50s
Shelly Frome, B.A. ’56, recently published her book Miranda and the D-Day Caper in 2020. He is a member of Mystery Writers of America, a professor of dramatic arts emeritus at the University of Connecticut, a former professional actor and, all told, has written over twenty-five plays in addition to his articles and novels. His fiction includes Twilight of the Drifter, Lilac Moon, the Hollywood crime caper Tinseltown Riff, Murder Run, and the recently released The Secluded Village Murders and Moon Games.
70s
Sam Johnson, B.S. ’73,
Independent Environmental Consultants, LLC continues to provide online environmental consulting, including independent peer review, saving clients valuable time and money. For additional information, including reference to a soon-to-be-published guidebook entitled "Wallet Biopsies In The Environmental And Professional Consulting Industries During Times of Pandemic, Political & Economic Uncertainties - A Guidebook For Discerning Clients & Their Consultants" visit www.envirosolutions.consulting. Assisting UM alumni takes top priority!
Douglas Capone, B.S. ’73, Ph.D. ’78, published a new book Marine Nitrogen Fixation by Springer Publishers. The book provides a centralized reference for students and researchers studying marine nitrogen fixation. It offers an in-depth overview of the important aspects of nitrogen fixation as it relates to the marine environment and bridges knowledge gaps between nitrogen fixation in marine versus terrestrial environments.
Eduardo Pino, B.S. ’78, is the medical director of the Hoops Family Children's Hospital since 2015 and was named Chief Medical Information Officer for Mountain Health Network in October 2021. He is an associate professor of pediatrics at the Joan C. Edwards Marshall University School of Medicine in Huntington, WV. He is also a lecturer for Kaplan Medical.
Jackie Lee, B.A. ’79, is happy to announce that after 18 successful years as a freelance wedding calligrapher in Miami and San Antonio, she turned her career towards music. Lee is now a Worship Leader for Holy Cross Lutheran Church in South Daytona and a vocalist/keyboardist with a local band "Blue Velvet.”
80s
Bradley Feuer, B.S. '80, J.D. '90, who serves as Chief Surgeon of the Florida Highway Patrol, recently had his article "First Responder Peer Support: An Evidence‑Informed Approach” published in the Journal of Police and Criminal Psychology. A physician and attorney, Dr. Feuer is board-certified in family medicine and a fellow of both the American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians and the American College of Legal Medicine. He was founding DIO of the Palm Beach Consortium for Graduate Medical Education, a multi-facility academic medical center affiliated with HCA Healthcare, and regional clinical dean/clinical professor of family medicine at both Nova Southeastern University and the Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences. Dr. Feuer is an experienced healthcare attorney, having been a founding member, vice president and co-chief operating officer of the Florida office of Brennan, Manna, and Diamond, PL.
Steven Kaplan, B.A. ’87, is hosting his own show on the Daily Gospel Network. A Jewish believer of Jesus who ministers around the world, Kaplan is the president of Jewish Outreach International and a licensed Southern Baptist Minister. He has been certified by the North American Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention as an Interfaith Evangelism Specialist on Judaism and wrote a book entitled, God Stories from the Jewish Mission Field. His new show airs at 1 p.m. on Tuesdays and can be watched on AppleTV, Roku TV, and Amazon Fire TV.
Roy Weinfeld, B.A. ’89, J.D. ’95, has presented five Florida Bar Approved Continuing Legal Education (CLE) seminars via Zoom since the start of the pandemic—complimentary to all attendees. The five seminars were offered in the following subject areas: Bankruptcy Implications in Real Estate, Constitutionality of the Eviction Moratorium, Moratoriums and Stays on Writs of Possession, Post-Judgment Collections in Florida, Replevin Law in Florida, and Understanding the Commercial Letter of Intent.
90s
Suzanne “Sissy” DeMaria-Koehne, B.G.S. ’93, CEO of Cultivate PR and WorldWise PR Affiliates, has been appointed to join Baptist Health Foundation's Miami Cancer Institute Council Directors. As a council member, DeMaria-Koehne will be responsible for contributing innovative and creative ideas to raise funds, enhance donor relationships and support overall foundation initiatives.
Cynthia Gyamfi-Bannerman, B.S. ’94, has been named chair of the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine and UC San Diego Health. Gyamfi-Bannerman joins the faculty from Columbia University Irving Medical Center where she spent the last 16 years of her career, most recently as the Ellen Jacobson Levine and Eugene Jacobson Professor and vice chair for faculty development in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
Earnest DeLoach, B.A. ’96, was recently named a 2021 Orlando Business Journal "Diversity in Business" awardee. DeLoach was cited for his work as national co-lead for Balfour Beatty's DEI Taskforce and African American affinity group, NOBLE. He has also been a speaker on various DEI panels, including those sponsored by the Texas Bar Association and the Association of Corporate Counsel. He is the Vice President - Legal for the Southeast division of Balfour Beatty Construction.
00s
Neeta Toprani, B.S. ’00, has joined Establishment Labs Holdings Inc., a medical technology company focused on women’s health, as General Counsel & Corporate Secretary. Toprani most recently served as Division General Counsel for Zimmer Biomet, where she was a member of the executive leadership team and oversaw legal affairs for the dental, craniomaxillofacial, and thoracic business units. She previously worked as a corporate and securities attorney for the multinational law firm Morrison & Foerster, LLP, in its U.S. and Hong Kong offices. Earlier in her career, she served as a law clerk for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit and the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. She received her J.D. from Harvard Law School.
Michelle Shapiro, B.F.A. ’06, published her first book, Loving Yourself Isn’t Selfish. The book shares Shapiro’s thoughts on finding the courage and confidence to create a space for self-love and learning to stop pleasing others and saying no when the time is right.
Joshua Weiss, B.S. ’08, M.D. ’12, was elected to be Vice-Chair of Surgery at Boca Raton Regional Hospital where he has established an endoscopic skull base surgery program in conjunction with the neurosurgery department. He was also elected to represent the Florida Society of Otolaryngology Delegate to the Florida Medical Association.
Aravind Prakash, M.S. ’09, earned his Ph.D. from Syracuse University in 2015. He then was hired as an Assistant Professor of Computer Science at Binghamton University and received the Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Award by the National Science Foundation.
10s
Alejandro Castaño, B.S. ’10, is being recognized by Continental Who's Who as a top periodontist for his dedicated service to the dental field. Castaño is the owner of Castaño Periodontics and Dental Implants in Denville, NJ. He is Board Certified in Periodontology and Dental Implant Surgery. Castaño earned his Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) degree at the College of Dental Medicine at Columbia University in the City of New York on the Dr. Marlene Klyvert Merit Scholarship. After completing his doctorate, he was accepted into residency at New York University College of Dentistry where he graduated with a Specialty Certificate in Periodontics and Implant Dentistry. Castaño enjoys public speaking and gives lectures on the use of 3D printing in bone grafting procedures and surgical techniques for periodontal plastic surgery. He also lectures on immediate implant placement and tooth provisionalization to help other dentists learn about options for tooth replacement via dental implants.
Heather Alberro, B.A. ’14, is a lecturer in Global Sustainable Development at Nottingham Trent University. She specializes in radical environmental politics, environmental ethics, and green utopian studies. Alberro is interested in human-nonhuman relations and in human attitudes towards nature and other species.
Eric Golnick, B.A. ’09, M.A. ’14, has been selected as one of 51 national scholars to participate in the George W. Bush Institute’s 2021 Stand-To Veteran Leadership Program, an initiative for individuals serving veterans who are motivated to broaden their skillsets, knowledge, and influence. Co-founder and CEO of Forge VFR, Golnick served as a Senior Foreign Policy Analyst at the Department of Defense dealing with U.S. military operations in Latin America where he worked directly with the National Security Council, the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the U.S. Congress on many topics regarding U.S. foreign policy.
Griffin Udelson, B.S. ’10, recently joined Avon Family Dentistry in Avon, CT. As a part of this practice, she provides comprehensive dental care for all ages. Udelson graduated from UM in 2010 and was a member of the volleyball team. She now resides in West Granby, CT, with her husband and their adopted greyhound, Charlie.
Cory Pardo, B.A. ’13, has been involved in New York City's response to the COVID-19 pandemic since January 2020. Pardo is the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene's All Hazards Emergency Planning Lead. She has led and supported multiple aspects of the response, including management of the internal Incident Command System (ICS) response processes and protocols, internal response and Vaccine Hub staff management, response sustainability plans, and more. Pardo is proud for her efforts in overseeing and helping set up the public-facing component at one of the NYC Vaccine Hubs as the Client Assistance Unit Leader where over 2,000 vaccines were administered to essential healthcare workers and the elderly. To date, the NYC Vaccine Hubs have administered over 500,000 vaccines
David Acosta, B.A. ’16, is a master’s candidate pursuing a liberal arts degree in International Relations at Harvard University. Acosta also serves on the Council of Student Sustainability Leaders at Harvard. It is through that engagement in which he works on efforts that seek to faithfully apply and strengthen the University's sustainability plan. Acosta says that his degree in International Relations, coupled with his engagements in the environmental and climate space, will help shape and define his purpose and professional career for years to come.
Jared Awner, B.A. ’18, was swore into the Department of State, Bureau of Diplomatic Security, Office of Intelligence and Threat Analysis as an Intelligence Operations Specialist in July.
Horvey Palacios, B.A. ’18, will attend the University of Oklahoma to pursue a funded Ph.D. in Anthropology, Human Health, & Biology. Palacios will be working with Dr. Cecil M. Lewis and joining the renowned Laboratory for Molecular Anthropology and Microbiome Research (LMAMR), as well as the Center for the Ethics of Indigenous Genomic Research (CEIGR). He will be investigating archaeological biomolecules and genomic ethics, and their relationship to ancient complex societies and modern-day indigenous communities.
20s
Chuan Liu, Ph.D. ’20, is a new adjunct faculty member in the Chemistry Department at Miami Dade College.
Salim Ayoub, Ph.D. ’20, is the new Director of the Centre Francophone in St. Louis, and the Jane and Bruce Robert Endowed Professor of Francophone Studies at Webster University.
