Alumni Updates: Spring 2024

 New job? Big move? Just married? Don't forget to submit your own Class Note!

1976

Roland Armando Alum A&S ’76G recently retired from his executive-level posts in the federal and New Jersey state governments and various teaching positions at multiple universities. However, he’s continuing his prolific writing career. His work has appeared in Anthropology News, American Ethnologist and Pitt’s Panoramas, among others. He’s a trustee of DeVry University in New Jersey and serves as a research associate in Pitt’s Center for Latin American Studies.

1977

Karen J. Golding Kushner SHRS ’77 received two awards at the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) convention in Boston: the ASHA Foundation’s Frank R. Kleffner Lifetime Clinical Career Award and a Certificate of Recognition for Outstanding Contributions in Clinical Achievement. She’s the owner of The Golding-Kushner Speech Center and Golding-Kushner Consulting in New Jersey.

1978

Rita Maimbourg A&S ’78 has been named to the 2024 Ohio Super Lawyers list. In addition, she was added to the Ohio Top 50: Women and Cleveland Top 25: Women lists. She works for the Tucker Ellis law firm in Cleveland. PHOTO

Ron Nyswaner A&S ’78 adapted the novel “Fellow Travelers,” a political thriller spanning more than three decades, for television. It will appear on both Paramount + and Showtime. He was previously nominated for an Academy Award in screenwriting for “Philadelphia,” the 1993 film starring Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington.

1987

Robert Brenner, MD, MED ’87 was recently promoted to president of Valley Health System in New Jersey and New York. In this role, he will oversee the operations of the system’s three entities — The Valley Hospital, Valley Medical Group and Valley Home Care — and begin serving on the Valley Health System Board of Trustees. 

1990

Vincent Longo A&S ’90, LAW ’97 has been named to the National Academy of Arbitrators. He has been a full-time neutral since 2010, focusing exclusively on labor arbitration. Prior to establishing his practice as an arbitrator, he served as General Counsel for the largest labor union in Western Pennsylvania, a law clerk for the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania, a defense attorney for a Pittsburgh law firm and a contract negotiator for Westinghouse Electric Corporation.

1994

Susan S. Drummond SCI ’94G has retired after a 30-year career as an associate professor at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, a journey that began after earning her Master of Library Science degree from Pitt. Her children, Daniel EDUC ’13G and Kelly A&S ’14 look forward to “hailing” with their mother as she celebrates this important milestone.

2002

Diana Tuorto A&S ’02 published her sixth children’s book, “Miss Alberta: Feline Barn Manager.” The book is based on the true story of a feral barn cat who is torn between the outside world she knows and the desire to live with her special human, Mama. A portion of book sales will benefit animal rescues and charities.

2004

Felix Yerace A&S ’04, a teacher at South Fayette High School, has been recognized by the National Association for Student Activities with its highest honor—the 2023 National Earl Reum Award. This award is given annually to someone who, through personal experience and expertise, encourages and inspires others in the field of student leadership. He is only the second recipient from Pennsylvania in the award’s 33-year history.

2009

Patrick Emery LAW ’09 became a named partner of Lavender Hoffman Emery, a boutique civil litigation firm in Atlanta. Previously, he was a partner at FisherBroyles in Atlanta and a counsel at Reed Smith in Pittsburgh. He litigates complex business and commercial cases, defends big-ticket class actions, assists health plans and their members in disputes with providers and advises corporate clients on internal investigations, contracts and legal risks.

2012

Natalia A. Holliday A&S ’12 has joined Rothman Gordon as an estates, trusts and taxation attorney working with clients to develop estate plans. She graduated magna cum laude from Pitt and went on to earn her law degree from Duquesne University.

Jordan Bergamasco UPG ’12 and Katie Nestor were married on May 26, 2023, at St. Bernard Church in Mt. Lebanon, Pennsylvania. A month later, they traveled to Rome, where they received the Sposi Novelli blessing from Pope Francis. The blessing is meant to invoke divine grace upon the newlyweds.

2013

Rachel Rosenberg SOC WK ’13 has joined McAndrews, Mehalick, Connelly, Hulse and Ryan, where she will focus her legal practice in the special education department. She previously worked at the international law firm Dechert. A passion for representing underserved individuals has resulted in significant pro bono work in the child welfare system.

2014

Bryant A. Andrews A&S ’14, LAW ’17 has joined Blank Rome as an associate in the commercial litigation practice group. Bryant has been recognized as a Rising Star by Pennsylvania Super Lawyers and has been named a Top 40 Under 40 by The National Black Lawyers and a “Top 30 Under 30 Professional” by the Pittsburgh Business Times. Outside his practice, Bryant serves as the chair of the Pittsburgh Legal Diversity and Inclusion Coalition Young Professional Advisory Board.

2016

Cameron Barnett A&S ’16G, EDUC ’21G has released a new collection of poetry, “Murmur,” published by Autumn House Press. His last collection, “The Drowning Boy’s Guide to Water,” was a finalist for an NAACP Image Award. He’s currently serving as an Emerging Black Writer in Residence at Chatham University.

2021

Sean O’Hanlon CGS ’21 has joined 4Rivers Wealth Management as a client service specialist. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Social Sciences from Pitt with concentrations in economics, history and psychology.

2022

Jarah Doosé GSPIA ’22, a government relations advisor at the law firm Buchanan, Ingersoll and Rooney, was named to the Pittsburgh Business Times’ list of 30 Under 30. In her role, she lobbies the state government on behalf of local businesses, helping them to access grant funding or influence legislation. She also sits on the board of directors of the Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh.

 New job? Big move? Just married? Don't forget to submit your own Class Note!