| 1960s |

A second career is in the works for Jerry Feingold (B.S. ’64), who retired from his position as president of JBL Speakers, a division of the lifestyle audio company Harman International, and founded Continuous Improvement Consultancy in Ventura, Calif. His company helps clients become more competitive, a skill he honed as an executive for Fortune 100 companies across 34 years.  

| 1970s |

Vincent Terrace (B.F.A. ’71) is a New York-based television historian for McFarland Publishers in Jefferson, N.C.

Mark Hehl (B.S. ’72) is president of Hehl & Associates, a business improvement organization specializing in cost reduction, quality improvement, sourcing, consulting, and training services in Southbury, Conn. 

Chester H.E. Schnepf (B.F.A. ’72) is professor and chair of the humanities department at Gateway Community College (GCC) in New Haven, Conn. He was appointed the grand marshal of the 20th commencement ceremony for GCC faculty in May, an honor bestowed for his 30 years of service.

John Sorrenti (B.A. ’72, M.B.A. ’78), founder and president of JRS Architect P.C. in Mineola, N.Y., was elected as the  bursar for the 2013-14 College of Fellows Executive Committee of the American Institute of Architects.  

Peter Acquaro (B.S. ’77) was ordained as a deacon by the Diocese of Rockville Centre, N.Y. He is an airline transport pilot and aviation safety inspector for the Federal Aviation Administration. 

Edward Webber (B.S. ’77), a 40-year veteran of the Suffolk County (N.Y.)Police Department, was named its new police commissioner. 

Daniel O’Dougherty (B.S. ’78) is council president for the borough of Kinnelon, N.J., chairs its public works committee, and was re-elected to the council in November 2012.

Changing the architectural façade of Queens, N.Y., is all in a day’s work for Stephen Bono (B.S. ’79), principal at Fratello Construction Corporation in Farmingdale, N.Y. The borough’s chamber of commerce honored his work with an Excellence in Construction award for improving the design of the Queens Central Library and Children’s Library.

A thriller set in France about a woman with a secret past is the subject of a page-turner by Michael Krozer (B.S. ’79). Learn more about his book, Diary of a Short Life, at michaelkrozer.com.

| 1980s |

Six years ago, Philip Fasano (B.S. ’80) made the leap from Wall Street to the West Coast, where he serves as executive vice president and chief information officer for Kaiser Permanente, a health care firm that has won 10 awards under his direction. His company’s KP HealthConnect program allows Kaiser’s 16,000 physicians to access patient health status and history instantaneously.

Food trucks are on a roll in New York’s Hudson Valley, and Winston Francis (B.S. ’80) is along for the ride. His truck, Winnie’s Jerk Chicken and Fish, sells Jamaican food. Find his next stop at winniesjerkchicken.com.

Greg Calabro, Esq. (B.F.A. ’82), a partner in the law firm Moritt Hock & Hamroff LLP, was appointed to serve a three-year term on the Civil Court Committee of the New York City Bar Association. He brings more than 22 years of experience in all facets of complex commercial and residential real estate to the committee, which addresses cases involving commercial landlord and tenant disputes, consumer debt collection, small claims, and no-fault insurance.

Steven Carter (B.S. ’85) is senior vice president and associate broker at CitiHabitats in New York City. 

Coleman Leviter (M.S. ’85) is an IT software systems engineer at Arrow Electronics in Melville, N.Y., and a member of the board of directors for the Independent Oracle Users Group.

Robert Corona (D.O. ’86) is chair of the department of pathology and the John B. Henry Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, N.Y.

Suresh Kumar (M.S. ’86) is chief information officer of the Bank of New York Mellon Corporation in Jersey City, N.J. He joined the company in the same year he graduated from NYIT and has since been recognized for his leadership abilities; Computerworld named him a 2012 Premier 100 IT Leader.

Randy Friedman (B.F.A. ’87), president of Six Points Media Group LLC, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., is co-author of The Athletic Mindset: Three Tools for Success.

Rinah Shopnick (D.O. ’87) is a physician at the Las Vegas office of 21st Century Oncology, a national cancer treatment network and the largest radiation therapy provider in the country.  

Turning trash into art is one of the talents of textile designer Terry Rosen (M.A. ’88), who got her start creating dress prints of ticket stubs for fashion brand Nicole Miller. Lately, she is focused on making collages of objects found on New York City streets. She also has a collection of decorative pillow fabrics inspired by vintage bracelets. View them at terryrosen.com.

Tom Vecchione (B. Arch. ’88) was among the top three finalists on Design Star All Stars 2012, an HGTV reality show that aired over the summer. He is design director at Gensler, a global architecture and design firm in New York City.

An up-close, personal interview with Dolly Parton brought Steven Salvatore (D.O. ’89) to Nashville, Tenn., where he talked to the country singer about health, philanthropy, and fame for his nationally syndicated TV program, 
Dr. Steve. 

| 1990s |

John Mazur (M.B.A. ’90) is a senior analyst in the networks practice at 451 Research in New York City. He provides perspectives on key trends and developments in enterprise networking, carrier networks, mobile infrastructure, and related support systems.

David Charash (D.O. ’91) is medical director at the Center for Wound Care and Hyperbaric Medicine of Danbury (Conn.) Hospital.

Michael J. Benanti (D.O. ’92) is chairman of the Department of Imaging Services at Good Samaritan Hospital Medical Center in West Islip, N.Y., as well as the chairman of radiology for the eastern division of Catholic Health Services of Long Island. 

Law and order is the specialty of former East Orange (N.J.) Police Director Jose Cordero (B.S. ’93), who owns the Cordero Group, a consulting firm specializing in security and safety management. 

Richard Steimel (B.S. ’93) is senior vice president at New York City-based Tishman Construction Corporation, part of AECOM, a global provider of technical and management support services.

Joseph M. Ambrosio (B.S. ’94) is a founding member and general manager of ElectroMotive Designs, a provider of engineering services and products in the electric and hybrid vehicle industry in Ronkonkoma, N.Y. Long Island Business News featured him as “one to watch in construction.”

Raj Goel (B.S. ’94) published the book, The Most Important Secrets for Getting Great Results from IT: Everything Your Computer Consultant Never Told You. He uses experiences as the co-founder of Brainlink International Inc., a New York City-based IT consulting firm, to provide business owners with tools to integrate information technology solutions into their businesses.

The design of retail spaces is the forte of Michael Ho (B.S. ’94), who serves as senior project manager at the New York City-based firm TPG Architecture. He previously spent seven years as the manager of retail construction at Tiffany & Company, where he honed his skills for developing rigorous and disciplined construction methodologies for new projects.

Ngoc Le (D.O. ’94) is a family physician at Augusta Health Family Practice in Verona, Va.

Acrylic painting, photography, digital art, and drawing are the specialties of William Mueller (B.F.A. ’95). Read more at mereartist.blogspot.com.

Ophthalmologist Barry Edison (D.O. ’96) specializes in the Pelleve Wrinkle Reduction System, a new technology for non-invasive skin tightening, at his offices in Eatontown and Brick, N.J.

Eric Freeman (D.O. ’96) is the founder and medical director of Freeman Pain Institute in Edison, N.J.

Eric Oberman (D.O. ’96) has served for 12 years as a physician at Orangetown Pediatric Associates in Tappan, N.Y. At NYIT, he received the prestigious Pharmacia and Upjohn Award for Academic Excellence.

Doug Weston (D.O. ’96) is chairperson of the Department of Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine at Touro 
College of Osteopathic Medicine in 
New York City.

Michele Reed (D.O. ’97), medical director and owner of MS Family Medicine Health Care PC in Garden City and Queens, N.Y., was selected as a New York representative to meet with senior officials in President Obama’s administration and other health care providers. She traveled to the White House in June 2012 to discuss how health information technology can help improve care quality and patient health. 

Ron Alalouf (B.S. ’98, M.S. ’00) is senior project manager at TPG Architecture. He has 15 years of experience, including past work with upscale fashion clients such as Bottega Veneta, Calvin Klein, Ferragamo, Fendi, Yves Saint Laurent, and Sergio Rossi.

| 2000s |

If it’s “too beautiful to eat ... too delicious to resist,” then it must be a dessert made by chef Idalee Cathcart (B.A. ’00), owner of L’Dor V’Dor Confections. She was named Pastry Chef of the Year by the Dallas chapter of the Texas Chefs Association.

Chatchai “Chai” Huadwattana (M.A. ’00) is one of the men behind three successful New York City restaurant launches since 2009: Spot Dessert Bar, OBAO Noodles and BBQ, and Ember Room, an upscale twist on American-Asian barbecue executed by world-renowned chefs Todd English and Ian Chalermkittichai. His company, Chace Restaurant Group, develops restaurants that fuse Asian and American influences.

Maria (Dontas) Rodriguez (B.F.A. ’00) and husband Rolando welcomed a baby boy, Alexander, on March 15. 

Thomas Zimmerman (D.O. ’00) was elected president of the American Osteopathic Association of Medical Informatics. He is a certified professional in health care information and management systems and serves as director of both osteopathic medical education and the osteopathic family medicine residency program at South Nassau Communities Hospital in Oceanside, N.Y.

Tattoos as pure artistry is the mantra of Kurt Fagerland (B.F.A. ’02), who did his first tattoo (on himself) at age 16 and is now employed at Memorial Tattoo-Cabbagetown in Atlanta. He also draws, paints, and sculpts in his spare time. 

Jose Casillas (M.S. ’03, M.S. ’09, M.S. ’11) works for Woofitos Solar Design Company in Puerto Rico, where he designs photovoltaic solar panels similar to the ones he learned about in the environmental technology and energy management classes taught by NYIT Professor Robert Amundsen, Ph.D.

Javier Saldana (B.S. ’03) is a career counselor at Hostos Community College in Bronx, N.Y.

Ehsan Al-Kooheji (M.B.A. ’04) was named to the board of trustees of the Bahrain Foundation for Reconciliation and Civil Discourse, a non-political society seeking to foster greater social cohesion and harmony among the nation’s communities. He is the founder and general manager of Kooheji Systems, a website and mobile application development company, and serves as a member of the Association for Computing Machinery and the British Computer Society.

Jose Hernandez (B.Arch. ’04) is an associate of JKR Partners, an architecture firm in Philadelphia.

Architect Zubair Kazi (B.Arch. ’04) has joined the Boston office of Integrated Design Group. His past experience includes roles at New York City-based architecture firms Ennead Architects, where he worked on hazard mitigation for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and at William Nicholas Bodouva + Associates, where he served as an assistant project manager.

Read the new book, Shambala, by Brian E. Miller (B.F.A. ’04). The story follows Paul, a busy New Yorker who wakes up in the middle of an Indian jungle with amnesia. Learn more at brianemillerbooks.com.

Brad Horton (M.B.A. ’05) is an automation engineer at Forte, a Mason, Ohio-based design-build firm specializing in the distribution sector of the supply chain.

Richard Meyer (M.B.A. ’05) is a direct-to-consumer marketing professional who has a decade of experience working with pharmaceutical business clients. He recently conducted research to investigate how consumers are using social media for health care information and decisions.

Gahrey Ovalle (B.T. ’05) handles engineering and construction operations for Solar Dad and Sons Inc., a renewable energy installation company in Smithtown, N.Y.

Brian Walters (D.O. ’05) is director of emergency services at Upper Alleghany Health System in Olean, N.Y., and oversees the emergency departments at both Bradford (Pa.) Regional Center and Olean General Hospital.

Joseph D’Antonio (M.B.A. ’06) is director of business development for Oakworks Inc., a medical equipment manufacturer in New Freedom, Pa.

David Schieren (M.S. ’06), CEO of EmPower Solar, was awarded a 2012 Smart Growth Award from Vision Long Island for his firm’s clean energy projects on Long Island, N.Y.

Dan Spindle (B.S. ’07) is a reporter for KSAZ-TV Fox 10 in Tucson, Ariz. He has reported on drug and human smugglers along the U.S.-Mexico border and does a weekly consumer products segment. 

Edithson Abelard (B.F.A. ’08) is the founder and senior creative director of Passion 47, a design firm specializing in branding, print advertisements, motion graphics, and Internet marketing. 

Entrepreneur Adam Steiger (B.P.S. ’08) has started a private jet brokerage company, Air Charter Advisors Inc.

Ezequiel Vega (M.B.A. ’08) is administrative services director for the city of Watsonville, Calif. 

At bat for the Long Island Ducks is outfielder Kraig Binick (B.S. ’09), who still owns NYIT’s record for career hits (270).

Jannae Campbell (B.F.A. ’09) is a co-owner of JLC, a New York-based online jewelry retailer.

Justin Dufner (D.O. ’09) is a physician at Kay County Family Medicine in Ponca City, Okla.

Anthony Rotella (D.O. ’09) is a practicing doctor at Oswego (N.Y.) Hospital and a member of the staff of Oswego County Opportunities Fulton Health Center. 

Francesco Allevato (B.S. ’10) is a police officer for the New York City Police Department.

Christopher Allison (M.S. ’10) is a physician’s assistant at the Union Square office of New York Sports Medicine and Physical Therapy in New York City.

Zhenwei Lin (M.B.A. ’10) is CEO of Yihua Technology and president of the NYIT Alumni Association in China’s Jiangxi Province. In August 2011, he launched daishu001.com, a website that incorporates IT service, logistics, mobile payments, and online shopping. He hopes his project will help stimulate the economy of Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, where 157 convenience shops have joined forces with his site to serve the community.

Officer of the Year Robert Martir (B.S. ’10) was honored by the Southside Optimists Club for his work for the Savannah (Ga.) Chatham Metropolitan Police Department. As a crime prevention officer, he helped the squad to develop iWatchSavannah.com, a website used by members of the public to report suspicious activities.

Ala’ Al-Odeh (M.B.A. ’11) is a financial analyst at the Insurance Commission in Amman, Jordan.

Yekaterina Fomicheva (M.B.A. ’11) is a customer service professional at TD Canada Trust and continues to assist NYIT-Vancouver at recruitment events and fairs.

Gurpreet Singh Sahota (M.B.A. ’11) was promoted to a managerial position at Walmart in Canada. 

Eiman Al Sakha (B.Arch. ’12) has started a master’s degree in urban design at Columbia University in New York City.

The West Coast is now home to “Galen” Gao Chang (B.F.A ’12), who is in graduate school at the California Institute of the Arts in Valencia.

Renyuan Cheng (B.S. ’12) is studying computer science in a master’s program at Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Md.

Xiaoxuan Han (B.S. ’12) is pursuing a graduate degree at Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications in China.

The Bahrain Institute of Banking and Finance is the graduate school of choice for Mirza Junaid (B.S. ’12), who is enrolled in a master’s program.

Amanda Liang (M.B.A. ’12) is the director for Asian marketing at M&P Yacht Centre, a premium boating company in Vancouver, Canada.

A master’s degree in engineering management is the latest goal of Huajing Lin (B.S. ’12), who is studying at Dartmouth College in Hanover, N.H.

At Cornell University, Hanting Lu (B.S. ’12) is enrolled in a master’s degree program in electrical and computer engineering.

More Alumni Notes

Vol. 10 No. 3 Table of Contents