Alumni News

Graphic with text saying, "Brandeis Alumni Weekend May 31-June 2"
Graphic with text saying, "Brandeis Alumni Weekend May 31-June 2"

Reconnect With Classmates and Friends at Alumni Weekend

Make plans now to return to campus on May 31-June 2 for Alumni Weekend. You’ll have a chance to see treasured classmates; catch up with your friends and your alma mater; and engage with Brandeis faculty in timely discussions about politics, news media and women in science.

“We heard from so many who attended last year’s inaugural Alumni Weekend that they loved celebrating their unique connections to Brandeis,” says Patsy Fisher, vice president of alumni relations. “We encourage all alumni, especially those celebrating their reunion, to attend. There are so many terrific events planned, and throughout the weekend you’ll have time to reconnect and reminisce.”

In addition to special class-reunion events, the weekend will include programs hosted by the Alumni of Color Network and the Lawyers Network, as well as a Media Reunion that will pay tribute to The Justice at 70. Notable alumni speakers, such as former Wall Street Journal personal technology columnist Walt Mossberg ’69 and former CNN senior political analyst Bill Schneider ’66, will be featured at Alumni College on Friday.

You’ll be able to participate in a conversation about women in science, facilitated by Brandeis trailblazer Eve Marder ’69, the Victor and Gwendolyn Beinfield Professor of Neuroscience. President Ron Liebowitz will share his thoughts on and plans for the university, and present Alumni Achievement Awards to Debra Granik ’85 and Donald Soffer ’54.

As always, you’ll enjoy annual traditions such as Trucks and Tunes, the Ralph Norman Barbecue, Kegs and Kickball, and the Fire and ’Deis Gala.

Don’t delay — register at alumni.brandeis.edu/alumniweekend.

Mark Surchin ’78
Mark Surchin ’78

Going Forward, Together

As I approach the end of my tenure as president of the Brandeis Alumni Association, I want to thank each and every one of you for allowing me to serve you in this capacity, which has truly been an honor. More than that, getting to know and interact with so many Brandeisians from the university’s 71-year history has been a great joy.

I am struck by how much my appreciation for Brandeis has deepened since the day I received my diploma. As much as I enjoyed my time as a student, it wasn’t until I became involved with my alma mater after graduation that I truly understood what a jewel it is. Our faculty is world-class, and our students are engaged and bright. We are a major center of research that offers undergraduates the intimate classroom experience and wide-ranging academic scope of a small liberal-arts college, a combination that makes us unique in higher education.

Looking to the future, I am excited about the direction President Ron Liebowitz is setting for the next phase of Brandeis’ evolution through his Framework for the Future, which he outlined in the fall. As we recognize and celebrate all that our university and its students, faculty and alumni have achieved, we know we are poised to have an even greater impact over the years to come.

Although I will no longer serve as president of the Alumni Association, I will continue to work alongside you as a member. I am particularly proud to chair the newly established Alumni Sentiment Committee, which is gathering and synthesizing alumni feedback as Brandeis charts its way forward.

The alumni community we have built together is a major component of everything that makes this university great. I hope to see you all on campus at Alumni Weekend on May 31-June 2.

Best,

Mark Surchin ’78
President, Brandeis Alumni Association

Warm Winter Memories

Four party guests in Phoenix
Event committee members Pauline Tom ’75; Ron Lowe ’69, P’05; Gilat Ben-Dor ’97 (who served as chair); and Brooke Stein ’01 welcomed nearly 30 alumni, parents and friends to T. Cook’s, at Phoenix’s Royal Palms Resort and Spa, for the inaugural Arizona holiday reception, held on an outdoor patio under a starry sky.
Four party guests pose in Boston
More than 175 alumni, parents and friends — including Jessica Spierer ’18, Jennifer Brant, Jane Berry ’16 and Bold (Brandeisians of the Last Decade) chair Alicia Park ’15 — met at the Prudential Center’s Skywalk Observatory for the Alumni Club of Greater Boston’s 19th annual holiday reception.
Four women and a man pose at Boston's holiday reception
Boston event chairs Jonathan Sclarsic ’03, Jenn (Klein) Seadia ’02, Daniela (Jacobson-Fried) Egan ’04 and Hanna Switlekowski ’13, with Muna Guvenc, assistant professor of fine arts (center).
Two women and a man pose at the San Francisco holiday party
Karen Lengler ’15, MA’16; Samuel Icaza ’12; and Genevieve Oliveira ’15 were among the guests at the Alumni Club of Northern California’s second annual holiday reception, held at Bartlett Hall in San Francisco’s Union Square.
Two women and two men pose at the Southern California holiday party
Rainy weather didn’t dampen the spirits of the nearly 60 alumni, parents and friends who came to the Culver Hotel, in Culver City, for the Alumni Club of Southern California’s second annual holiday reception. Pictured: Jeffrey Loeb, Ashley Feder ’07, Meera Ramsoondar-Cuevas ’07 and Raphy Cuevas ’08.
A father and daughter, both grads, pose with the cups they're drinking from
The inaugural holiday gathering of the Alumni Club of Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey drew nearly two dozen alumni and friends to the Blue Cross RiverRink, where everyone enjoyed refreshments in a private lodge overlooking the skating rink and the Center City skyline. Pictured: Lewis Brooks ’80, P’16, and Hannah Brooks ’16.
Ten party guests pose in Houston
More than a dozen alumni, parents and friends gathered at Relish Restaurant & Bar to celebrate the season at the Alumni Club of Houston’s inaugural holiday event, chaired by Francyne Davis Jacobs ’95.
Four female partygoers at the Washington, D.C., holiday get-together
Sara Cormeny ’92; Tina Levine and Bonnie Landau, both members of the Brandeis National Committee; and Stephanie Dulitz Katz ’85 joined more than 50 other guests at Blackfinn Ameripub for the annual holiday reception of the Alumni Club of Washington, D.C.
A woman and man at the New York City holiday party
Alumni from across the New York City metro area enjoyed catching up while gazing at gorgeous views from Manhattan Penthouse, an event venue on Fifth Avenue. Pictured: Bold committee member Zoe Messinger ’13 and Jess Ochs-Willard ’15.

Ceremonies

A groom in a tuxedo and a bride in a long gown look into each other's eyes.
Julia Cohen ’10, MA’11, married Paul Kassebaum on Oct. 7.
A bride poses surrounded by wedding guests.
The wedding of Anna-Lisa Francesca Macon ’12 and Matthew Robert Vanzo took place on Oct. 7 at the Gramercy Mansion, in Stevenson, Maryland.
A bride and groom, holding a blue Brandeis pennant, surrounded by wedding guests.
Marc Eder ’12 and Lena Vaynberg ’13 were married last year in Florida during Memorial Day weekend.
Bride and groom surrounded by wedding guests
Ian Guss ’09 and Angela Guss were married on Oct. 21, surrounded by joyful Brandeisians.
The grooms with a large group of wedding guests, one holding a blue Brandeis pennant
In October, Thomas Bertorelli, PhD’21, and Justin Drake ’06 were married in Walpole, Massachusetts, toasted by many Brandeis friends.
Bride and groom hold a blue Brandeis pennant, with large group of people standing around them
Sara Miller-Paul ’11, MA/MBA’16, and Jacob Paul were married on Aug. 5 in Dulles, Virginia. Rabbi Rebecca (Ratner) Kamil ’10 co-officiated.
Bride in wedding dress and veil stands face to face with the groom in a black tuxedo
Daniil Boldyrev ’09 married Laura Myers on Oct. 20 in Brookline, Massachusetts. Brett Wu ’08 and groomsman Ben Pernick ’09 joined in the festivities.
Seven people wearing funny party hats and glasses smile for the camera with a blue Brandeis pennant
Rebecca Goldblum ’12 and Daniel Zachs tied the knot on Aug. 5 in Minnesota.
Bride and groom hold a blue Brandeis pennant with a large crowd of guests arrayed around them
Rebecca Sternberg ’16 exchanged vows with Jack Podolsky ’16 in September. The more than 30 Brandeisians attending the wedding included the bride’s three brothers and the groom’s mother.
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