“Job” Class Notes
Richard Thurston (Grad ’73, Grad ’79)
Richard L. Thurston (Grad ’73, ’79) was instrumental in the opening of the law firm Duane Morris’ Taiwan office. He joined Duane Morris in March 2015 as of counsel in its intellectual property group. Mr. Thurston had previously served as senior vice president and general counsel of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. in Taiwan, after beginning his legal career at Duane Morris. Fluent in Mandarin, Mr. Thurston has advised the Taiwanese, South Korean, Japanese and Vietnamese governments on intellectual property protection and reform. Most recently, he was instrumental in obtaining the passage of key legislation in Taiwan that established rules and court procedures to enhance the protection of trade secrets. He has also taught intellectual property law in Taiwan and the United States.
Jerome Rubin (Col ’66 CM)
Jerome L. Rubin (Col ’66 L/M) has joined the Seattle, Washington, office of Williams Kastner. A leading labor and employment attorney, Mr. Rubin brings more than 30 years of experience to the firm. He will join the firm’s labor and employment practice group. He concentrates his practice in National Labor Relations Board proceedings; union negotiations; equal employment and discrimination claims before agencies and courts; employment at will; Federal Contractor Compliance; wage and hour issues; unemployment and workers’ compensation cases; general personnel management and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
John Sheehan (Law ’08)
John Sheehan (Law ’08) has joined UPMC as a staff attorney in the Insurance Services Division. UPMC, headquartered in Pittsburgh, is the largest non-governmental employer in Pennsylvania and provides insurance services to over 2 million members. He spent the previous two years as a stay at home parent to his daughters Molly and Kate. John and his wife Alexis previously lived in Austin, Texas where John worked as an associate at Andrews Kurth LLP, a staff attorney on the Third Court of Appeals, and the writer and director of the independent feature film, For Serious.
Sam Hendricks (Col ’86 CM)
Sam Hendricks (Col ’86) has qualified as a massage therapist in Swedish, Sports and Aromatherapy massage. He lives and works in Bury St. Edmunds England
John Hackney (Com ’03, Com ’04 CM)
John Hackney (Com ’03, ’04) was elevated to shareholder at Chamberlain Hrdlicka. As a member of the firm’s Tax Controversy & Litigation practice, Hackney represents individuals and businesses in disputes with the Internal Revenue Service and other taxing authorities.
Benjamin Garcia (Grad ’05)
Benjamin A. Garcia (Grad ’05) was recently promoted to Full Professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. Dr. Garcia’s research involves the development of novel analytical approaches for investigating protein modifications during important cellular functions. He has been the recipient of several awards including the NIH New Innovator Award, the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Dr. Robert Arceci Scholar Award and the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE).
Michael Todd (Grad ’07 CM)
Michael Todd (Grad ’07) has been named Associate Vice President for Research for the University of North Carolina system.
Whitney Caudill (Col ’99)
Whitney Caudill (Col ’99) was recently named Vice President for Human Resources and Strategic Initiatives at Manchester University in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Ms. Caudill also leads the University’s strategic communications/public relations operations and corporate training programs.
Kimberly Smith (Col ’91 CM), A.J. Smith (Com ’92, Com ’96 CM)
Kimberly Smith (Col ’91) and A.J. Smith (Com ’92, ’96) are both CPA’s and have lived in the UK for the past 10 years. They have returned to Charlottesville and have started a tax preparation and consulting practice for US citizens living abroad, Vagabond Tax.
Samuel Towell (Law ’05)
In January, Samuel T. Towell (Law ’05) moved from his position as Virginia’s Deputy Secretary of Agriculture & Forestry to become Virginia’s Deputy Attorney General for Civil Litigation.
Kendall Jones (Col ’89 CM)
Kendall Jones (Col ’89) has been hired as General Counsel to VS Media Inc., a digital media company in Los Angeles, California. Ms. Jones, who previously owned her own business and entertainment law practice, lives in Thousand Oaks, California with her three children.
Mary Isaacson (Col ’88 CM)
Mary Ellen Connelly Isaacson (Col ’88 L/M) has opened a chocolate shop, Chocolatesville, in Rivanna Plaza, on the north end of Charlottesville. The shop hand-produces and sells a large variety of items using Belgian chocolate and other premium ingredients. She lives in Charlottesville with her husband Rob Isaacson (Col ’88) and their children.
Bridget Sedlock (Col ’90 CM)
Bridget Tolson Sedlock (Col ’90 L/M) is now managing director of corporate services at the National Student Clearinghouse as of August 2016. She previously worked at Rolls-Royce North America as human resources director for the East and South region for 18 years.
Ryan Hughes (Col ’04 CM)
Ryan Hughes (Col ’04 L/M) launched Dollar Dollar Bill, a nonprofit organization dedicated to bringing transparency to campaign finance in California. As part of the launch, he is running a Kickstarter campaign to secure ground-level funding. Dollar Dollar Bill’s Kickstarter goal of $10,000 is earmarked to deliver a website that crunches mountains of data into simple charts and graphs that update as soon as contributions and independent expenditures are reported. Learn more and see the Kickstarter video at Dollardollarbill.com
Joseph Berger (Engr ’80 CM)
Joseph E. Berger Jr. (Engr ’80 L/M) was named vice president and general manager of the Health & Consumer Solutions business unit at Battelle in Columbus, Ohio.
Christopher Sill (Col ’11 CM)
Christopher Sill (Col ’11 CM) has joined TB&R, an AssuredPartners NL company, as an employee benefits producer in its Richmond, Virginia office. Mr. Sill will develop long-term strategic and cost-effective employee benefit programs that meet the corporate objectives of Virginia clients. Previously, he worked with Digital Benefit Advisors and with Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield.
Eleana Collins (Col ’11)
Eleana Collins (Col ’11) has been promoted to director at Warschawski, a full-service branding, marketing, public relations, advertising and interactive agency in Baltimore. In her new role, Ms. Collins will develop and lead clients’ integrated marketing communication campaigns that include social media, digital marketing, media relations, events, partnership development, branding and advertising.
Dean Razavi (Law ’10)
Dean Razavi (Law ’10) has left his full-time job as a litigation attorney to become an indie game developer. Vidar, his first role-playing game (slated for release on PC in 2017) is a game with a randomly generated plot that mirrors his own embrace of the unknown.
Trevor Hardy (Col ’10 CM)
Trevor Hardy (Col ’10 CM) is an attorney with Ulmer & Berne in Cleveland, Ohio, where his practice focuses on complex business litigation and employment and labor litigation. He represents and counsels public and private companies on a wide range of issues in both state and federal courts. Previously, he was an associate at Mazanec Raskin & Ryder, and his experience includes managing discovery, motion practice, trial preparation and other aspects of litigation.
Mona Olsen (Com ’08)
Mona Olsen (Com ’08) has been promoted to academic director of the Leland C. and Mary M. Pillsbury Institute for Hospitality Entrepreneurship at Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration. Ms. Olsen, an assistant professor of entrepreneurship, previously served as the center’s associate director. Before joining the faculty, she was a U.S. Fulbright Grantee to Norway, and earlier was the assistant director of the Mason Small Business Development Center at George Mason University.
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