1967

William “Bill” Slomanson A&S ’67 delivered the lecture “Journey Through the Middle East: A Virtual Tour” for the San Diego World Affairs Council and San Diego State University’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute. The presentation covered Egypt, Jordan, Israel and Palestine, focusing on the long-term history of the region. Slomanson is professor emeritus at Thomas Jefferson School of Law in San Diego and the author of many books on international law and civil procedure.

1972

Bill Gormley A&S ’72 released his novel “Too Many Bridges,” which follows two Pittsburgh detectives as they attempt to solve a murder that occurred on one of the city’s 446 bridges — they just need to figure out which one. Gormley is a former public policy and government professor at Georgetown University and the creator of Profs on Cops, a podcast featuring interviews with criminologists and social scientists.

1976

Lawrence E. McCullough A&S ’76G, ’78G wrote a play about the influence of mothers. “First Mothers: The Women Who Raised America’s Presidents,” presented by Prime Stage Theater, was performed at the New Hazlett Theater on Pittsburgh’s North Side and explores the role 15 mothers played in their sons reaching the White House.

1977

Ron Scott SHRS ’77 released his latest novel “Liberty and Justice For …” The murder mystery follows three young couples from military service to civilian life in Pittsburgh. The book is the second in a series. Scott is an attorney and physical therapist who served 20 years in the military.

1981

Kathy Kasunich A&S ’81 received a bronze medal from the Military Writers Society of America for her novel “Always Remembering.” The book details the struggles of a couple whose romance is interrupted by World War II. Inspired by her own parents, Kasunich draws on war diaries, letters, personal interviews and research to complete the tale.

1988

Nicholas J. Alfano KGSB ’88 was promoted to executive vice president and president of the industrial sector for Ecolab, Inc. He will oversee the company’s largest business unit, driving food safety, sustainability and digital initiatives globally. He received his bachelor’s degree from Drexel University before earning an MBA in marketing from Pitt.

1991

John O’Donnell NURS ’91G, SPH ’09G received the John F. Garde Researcher of the Year Award from the American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology. He is professor and chair of the Department of Nurse Anesthesia and director of the Nurse Anesthesia Program at Pitt’s School of Nursing. His research has focused on the use of simulation for nurse anesthesiology education.

1994

Aubrey Watkins III A&S ’94 was appointed the inaugural David Shaw Family Endowed Vice President of Corporate Development at The Jackson Laboratory, a biomedical research institution located in Bar Harbor, Maine. He will lead key initiatives, including researching and analyzing business opportunities and establishing connections with prospective partners and potential customers.

1995

Jennifer Peoples Pintar EDUC ’95G, ’01G, GSPIA ’04 was named provost and vice president for academic affairs at Youngstown State University. She has been at Youngstown State since 1999 and has served as interim provost, vice provost for academic administration and student outreach support, and associate provost for academic administration.

1997

Joshua C. Brumberg MED ’97 was named president of the City University of New York (CUNY) Graduate Center. He will lead graduate education, scholarship and public-interest research. A neurobiologist, he previously served as a faculty member, dean and researcher at CUNY. 

Jan Ivery SOC WK ’97G was named associate dean for academic affairs in the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies at Georgia State University. She previously held other leadership roles at the university, including interim director of the School of Social Work and director of the Center for Collaborative Social Work.

2001

Renee Thompson NURS ’01, ’04G, ’13G received the inaugural Safe Spaces Award from the Florida Nurses Association. She is the founder and CEO of the Healthy Workforce Institute. The award recognizes her dedication to cultivating respect, collaboration and safety for nurses and patients.

2003

Chris Papst CGS ’03, an investigative reporter for WBFF in Baltimore, won an Emmy for his story, “Disabled and Denied.” The report is part of a series detailing the plight of disabled students in Baltimore City Schools. The series resulted in multiple state investigations, finding that schools violated the federal education rights of four students.

2004

Lindsey Bell CBA ’04 presented a TEDx talk in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, discussing how people can take ownership of their careers. She is the chief investment strategist for 248 Ventures, where she provides insights and guidance on equity market investing.

2006

Gosia Kosturek A&S ’06 joined Duane Morris as a partner in the firm’s Pittsburgh-based real estate practice group. She focuses her practice on corporate transactions within the hospitality industry. Kosturek was previously a partner at Whiteford, Taylor & Preston.

Nathaniel Markowitz A&S ’06, GSPIA ’11 accepted a position as managing director for the COURIER Texas News Network, a digital news outlet that is expanding throughout the Lone Star State. He previously worked as a political and financial consultant for Activate America.

Charles Small SOC WK ’06, ’07G, EDUC ’13G joined the University of Washington as the senior associate athletic director for sport administration. He previously  worked as the athletic director at Valparaiso University in Indiana. In addition to earning three degrees from Pitt, he was a member of the men’s basketball team, winning two Big East championships. Small also worked at Pitt  for nearly a decade.

Kezia O.L. Taylor LAW ’06 was appointed a U.S. magistrate judge for the Western District of Pennsylvania, making her the first Black woman to serve in that position. Prior to her historic appointment, she worked as a teacher, corporate lawyer, assistant city solicitor and assistant U.S. attorney.

2007

Justin Andrew Honard A&S ’07 co-wrote “Drag: The Musical,” which follows two drag houses as they vie for supremacy. The Off-Broadway show, which counts Liza Minelli as a producer, opened at New World Stages in fall 2024. A drag performer himself, Honard appeared on the fifth season of “RuPaul’s Drag Race.”

2008

Ash Andrews UPG ’08 was named president and CEO of Venture Outdoors, a Pittsburgh-based nonprofit that seeks to create access to outdoor experiences. Prior to their new position, they served as executive director of the Pittsburgh Center for Creative Reuse. In that role, they appeared on a recent episode of the PBS children’s show “Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood.”

Heather Hendrickson A&S ’08G has been named an associate professor in the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Canterbury in Christchurch, New Zealand. She recently was a featured speaker for Raising the Bar, a university-hosted international event, where she discussed nature’s answer to antibiotic resistance.

Michele Scott Taylor EDUC ’08 was named the chief executive officer of College Now Greater Cleveland, a nonprofit that helps to increase postsecondary educational attainment in Northeast Ohio. The organization serves over 38,000 traditional students and adult learners annually.

2010

Kevin M. McGrath A&S ’10 was selected to the 2024 Pennsylvania Super Lawyers Rising Stars list in the areas of business and corporate law. He is an attorney with Hamburg, Rubin, Mullin, Maxwell & Lupin, a law firm that operates in eastern Pennsylvania.

2012

Daniel Jimenez A&S ’12G traveled to China to take part in the 2024 Zhi-Xing China Eisenhower Fellowship Program. The Zhi-Xing program advances understanding between the United States and China through people-to-people exchanges. During the trip, Jimenez  learned about AI-driven drug discovery, visited pharmaceutical startups and met with leaders across the industry.

2013

Luke Neal A&S ’13 received the General Douglas MacArthur Leadership Award from the U.S. Army’s 353rd Civil Affairs Command for fostering civil-military cooperation programs. He is a civil affairs officer in the Army Reserve and a bank examiner and credit risk specialist for the U.S. Federal Reserve. The award is named for the World War II general and is given to Army captains who demonstrate Douglas’ commitment to “duty, honor, country.”

2014

Andrea Blosser UPG ’14 received the Outstanding Paralegal Pro Bono Service Award from the North Carolina Bar Association. A litigation paralegal at law firm Robinson Bradshaw, she donated more than 270 hours of pro bono work in 2023 working on cases involving racial harassment, the First Amendment and immigrant children.

Megan M. Skiba A&S ’14, LAW ’18 joined Blank Rome as an associate on the firm’s energy industry team. Her practice is focused on representing energy clients, primarily in the upstream oil and gas, carbon capture and sequestration sectors. 

2015

Kathleen Klapkowski A&S ’15 has joined the Pittsburgh office of Ogletree Deakins as an associate. Her practice focuses on employment law. She earned her J.D. from Duquesne University School of Law.

Ryan Praskovich SCI ’15 received a Nationwide CEO Award, which recognizes employees who demonstrate extraordinary care for their coworkers, clients and community. He joined Nationwide in 2017 and created the company’s anti-phishing and threat research program. He now works in cyber fraud strategy at the company.

Rachel Wolfe NURS ’15G received the Clinical Instructor of the Year Award from the American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology. She is a certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA) specializing in pediatric anesthesiology. In addition to her work as the assistant director of UPMC Hamot School of Anesthesiology, Wolfe also works as a CRNA at UPMC Hamot and UPMC Children’s Hospital, Pittsburgh.

2016

Amanda J. Ford A&S ’16 joined Hinckley Allen as an associate in the litigation and investigations group. She advises clients on commercial litigation matters across a variety of business sectors, including health care and energy. Prior to her new role, Ford served as a legal intern for the Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity.

2018

Surya Ravindran KGSB ’18 took over as the artistic director of the Riverfront Theater Company in Aspinwall, Pennsylvania, for the 2024 season. He also starred as David in the spring production of "IF/THEN.” 

2022

Ashley Lynn Priore A&S ’22 was chosen for the Obama Foundation Leaders Program, a six-month training in leadership development, civic engagement and strategic community impact. Through her organization, Queen’s Gambit, she uses the game of chess to foster critical thinking, problem solving and leaderships skills. She also advocates for gender equality through her Women and Girls in Chess program. Priore was featured in the fall 2024 issue of Pitt Magazine.