Class Notes: Fall 2017

50s

Robert Koerner, BS civil engineering ’56, MS ’63, was honored by the American Society of Civil Engineering in the form of a dedicated symposium in Chicago and a biennial lectureship in his name on behalf of the Geosynthetic Materials Association. His son, George Koerner, BS civil engineering ’85, MS ’87, PhD ’93, was a featured speaker at the lectureship.

60s

Nicholas DeBenedictis, BS commerce and engineering ’68, MS environmental science ’69, HD ’87, Drexel Trustee, was recognized by The Honorable Andrea Canepari, Consul General of Italy, in Philadelphia and received the Italian Knighthood for Commendatore dell’Ordine della Stella d’Italia for the preservation and promotion of Italian prestige abroad, friendly relations and cooperation with other countries with ties to Italy.

Thomas Leonard, BS business administration ’68, former Drexel Trustee, was named a 2017 Pennsylvania Super Lawyer.

Norman Smith, BS business administration ’69, MS ’71, was named the first president emeritus of Elmira College since its founding in 1855 and released the book “Top Problems Facing Colleges.” Stewart Weintraub, BS business administration ’68, served as the overall chair of the ABA/IPT Advanced Tax Seminars, an annual conference that brings the latest state and local tax updates to tax professionals nationwide. He was also named a 2017 Pennsylvania Super Lawyer.

Stewart Weintraub, BS business administration ’68, served as the overall chair of the ABA/IPT Advanced Tax Seminars, an annual conference that brings the latest state and local tax updates to tax professionals nationwide. He was also named a 2017 Pennsylvania Super Lawyer.

70s

Kathy Dowdell, BS design ’79, received a Preservation Achievement Award for her service to the Preservation Alliance.

80s

Martin Belisario, BS mechanical engineering ’85, was ranked among the top attorneys in intellectual property law by Chambers USA, a leading legal ranking guide, and named a 2017 Pennsylvania Super Lawyer.

Arthur Brinkworth, BS mechanical engineering ’85, joined IMC Construction as project director.

Robert Crawford, BS civil engineering ’85, MS ’87, received the Geotechnical Engineer of the Year Award for 2017 from the Philadelphia Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers.

Steven Irby, BS engineering ’89, was recognized as a Modern Day Technology Leader at the prestigious Black Engineer of the Year Awards Conference in Washington, D.C.

William Leonard, BS accounting ’81, was named a 2017 Pennsylvania Super Lawyer.

John Nawn, BS civil engineering ’87, MS ’12, received the Philadelphia Civil Engineer of the Year Award for 2017 from the Philadelphia Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers. This award is the Section’s highest honor.

90s

Theodore Bandy, BS electrical engineering ’94, was named a stockholder for the global infrastructure and engineering firm, Gannett Fleming, in recognition of his excellent work effort, commitment to client service and leadership.

Richard Liu, BS corporate communication ’94, was appointed to the Performing Arts Board of ArtsQuest, a nonprofit that provides access to art, culture and education to residents of the Lehigh Valley area.

Kyle Franey, BS accounting ’96, joined the team at Your Outsourced CFO (YOCFO), a Philadelphia-based provider of chief financial officer services to small- and medium-sized companies, as Outsourced CFO.

Gina Furia Rubel, BS corporate communication ’91, was appointed to the board of directors for Women Owned Law, the nation’s first organization devoted exclusively to women legal entrepreneurs.

John Simmons, BS electrical engineering ’92, was elected to serve as president of the Philadelphia Intellectual Property Law Association.

00s

Nick Corbin, BS business administration ’02, Adam Rauch, BS business administration ’03, and Derek Shaw, BS business administration ’02, were featured on the ABC Television Network show, “Shark Tank.” The alumni pitched their company, Laid Brand, a professional hair care brand with a unique blend of pheromones.

Paul Cross, BS film and video production ’05, editor on the A&E television show “Born This Way,” was nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Picture Editing for an Unstructured Reality Program.

David Gornish, BS mechanical engineering ’01, was named among Pennsylvania’s Rising Stars, an honor reserved for no more than 2.5 percent of up-and-coming lawyers across the state.

Marat Mamedov, BS information systems ’07, and Vladimir Mamedov, BS information systems ’01, were featured on the Fox Business television show, “Innovations,” for their craft distillery, Boardroom Spirits. The show focuses on the cutting-edge advancements and breakthroughs across a variety of industries.

Amber Racine, BA history and politics ’04, received the inaugural Joanne A. Epps Award from the Temple Law Black Law Students’ Association for her leadership in the Philadelphia legal community and dedication to advancing the next generation of Black female attorneys through mentorship and advocacy.

Derek Shaw, BS business administration ’02, received a Gold Stevie Award in the 15th Annual American Business Awards as part of Sports 1 Marketing Corp. for the “Best Mobile Site and Application” category.

Sandra Sheller, MCAT creative arts ’04, post-secondary certificate, nursing ’05, and her husband Stephen Sheller HD ’17, former Drexel Trustee, were honored with the Heroes of Liberty Award at the National Liberty Museum for their work to help establish a permanent exhibit honoring the Pennsylvania National Guard and for funding their Young Heroes Program at the Tanner Duckrey School.

Bijal Shah-Creamer, BS chemical engineering ’03, was named among Pennsylvania’s Rising Stars, an honor reserved for no more than 2.5 percent of up-andcoming lawyers across the state.

Jeffrey Stockbridge, BS photography ’05, a past Drexel Magazine “40 Under 40” honoree, released the book “Kensington Blues,” a compilation of photos that tell the stories of those struggling with addiction in the Kensington section of Philadelphia. The project, which aims to humanize a neighborhood defined by deadly overdoses and drug sweep arrests, is the byproduct of a blog of the same name that Stockbridge started working on nearly 10 years ago.

10s

Jeffrey Danziger, BS business administration ’14, is working for Your Outsourced CFO (YOCFO), a Philadelphia-based provider of chief financial officer services to small- and medium-sized companies. He was hired shortly after meeting the founder through Drexel’s co-op program.

Darla Davenport-Powell, MS higher education ’11, appeared on the toy competition show, “The Toy Box,” on ABC Television Network, where she presented a collection of multicultural dolls that can sing and speak in multiple languages.

Danielle Boyle Melman, MS sport management ’13, received the National Association of Athletic Development Directors Rising Star Award for her exceptional work at the University of California San Diego.

Jesse Proctor, JD law ’16, joined the Worker’s Compensation Department at the law firm Capehart Scatchard.

Celebrations