Class Notes

Name: Shawn Burkholder

Class Year(s): 1990

Note: After 29 years at TE Connectivity in various roles of increasing responsibility, Shawn Burkholder BT ’90, moved to CTE Inc. as plant manager. The last five years have been a whirl as business has skyrocketed! From bringing on new equipment, to developing new hires and implementing lean strategies…. It’s been a blast!

Submitted on: May 13, 2025

Name: Tom Turchioe

Class Year(s): 1985

Note: Tom Turchioe BS ’85 was promoted to chief architect, SAP Partnership Channel at TRC Companies. Tom lives in Reno, NV with around 60 other Tiger alumni. Go Tigers.

Submitted on: May 6, 2025

RIT Alumni roaring together for almost 40 Years

Name: Sue (Czuba) Ake

Class Year(s): 1986

Note: Sue (Czuba) Ake BS ’86 hosted other 1986 KGCOE alumni for a fun reunion weekend at a college in PA. Alumni included: Mike Tosti BS ’86 from CA, Tim Thiemel BS ’86 from Rochester, NY, Jerry Skrzynski BS ’86 from West Seneca, NY, Barry Wolff BS ’86 from Jericho, NY, and Kirk Witherow BS ’86 from Perkasie, PA. The friends reunite every 5 years to reminisce and make new memories. As boomers, they now talk about medications and when they can retire.

Submitted on: May 6, 2025

Name: Tom Litchhult

Class Year(s): 1970, 1974

Note: Tom Litchhult BS ’74 received a master’s degree in Clinical Chemistry in 1984. Tom was an intern at St. Mary’s Hospital in Rochester, NY. He became a lab supervisor at St. Mary’s & Highland Hospitals. Tom later joined Kodak in 1980 and was transferred by Kodak to Houston, TX, where he worked for ~20 years. Tom worked stints at JNJ Labcorp in management positions for Lab Marketing/Sales and retired after 40 years. Tom went into Law Enforcement, attended HCC Police Academy and became vice president of the Harris County, Pct 4, Constables Office Citizens Police Academy (CPA). Tom is currently doing armed security in a Woodlands, TX, specialty hospital, once a week on Saturdays. Full circle, hospital in 1974, then back in a hospital for the last 3 years. Rewarding career that started at RIT in 1970. Thank you RIT.

Submitted on: May 5, 2025

Name: Cami Kwan

Class Year(s): 2015

Note: Cami Kwan BFA ’15 was recently awarded one of four grants as part of the Julia S. Gouw Short Film Challenge, which was hosted by the Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment (CAPE) and Janet Yang Production. Cami produced her original animated short film, Paper Daughter. Cami’s film is the first animated project ever awarded this grant! Cami and the other grantees were featured in an article in Variety: https://variety.com/2025/biz/news/cape-janet-yang-julia-s-gouw-short-film-challenge-winners-1236382565/

Submitted on: May 5, 2025

Name: Keith Campbell

Class Year(s): 1960

Note: Keith Campbell AAS ’60 is now 94 years old and is proud to have outlived many of his classmates.

Submitted on: May 5, 2025

Katelyn (Whitburn) Reddy MS ’19 and Anush Reddy MS ’19, welcomed their firstborn son, Henry Reddy.

Name: Katelyn Whitburn

Class Year(s): 2019

Note: Katelyn (Whitburn) Reddy MS ’19 and Anush Reddy MS ’19, welcomed their firstborn son, Henry Reddy, in August 2024. Henry is named in honor of Henrietta, where the couple met as students at Rochester Institute of Technology. The family now lives in California’s Silicon Valley.

Submitted on: May 3, 2025

Name: Mike Heinecke

Class Year(s): 2000

Note: Mike Heinecke MS ’00 joined OpenAI as a member of the Program Staff, working on AI and robotics.

Submitted on: April 24, 2025

Wedding Photo for Christa Harvey BS ’16 and Eddie Shealey BS ’17

Name: Christa Harvey

Class Year(s): 2016

Note: Christa Harvey BS ’16 and Eddie Shealey BS ’17 were married on August 25, 2023.

Submitted on: April 9, 2025

Douglas Alexander MS ’02 moderating a panel discussion next to congressman Langevin

Name: Douglas Alexander

Class Year(s): 2002

Note: Douglas Alexander MS ’02 has been the director of the Institute for Cybersecurity & Emerging Technologies at Rhode Island College for nearly a year now, working to advance workforce development, build a community of practice, and influence legislation and policy. Former congressman, Jim Langevin, is their distinguished chair, and they have been building an IBM Cyber Range, very similar to RIT’s - in fact, they have been in touch with that group and gotten advice from them! It’s incredibly rewarding to take his MS in IT from RIT and apply it to building the Institute for Cybersecurity & Emerging Technologies.

Submitted on: April 8, 2025