Class Notes

Name: Paul-James Jones

Class Year(s): 1983

Note: Dr. Paul-James Jones ’83 (COS) retired in January 2021 after 30 years in the analytical sciences and Information Technology departments at Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals USA in Ridgefield, C.T.

Submitted on: April 2, 2021

Name: Hilary Sinclair (Young)

Class Year(s): 2014

Note: Hilary Sinclair ’14 (CHST) and Garth Sinclair ’15, ME ’15 (KGCOE) welcomed their first child, Aiden James Sinclair, on December 1, 2020.

Submitted on: March 26, 2021

Name: David Stern

Class Year(s): 1996

Note: David J, Stern ’96 (KGCOE) is currently serving as a network engineer for the White House Situation Room.

Submitted on: March 21, 2021

The Mighty Geek

Name: Manmeet Chhabra

Class Year(s): 2001

Note: Manmeet Chhabra MBA ’01 (SCB) writes: 2020 has been a challenging year to say the least, but it is also the year giving birth to innovations and creative ideas throughout the world. My 8 year old son and I collaborated to write this book amidst the COVID shutdown. It was amazing to work with the little imaginative mind and helping him write this book. I love how the book came together. If you get a chance, I would like encourage you to check out "The Mighty Geek": https://www.amazon.com/Mighty-Geek-Sahej-Chhabra/dp/0578835053/ref=sr_1_1dchild=1&keywords=The+Mighty+Geek+Book&qid=1616302210&sr=8-1

Submitted on: March 21, 2021

Rowan Scott Elman, December 7, 2020

Name: Matthew Elman

Class Year(s): 1987

Note: Matthew Elman ’87 (GAP) and Kathleen Rowe welcomed their first grandchild. Rowan Scott Elman was born on December 7, 2020 weighing in at 8lbs. 4 oz. Parents Dylan Elman and Breanna Peck are elated.

Submitted on: March 5, 2021

2021 CARA Nominations for Lower Voices Collegiate Arrangement

Name: Tre DiPassio

Class Year(s): 18

Note: Tre DiPassio’s ’18 (KGCOE) MS ’18 (KGCOE) vocal arrangement of Counting Stars (originally performed by One Republic) was nominated for a Contemporary A Cappella Recording Award (CARA) for Best Lower Voices Collegiate Arrangement. The CARA awards are the a cappella world’s equivalent to the Grammy awards. Tre performed with the Brick City Singers, an RIT A Cappella group, from 2013-2018. This arrangement debuted at the 2016 International Championships of Collegiate A Cappella (ICCA) quarterfinal at the University of Rochester. The Brick City Singer’s latest album, Sing It!, was in production from 2016 - 2019 under Tre’s direction, and features nine of his vocal arrangements. Sing It! was then released in 2020, making Tre’s arrangements eligible for award consideration in this year’s CARA program. Tre is a current PhD student in musical acoustics at the University of Rochester.

Submitted on: March 1, 2021

Tiffany performs an optics demonstration during a community STEM expo event.

Name: Tiffany Owens

Class Year(s): 1998

Note: Tiffany Owens ’98 (KGCOE) and a lead system safety engineer with the Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division (NSWCDD) Dam Neck Activity was selected as the Department of Defense Science Technology Engineering Math (STEM) Advocate of the Quarter in Fiscal Year 2020. This quarterly award recognizes outstanding STEM education and outreach efforts that further the mission of the Department of Defense. The award recognized Tiffany’s extensive experience in and passion for STEM outreach and education, her ability to develop and implement STEM outreach activities at NSWCDD Dam Neck Activity and surrounding communities, and her development of STEM curriculum and activities to expose young students of all backgrounds. Tiffany leads and participates in a number of STEM efforts in her community, including coaching a FIRST robotics team, leading a STEM outreach group at her church, chairing her division’s Special Events Committee, serving as a NSWCDD STEM outreach school program lead, project screener and judge for the Metro Richmond Science Fair, member of the Board of Directors for the Girl Scouts of the Commonwealth of VA and STEM Youth Conference Chair for the International System Safety Conference (ISSC). Tiffany currently works as lead safety engineer on Naval laser weapon systems and resides in Richmond, V.A.

Submitted on: February 26, 2021

RIT alumni in attendance

Name: Juliana Shaw

Class Year(s): 2015

Note: Juliana Shaw ’15 (COS) and Scott Gentile ’13 (CET) got married on October 10, 2020. Scott and Juliana started dating in 2012 when they were at RIT. They got married in Negril, Jamaica surrounded by their family and closest friends. They currently live in Boston, M.A.

Submitted on: February 19, 2021

Gerard Kiernan standing at the tip of Manhattan with Columbia Rock in the background

Name: Gerard Kiernan

Class Year(s): 1983

Note: Gerard Kiernan ’83 (CAST) is the facilities engineer & sustainability coordinator for the City of Springfield. He successfully applied for a $200,000 grant from The State of Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources to replace the antiquated oil-fed burners at the facility headquarters. These new boilers will save the city in energy costs and help reduce the city’s carbon footprint.

Submitted on: February 16, 2021

Stacy Lake

Name: Stacy Lake

Class Year(s): 2005, 2007

Note: Stacy Lake ’05 (SCB) MBA ’07 (SCB), corporate communications manager for national architecture, engineering and planning firm Bergmann, is one of 13 finalists for the 2021 ATHENA International Young Professional Award. The ATHENA awards, which honor and empower women in business, are presented annually in three categories by the Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce and its Women’s Council Affiliate.

Submitted on: February 12, 2021