Class Notes

Name: Seth Schapiro

Class Year(s): 2005

Note: Seth Schapiro ’05 (GCCIS) and his wife, Alyson, welcomed their son, Owen, on 08/08/2020 in Annapolis, MD.

Submitted on: December 22, 2020

Name: Gregory Germain

Class Year(s): 1983

Note: Greg Germain ’84 (KGCOE), retired VP NetApp, is now serving as the Chairman of the Advisory Board for 321 Coffee. Established by 4 NC State students, 321 Coffee is a nonprofit coffee shop that employs adults with IDD. Their mission is to provide meaningful employment for adults with IDD and to model inclusion for other businesses to follow.

Submitted on: December 22, 2020

Name: Taylor Zimmer

Class Year(s): 1984

Note: Taylor Zimmer ’85 (GAP) is developing an environmental tourism destination in Central N.Y. called Solitude Farmz, with designs on opening in spring 2021, depending on COVID. They have partnered with RIT students in the department of Architecture for some really forward thinking ideas on sustainability and design. SolitudeFarmz.com, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter so you can stay up to date. Just below the grid, uniquely remote and you will never want to leave.

Submitted on: December 22, 2020

Name: Jeffrey White

Class Year(s): 80

Note: Jeff White ’80 (GAP) retired from Electronics for Imaging (EFI) after a long career in Information Systems sales and operations. He is now living in Pittsburgh and working for the Print & Graphics Scholarship Foundation on a part-time basis.

Submitted on: December 22, 2020

Name: Danny Abdeen

Class Year(s): 2013

Note: Danny Abdeen ’13 (KGCOE) recently completed 9 years of active duty service as a submarine officer with the United States Navy and transitioned to a role as a Technical Program Manager at Amazon Web Services.

Submitted on: December 21, 2020

Name: Elizabeth Abdeen

Class Year(s): 2013

Note: Elizabeth Abdeen ’13 (KGCOE) MS ’13 (KGCOE) and Danny Abdeen ’13 (KGCOE) welcomed their second daughter, Zoë Ella, on May 20, 2020.

Submitted on: December 21, 2020

Name: Aurelkys Estévez

Class Year(s): 2012

Note: In November 2020, Aurelkys Estevez MS ’12 (CAST) was promoted to Head of the office of free access to public information in the Attorney General’s Office in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

Submitted on: December 21, 2020

Name: Erika Griffith

Class Year(s): 2010

Note: Erika (Soltis) Griffith ’10 (KGCOE) ME ’10 (KGCOE) and John Griffith ’10 (KGCOE) MS ’10 (KGCOE) welcomed a new adventurer to the family! Aiden Griffith was born on Oct 12, 2020.

Submitted on: December 21, 2020

Name: Katie Lachut-Yevich

Class Year(s): 2013

Note: Katie Lachut-Yevich ’14 (CIAS) married Turner Yevich on October 23, 2020 in Richmond, VA. They made it through a small pandemic wedding and hope to continue on together for many more years (and worldly disasters) to come!

Submitted on: December 21, 2020

Name: Bill Truran

Class Year(s): 1975

Note: Bill Truran ’75 (GAP) writes: So I turned 67 today and I have a great hint for all RIT photo students. When I turned 40, I had left 15 years in NYC for a corporate job with Nabisco. I realized that if I loved what I did, and wanted to continue doing it, I would need to have clients that were younger than I was. In 2004, I left corporate life and went back to the freelance life where I still am today. I still have a good number of clients and corporations that want to hire me... all are about 10 years younger than me. Even with the pandemic I am still shooting food. Sometimes I have to food-style myself but after years of working with the best, it’s not a problem. Over time you can really pick your clients. Honest! If you love what you do (like I do) and want to keep doing it, make sure you clients are younger than you. They all work for agencies and corporations and will most likely retire @ 65 or so. But I will be at least 70 when they do. maybe I’ll be ready to slow down by then.

Submitted on: December 21, 2020