Brandeis Magazine

Sam Ackerman is a data science researcher at IBM Research in Haifa, Israel, the company’s largest research division outside the United States. He enjoys swimming, cycling and running, and aims to complete a triathlon within the next few years. Sarah Brin sadly reports her brother, Nate, was killed in a motorcycle accident in Los Angeles in November. Her mother, Janette Oakes-Brin, died in a car accident in 2013. Emily Kadar has been appointed by New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo to the role of director of women’s affairs in the governor’s office. Previously, she spent seven years at the National Institute for Reproductive Health, where she helped pass the 2019 Reproductive Health Act. Last spring, she successfully ran a campaign to make New York City the first U.S. municipality to directly fund abortion. Jonathan McCormack is deputy director of the Federal Communications Commission’s Rural Broadband Auctions Task Force. Previously, he served as an attorney-adviser in the FCC’s Office of Economics and Analytics. Jonathan received the organization’s 2019 Employee of the Year award. Elyssa (Kanet) Shemen celebrated the birth of daughter Tiferette Simcha on April 7, 2019. Jeffrey Stein, owner of Stein Golf Design, was interviewed by Golf Club Atlas, an online forum and archive focused on golf course architecture. He specializes in the historic restoration of golden-age golf courses. Dmitry Vilner has joined law firm Wheeler Trigg O’Donnell, representing clients in professional liability defense matters, with a focus on legal professional liability. In 2018, he was recognized for his appellate pro bono work by the Colorado Bar Association.