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.
Samuel Davis ’56
Woodland Hills, California
Samuel’s latest book, Managing Electric Vehicle Power, was published in 2021 by SAE International. The book focuses on power management of electric vehicles. He is also the author of Computer Data Displays published by Prentice-Hall. Samuel worked for 25 years as an electronics design engineer and manager and for 35 years as an electronics trade press editor. He holds a patent for an innovation that simplifies electronic system integration in naval ship construction.
Joel Third ’60
Ridgefield, Connecticut
Ted Ciszek ’64
Evergreen, Colorado
Ted is enjoying performing an eclectic variety of music as a guitarist and vocalist at local open mics, nursing homes and restaurants. He retired in 2003 as a Principal Scientist at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and is now a consultant focused on semiconductor silicon crystal growth and materials science. A physicist with 26 patents, Ted also founded a gemstone and jewelry business focusing on lab-grown gemstones. You can learn more about his art and music at ted-ciszek.com
Charles Oprian ’65, PhD
Macomb, Illinois
Charles plays accordion with the Peoria Area Accordion Club. Under the banner, “Let’s Polka,” the club promotes the accordion for all types of music and occasions and fosters the enjoyment of the accordion as well as camaraderie among accordion aficionados. He earned his bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Case Institute of Technology and taught math and statistics at Western Illinois University until retiring in 2001, when he was named professor emeritus and resumed playing the accordion.
Michael Diamant ’68
Shaker Heights, Ohio
Michael has again been named one of the World’s Leading Technology Neutrals by the Silicon Valley Arbitration & Mediation Center. He’s one of 51 professionals included in the 2023 “Tech List,” which identifies people deemed “exceptionally qualified” to mediate business disputes involving technology. An attorney for Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP, Michael earned his bachelor’s degree in engineering science from Case Institute of Technology. He’s a member of the board of the Case Alumni Association and a former president of the CAA.
Stanley A. Mertzman, MS ’71, PhD ’72
Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Stan has retired from full time teaching after 50 years in the classroom at Franklin & Marshall College, where he was an award winning instructor in the Department of Geology. He reports that he continues to pursue research, sometimes in partnership with his daughter, Karen. Outside of the classroom, Stan established an impressive legacy as a distance runner. He has completed 47 marathons, all but two in times under four hours.
Jennie Hwang, PhD ’76
Bedford, New York
Jennie was one of the presenters in January at IPC APEX Expo 2023, one of the leading technical conferences of the electronics manufacturing industry. She delivered a pair of talks on manufacturing reliability, including one titled “Preventing Manufacturing Defects and Product Failure.” A materials scientist and international businesswoman, Jennie is CEO of H-Technologies Group, a consultancy focused on global business strategy. She made Case history as the first woman to earn a doctorate from the Department of Materials Science and Engineering.
Valentine Matula ’79, PhD ’87
Granville, Ohio
James Zizelman ’82, MS ’84
Novi, Michigan
Jim has been named president and chief executive officer of Stoneridge Inc., a leader in highly engineered electrical and electronic components for the commercial vehicle and automotive industry. He joined the company in 2020 as president of its Control Devices division. Previously, Jim was vice president of engineering and program management at Aptiv, where he had overarching responsibility for engineering and supported the company’s transition from Delphi. He earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mechanical engineering from Case Institute of Technology.
V. Prakash Reddy, PhD ’86
Rolla, Missouri
Prakash has been elected to the American Association for the Advancement of Science, a tribute to his contributions to the field of organic chemistry. He’s a professor of chemistry at Missouri University of Science and Technology, where his research group is working to mitigate the toxic effects of pesticides. Prakash earned his doctorate in chemistry from Case Institute of Technology.
Adriana Velazquez Berumen, MS ’86
Geneva, Switzerland
Adriana was honored by the International Federation for Medical and Biological Engineering for “significant contribution to Biomedical Engineering in the field of health technology assessment of medical devices.” She’s the lead engineer for medical devices at the World Health Organization. Adriana earned her master’s degree in biomedical engineering from Case as an international student from Mexico.
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.
Kara McMillan ’92
Auburn, California
Kara has joined Cisco AppDynamics as the Senior Product Manager, Security and Compliance. Previously, she was Senior Product Manager at Micro Focus. Kara earned her bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering from the Case School of Engineering.
Brett Finley ’93
Riverwoods, Illinois
Brett was named CEO of PLZ Corp., North America’s largest independent specialty aerosol and liquid product manufacturer. He brings to the position more than 25 years of experience in specialty manufacturing. Previously, Brett was president of outdoor security for Fortune Brands, a home and security products company. He earned his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Case.
Scott Stiefel ’93, MS ’93, MBA ’03
Shaker Heights, Ohio
Scott has been named chief executive officer of Telos Alliance, the Cleveland designer and provider of audio broadcast technology and equipment. He has served Telos in various capacities for more than 20 years, starting as a hardware and embedded systems engineer and working his way up to co-CEO. He was named CEO in January. Scott earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in electrical engineering from Case and his MBA from the Weatherhead School of Management.
Tina Giammarco Wolff '93
Fort Wayne, Indiana
Tina’s new novella, Good For It, was published in February by Down & Out Books. A civil engineer and director of business development for Kokosing Industrial, Tina writes thrillers and mysteries under the name TG Wolff. She also has written three books in a romantic suspense series under the name Anita DeVito. “Writing mysteries and engineering isn’t as different as you’d think,” she says. “Both require using logic and process to get from a starting problem to a solution.” Find her books at tgwolffcom.wordpress.com/
Yusuf Muhammad ’94, MS ‘01
Piney Flats, Tennessee
Yusuf is the president of ADPma, a maker of precision proprietary aircraft parts. Previously, he was the managing director of the Aerospace & Defense Sector of Ondes Sonaires Technologies. Yusuf earned his bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering and his master’s degree in mechanical engineering at Case.
Ryan Cahalane, MS ’96
Novelty, Ohio
Ryan is managing partner at Axiom Manufacturing Systems, a consultancy & systems integrator focused on operational transformation for mid-market manufacturers. Previously, he was president of FZ Industrial Tech. Ryan, an electrical engineer and a thought leader on smart manufacturing, earned his master’s degree in engineering management at Case.
Tusiime Ndyajunwoha ’96, MBA ‘04
Cleveland Heights, Ohio
Tusiime has joined OutSystems, a Boston-based software developer, as team lead of cloud financial operations. Previously, he worked for 15 years at Hyland Software. He’s also a teaching assistant for Microsoft TEALS, a volunteer effort to install computer science classes in more high schools across the country. Tusiime earned his bachelor’s degree in computer science from the Case School of Engineering and his MBA from the Weatherhead School.
Jeremy Audino ’99
Solon, Ohio
Jeremy has joined Accuray, a designer of radiation therapy treatments for cancer patients, as a senior program manager. Previously, he was a program manager for MediView VR and the product manager for CoverMyMeds. Jeremy earned his bachelor’s degree in computer science at the Case School of Engineering.
Carmen Fontana ’00, MS ’05
Chagrin Falls, Ohio
Carmen has been promoted to vice president of operations at Augment Therapy, a Cleveland company developing technology to improve physical and occupational therapy, especially for children. Prior to joining the startup in 2021, she led the software delivery practice for Centric Consulting. A creative contributor to IEEE, Carmen received the Thomas P. Kicher ’59, MS ’62, PhD ’65 Meritorious Service Award from the Case Alumni Association at Homecoming 2022.
Stephanie Nogan Bailey ’03
Cleveland, Ohio
Stephanie helps translate VA technologies to the private sector as program manager of the Technical Transfer Assistance Program at the Cleveland VA Medical Center. She also facilitates the VA’s activities with Sears think[box], Case faculty and co-op students. Stephanie earned her bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering from the Case School of Engineering.
Blake Driscoll ’05, PhD
London, England
Blake is a senior manager for Deloitte in London, where he specializes in management consulting and international development. He earned his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Case and his doctorate in technical policy from the University of Cambridge
Ya-Ting Liao MS ’07, PhD ’11
Highland Heights, Ohio
Ya-Ting is a presenter at the International Battery Seminar & Exhibit in Orlando March 21-23, where she’s scheduled to shed light on the burning behaviors of lithium-ion batteries. An associate professor for the Case School of Engineering, Ya-Ting leads the Computational Fire Dynamics Laboratory in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering.
Shardule P. Shah ’07, PhD
Walpole, Massachusetts
Shardule is CEO and co-founder of Lime Therapeutics, a cancer drug discovery company targeting lipid metabolism in cancer and neurodegenerative disorders. He’s building Lime with the support of the CWRU Alumni Venture Fund, which recently invested in his company. Shardule earned his bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from Case, a doctorate from Emory and an MBA from Harvard.
Moiz Neemuchwala, MS ’08
Chicago, Illinois
Moiz has joined EY as a management consultant, bringing to the role more than 20 years of experience in technical product management. Previously, he was the chief technology officer and vice president of digital solutions at Rite-Hite Digital Solutions. Moiz earned his master’s degree in electrical engineering at Case.
Randall Beck ’09, MS ’10
Northfield, Ohio
Randall was named an ENR Midwest Top Young Professional by Engineering News-Record in recognition of his work delivering clean water at home and abroad. A senior project engineer for Shook Construction, Randall has led water resource projects valued at more than $200 million while planning mission trips that helped create safe water resources in Bolivia and Mozambique. He said his passion for clean water sprang from his involvement with Engineers Without Borders while earning his degrees in civil engineering at Case.
Anna Borenstein ’15
Rockville, Maryland
Dylan Novisky ’15, MEM ’16
Atlanta, Georgia
Eric J. Stalcup, MS ’15
Cleveland, Ohio
Eric is a thermal engineer for the NASA Glenn Research Center, where he helped prepare the Orion spacecraft for the Artemis moon mission. He shares his research as an author for IEEE. Eric earned his master’s degree in aerospace engineering from Case.
Kristina Collins ’16, MS ’19, PhD ’22
Cleveland, Ohio
Kristina will be joining the Space Science Institute as a postdoctoral research fellow through the National Science Foundation Office of Polar Programs. Her research will tap her experience as a HAM radio operator (call sign KD8OXT) and a member of the Case Amateur Radio Club. She’ll be developing sonification and mixed reality tools to explore magnetometer data. In 2022, Kristina was awarded her doctorate in electrical engineering from the Case School of Engineering—28 years after her mom, Associate Professor Sunniva Collins, MS ’91, PhD ’94, earned her PhD from Case.
Niki Agrawal ’16
New York, New York
Niki has been elevated to data science consultant Level II at Pandata, a Cleveland-based artificial intelligence consultancy. She joined the firm in 2022 as a data scientist. Niki earned her bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering at the Case School of Engineering.
Cal Al-Dhubaib ’16
Cleveland, Ohio
Rahma Sofiane ’16
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Salena Torres '16, MEM ’17
Dallas, Texas
Salena, a transformation program director at AccentCare Inc., was elected vice president of the Dallas-Ft. Worth Chapter of SHPE, the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers. She also serves on the NTX Council Board for Girlstart, a non-profit focused on increasing STEM interest among middle-school girls. Salena earned her bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering and her master’s in engineering management from the Case School of Engineering.
Jennifer L. DoVale '18, MS '18
Cleveland, Ohio
Jennifer is a civil engineer for the Cleveland office of Michael Baker International. She shared her professional insights with Case students at the annual luncheon of the Society of Women Engineers during the campus celebration of Engineers Week in February. Jennifer earned her Case degrees in civil engineering.
William Koehrsen ’18
Washington, D.C.
Will is now a senior machine learning engineer at Cortex Sustainability Intelligence, a company that helps businesses achieve sustainability goals with software and data science. He earned his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering at Case while volunteering at the Cleveland Food Bank, for which he was recognized as a Center for Civil Engagement and Learning (CCEL) Scholar.
Zhen Li, PhD ’18
Austin, Texas
Zhen has joined Tesla as a Senior Materials Test Engineer. Previously, he was a materials test engineer for Thyssenkrupp Dynamic Components. Zhen earned his doctorate in materials science from Case.
Sebastian Abisleiman ’21
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Sebastian is pursuing a doctorate in aerospace engineering at the University of Michigan, where he is a graduate research assistant. While earning his bachelor’s degree in aerospace and mechanical engineering at Case, he served as president of the Case Rocket Team.
Rachel Beller ’22, MS ’22
Cleveland Heights, Ohio
Rachel has the joined the Lubrizol Corp. as a process development engineer. She earned her degrees in chemical engineering at Case, where she was a member of the engineering honor society, Tau Beta Pi, and was the drumline captain of the Spartan Marching Band.
Johanna Chikuni '22
Chicago, Illinois
Johanna has accepted a position as an associate quality engineer at Medline Industries, where she interned while earning her bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering. Johanna was part of the university’s Voting Outreach Team that encouraged students to register and vote.
Juan Perez de Jesus ’22
Cleveland, Ohio
Juan was named the University Athletic Association Athlete of the Week in January for his speedy performance at a track meet at Baldwin Wallace University. He broke his own school record in the 55-meter dash, crossing the finish line in 6.53 seconds. Juan earned his bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering at the Case School of Engineering and is now pursuing his doctorate at Case.
Lifan Deng ‘22
Chicago, Illinois
Lifan is pursuing a master of music in voice and opera at Northwestern University Bienen School of Music. He earned his bachelor’s degree in mechanical and aerospace engineering from the Case School of Engineering and a bachelor’s degree in music, classical voice, from the College of Arts and Sciences. Lifan was a member of the Case Concert Choir and Mu Phi Epsilon.
Jack L. Pistone '22
Norfolk, Virginia
Jack is serving in the United States Navy as a Surface Warfare Officer on the USS Carter Hall (LSD 50) on his first tour of duty. Afterward, he plans to attend the Nuclear Power School of the Naval Nuclear Power Training Command and be certified as a Reactor Officer. Jack earned his bachelor’s degree in mechanical and aerospace engineering at Case.
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