Class Notes

Name: W. Frazier Pruitt

Class Year(s): 2016

Note: W. Frazier Pruitt ’16 (CAST) was recently recognized as one of ASQ’s 40 under 40. Every fifth year since 2011, Quality Progress, the official publication of American Society for Quality (ASQ) selects the best and brightest young and talented quality trailblazers who are pushing the boundaries and making a difference in quality processes. In addition to his work at Southco Inc. as Quality Assurance supervisor and his role as Vice Chair at the Rochester Section of ASQ, Pruitt is an ASQ-certified Six Sigma Black Belt and quality engineer, voting member of U.S. Technical Advisory Group to International Organization for Standardization/ Technical Committee 176, and lean Six Sigma facilitator for Greater Rochester (NY) Quality Council. He holds an electrical mechanical engineering technology degree from RIT and MBA from Indiana University and the University of Manchester. Pruitt is featured in the November 2021 issue of Quality Progress’ World Quality Month edition. With nearly 80,000 individual and organizational members of the community in 130 countries, ASQ has the reputation and reach to bring together the diverse quality champions who are transforming the world’s corporations, organizations, and communities to meet tomorrow’s critical challenges.

Submitted on: December 6, 2021

Name: Dylan Hollender

Class Year(s): 2021, 2019

Note: Dylan Hollender ’21 (CAD), Ryan Hollender ’19 (KGCOE) and their parents brought Tiger love to the Princeton hockey games over the Thanksgiving weekend.

Submitted on: December 1, 2021

Name: Bill Gerken

Class Year(s): 2015

Note: William (Bill) Gerken ’15 (CLA), an attorney, has joined The Coppola Firm located in Buffalo, N.Y. Bill is a litigator, focusing his practice on matters involving civil litigation, including motor vehicle accident cases, dog bite cases, premises liability cases, labor law, and insurance matters. He also has resolved numerous cases through alternative dispute resolution, including negotiation, mediation and arbitration. In addition to advocating for his clients, Bill has presented a course on childhood sexual abuse to other attorneys through the Erie County Bar Association. He is a frequent guest lecturer at the University of Buffalo School of Law and Monroe Community College on litigation topics. Bill also has peer-edited a textbook for legal professionals, A Paralegal’s Guide to New York State Civil Procedure (Carosa, 2021). After earning a political science and journalism degree from RIT, Bill graduated from the University at Buffalo School of Law. Bill is a member of the Inns of Court, Western New York Trial Lawyers Association, Erie County Bar Association, New York State Bar Association and the American Bar Association. He has been appointed as a court evaluator for adult guardianship cases in Erie County. The Coppola Firm concentrates in personal injury litigation, business and entrepreneurship, employment law, charter school law, health care law and litigation, and end-of-life planning.

Submitted on: December 1, 2021

Name: Jenn Desrosiers

Class Year(s): 2018

Note: Jennifer Palmer ’18 (KGCOE) ME ’18 (KGCOE) and Peter Desrosiers ’18 (GCCIS) were married on August 27, 2021 in front of family and friends. Jenn and Peter met while working at new student orientation at RIT, became good friends, and later started dating. They were surrounded by RIT alumni with graduation class representation ranging from 1986 through 2020.

Submitted on: November 29, 2021

Name: Irianto Safari

Class Year(s): 1989

Note: Irianto Safari ’89 (CAST) recently published several e-books on renewable energy including wind, solar, and waste-to-energy (WtE). These easy reading, beginner-level books are aimed at technologists, smart building and city enthusiasts, designers and builders. They are available by searching “energy” at bukumini.com. Based in Singapore, Irianto is an expert in the design and installation of mechanical and electrical systems, especially air conditioning and mechanical ventilation systems, for industrial, residential, and commercial buildings. He was recently invited to be a keynote speaker on Waste to Energy and Air-Conditioning engineering by several Indonesian universities, including Siliwangi University and Andalas University, where he is assisting on their research work on Waste-to-Energy and Floating PV Panels.

Submitted on: November 15, 2021

Name: Rachelle (Danno) Latona

Class Year(s): 2009

Note: Rachelle (Danno) Latona ’09 (CAST) and Lawrence Latona welcomed a son into the world in May 2021. Big sister, London Rose, and little brother, Levi Theodore, are adjusting well to being lifelong best friends.

Submitted on: November 15, 2021

Name: Natalia Dempsey

Class Year(s): 2017

Note: Natalia Dempsey ’17 (COLA) and Szymon Nagawiecki ’18 (CAST) were married on September 18, 2021. Natalia and Szymon met on Natalia’s first day at RIT as a transfer student. They were surrounded by friends, family and fellow tigers at their wedding.

Submitted on: November 11, 2021

Name: Sara Pilson

Class Year(s): 2017

Note: Sara Pilson ’17 (COS) joined the Garden City office of Goldberg Segalla, a national civil litigation firm. Sara focuses her practice on intellectual property, trademark registration and litigation, helping to protect her clients’ business-related ideas, inventions, imagery, and creative compositions. She has drafted and submitted claims for semiconductor and mechanical patents to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, and responded to actions in trademark, copyright, and patent prosecution matters. She has also composed legal memoranda for a variety of intellectual property issues, including fair use. After obtaining her bachelor’s degree in Chemistry at RIT, Sara earned her juris doctor at the Fordham University School of Law. Her clients often benefit from her background in science, which includes experience as an advanced undergraduate research assistant at the Rochester Institute of Technology as well as a National Science Foundation fellowship at the University of Cincinnati.

Submitted on: November 10, 2021

Name: Megan Fritts

Class Year(s): 2008, 2018

Note: Megan Fritts ’08 (CIAS) MS ’18 (SOIS) and Anthony Critelli BS ’14 (GCCIS) MS ’19 (GCCIS) were married on May 29, 2021. Megan and Anthony met at RIT and started dating a few years later. They were surrounded by many RIT alums and current staff at their wedding.

Submitted on: November 5, 2021

Name: Kelly Vanderwerff

Class Year(s): 2019

Note: Kelly Vanderwerff (CIAS) has worked at Raven Industries for four years. She is a Senior Research Engineer and the company recently wrote a feature story about her career at the leading autonomous agricultural technology company. Kellys says it’s an amazing opportunity to shape the technology that farmers of the future are implementing in their operations across the country, and that Raven is developing autonomous technology faster than most companies in the field. Raven Industries is investing in recruiting engineering excellence to build the path forward. Kelly would love to see more RIT graduates join the company! The feature article is available online here: https://ravenind.com/careers/engineers/finding-connection-collaboration-through-data-at-raven Raven would be happy to share publishing permissions to reach the RIT alumni network! Feel free to email Kelly’s colleague Lisa McElrath at lisa.mcelrath@ravenind.com or (605) 336-2750 and she can send you the copy and more images.

Submitted on: November 4, 2021