2000s
Michele Clark, MA’00, is a full-time faculty member at Goddard College, where she teaches psychology and counseling to graduate students. She has started a blog (RivingtonatEssex.blogspot.com) about growing up in the 1950s on the Lower East Side, when it was still a Jewish neighborhood. Gregory Wilson, PhD’02, is a full professor teaching courses in English literature and creative writing at St. John’s University in New York City. He has written two books scheduled for publication this year: “Icarus,” a graphic novel, and “Grayshade,” a novel. He and Aaron Moulin ’99, PhD’07, are members of the Road, a progressive rock band they founded at Brandeis. The group’s third album is due out this year. Frances Colón, PhD’04, the deputy science and technology adviser at the U.S. Department of State, was named to the World Post’s inaugural list of 40 Latinos under the age of 40 to watch in the area of foreign policy and international affairs. Gregory Renoff, PhD’04, wrote “Van Halen Rising,” which chronicles the meteoric rise of one of the biggest rock bands in American history. Gregory has taught at Brandeis, Tufts and Drury. Robert Stadler, IBS MA’04, and his wife, Dana, had their first child, Ava Elizabeth, on Feb. 26, 2015. He has been with Ascent Private Capital Management for three years. Cassandra Welchlin, Heller MA’05, is director of child-care matters at the Mississippi Low-Income Child Care Initiative. Amrote Abdella, Heller MA’07, was named regional director for Microsoft’s 4Afrika Initiative. Previously, she had been director of startup engagement and partnerships at 4Afrika. In her new role, she will oversee Microsoft’s investments in Africa, deepen the company’s engagements on the continent and scale 4Afrika’s work across different markets. Reeze Loh-Darragh, MA’08, was named investment executive at Bank of Canton Financial Services and financial adviser in Infinex Financial Group. Fluent in Cantonese, Mandarin and Malay, she provides financial services in Massachusetts to the diverse communities of Randolph, Quincy and the Greater South Shore area of Boston. Matthew Pehl, PhD’09, was granted tenure and promoted to associate professor at Augustana College, in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. He specializes in modern U.S. history, with a particular interest in religious, urban and working-class history. His book “The Making of Working-Class Religion: Class, Culture and Christianity in Detroit, 1910-70” will be published this year. He teaches courses on post-Civil War U.S. history and the history of religion in the U.S. He also serves as faculty coordinator for the American studies program.