Alumni Stories and Spotlights

John F. La Barbera ’60, founder, co-chief executive officer and chief financial officer of Closet Factory, learned early to follow his intuition about career advancement. Today, he coaches eager franchise owners toward their own version of success.

Bianca Costa ’15 embraces a modern Renaissance approach to life. As the head of the program management office within group data COO at UBS, she leads with expertise and innovation. Outside of her professional role, she is a devoted mother of two young boys, Colsen York and Cavin Lato, and the author of the popular new children's book, Not A Bedtime Story. Her book charmingly captures the universal bedtime struggle with warmth, humor and just the right amount of mischief.

Felicia Heard ’16, once a Stevens field hockey goalie, followed her passion for business and found career success as director of finance at National General Insurance, an Allstate company. As an assistant coach at Stevens, Heard is guiding today’s Ducks toward achievement on the field and in life.

In his role as a technology leader in AI and data engineering for Deloitte, Nikhil S. Shahani M.S. ’17 is at the cutting edge of business intelligence. As a Stevens alumnus, he is a subject matter expert and advocate for the next generation of Stevens graduates.

Most careers progress in a traditional path, from education to entry level position and then onto management and leadership. Jeremy Roche ’18 M.Eng. ’18 took a different approach to balance his life, work and mission, carving out a space where creativity and purpose flourish.

Jaime Madrigano ’98 found her passion in the connection between the environment and public health. As associate professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, she is bridging the environmental health and engineering disciplines for the benefit of public wellness.

Martha J. Connolly ’75 M.S. ’75, one of the first women to be admitted as an undergraduate to Stevens, went on to succeed in research, academia, industry and entrepreneurship. Through mentoring – and a keynote speech at the 2024 Stevens Biomedical Engineering Day – Connolly is using her experience to encourage today’s women students to blaze their own path to fulfilling careers.

Premal Kamdar ’13 might have followed family tradition into the field of medicine. But this innovator saw a different set of possibilities in biomedical engineering, and in the power of technology to transform how illnesses are diagnosed, treated and monitored.

In his new role as director of photonics education at Thorlabs, Bill Warger ’03 is giving high school and college students a hands-on introduction to the fascinating, growing field of photonics. In fact, he even helped create a mobile lab to take that message on the road.

Nearly four years out of college, Kyla Barry ’20 has found a niche in customer relations management (CRM) and email marketing at Grubhub, where she is combining her artistic vision and creative programming skills to build the brand and strengthen its bond with customers.

As a project manager with McLaren Engineering Group, Sean Dirscherl P.E. ’16 M.Eng. ’16 ensures that waterfront projects rest on secure, resilient foundations. As an active Stevens alumnus, he helps build strong networks for students and young alumni.

Walter Ulrich ’68 is on a mission to provide medical resources where they are needed most – including war-torn Ukraine, earning Ulrich special recognition from President Volodymyr Zelensky. For Ulrich, however, the real reward is improved healthcare throughout the world’s communities most in need.

Satish Goda M.S. ’05 may hold a degree in computer science, but he is an artist, programmer and innovator at heart. With 16 years in the visual effects (VFX) and animation industries, Goda has collaborated with storytellers, artists and technologists to bring stories to screens worldwide.

In her debut novel, Scattered, Katherine Benfante M.Eng. ’09 draws on her knowledge of engineering as well as her vivid imagination to create a world where history, science, time travel and romance meet.

Daniela Cardona ’17, global investment banking vice president (media) at RBC Capital Markets, chose Stevens to chart her path from first-generation college student to career success in a field that she loves.

As Stevens prepares to kick off the 2023 All Rise Challenge, Michael Collins ’07, Stevens assistant men’s basketball coach and facility operator/head NBA & overseas pro trainer at Basketball City @ Pier 36, tells us why working with the Ducks is so rewarding.

Graduating with two degrees from Stevens, Hong Liang M.S. Ph.D. reflects on a career filled with challenges and excitement.

As senior principal data scientist at Roche, Vishakha Sharma M.S. ’09 Ph.D. ’15 is transforming healthcare diagnostics through a line of software applications that reduce time to treatment and support improvements to clinical care.

Madison Telles ’19 is fearless when it comes to connecting with people, organizations and ideas. The results are both extraordinary and world-changing, ranging from a chance meeting with space pioneer Buzz Aldrin to building global engagement in space programs through the Space Generation Advisory Council.

For Arthur G. Bendelius ’58 MMS ’62, a Stevens education bridged a childhood love of woodworking and a passion for engineering on a massive scale. As an expert in tunnel ventilation, Bendelius has contributed to essential – and iconic – transportation infrastructure projects around the world.

Lehrer Cumming’s Jason Tirri ’00 helped to rebuild the World Trade Center and served as the company’s project manager for Stevens’ University Center Complex. In his new role as vice president and New Jersey lead, Tirri will be instrumental as Lehrer Cumming looks to take its place as the largest independent project management company in the world.

ChristinaJ M.Eng. ’06, award-winning author of the children’s novel, Royal Planet, draws on her science and engineering background to immerse the reader in a fantastical, action-packed adventure designed to help children navigate topics such as colorism, racism, adoption, trauma, addiction, narcissism, relationships, self-worth, family dynamics and more.

When Sylvia Boamah ’22 discovered that front-end web development offered an outlet for her creative talents, she knew she had found her passion. As a software engineer associate at Chubb and a freelance web and graphic designer, Boamah is honing her ability to develop beautiful – and effective – user experiences.

Jessica Driscoll ’20 M.Eng. ’21 MBA ’24 has been working in the energy field since her sophomore year at Stevens when she was recruited to intern at AECOM. In her current role as Program Manager at Bradley Construction Management, Driscoll is overseeing energy services across the country.

Melissa Murphy ’14 once envisioned a career in Constitutional law. Instead, she is using her knowledge of quantitative finance as well as her Stevens-honed talent for innovation to ensure our right to data privacy.

A deep sense of curiosity about the world and how it works led LeTisha Shaw ’99 to the study of mechanical engineering. She continued to follow her interests through career roles at Merck, The Walt Disney Company and Evernote. As Director of Product Marketing for UserTesting, Shaw is drawing on her Stevens education, varied work experience and an innate gift for storytelling to help companies create better experiences for their customers.

While at Stevens, Ducks Field Hockey forward Brynn Froehlich ’22 was a force to contend with in the classroom, in the lab, at her Co-ops and on the field. Now at Frito-Lay, she is putting her Stevens education to work as a supply chain leader.

Trishna Saigal ’06 planned to spend her career in the pharmaceutical industry. But her love of healthy eating, and the flexibility of her chemical engineering education, put her on a different path. Today Saigal is leading her own startup, Down to Cook, helping to bring vegetable-based meat alternatives to every table.

As Senior Mechanical Engineer for vertical farming giant AeroFarms, Randal Reiman ’08 is on the cutting edge of efforts to build a sustainable model for supplying the world – and our communities – with more nutritious (and delicious!) produce.

Calvin St. Juste M.S. ’07 shares top leadership experience as Morgan Stanley’s Wealth Management Financial Wellness Chief Operating Officer and Head of Business Strategy, where he led financial health initiatives for the bank’s Fortune 500 clients. Learn how the unique education that St. Juste received at Stevens prepared him to support the financial goals of employees from entry level through the C-Suite.

For Chris Wool ’71, family history and Stevens are deeply intertwined. In fact, had it not been for a Stevens initiative during World War II to teach drafting to women in the graphic arts field, Wool might not be here to tell the tale.

Thomas J. Day Ph.D. ’07 was at a crossroads when he arrived at Stevens. Today, in addition to bringing depth and breadth of knowledge to his role as Chief, Program Management Branch at NOAA/NWS, Day is sharing his expertise as part of a national initiative to teach federal project managers how to make their programs more successful.

Curiosity and a passion for learning drive Marissa Brock ’99. Her career has included multiple roles at Johnson & Johnson and leading diversity recruitment initiatives and undergraduate admissions at Stevens. Now at Novartis, Brock is innovating the use of digital to engage and educate healthcare providers about the company’s cardiovascular medicines.

Shanice Tharkur ’11 followed her father’s footsteps to a career in electrical engineering. As Senior Systems Engineer for General Dynamics Electric Boat, Tharkur uses her expertise in the field to oversee non-nuclear maintenance, repair, modernization and improvements to the U.S. Navy’s nuclear submarines.

As Deputy Director of Sustainability and Community Outreach at Hudson County Improvement Authority and as the U.N. Youth Representative for Humanitarian Focus Foundation, Amanda Nesheiwat M.S. ’19 believes that we all can contribute to protecting the environment.

Bonnie M. Netschert Ph.D. ’08 may be most widely known for her oft-cited 2008 publication, “Security Readiness and Compliance Legislation in the Healthcare Industry,” but Fortune 100 companies are more likely to draw on her expertise in cybersecurity as a path to transforming their businesses.

As a Construction Technology Subject Matter Expert for the U.S. Air Force, Michael Jackson, PMP, CCM M.S. ’10 helps to ensure consistently high quality for the construction of U.S. Department of Defense facilities. In 2021, his federal civilian service is being recognized nationally, first with an Alamo Federal Executive Board Excellence in Government Award and as an Emerging Leader on DiversityMBA’s Top 100 Under 50 list.

Congratulations to President’s Leadership Council member Christopher D. Levendos M.S. ’04, executive vice president and chief operating officer for Crown Castle’s Network Organization, on receiving the Junior Achievement of New York 2021 Lower Hudson Valley Champions Award.

Justin Trugman ’20 was on the road to entrepreneurship well before he completed his Stevens degree. Today, he is at the forefront of the telehealth movement, and completed a master’s degree in Computer Engineering at Stevens while nurturing the next generation of start-up innovators.

Aisha Lawrey ’99 knew very little about engineering – and the career opportunities it offered – when she was a student at Newark’s Science High School, now known as Science Park High School. Today, this advocate and ambassador devotes her own career to building awareness and encouraging women and underrepresented minority students to consider a future in STEM.

Early in his career Marlon Anguin M.S. ’04 saw the potential that computer science could bring to the telecom industry. Today, he is a driving force behind Verizon’s innovative approach to bringing major league sports to fans worldwide.

Entrepreneur, cybersecurity expert, career and life coach – Seth Kirschner ’18 has an eye for a great opportunity, and the expertise and energy to take it from drawing board to successful enterprise. Now a Security Engineer with Japanese banking giant subsidiary MUFG Securities Americas, this Stevens alum succeeds on many fronts.

As an Agile Coach for Lockheed Martin, Tuyet-Hanh Schnell ’91 teaches the company’s employees how to engineer sustainable capacity. She also inspires others through her involvement at Stevens and with the Society of Women in Engineering (SWE). In 2021, Schnell was recognized with the SWE Local Legacy Award.

When Michelle Moreira ’17 was touring colleges as a senior in high school, her father, Philip ’79 added his alma mater to the list – he wanted to show her where he went to school. Little did either of them guess that by the end of a single open house visit, Michelle would decide that Stevens was exactly the right college for her.

Hannah Timm ’18 found her calling working in Stevens’ Laboratory for NeuroInnovation. As a Field Clinical Engineer for NeuroPace, Inc., Timm is living her dream, providing crucial support to the neurosurgeons who implant the NeuroPace RNS® System into patients’ brains, and helping to ensure its long-term effectiveness.

What happens when a 15-year-old high school graduate who is great at math and science finds their way to the Stevens Technical Enrichment Program (STEP) Bridge Summer Program? If you’re Carlton V. Peters ’99, you build a career as a thermal engineering expert at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center.

Nearly three decades ago Ed Pilpel and Stevens alum Franklin Delano Meatto ’69 revolutionized the ski industry. Remembering their success – and their adventures along the way – Pilpel makes a special gift to Stevens as a tribute to his colleague and friend.

With three college degrees already in hand, Pamela Charleston, PMP, M.S. ’18 found the strategic thinking she sought in Stevens’ Enterprise Project Management & Business Strategy master’s program. Soon, the energy provider, Exelon, was looking to her for expertise in transforming their approach to new initiatives.