Archive

March 2024

Mandy Giles PPS'94 - is celebrating two years as the founder of Parents of Trans Youth, a social impact business providing learning, support, and community to parents and caregivers of transgender, nonbinary, and gender-diverse kids. Focused on Texas but serving families all over the country, Parents of Trans Youth offers educational programs and presentations, individual support, community-building events, support groups, and robust social media education and support. During the 2021 and 2023 Texas legislative sessions, Mandy testified before Texas Senate and House committees against multiple bills targeting transgender youth and has spoken publicly in school board meetings, panel discussions, media interviews, and rallies. Mandy is also the host of Everyday Trans Activism, a new podcast spotlighting individuals fighting for transgender rights and equality.

Jay Woffington PPS'94 - Ran the cincinnati Shakespeare company for 7 years, culminating in the grand opening of the Otto m Budig theater, a brand new $17mm classical theater building for which he was honored with the key to the city of Cincinnati.

Maggie Woods MPP’14 - was recently featured in the Duke Sanford Cyber Policy Program Podcast. Is the digital divide getting bigger? This office is trying to help. 

Daleep Singh PPS'97 - A Former senior White House official, will return to his previous role as the deputy national security adviser for international economics.

Geralyn Ritter PS'90 - Sanford Board of Visitor Member was recently named CEO of Crowell & Morning International.

Yaolin Zhou PPS'06 - Yaolin presented an idea that will change the way cancer patients get molecular tests. 

Tiffany Hall PPS'00 - As of January 1st, Tiffany Hall started an expanded role at Mastercard. She now leads legal strategy and execution for North America, Latin America and the Caribbean. Her new title is Executive Vice President, General Counsel, Americas. Previously, she served as Executive Vice President, General Counsel, North America.

Bruce Johnson MPP'97 - Being a joint law and masters in public policy graduate in 1977, Bruce had this to say, "I was one of the first class of 11 or 12 who received a masters of arts degree in Public Policy. We were literally the guinea pigs that started the graduate degree program. The graduate program did not start from scratch; it was built on the undergraduate degree in public policy that was already in existence. But the scale of both the undergraduate and graduate programs was tiny compared to the current size of the program. Our classrooms and faculty were located in the Old Chemistry building -- mostly in the basement. I spent my first academic year (1973/1974) at the Law School and applied and was admitted during that year to the Masters program, which had its first full year of public classes begin in the 1974/1975 year. In the next academic year. That summer I did research for Phil Cook, and the next year 1975/1976 I took close to a full load of law school classes plus being a teaching assistant in the undergraduate decision analysis course taught by Jim Vaupel and Greg Cummings.

That summer I had an internship in the U.S. Office of Management and Budget. My last year I again took mostly Law School classes plus working on my Masters' memo. The highlight of my last academic year was taking a course on Law, Politics and Legislation at the law school taught by Joel Fleishman. Throughout my time at Duke (and as an undergraduate government major at Harvard) I felt that I was getting the exact education and learning experiences I wanted to prepare me for a career in government service. As you can see below, that career covered a wide variety of public policy issues and public institutions. That turned out to be the case, I served 27 years in the Federal government -- in all 3 branches and 9 years for the City of Alexandria, where we lived for a 42 years. Most of my career in government was spent in budgeting positions, but I started it by working for two summers in 1971 and 1972 at the newly established EPA in Washington in the Contract Management Division.

After graduation from Duke I went to work for OMB working on Transportation, CAB and ICC budgets in my first 4 and a half year tour and Treasury, Postal Service and Thrift Savings in my second tour year and half tour. I had two 3 year tours with the Census Bureau, planning the 1990 Decennial Census and a few years later doing some long range planning for censuses in the 21st Century, During my 5 years at GAO I first worked on federal budget policy, but later evaluating federal information and statistical programs. During my 9 years at the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts I became the Budget Director assisting the Budget Committee of the Judicial Conference of the U.S. in planning and executing the annual budgets of the Federal Judiciary. I finished my career of pubic service working for 9 years for the City of Alexandria, Virginia until I retired in 2012. I served first as the Budget Director, then the Chief Financial Officer, and for 7 months as the Acting City Manager and then about 9 months as the Chief of Staff to the new City Manager. As a coda to my career of public service, I managed a cemetery in Alexandria for 4 years. There certainly were fewer complaints from those I served.

I met my wife, Libby, who was in Duke's graduate physical therapy program at Duke and we've now been married almost 50 years. We lived in Alexandria for 42 years, until moving last year. We have now have 2 houses, one in Portland, OR, where 2 of our children live, and one in New Albany, IN, where the 3rd lives. A side note: When we were there in the mid 70's, Duke's men's basketball team was at a low point. The good news was you would walk over to Cameron at the last moment and grab a couple good seats at the last minute. The bad news was that Duke had 50 wins and 56 losses during our 4 year there. NC State was national champion in 1976 and UNC went to the NCAA final in 1977. Our teams never got past the ACC quarter finals. The next 4 years Duke was 90 and 37 with 3 appearances in the ACC finals and 2 ACC championships and a loss in the NCAA finals to Kentucky and 2 other NCAA appearances.

Duke basketball had entered the stratosphere and we were hooked. We still get worked up over Duke basketball. We watch virtually every game on TV, and a few ACC and NCAA tournament games in Washington. Last year we saw them in opening preseason practice, and we have seen them 3 times in the Phil Knight early season tournaments in Portland. A few weeks ago we started a new tradition and watched them beat Louisville just across the Ohio river from New Albany. Our Indiana license plate "Dukies" is likely to disturb not only Louisville, but Kentucky, Indiana and Purdue fans who live in the area. But we are proud to have lived through bad times to reach good times. We are also both proud to be Duke graduates."

February 2024

Brandon Busteed PPS'99 - was recently appointed Chief Executive Officer for BrandEd.

Christa Gibson MPP'07 - husband, Benjamin Gibson (MPP 2008) just moved to Kongens Lyngby, Denmark to start a new job. She is working at the Danish Technical University on a project to build capacity in whole genome sequencing of antimicrobial resistant pathogens in laboratories in Africa. Ben is the new geopolitical advisor at the Danish renewable energy company Ørsted.

Kristy Marynak MPP'10 - earned a doctorate in social and behavioral sciences from the Bloomberg school of Public health at Johns Hopkins University in December 2023. She is now a Health Scientist at CDC in Atlanta, straddling both policy and science topics, and was supported by CDC’s Long Term Education award for mid-career professionals.

January 2024

Rhian Carreker-Ford MPP'21 - Has been appointed to the Human Rights Commission by the Orange County Board of County Commissioners. Rhian has tried to live their life by the motto, "service to others is service to self." Rhian said, "I have been wanting to get more involved in my community for a while and now have an opportunity to do that and make a real difference in people's lives. I am looking forward to the work that we will do going forward."

Gregg Behr MPP'00 - Gregg was recently named the 2023 Champion of the Year by HundrED, a global organization that amplifies education innovations around the world. The organization’s most prestigious honor, the Champion of the Year award recognizes education innovators whose impact crosses continents. Gregg earned the distinction for his work with The Grable Foundation and Remake Learning, a network of learning innovators he founded in 2007 to international renown. Widely considered the world’s premier learning ecosystem, Remake Learning’s model continues to be replicated by regions around the globe. (In 2020, HundrED named Remake Learning one of the 100 most inspiring innovations in the world.) In accepting the Champion of the Year award, Gregg called on the world to follow in Fred Rogers’ footsteps by remembering that learning and love are linked.

December 2023

Carl Rist MPP'91 - Believe it or not, the next time you come to Durham, you'll have a classmate on the city council! In my first campaign for public office, I won an at-large seat on the Durham city council during the Nov. 7 elections. With more than 21,800 votes, I claimed one of the three at-large seats being contested. I'll be sworn in on Dec. 4. Everything we learned together at Sanford (OK, maybe not decision trees!), I'll bring with me as I serve the people of Durham!

Stefanie Feldman PPS'10 - a longtime policy advisor to Biden on gun violence prevention, will serve as Director of the new White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention. Link to article. 

Chris Kuo PJRMS'23 - Chris received the George J. Mitchell Scholarship "which supports a year of graduate study in Ireland." Chris, along with Duke senior Chloe Nguyen, are "two of the 12 Americans selected this weekend for the program, which supports a year of graduate study in Ireland." “I am delighted that Chloe and Chris have been named Mitchell Scholars,” said President Vincent E. Price. “This recognition highlights the promise and potential we've already seen from them at Duke, including Chloe’s efforts to address political polarization and Chris’s outstanding work as an emerging journalist. I wish Chloe and Chris all the best as they prepare to begin their studies in Ireland.” Link to article.

Jess Anderson MPP'09 - is set to serve as the new mayor of Chapel Hill, NC!

November 2023

Angela Tsai PPS '98 - Angela has taken on the role of Chief of Staff at Zuckerberg Media. She works closely with CEO Randi Zuckerberg on strategy and operations. They serve as business advisors and investors in the tech and arts intersectional space and produce numerous Broadway shows including Hadestown, Parade, Merrily We Roll Along, and The Outsiders.

Maya Ajmera MPP’93 - Has been inducted in the American Academy of Arts & Sciences. She was elected in 2022, with 269 other accomplished individuals, drawn from academia, the arts, industry, policy, research and science, and include more than 40 International Honorary Members from 23 countries.

You can learn more by viewing the press release here.

OCtober 2023

Sekou Kaalund MPP '99 - The Executive Vice President, U.S. Bank, was honored by the Harlem Educational Activities Foundation for championing diversity and equitable opportunities. Sekou completed his Master of Public Policy at the Sanford School of Public Policy in 1999. Sekou has blazed trails professionally and his personal commitment to opening doors for the next generation of leaders without bias is closely aligned with HEAF’s mission to bridge academic and opportunity gaps for NYC students from underserved communities. The gala will honor trailblazers and role models who have championed diversity and equitable opportunities: -Sekou Kaalund, Head of Branch and Small Business Banking, U.S. Bank. -Evelyn Pérez-Albino, Esq., Attorney, Career Strategist and Professional Speaker, and HEAF Alumna. -Pamela West, Managing Director, Real Estate Impact Investing, Nuveen. HEAF 2023 Gala: Our Future in Focus WHEN: Wednesday, October 25, 2023 6:00 PM ET: Cocktails 7:00 PM ET: Dinner & Program (including live auction) WHERE: Cipriani 42nd Street 110 E 42nd St, New York, NY 10017 Please reach out if you would like a copy of the media alert for the event. More information is available on the event page.

Nicholas Fiore MPP’21 - Recently joined Point32Health in Cary as the Policy and Strategy Manager in August.

Cameron Oglesby MPP’23 - received a 2023 student journalist of the year award from Covering Climate Now. Click here to view the award. Cameron was also featured in Sanford's Class of 2023: Cameron Oglesby's Environmental Policy Research Grounded in a Family Plot of Land.

Dina Xie PPS’19 - was recently promoted to CHief of Staff (interim) at Arnold Ventures in NYC. Sheis part of the company's Criminal Justice team. 

Kristin Carlucci Weed PPS’02 - Has spent the last few years writing a biography about her father, former Secretary of Defense Frank C. Carlucci III. On January 23, 2024, she will publish the book: Get Me Carlucci: A Daughter Recounts Her Father’s Legacy of Service. Before his death in 2018, her father began work on his memoir. This book combines that unfinished narrative, with historical research and interviews with his colleagues and friends, such as Colin Powell, William Taft, Bill Owens, and many more. Kristin said writing this book has been among the most fulfilling, inspiring, and important professional accomplishments of her life to date.

Amanda Morrall PPS’11 - Is thrilled to announce they will be joining the 2023-2024 class of #ObamaScholars at Columbia University. Follow her on LinkedIn. The Obama Foundation Scholars Program at Columbia University welcomes 12 Scholars from 12 countries for a nine-month residency at Columbia World Projects. Scholars will engage with the institution’s multifaceted program to deepen their knowledge and skills and build new capacities and networks that will accelerate their impact on the world. 

Maya Ajmera MPP'93 - has been inducted into the American Academy of Arts & Sciences. She was elected in 2022, with 269 other accomplished individuals, drawn from academia, the arts, industry, policy, research, and science, and includes more than 40 International Honorary Members from 23 countries. You can learn more by viewing their press release here. 

September 2023

Melanie Kadlic Meren MPP '02 - was featured in the Virginia media outlet, Dogwood, about her public policy work as an elected Member of the Fairfax County School Board. Melanie is seeking a second term, to continue governing this 10th largest school division in the U.S. that educates over 180,000 students. Click here to read the article.

Shandiin Herrera PPS’19 - Recently, Shandiin spoke at the Indigenous Leadership Summit where she shared tips on crafting your Elevator Speech and making a lasting first impression. 
 
"I’m always grateful to work with Native Forward Scholars Fund and I am incredibly appreciative of the support I’ve received from them since high school!" 

Nicole Kyle PPS’13 - Nicole Kyle has been selected as a 2023 Public Voices Fellow for the Advancement of Women and Girls with The Op Ed Project and Equality Now. Nicole is one of 20 fellows and will spend the year workshopping and publishing op-eds on gender equity with this cohort of advocates, editors, and journalists. Her focus is the wealth gap, pay gap, new economies and future of gender equitable workplaces. Click here to learn more. 

August 2023

Grace Abels HST’22 - put ChatGPT to the test by comparing the program’s fact-checking abilities to the human-powered fact-checking of Politifact. 

Ubong Akpaninyie PPS’12 - was the recipient of this year's Foreign Policy for America NexGen Member of the year. They also recently joined the Biden-Harris Administration as a political appointee, and became the Senior Advisor for the Bureau for Asia at the U.S. Agenvy for International Development.  

Brian Altman PPS’99 - On June 4, Brian Altman became the new Director of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (an operating division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services) National Mental Health and Substance Use Policy Laboratory (NMHSUPL). Previously serving as Acting Director of the NMHSUPL, Mr. Altman will continue to direct efforts to develop and implement national policy to promote mental health, prevent substance misuse and addiction, provide treatment, and support recovery. 

Richard Bostic MPP’82 - Pam and Richard Bostic have moved from Raleigh to Charlotte to be near their son and his family. 

Chen Chen PPS’21 - Last year, Chen finished their masters in China and worked at a public radio station in Alaska where they won an Alaska Press Club award for reporting. Click here to read more of their reporting.     

Danielle Turnipseed PPS’97 – shared that “iIt was an honor and a privilege to attend the first #juneteenthcelebration at the #WhiteHouse with President Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and a host of Members of Congress, civil rights leaders, entertainers and contributors to both American and African-American history and culture. I was especially proud to see members of HBCU Morgan State University's Magnificent Marching Machine. 
 
As some try to silence the contributions and voices of important moments in US history, it was so important for this celebration to be at the White House. Our history cannot be erased, and it won't as long as we continue to tell the story.” 

June 2023

Cameron (Cami) McNeely PPS’17: was promoted to the Director of Corporate Social Responsibility at AYR Wellness INC.  

Erica Hill PPS’98: started her new position as Associate Dean and Assistant Vice President for Trinity College and The Graduate School Development at Duke University. 

David Tier PhD'21: recently published an article 'The Relationship Between Military Service and Legislative Behavior for U.S. Representatives in Recent Congresses' that resulted from his doctoral studies at Duke Sanford. To read the article click here.   

April 2023

Amy Raslevich MPP’00 earned her doctoral degree in Health Services Research and Policy from the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health. She was named a Health Equity Scholar and won the William T. Green Award in Public Health Services for her dissertation, "Racial Disparities in the Utilization of Pediatric Preventive Care Services in Medicaid." She lives in Pittsburgh PA with her husband Jeff Kelly (Fuqua '98), daughter Laura (Tufts '24), and son Sam (Northeastern '27). 

Daniel Werfel MMP’97 was confirmed by the Senate on a 54-42 vote early in March as the new Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service. Across more than 15 years of government service, Werfel served President Barack Obama and President George W. Bush to lead some of the government’s most complex management challenges as the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Acting Commissioner and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Controller.

Steven Wray PPS’86, Carnegie Mellon University announced effective March 1st, 2023 that Steve Wray has been appointed Block Center for Technology and Society executive director. In this role, Wray will lead the operations of the Block Center while collaborating with CMU staff, faculty leadership, external advisers, and a network of partners to set strategy, track goals and expand the center's reach. Before his time at ESI, Wray was the executive director of the Economy League of Greater Philadelphia and the managing director of the Pennsylvania Economy League. Wray also served as policy director for former Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. and Acting Gov. Mark Singel. 

march 2023

Hayley Sanon PPS'17 joined the Senate HELP Committee’s Minority Staff as the Policy Advisor for K-12 Education in February. Previously, Hayley was the Program Manager of AEI’s Conservative Education Reform Network.   

Jonathan Jacobs PPS’84 and his daughter, Sofie Jacobs (Fuqua '24) wrote "Just Between Us: Father & Daughter: The Original Bestselling No-Stress, No-Rules Journal," which will be released by Chronicle Books on April 25, 2023.  

February 2023

Jainey Kumar Bavishi PPS'03  has been appointed as the Assistant Secretary of Commerce and Deputy Administrator for Oceans and Atmosphere. In this role, Bavishi is responsible for providing agency-wide direction regarding climate resilience, fisheries, coastal, and ocean programs, including efforts related to NOAA’s implementation of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act. Link to NOAA announcement.              

Jimena Rico Straffon MPP’15 published an article at the Journal of Environmental Economics and Management about the deforestation impacts of logging concessions and eco-certification in the Peruvian Amazon. This paper is coauthored with Duke professors, Alex Pfaff and Jennifer Swenson, as well as Duke alumni, Zhenhua Wang, Stephanie Panlasigui, and Colby Loucks. She started the project during her MPP summer internship at WWF, then it became her master's project, and it evolved to a research article. Link to article. 

Lindsey Kurnath MPP’08 has been appointed as the Superintendent of Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River, in Pennsylvania and New York state, National Park Service (NPS) Northeast Regional Director Gay Vietzke has announced. Lindsey values the experience and expertise of park staff and community members and inspires others to work towards common goals. Link to Pike County Courier article.

Mary Kingston Roche MPP’10 delivered a TEDx talk in November 2022 titled, Creating a Curiosity-Inspired Life and World. The talk was centered around her experience as a teacher, policymaker, advocate, and Mom. Link to TEDx talk.   

Lori Cashman PPS’94 company Victress Capital has rebranded as Visible Ventures. They invest in bold, diverse teams that build superior consumer experiences and the technologies that power them. Link to website. 

Hanna (Heycke) and Mike Gill MPP’20 welcomed their beautiful daughter Grace in October of 2022. 

January 2023

Scott Reid MPP'06 has joined the law firms of Bass, Berry & Sims as a member. He will split time between the firm’s Nashville and Knoxville offices. Reid focuses his law practice on private equity, debt financing transactions, and debt restructurings. He will close billions of dollars of debt financing transactions each year for private equity funds, commercial borrowers, financial institutions, and special situation investors in transactions that include asset-based and cash flow-based financing, project-level financing, acquisition financing, mezzanine financing, and subordinated debt financing. He will regularly counsel clients on debt finance compliance and corporate governance matters, inter-creditor matters, liability management, workouts and restructurings, and debtor-in-possession financing.

Dave West PPS'98 has been a leading executive in the national security technology sector in Washington, D.C. Within his role as Senior Vice President of Avantus Federal, a 1,200-person PE-backed company focused on highly-sensitive cyber, space, and data missions for Intelligence, Defense and Special Operations, and other government groups. Dave has led strategy, mergers, acquisitions, and marketing growths resulting in the company's recent sale for $590 million to QinetiQ U.S. The American business of the publicly traded QinetiQ Group is based in the United Kingdom. Dave resides in Great Falls, Virginia with his wife Heather, son, and two daughters. 

Benjamin Rae MPP'09 has started his new role as the Senior Economist for United Nations Resident Coordinator Office in China.

December 2022

Daniel Werfel MMP’97 with the IRS undergoing an enormous overhaul, President Biden has called upon Daniel Werfel MPP’97 to reprise his role as IRS Acting Commissioner, a position he held under the Obama administration back in 2013. We congratulate him on his new posting.  

White House nomination press release. 

With a long and distinguished career in financial government, Daniel graduated with an MPP from Duke’s Sanford School of Public Policy in 1997 and recently served as the Chair of the MPP Alumni Advisory Board.  

“Throughout his career working in both Democratic and Republican administrations, Danny has proven an effective leader who serves with professionalism, integrity, and skill,” President Obama. 

November 2022

Diana Ascher PPS ‘93 (PhD, MBA) will moderate a panel during the Society of Policy Scientists Annual Institute, hosted this year by the Terry Sanford School of Public Policy (November 17-19). As head of research and senior advisor on data ethics and responsible artificial intelligence to the EDM Council, Dr. Ascher helps ensure the world’s leading organizations develop ethical data management policies and practices. She is the founder of the Information Ethics & Equity Institute, which bridges information studies research and praxis through accredited programming for data and information workers.  

Danielle Turnipseed PPS’97 (JD, MHSA, MPP) was announced as the new chief public policy officer of the Association of Medical Colleges. Turnipseed brings more than 20 years of healthcare policy experience and joins the AAMC from the American Medical Association's Division of Federal Affairs, where she advocated for critical issues impacting physicians and the nation’s healthcare system with key government agencies. She will join the AAMC on Nov. 1. Link to AAMC Press Release.  

Drew Cumming MPP’05 was selected as the County Manager for Granville NC in October. After graduating from Sanford, Drew worked for the Town of Carrboro through 2008 and then served for fourteen years in the Durham County Manager’s Office as Assistant County Manager and Chief of Staff. Granville County Press Release. 

Caitlin Durkovich PPS’94 has been promoted to the Deputy Homeland Security Advisor for Resilience and Response at the National Security Council, The White House.

Kristin Walker MPP’06 Just made history this week on November 1st, becoming the first female state budget director at the NC Office of State Budget and Management (OSBM). OSBM Post of Kristin being sworn in. 

Anca Grozav MPP’05 has been promoted to Deputy Budget Director at the NC Office of State Budget and Management (OSBM). OSBM Post.

October 2022

Jonathan Osei (PPS ’18) recently started a role as Program Manager at Jobs For The Future.

Ahmet Onur Öztürk (MIDP/PIDP ’14), who is formerly Head of Textile and Apparel Products Department at Turkish Ministry of Trade, has been appointed as "Commercial Counsellor" at Turkish Embassy in Moscow.

Melissa Piana (PPS '17) is now an Associate Consultant at Education Resource Strategies in Watertown, MA.

Justine Hong (PPS’13) most recently was the Director of the Office of the Executive Secretariat a the University Department of Transportaion, has taken on the role of Chief Operating Officer for tech start up Switchboard which builds digital tools for political campaigns.

Carlhey Bolz (MIDP ’17) has joined Human Rights Campaign as their Deputy Director, Global Business Programs on the Workforce Equality Team. In this role, she will be leading their Equidad/e initiatives in Latin America to help advance LGBTQ+ equality and inclusion among businesses and corporations in the region.

Luis Felipe Quintero Suárez (MIDP ’02) was recently named Colombia’s Vice Minister of Foreign Trade.

Satoko Tanaka (MIDP '01) is now the Chief Representative of the JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency) USA office. She is responsible for US policy and maintaining relationships with Multilateral Development Banks and US AID agencies.

Janina Cuevas Zuniga (MIDP '14) is now National Education Officer for UNICEF Mexico.

Dr. Jodi Detjen (MIDP '97) is now the Dean of innovative education and programs at the Sawyer Business School, Suffolk University. 

Durre Shahwar Khan (MIDP '08) is now Chief Executive Officer of the Pakistan NGO CHIP (Civil Society Human and Institutional Development Program). CHIP focuses on inclusive community development programs helping marginalized communities meet their basic needs and expand their opportunities to reach their full potential.  

SEPTEMBER 2022

Ajenai Clemmons PhD ‘21 and Peter Adeyeye MIDP ‘21 were married on New Year’s Day. Congratulations!
 
Brandon van Grack PPS ’01 appeared recently on the Rachel Maddow show to discuss the FBI search of Mar-a-Lago. You may watch it here. Brandon’s interview starts 9:00 minutes into the clip.

Stephen Iya PPS ‘12 is an associate in Weil’s Private Equity practice and is based in Dallas. Stephen participates in the representation of private equity sponsors and their portfolio companies with respect to mergers, acquisitions and divestitures. He also assists with advising businesses on general corporate matters and has experience drafting and negotiating commercial contracts and executive employment agreements.

Sherri Rankin-Landry PPS'93 was profiled on Medium.com: Women Of The C-Suite: Sherri Landry Of CEC Entertainment On The Five Things You Need To Succeed As A Senior Executive.

After more than 10 years in the Chamber of Commerce, leading the Conciliation and Arbitration Center and managing the International Chamber of Commerce Bolivian chapter, Claudia Paccieri MIDP ’09 is working on her own consultancy firm specialized in Corporate Governance for business families. She has recently been appointed as local representative of PUM Netherlands Senior Experts.

Cara Peterson PPS '14 published her first book The Effortless Perfection Myth (out September 20th) about the gender issues today's women run into in college with focuses on mental health, body image, and hookup culture dynamics. The book has been endorsed by Lisa Borders (former president of Times Up! and the WNBA), Julie Scelfo (NYT staff writer), Dr Jean O'Barr (founding director of Duke's women's studies program), Soraya Chemaly (author of Rage Becomes Her, a Washington Post and NPR "Best Book" selection), and Larissa May (founder of #HalfTheStory), among others. Sign up for her newsletter at www.caralenapeterson.com or follow her on Instagram at @effortlessperfectionmyth. 

Mike Schoenfeld PPS ’84 stepped down in August after 14 years as Duke's Vice President for Public Affairs and Government Relations and Chief Communications Officer to join the global strategic advisory firm Brunswick Group as a partner in their Washington, DC office. He will continue to be a member of the Sanford faculty as a Visiting Professor of the Practice of Public Policy.

Research on fragile masculinity and aggression by Adam Stanaland PhD’22 was discussed on PBS NewsHour by Duke Professor Sarah Gaither. Gaither was one of his advisors for his doctorate. 

Jonathan E. Tarr PPS '05 has joined the Denver office of Moore Iacofano Goltsman (MIG, Inc.) as a policy project manager. He consults to local and state governments on housing, land use, and community development solutions.

Nicole Vickey PPS ‘97 returns to Duke this Fall to complete a hybrid Master of Divinity in support of her role as a pastor of Left Hand Church, a progressive and non-denominational Christian church in Boulder County, Colorado.

August 2022

Jared Green PPS’99 took a trip in June with the Joint Distribution Committee, a global Jewish humanitarian organization, to the Polish-Ukrainian border. The mission members met with Ukrainian refugees to bear witness to the conflict. Green is the principal of Rarity Advisors, a concierge service for the sale of collectibles and fine art.

Former Sanford Board of Visitors member Jennifer Hillman MeD’80 was chosen by the Washington International Trade Association (WITA) to receive "the EGOT of trade" -- WITA's Lighthouse Award that recognizes "an impactful individual in the trade policy community."

Amanda Hedgecock PPS‘18 earned an MBA from the UVA Darden School of Business and is now a Business Program Manager at Microsoft in Washington, DC.

Adam Laughton PPS'05, JD'08 joined Greenberg Traurig in Houston, Texas as a shareholder.

August Mao MPP‘16 has accepted an appointment position at the White House to serve a 2-year term as a Special Advisor to the United States Director of Technology in the White House Office of Information Technology.

Jo Palmer PPS’06 was featured on the cover of East of the River magazine and in the article on maternal mortality in DC, telling about her difficulties with the health care system surrounding the birth of her daughter. Palmer is a health policy consultant in the area.

Marc Supcoff PPS’88 is an adjunct professor of law at Fordham University Law School in Manhattan, where he teaches a Legal Writing and Research seminar class to International LLM students. Following pandemic disruptions, Marc is enjoying being back in the classroom and interacting with students in person again.

Listen to John Tolsma PPS‘95 and Lee Ann Furrow-Tolsma PPS‘93 describe how they turn to decision trees at crossroads in their marriage!

June 2022

Anudari Altangerel MIDP ’04 is now the Chief Supply Chain and Risk Management Officer at Unitel Group.

Monisha Eadala MIDP’20 is now a consultant with the World Bank in the Development Research Group (DECRG). She is working to identify and document the impacts of green policies on labor markets in India across various sectors.

Kenichi Fukumura MIDP‘02 is now the Chief Executive Officer of DBJ Americas, a subsidiary of the Development Bank of Japan Inc. (DBJ). He oversees lending and equity investment.

Ana Lucia Garcia Briones MIDP ’14 has been promoted to Senior Manager of the Environmental Defense Fund’s Environmental Justice and Equity team. She will help drive and grow EDF’s commitment to environmental justice work.

Lily Coll PPS’22 has a new position as a state and local government consultant at Guidehouse in New York, NY.

Magan Gonzales-Smith MPP’14 had a commentary in EdNC about grieving and healing together in the wake of the Uvalde school shooting. She is the founding Executive Director of the Durham Public Schools Foundation. She has dedicated her career to working in public education to dismantle barriers to success for students of color and other historically marginalized students.

Darriel Hoy PPS’94 was a guest on the Adventist Voices podcast, discussing community engagement in Adventism. Hoy is an ordained minister and the communications director for the Office for Regional Conference Ministries and the Regional Conference Retirement Plan.

Sophie Aliza Jamal PPS’17 has been named one of Forbes 30 Under 30 in Asia for the company she co-founded, Pinkcollar Employment Agency. It is the first ethical recruitment agency in Malaysia for migrants, mostly Filipino domestic workers, providing access to safe jobs and training in legal rights. The company has a grant from the Global Fund to End Modern Slavery to expand their services to Indonesian migrant workers and to Malaysia’s manufacturing sector.  Read her LinkedIn post about her work.

Sureshkumar S. Nair MIDP’17 is now the Commissioner School Education at the Government of Andhra Pradesh in India.

Adam Stanaland PhD’22 has defended his dissertation and will be doing postdoc work at New York University in the Cognitive Development Lab.  He was the first joint public policy and psychology PhD candidate at Duke.

May 2022

Nicole Kyle PPS‘13 was named a 2022 Top Voice in Gender Equity by LinkedIn. Nicole is one of 15 creators in the US and Canada recognized for I Also Want Money podcast and her work in the LinkedIn Creator Accelerator Program. Fellow honorees include Girls Who Code founder Reshma Saujani and Pipeline Equity CEO/Founder Katica Roy. Nicole writes on gender equity, the wealth gap & pay gap, and crypto & Web3.

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Patrick Nevins PPS’07/MPP’16 and Lauren Oliver MPP’16 were married at Kiawah Island, SC, on March 26.Nevins is a professional staff member of the U.S. House Committee on the Armed Services, and staff lead on the subcommittee on Intelligence and Special Operations. Oliver is the director of Corporate Affairs at United Health Group.

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Shana Starobin MPP/MEM’08, UPEP’16 gave a talk at Duke on sustainable farming practices on April 14.She is an assistant professor of government and legal and environmental studies at Bowdoin College.

Michaela Towfighi PPS'22 has a position as a Report for America journalist at the Concord Monitor in New Hampshire.

Melissa Yeo PPS’13 has a new position as director of the Global Infrastructure Initiative (GII) at McKinsey & Company. She is working on the next GII convening of senior leaders of infrastructure and capital project, seeking to identify ways to improve delivery of essential infrastructure. The next summit takes place in Tokyo in October.

April 2022

Brooks Daverman MPP '08 is joining McKinsey & Company as an expert in their Medicaid practice. Previously Brooks served as the Deputy Director at TennCare, Tennessee's Medicaid agency.

Inna Dergunova MIDP’02 works in Italy with a European Union international development agency, but Mariupol, Ukraine is her hometown. She was scheduled to fly home when Russia invaded. Read more of her story here.

Sekou Kaalund MPP’99 was profiled in Forbes for his role as head of Consumer Banking for the Northeast Division of JPMorgan Chase and his work to leverage the resources of major institutions to create a more inclusive economy and economic justice.

Héctor Andrés Luna Iñiguez MPP’21 is the head of energy at the British Embassy, Mexico City.

Lee Reiners MPP’11 was on CNBC discussing the need for institutions to develop a strategy for crypto-currencies. He is the executive director of the Global Financial Markets Center at Duke Law School.

Daleep Singh PPS'97 is Deputy National Security Advisor for international economics in the Biden Administration. He was a guest on CBS' 60 Minutes, discussing the White House's economic sanctions against Russia. Singh is one of the chief architects of the sanctions.

Evan Taylor MPP/MBA’17 has a new position as Senior Vice President, Program Manager of Community Banking at M&T Bank in Baltimore, MD. He is also a PhD candidate in transportation and urban infrastructure systems at Morgan State University.

Julie Williams PPS’19 sang the national anthem at the Duke-UNC men’s basketball game in Cameron Indoor Stadium on March 5, Coach K’s last home game. Williams, a singer-songwriter based in Nashville, was profiled in The Duke Chronicle.

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In Memoriam

A celebration of the life of Nathan Ranney PPS’11 will be held on Saturday, May 14^th at 2 p.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Asheville, 1 Edwin Place, Asheville, NC 28801. The celebration will also be live-streamed if you would like to join us that way.

Anyone planning to attend in person, or who wishes to share a story about Nate, please email Sonia Chokshi.

March 2022

Gregg Behr MPP’00 has received a Friend of AASA Award from AASA, the School Superintendents Association. He is the founder and co-chair of Remake Learning, a network of educations, scientists, artists and makers, dedicated to sharing best practices in learning.

Karen Klocke Dehais MPP ‘87 joined Catholic Charities in Rochester as President/Diocesan Director, leading an agency that serves 250,000 people annually with an $85M annual budget and 1200 employees.

Dr. Travis Gayles PPS’01 has been presented the American Medical Association Award for Outstanding Government Service for his leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic as health officer and chief of public health services in Montgomery County, Md. In 2021, he was named chief health officer for San Francisco-based Hazel Health. Watch his acceptance speech here.

Sam Rauschenberg MPP’14 is the vice president of organizational effectiveness at Achieve Atlanta, a non-profit that helps Atlanta students access, afford, and earn a postsecondary degree. He has launched a Substack site called Southbound, to explore overlooked stories about the South and wrestle with how they affect us today.

Hayley Boling Sanon PPS ‘17 is now Program Manager of the Conservative Education Reform Network at the American Enterprise Institute.

Two Sanford alumnae, Afftene Ceri Taylor PPS’12 and Caralena Peterson PPS’15 were speakers at the TedX Duke event, Linimal: Between the Lines in February. Taylor is A UX designer and developer in Georgia. She has returned to her creative roots, acting in two short films and writing a horror screenplay. Peterson teaches English in Louisiana and the author of forthcoming book, The Effortless Perfection Myth.

Kimberli C. Withrow PPS ’94, a partner at Boyd Collar Nolen Tuggle & Roddenbery, has been named a 2022 Georgia Super Lawyer. Super Lawyers, part of Thomson Reuters, is a rating service of lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. Only 5% of lawyers in Georgia are selected as Super Lawyers.

In Memoriam

Nathan Ranney PPS’11 passed away in a skiing accident in Montana on February 12, 2022. He worked as a product manager in the technology sector and lived in San Francisco.  

February 2022

Congratulations to Dean Brenner PPS’82 for his new appointment as Chair of the Technological Advisory Council (TAC) of the Federal Trade Commission.

Sarah K. Campbell MPP/JD’09 has been appointed to the Tennessee Supreme Court by Governor Bill Lee. She currently serves as the state’s associate solicitor general and special assistant to the attorney general.

Brian Daniels PPS’97 has been appointed by the governor of Rhode Island as director of the state’s Office of Management and Budget. He began serving in the position on November 8. Previously, he was executive director of the Rhode Island League of Cities and Towns.

Pearce Godwin PPS’08 and the organization he founded, Listen First Project, were featured in the PBS documentary Preserving Democracy: Pursing a More Perfect Union, which premiered on Jan. 6, 2022. 

John Graham MA’80 has a new book, The Global Rise of the Modern Plug-In Electric Vehicle: Public Policy, Innovation and Strategy, published by Edward Elgar Publishing on April 7, 2021. He is a professor of risk and policy analysis at the O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs, Indiana University and formerly served in the George W. Bush White House as a “regulatory czar.”

Andrew Leon Hanna PPS’14 has a new book coming out in May from Cambridge University Press, 25 Million Sparks, about refugee entrepreneurs in the Za'atari camp and around the world. He will discuss his book in a virtual event at Duke on Feb. 24, 3 pm EST. Register on Zoom: duke.is/cy55r. 

Rob Lalka MPP’08 had a commentary in the Baton Rouge Advocate about how New Orleans is in a good position to take advantage of the next text wave, Web3. He is a professor in the business school at Tulane University and executive director of the Albert Lepage Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation.

Madison Mastrangelo PPS’19 was part of a panel for Duke students about working with federal agencies  on Feb. 8. The panel was a project of Sanford’s EMBARK program, which helps public policy students interested in advocacy careers. If you are interested in helping with the program, check out the website or contact suzanne.valdivia@duke.edu.

Multy Oliver PPS'21 was a contestant of Wheel of Fortune on February 8. She is currently working with AmeriCorp Fellow serving in Queens.

Elizabeth Troutman MPP’14 was recognized by 2022 North Carolina Super Lawyers as an industry leader for Schools and Education. This annual list honors the top lawyers in North Carolina. Troutman is a partner with Brooks, Pierce, McLendon, Humphrey & Leonard, LLP, in Greensboro and her practice focuses on education and employee issues.

Durham Success Summit, the mentorship program for Black male youth founded by Derek Rhodes PPS’15, is partnering with Duke Engineering’s Christensen Family Center for Innovation, which is offering expertise in entrepreneurship. Read about it here. 

Albert "BJ" Stieglitz PPS’00 has joined Alston & Bird LLP as a partner in the firm's white collar, government & internal investigations practice, after spending more than 12 years as a federal prosecutor in the Department of Justice's criminal fraud section. He is based in the firm's Washington, D.C. office, and he and his wife Amanda T'00, along with their daughters Caroline (10) and Elizabeth ("Ellie," 8), reside in Chevy Chase, Maryland.

January 2022

Batool Askari MIDP’21 has been hired as a Program Officer on the Project Management Quality and Support (PMQS) team with FHI 360, an international nonprofit working to improve the health and well-being of people in the United States and around the world. She will be based at their headquarters in Durham, NC.

Brian Daniels PPS’97 was recently appointed Director of the Office of Management and Budget for the state of Rhode Island.

Dominique Deshommes MIDP’19 has been hired as a Project Manager at Chemonics.  He will manage a project that aims to reduce malaria mortality in West Africa.

John D. Graham MPP’80 had his book, “The Global Rise of the Modern Plug-In Electric Vehicle: Public Policy, Innovation and Strategy,” published by Edward Elgar Publishing on April 7, 2021. He is Professor of Risk and Policy Analysis, O'Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs, at Indiana University and formerly “regulatory czar” in the George W Bush White House.

As of January 1, 2022, Tiffany Hall PPS’00 was promoted to Executive Vice President, General Counsel, North America at Mastercard. Previously, she served in the role of Senior Vice President, Chief of Staff to the CEO at Mastercard.

Andrew Leon Hannah PPS’14 has a new book coming out in March from Cambridge University Press. The book, 25 Million Sparks, about refugee entrepreneurs in the Za'atari camp and around the world, can be pre-ordered here. The book was featured in a recent article in the Financial Times. It tells the story of three courageous Syrian women entrepreneurs uplifting the Za'atari refugee camp, and of the global refugee entrepreneurship phenomenon they represent. Hannah says, “The three entrepreneurs featured in this book – Asma, Malak, and Yasmina – are among the most inspiring individuals I have ever met, and I'm honored to be able to share their stories… and more broadly a story of equal dignity, undying hope, and radical love.” 

Kalkidan Kebede MIDP’21 is now a Research Associate in the Health Service Research Division at FHI360. He is based at their headquarters in Durham, NC.

Bautista Logioco MIDP’04 is now a Senior Programme and Policy Officer with the World Food Programme.

Nicole Kyle PPS’13 is one of the 100 inaugural members of LinkedIn's Creator Accelerator, selected for her podcast "I Also Want Money," and broader work exploring the gender wealth gap, financial inclusion, and blockchain-enabled wealth creation opportunities like crypto. Subscribe to the podcast (https://apple.co/3zhL4U6) and follow her on LinkedIn (https://bit.ly/3qC6KXc) along with #LICreatorAccelerator.

Ahmet Onur Ozturk MIDP’14 is now Head of the Textile and Apparel Products Department, DG of Exports, at the Turkish Trade Ministry. He is based in Ankara.

D. J. Vaughn PPS’05 has a podcast “U Don’t Know Me Yet, Music & Entertainment with D.J. Vaughn.” He takes you behind the scenes with music industry artists, both well-know and up and coming artists and entertainers. Recent episodes feature Lisa Knowles-Smith, Kevin Whalum and Larenz Tate.  He is also the associate director of multicultural media and social and digital content for Walmart.

Edwin Colby Walton III PPS'94 and a partner have acquired Cooksey Communications, a strategic communications firm in Texas. He began his PR agency career at Cooksey Communications in 1998 and has now been named Cooksey’s chairman and CEO.

Norah Yahya PPS’07 is a comedian and producer in New York City and co-host of the podcast Two Bearded Ladies, about the history of beauty trends from ancient to present day and guest host of the Politricks podcast, with political commentary on the Black and Brown experience.

Yoon Young-seok MIDP’04 is People Power Party representative in the Korean National Assembly in Seoul.  He is now running for governor of the province to the north of Busan, Gyeonsangbuk-do.

December 2021

The White House has picked Jainey Bavishi PPS ‘03, a leading expert on responding to the challenges of climate change, to a top leadership position at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Bavishi will serve as one of the two top deputies to NOAA Administrator Rick Spinrad. Bavishi most recently served as the director of the New York Mayor’s Office of Climate Resiliency.

Dean Brenner PPS’82 recently retired from Qualcomm as the Sr. VP, Spectrum Strategy & Technology Policy. We’re looking forward to Dean lecturing in Professor David Hoffman’s classes next semester. Dean described his work as “marrying good public policy with advancing the company’s business interests. I’m trying to work at the intersection of those two ideas. My job is to be as forceful and as skillful and as persuasive an advocate as I can for Qualcomm. But it always has to be excellent public policy.” 

Romina Damini MIDP’21 is a law consultant at the UN’s International Organization for Migration. She was interviewed about her work with the Bass Connections project on migration, urban cultures and the arts.

Sabrina Davis MPP’20, program manager at Vision to Learn in Connecticut, is working to ensure that children in underserved communities in more than 400 cities have eye exams and glasses if they need them.  She presented at the state's Alliance Districts meeting to 20 school superintendents. There are 33 Alliance Districts across the state identified for additional support to "transform the educational experiences and outcomes of thousands of traditionally under served students and families."

Andrew Leon Hanna PPS’14 has launched Immigrant Love, a coffee subscription service that curates from inspiring refugee and immigrant coffee entrepreneurs.

Luciano Romero PPS ’11 was awarded the "Mendoza Distinguished Youth" award of the year under the category of Commitment to the Community, due to his work with the Non-Medical Volunteer Team for the COVID Pandemic.

Madhu Vulimiri MPP’18 has been appointed the Deputy Director for the new Division of Child and Family Well-Being. “We are working to establish this new Division at NCDHHS, which will bring together complementary public health, mental health, and social service programs to improve outcomes for children and their families,” she writes. 

Stelfanie Williams PPS’98 was profiled in EdNC about her work in education and her time as president of the Vance-Granville Community College. She is currently vice president for Durham and community affairs at Duke.

Kevin Wu MPP’19 is now Domestic Policy Advisor for Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.)

November 2021

Ethan Anderson PPS’98 is founder and CEO of MyTime, a leading cloud-based point of sale and appointment scheduling solution for franchises and enterprise organizations. He is #37 on the Alumni Spotlight list of Top 100 Duke Alumni in Technology.

Jeff Bartelli MPP’13 has left federal service and taken a position as an engagement manager with the software company Apptio.

Joy Basu PPS’08 has been appointed as a White House Fellow for the class of 2021-2022. She will be working with the White House Gender Policy Council. 

Emily Hadley PPS’15 is a research data scientist at RTI International. She presented approaches for addressing bias, equity and anti-racism as a technical contributor in statistics and data science at the 2021 Women in Statistics and Data Science Conference, hosted by the American Statistical Association.

Natalie Hwang PPS’01 is founding managing partner of Apeira Capital, an investment and advisory firm focused on distribution technology. She is #67 on the Alumni Spotlight list of Top 100 Duke Alumni in Technology.

Rasheca Logendran PPS’20 has been named to the inaugural class of Samvid Scholars. The scholarship will pay up to $50,000 tuition and fees to a graduate program for two years. Logendran will attend Harvard Medical School.

Bridget O’Connor MPP/JD’03 has joined the Jones Day law firm as a partner in the Washington, D.C. office.

Allegra Paneto MIDP’18 now serves as the deputy country representative for USAID’s Office of Transition Initiatives (OTI) in Sudan.

Michael Spolum MIDP’12, Natel Energy’s director of International Business Development, recently published an article with the National Hydropower Association on why the conservation and strategic restoration of source watersheds is critical to the long-term sustainability and overall resilience of the hydropower sector, and water infrastructure in general.

Ada Umenwaliri MIDP’18 is associate director of UNC-Chapel Hill’s African Studies Center, and led efforts to win a $500,000 grant from the Oak Foundation for a project to produce resources for K-5 elementary school educators for digital learning about contemporary Africa.

October 2021

Brittany Amano, Camille Ampey and Sonali Metha, all PPS’20 graduates, were featured in a Duke Today story about the Class of 2020 and the in-person commencement ceremony on Sept. 26.

Ajenai Clemmons PhD’21 has started a new position as assistant professor of public policy at the Korbel School of International Studies at the University of Denver.

Romina Damini MIDP’21 is now a law consultant with the International Organization of Migration in Albania.

Ellen Godwin MPP’05  launched the web and mobile based platform Artifcts.com at the end of August to help people to digitally preserve the 'stuff' we accumulate in life and the stories, memories, history that go with these objects.  She says, “We are working hand-in-hand with individual subscribers as well as B2B and B2B2C opportunities with insurance companies, HR benefits groups of major corporations, estate attorneys, and home organization companies to help people make the most of their Artifcts. We're in our first fundraise cycle now and will be hiring (senior tech, consumer marketing, and consumer product management) throughout the fall.”

Danielle Gray PPS ‘00 was appointed executive vice president and global chief legal officer for Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. Gray joined the company in mid-September, bringing decades of corporate and government health care policy experience.

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Whitney and Andy Holmes PPS’14 were married in June in Charlevoix, Michigan. This photo shows the Holmes/Hardin family members who are Dukies, including Barbara Russell Hardin ’54, as well as three groomsmen (all 2014).

Katie Higgins Hood PPS’96 was featured on the podcast Her Money talking about financial abuse and women. She is the CEO of The One Love Foundation, and has also taught the HLP course “Women In Leadership.”

Kim Lanphear (Sleight) PPS '83, CEO of APPARO, was pleased that her organization was honored for the second time in three years, as one of the Best Places to Work in Charlotte, NC by the Charlotte Business Journal. This is a staff nominated award, and I am very proud of the team who surrounds me every day. Prior to this award, the CLT Business Journal also awarded me the Most Admired CEO in 2018. The Mecklenburg Times has recognized my work with two awards as well - the Icon Award in 2019 and one of Mecklenburg's 50 Most Influential Women in 2016.

Corinne Low PPS’06 was interviewed by Esquire about hiring bias and the appointment and removal of Mike Richards as the host of Jeopardy.

Sean Lyngaas PPS ‘07 joined CNN as a cybersecurity reporter. Lyngaas has also been freelancing for the past 9 years, with his work appearing in The Atlantic, The Economist, The New York Times, and The Washington Post, among other publications. He has also worked as a Pentagon correspondent for Federal Computer Week and a contributing writer for The Washington Diplomat.

Derek Rhodes PPS’15 was featured in a story in the Indy about the latest convening of the Durham Success Summit, a nonprofit he founded to help young men of color succeed.

Rachita Singh MPP’20 has a blog post, How Can We Increase the Disability Vote, based on a report she wrote while at the Sanford School, at the American Association of People with Disabilities website.

Michael Spolum MIDP’12 is director of Business Development: Asia and Africa for Natel Energy. He recently published the article, “Why the conservation and strategic restoration of source watersheds is critical to the long-term sustainability and overall resilience of the hydropower sector, and water infrastructure in general” at the National Hydropower Association.

Shawn Stokes MIDP’11 is opening two new businesses in downtown Durham: Rubies on Five Points, a live music venue, bar and event space, scheduled to open in October; and Remedy Room, a classic neighborhood bar.

Gechi Tesic PPS ‘11 joined Am Law 100 firm Polsinelli in the national Securities & Corporate Finance practice group, with a focus on Investment Management & Funds.

Vitaly Yermakov MIDP’97 is senior research fellow at the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies. He has published a new report, Big Bounce: Russian gas amid market tightness. He says, “The IEA recognized that Gazprom was honoring its contractual obligations on exports to Europe but said it could do more. See my new paper to understand why it did not.” He was also quoted on the issue by Bloomberg News.

SEPTEMBER 2021

Danelle Gamble MPP’20 was a guest speaker at the Women’s Equality Day event at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, where she is serving as a U.S. Army Major. She credits her time at Sanford, and professors Doug Brook and Jay Pearson for giving her the confidence and drive to advocate for equality. Watch her talk here.

Dr. Travis Gayles PPS’01 has stepped down from his position of Montgomery County Health Office and Chief of Public Health Services. He had served in the position since 2017, and led the agency during the pandemic, overseeing all federal, state and locally funded public health services.

Sarah Hernandez PPS’05, an attorney and founder of the nonprofit HYPE: Helping Young People Excel, is running for the Los Angeles Community College Board. 

Timi Lewis PPS’95 has a new position as vice president of marketing and communications for the Urban Resource Institute, the nation’s largest provider of domestic violence shelter services, based in New York City. Lewis will serve on the organization’s Senior Team and will play a critical role in the strategy and execution of branding, internal and external communications, public relations, and digital media activities.

Petrea Marchand MPP’97, working as executive director of a joint powers agency, completed and helped launch a conservation plan to protect endangered species in 32,000 acres over 50 years in Yolo County, California. Marchand continues to run a consulting firm focused on helping local governments and nonprofits implement projects in California and is always looking for interns!

Ryan Messmore PPS’97 is the new president of Magdalen College of the Liberal Arts, a small Catholic college in New Hampshire. Read a profile of him in the National Catholic Register.

Lucas Metropulos PPS’15 started the nonprofit Lend a Hand Bahamas while he was an undergraduate at Duke. He is now a board member for the organization, which has continued to grow. The family of the late Sir Sean Connery has given a donation that will go toward creating a recording studio in Lend a Hand Bahama’s planned second community center. A donation from the Kate & Justin Rose Foundation will support the nonprofit’s after-school and weekend literacy programs and a reading room in the forthcoming center.

Braveen Ragunanthan PPS'12, upon finishing as Chief Resident at UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, is now starting as an attending pediatrician in the rural Mississippi Delta. Braveen and his wife Nina, also from the Duke Class of 2012, are working for the Delta Health Center, Inc. - the first federally qualified health center (FQHC) started in the United States back during the 1960s. Read this article from the Robertson Scholars Leadership program for more about their work.

Ryan Smith MPP’14 was named director of the new Community Safety Department for the City of Durham. He will work on pilot programs of new responses to public safety issues that don’t necessarily need a law enforcement response.

Ron Temple PPS’90 is a managing director, head of U.S. equity and co-head of multi-asset investing at Lazard Asset Management LLC in New York. He is chair of Duke’s Graduate School Board of Visitors and the host of Lazard’s podcast on investing, The Question Is…

Vitaly Yermakov MIDP'97 and co-author Jack Sharples published a paper in the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies on the competition between Russian LNG and Russia’s pipeline gas in Europe. Yermakov works as senior research fellow at the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies.

In Memorium

Sophie Elizabeth Allen PPS’16 died on August 14, 2021. Her obituary is here.

August 2021

Ghada Ahmed MIDP’10 recently published a Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) report on the impacts of COVID-19 on agri-food value chains in Libya, highlighting the structural challenges with food and agriculture value chains.

Asha Asokan MIDP’20 had a paper on peace agreements and children’s issues and rights was published in the 32nd edition of the Journal of Public and International Affairs.

Jainey Bavishi PPS’03 has been nominated by President Biden as Assistant Secretary for Oceans and Atmosphere in the Department of Commerce under the NOAA Administrator. She currently serves as the director of the New York City Mayor’s Office of Climate Resiliency.

When Anil Kumar Bhardwaj MIDP’15 witnessed the death and devastation that COVID-19 brought to his community in Faridabad, India, he began developing a low-cost and efficient solution to help citizens easily access oxygen refilling stations. Read more about how he stepped up during a critical time to help his community and country in this Duke Today article. 

Maria Carnovale PhD’19 had an article published in Slate about how vaccine passports might work.

Jen DeNeal MPP’13, Associate Director for Ethics and Policy at UNC-Chapel Hill, has received the 2021 Kay Winjberg Hovious Outstanding Forum Delegate Award, given to Employee Forum delegates for service.

Hillary Greenberg PPS’17 started a new position at the Aspen Institute as a senior research associate with the Future of Work Initiative.

Andrew Leon Hanna PPS’14 is a co-founder of DreamxAmerica, which received an Honorable Mention on Fast Company’s 2021 World Changing Ideas list. DreamxAmerica supports immigrant-led small businesses through story-telling and small loans.

Catherine Herrold PhD’13, after seven years at Indiana University, in Fall 2021, will become an Associate Professor of Public Administration and International Affairs at Syracuse University's Maxwell School of Citizenship & Public Affairs.

Spenser Kaplan PPS’21 published a commentary in Space News making the case for space-based solar power.

Yong Suk Lee MPP’07 is the editor of a new book, Drivers of Innovation: Entrepreneurship, Education and Finance in Asia. He has just been appointed an assistant professor of technology, economy and global affairs at the University of Notre Dame. Previously, he was the SK Center Fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies and Deputy Director of the Korea Program at the Walter H. Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center at Stanford University.

Wazi Ligomeka MIDP’11, Director of the Malawi Revenue Authority, was appointed to the United Nations Committee of Experts on International Cooperation in Tax Matters for 2021-2025 Term. He is the first Malawian to be appointed to this committee.

Corrine Low PPS’06 is an assistant professor of economics and public policy at the Wharton School. She took part in a recent rally by Housing Works in New York City, protesting the recent decision of the city to transfer unhoused people from hotels to shelter. She was seen being arrested in the first photo in this story in amNY.

Amanda Morrall PPS’11 has joined Composer Education as the head of strategic partnerships. Composer is a start-up platform that offer a collection of content and resources for citizenship education.

Oderah Odum PPS’17 is playing in the Olympics for the Nigeria women’s basketball team. She works at Unlimited Potential Basketball in California as a trainer.

Daniela Peñaloza MIDP’15 has been elected mayor of Las Condes in Santiago, Chile.

Megha Bansal Rizoli MPP’12 has started a new position as director of organizational strategy for Jobs for the Future, a national nonprofit building educational and economic opportunities for underserved populations.

Niisoja Torto PPS’20 has been awarded the Knight-Hennessy Scholarship, which provides full funding for a graduate program at Stanford University. He will pursue a medical degree at the Stanford School of Medicine.

Madhu Vulimiri MPP’18 is senior strategy advisor to the Chief Deputy Secretary of the NC Department of Health and Human Services

In Memorium

Chase Johnson MPP’21 passed away on Wednesday, July 28, 2021. He was a researcher on higher education with the American Institute for Research. His obituary is here.