Brandeis Magazine

Paula Apsell, the award-winning science journalist who guided the PBS series “Nova” to global acclaim, has been named senior executive producer emerita at Boston public television station WGBH, where she spent more than four decades. To honor her support of science education, WGBH has established the Paula S. Apsell/WGBH STEM Boston Public School Scholarship, which will be granted to Boston public-school students who plan to study in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics at the college level. Orlando Isaza was inducted into the Paper City Hidden Legends Hall of Fame permanent exhibition in Holyoke, Massachusetts, alongside 24 other social justice leaders. After nearly 50 years in book publishing, Neil Nyren retired in 2017 as executive vice president, associate publisher and editor-in-chief at G.P. Putnam’s Sons. He writes, “My wife, Lois Sharfman Nyren ’71, puts ‘retirement’ in quotation marks because I’m still very busy with publishing matters, especially in the area of crime and suspense fiction, and I keep up a busy speaking schedule. Lois, who retired as assistant head of middle-school grades at the Ramaz School, is very active in Jewish, social-action and education matters, especially at the Union for Reform Judaism, where she is on the North American board. Our son, Alex, and his wife and two children live in Brooklyn, so we get to see them a lot.” Bob Romasco writes, “Our 50th Reunion exceeded my expectations in many ways. Special thanks to everyone who made this memorable weekend happen. I never imagined having so much fun with a bunch of 70-year-olds. The conversations felt like we picked up where we left off many years ago. I am filled with pride and affection for each of you, good souls that you are.” Marquis Who’s Who has given Rabbi Richard Sarason its Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award. Richard is professor of rabbinic literature and thought at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, where he has taught since 1979. He also directs the Pines School of Graduate Studies. Ellen Schwartz edits essays for the “Oxford Handbook of Byzantine Art and Architecture” and is involved with the “Dear Womanhouse, What Now?” art project, a response to the famous 1972 feminist installation. She and her Ganaraskan dog, Emmy, are a Therapaws team; they frequently visit local colleges during exam periods to help students de-stress. Ellen is also training a new puppy.