Class Notes

Name: Norma Moran

Class Year(s): 2000

Note: Norma Morán BS ’00 is one of 54 participants selected for the Enlace Mid-level Leadership Program of the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU), a prestigious national organization representing more than 500 colleges and universities in the United States, Latin America, and Spain. Norma is the first known Deaf participant in the six-month program with a focus on leadership development for mid-level college and university professionals of Hispanic/Latine backgrounds. Currently serving as the associate director of the Center for Latine Deaf Studies at Gallaudet University, Norma fondly reflects on her Liberal Arts concentration in latin american studies in the College of Liberal Arts.

Submitted on: December 10, 2024

Name: Thomas Harvey

Class Year(s): 1975, 1987

Note: Tom Harvey BS ’87 won a Best of Category award and a Best of Show 1st Runner-Up award at the 2023 Image City Photography Gallery Exhibit titled, Photographers Journey. The photo was of a young Orthodox Jewish boy walking two Cheder in the Ultra-Orthodox section of Jerusalem. The photo was taken on Tom’s 2022 tour of Israel.

Submitted on: December 10, 2024

Name: Felicia Jefferson

Class Year(s): 2001

Note: Dr. Felicia Jefferson BS ’01 was inducted as an elected fellow of AAAS on September 21, 2024. She was selected as a 2023 fellow of AAAS. See Science Magazine announcement: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adp9613. See AAAS Announcement: https://www.aaas.org/fellows/2023-fellows.

Submitted on: December 9, 2024

Name: Stephen VanDeWater

Class Year(s): 1970

Note: Stephen Vandewater ’70 (CIAS), photojournalist, has been in contact with many famous people during his career. He has met and photographed, most notably, President John F. Kennedy shortly before his assassination. Other celebrities are George Jessel, Kenny Rogers, Charlton Heston and President George H. W. Bush. He was also in the Vietnam War as a photographic reconnaissance photographer. He was awarded The Commendation Medal and Conspicuous Service Medal for outstanding work there. He joined Eastman Kodak Company as a photojournalist and covered a wide range of assignments. One of interest was the making of a Gene Hackman movie, where one of the characters crashed through the Kodak Colorama display in Grand Central Terminal. Steve has received several awards from Eastman Kodak Company for his photography. Steve met his wife, Susan (Young) Vandewater AAS ’68, while at RIT and they were married in 1969. Sue is a 1968 graduate and his forever partner giving him much needed support. Steve retired in 2005 and they are currently enjoying life in Bristol, New York. Steve’s photographs and history are archived at Rochester Institute of Technology and The University of Rochester.

Submitted on: December 6, 2024

Name: Emily Bogle

Class Year(s): 2011

Note: Emily Bogle BFA ’11 and Tom Sciotto BS, ME ’11 welcomed their son, Alexander, in the summer of 2024.

Submitted on: December 5, 2024

Name: Ayriona Winston

Class Year(s): 2020

Note: Ayriona Winston BS ’20 majored in public policy. She spent ten years working with the City of Rochester and Monroe County. In under a year at her new company, she was promoted from project analyst to business development analyst for a federal government contractor, where she has contributed to securing $1.2 million in awards.

Submitted on: December 3, 2024

Name: Jason Rakowsky

Class Year(s): 2023

Note: Jason Rakowsky BS, MS ’23 started a career at Savannah River National Lab. Jason will be working on projects involving hydrogen storage and fusion energy.

Submitted on: December 3, 2024

Name: Andrew Schall

Class Year(s): 2003

Note: Andrew Schall BS ’03 recently published his new book, The Persona and Journey Map Playbook. While serving as senior director of experience design research at Mayo Clinic, he pioneered a new strategy for creating personas and journey maps to deeply understand user needs and guide product and service experience roadmaps.

Submitted on: November 30, 2024

Name: Ilir Beqiri

Class Year(s): 2010

Note: Ilir Beqiri BS ’10 is an Infantry Regiment Commander with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, one of the first appointed in this position. Ilir graduated from CUS and AUK/RIT.

Submitted on: November 28, 2024

Name: Eric McPhatter

Class Year(s): 2023

Note: Eric McPhatter AAS ’23 started a new job at Gleason back in late September 2024. Eric is currently working as a manufacturing assistant.

Submitted on: November 27, 2024