
Vandalia, Ohio
Brian is director of the Learn to Row program at the Greater Dayton Rowing Association, teaching people the fundamentals of rowing. It’s the same program where he and his wife, Meg Evans CWRU ’86, learned to row and became aficionados of the sport. Brian earned his bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering at Case Institute of Technology.
Lutfiye U. Yalcinalp, MS ’87, PhD ’91
San Francisco, California
Umit, an accomplished software engineer, is focused on next generation applications as an architect for Oracle. She helps other women following her path as co-founder of Turkish Women in Computing. She also paints and sings. Umit earned both of her advanced degrees in computer science from Case Institute of Technology.
Sean Higgins, MS ’90
Parksville, British Columbia
Sean has stepped down as CTO of The Herjavec Group, a cybersecurity firm that he co-founded with ABC’s Shark Tank star Robert Herjavec nearly 20 years ago. The group recently merged with the Fishtech Group to become Cyderes. Sean reports that he plans to continue working in cybersecurity as a consultant, while also coaching, writing, speaking and enjoying life on Vancouver Island. Sean serves on the Board of Directors of the Case Alumni Association.
Robin Knauerhase ’90
Portland, Oregon
Robin has stepped out of retirement and rejoined the working world. After three years of formal retirement, she joined AMD Research as a Researcher & Principal Member of Technical Staff. A computer engineer, she previously worked for many years at Intel Labs. “What I’ll be doing at AMD is in the same ballpark as the research I was doing during one of my happiest periods,” she reports.
Glenda Gillaspy, PhD ’91
Madison, Wisconsin
Glenda has been honored with the title of professor emerita at Virginia Tech University, where she was a professor and administrator for nearly 25 years and lead the Department of Biochemistry. In August, she became Dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Glenda, a plant scientist, earned her doctorate in biochemistry from Case Institute of Technology.
Austin Gurney, PhD’92
San Francisco, California
Austin, the CEO of Napa Biotechnology Consulting, was appointed to the board of directors of Immune-Onc Therapeutics, a clinical-stage cancer immunotherapy company in Silicon Valley. He’s a biotech industry veteran with more than 600 patents related to therapeutic applications in immunology and cancer. He earned his doctorate in biochemistry from Case Institute of Technology
Kari Lehman ’96, MS ’96
Athens, Ohio
Kari has been named vice provost of OHIO Online effective August 1, making her the strategic and operational leader of the online education arm of Ohio University. Previously, she was the executive director of graduate and professional programs in the Ohio University College of Business. Kari earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in chemical engineering at Case.
Jay (Fang) Merkel ’99
Montreal, Quebec
Jay joined medical device maker MY01 as Chief Commercial Officer in November. Previously, she was the Global Franchise Leader at Integra Life Sciences. She has held marketing leadership positions at Becton Dickinson, Carefusion, Olympus, and B. Braun since earning her bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Case.
Loren Taylor ’99
Oakland, California
Loren came up just short in his quest to become mayor of Oakland this November, losing by a razor thin margin to fellow Oakland City Council Member Sheng Thao. Born and raised in Oakland, Loren was elected to Oakland City Council in 2018. Previously, he was an engineer and a management consultant. He earned his bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering from the Case School of Engineering.
Justin Bellante ’01, MS ’02
Atlanta, Georgia
Justin addressed the CWRU Entrepreneurship Speaker Series in June, discussing how his engineering skills and the death of a loved one led him to launch BioIQ– the first digital platform for at-home health testing. BioIQ was recently acquired by LetsGetChecked and Justin now serves as a part-time consultant after running the company for 17 years. He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in materials science and engineering at Case.
Jacob Spendelow ’02, MS ’03, PhD
Los Alamos, New Mexico
Jacob, a materials scientist at Los Alamos National Laboratory, has received an Electrochemical Society Toyota Young Investigator Fellowship for projects in green energy technology. The fellowship will support his research in electrochemical energy technologies, including fuel cells and electrolyzers. It is offered by the Electrochemical Society and the Toyota Research Institute of North America, a division of Toyota Motor Engineering and Manufacturing North America.
Taufiq Hussien ’06
Cyberjaya, Malaysia
Taufiq started a new position as Chief Executive Officer at IX Global, a company specializing in telecommunications-related engineering technology and services in Malaysia. He’s also a consultant and a public speaker in the global telecommunications industry and the co-owner of a fashion design company, Bujins Batik, in Kuala Lumpur. Taufiq earned his bachelor’s degree in Systems and Control Engineering at Case.
Sachin V. Java '06, MEM '07
Cleveland Heights, Ohio
Sachin was named to the 2022 list of “Forty Under 40” by Crain’s Cleveland Business, which recognizes standout leaders and professionals in Greater Cleveland. He’s an associate in the law firm of Ulmer & Berne. Previously, Sachin served in several clinical research and health care administration roles at Cleveland Clinic and as an engineer for DePuy Orthopaedics, a Johnson & Johnson Company. He earned his bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering from Case.
Charles Sing ’08, MS ’09, PhD
Savoy, Illinois
Charles is an Associate Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. His research focuses on computational and theoretical polymer physics. Charles was recognized with an NSF CAREER Award in 2017 and was selected as one of AIChE’s ’35 Under 35’ and an ACS PMSE Young Investigator in 2020.
Yvette Cendes ’09, MS ’11, PhD
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Yvette was named the 2022 Distinguished Young Alumni of the Year by the College of Art and Sciences. She’s a postdoctoral fellow in astronomy at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, where she works on radio signals from the biggest explosions in the universe. She’s also a busy science writer and the astronomy consultant to the Guinness Book of World Records. Yvette earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in physics from Case and her doctorate in astronomy from Leiden University in the Netherlands.
Anupam Ghildyal, MEM ’09
McKinney, Texas
Anupam is a Principal at Magnet Energy LLC, a designer and manufacturer of advanced nanoengineered magnetic and insulator materials for electric motors and controllers. A chemical engineer, he has played leadership roles in multiple startups in the materials, manufacturing, energy and technology space since earning his Master of Engineering and Management from Case.
Colleen Konsavage ’12
Zanesville, Ohio
Colleen was named the 2022 Young Engineer of the Year by the Ohio Society of Professional Engineers, Franklin County Chapter, in tribute to her volunteerism in the local engineering community. She’s an electrical engineer with Commonwealth Associates in Columbus, Ohio. Colleen has 10 years of experience spanning nuclear reactor design software, high voltage power transmission, and distribution automation.
Shriya Srinivasan ’15, PhD
Boston, Massachusetts
Shriya has joined the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences as an assistant professor of bioengineering. Her research focuses on building biohybrid organs and neuroprosthetics to restore sensation and mobility. Shriya earned her bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering from Case and her PhD. from the Harvard-MIT Program in Health Sciences.
George Zucker ’16
Los Angeles, California
George, a Senior New Programs Engineer for Tesla, shared his work experience with a class of aspiring Case engineers in October. Associate Professor Sunniva Collins invited him to address her Design and Manufacturing class, the senior capstone design course for mechanical engineering majors. Zucker, who grew up in London, told the students he was always good at math and dreamed of being a hotel doorman, “so I could drive and park British supercars.”
Jose Nazario ’18
Knoxville, Tennessee
Jose is pursuing a doctorate in mechanical engineering at the University of Tennessee, where his research in the Machine Tool Research Center focuses on machining dynamics. After earning his bachelor’s degree at Case, he worked for Paul Reed Smith Guitars as an innovation engineer. When COVID-19 shut the guitar plant, Jose became an instructor at Pellissippi State Community College. A blues fan, he spends much of his free time playing the guitar, singing and recording music.
Gabrielle Zadina ’18
San Francisco, California
Gabrielle has been promoted to Senior Product Manager–Chrome OS, at Google. She started at the search engine giant as an intern while earning her bachelor’s degree in computer science at the Case School of Engineering.
Emily Dickens ’19, MEM ’20
Cleveland, Ohio
Emily is the Head of Product Development at Octet Scientific, a startup pioneering specialty chemicals for the energy storage industry. She earned her bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering at Case, where she was a ThinkEnergy Fellow with the Great Lakes Energy Institute.
Hillary Hellman ’19
Boston, Massachusetts
Hillary has been promoted to Mechanical Equipment Engineer, Senior Manager, at Procter & Gamble. She joined the company three years ago, after earning her bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Case. One of the top female players in the history of CWRU basketball, Hillary captained the varsity team and was 1st Team All-UAA.
Skylar Dannhoff ’21
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Skylar is a graduate student pursing PhD studies in high-energy-density plasma physics at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where she plays goalie on intramural hockey teams. She earned her bachelor’s degree in engineering physics at the Case School of Engineering and described her experience with the Case Amateur Radio Club as a “a big turning point” that propelled her into engineering.
Thomas Moawad ’21
Chicago, Illinois
Tommy has been promoted to Software Engineer II at McKinsey & Company, a consultancy he joined as a software engineer in 2021. He earned his bachelor’s degree in computer engineering at the Case School of Engineering, where he was President of Case Engineers Council.
Zane Varner ’21, MS ’22
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Zane has started a new job as a Data Scientist for IBM. Previously he was a data engineer intern for Duo Security. Zane, an Eagle Scout, earned his degrees in computer science at the Case School of Engineering, where he was both a Chandna Scholar and a Herbold Scholar.
Jenna Wagner ’21
Cleveland, Ohio
Jenna moderated an alumni panel discussion that followed a lecture by Professor Dustin Tyler, PhD ’99, at Homecoming 2022. She’s pursuing a master’s degree in engineering management at Case, having attained her bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering.
Kimberly (Gliebe) Fraser, PhD ’22
Mentor, Ohio
Kimberly has accepted a position as a microscopist for The Lubrizol Corp. Previously, she was an assistant researcher for the Air Force Research Laboratory at Wright Patterson Air Force Base. She earned her doctorate in materials science and engineering at Case and is a STEM outreach coordinator for the Graduate Materials Society.
Christine Pan ’22
Cleveland, Ohio
Christine has joined the international accounting firm Mazars as a Management and Technology Consultant. She earned her bachelor’s degree in computer science while simultaneously earning a bachelor’s degree in piano from the Cleveland Institute of Music. While at Case, Christine served as president of the Case Men’s Glee Club, the first woman to hold that position in 124 years.
Christian Reyna '22
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Chris has joined Medtronic as a Quality Engineer. He interned at the medical device giant while a student at Case, where he served as president of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) while earning his bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering.
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